For those wondering what is going to happen next, below is a list of the process from here on out. This list is from our agency, Celebrate Children International. Please know that the time frames given are just general estimations, and may not be accurate for our case. Our case may take longer. They can never know for sure. We hope to bring our boys home at some point this summer, probably late summer. We are certain that God is in control of the timing.
1. Receive referrals.
2. Dossier is translated and authenticated in Ethiopia (2 weeks)
3. Your dossier goes (3-6 weeks)
4. CCI’s in country representative submits your case to court for a court date (1 week)
5. Your court date is given (4-6 weeks later)
6. Court takes place with an in country representative from CCI acting on your behalf by Power of Attorney to complete the adoption (same day). Sometimes it takes several times in court for a case to pass.
7. File goes to WACM to get letters needed to have a passport and birth certificate created (1 week)
8. Case is submitted to American Embassy for embassy appointment (1 week)
9. Embassy appointment is given
10. Family travels to Ethiopia to pick child up and to go to the embassy appointment (3-6 weeks after exiting court)
Friday, February 12, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
He has heard our prayer!
God continues to amaze me! For those of you who were praying for us this weekend...God surely heard!!!! I got a call around 1 today in regards to two boys. Both are from Kamashi Village, which is about 14 hours outside the capital city in Ethiopia. We were praying that the Lord would bring two boys to our case worker as she went to that remote village this weekend. Although that is not usually the way things work, we were praying for God to just do something big.
HE DID! As of today, we accepted a referral for a 2 year old boy and a 7-8 month old boy. God has brought us two little boys from the same village! Words cannot describe our excitement. I just can't believe I get to be the mother of these boys!! We have seen pictures of both of them, but we are not allowed to post them anywhere until we have passed court and they are legally our children.
The next step is for our case to be submitted to court. In all likelihood, our case will be submitted in about a month, and then we will wait for a court date for each boy (they are not biological siblings, so they will have separate appointments). Most of the time, people do not pass court the first time. Or, we could have one boy pass and not the other. In which case, we would have to wait for another court date to be given. This could take a few months.
Here is how you can be praying for us now.
-That our cases would be submitted to court in God's perfect timing, and that the court system would go smoothly for us.
-The paper work that now has to be done for these boys both in Ethiopia and the US.
-That the US would grant us the right to bring home the two boys we have been matched with.
-That God would provide for us financially. We cannot travel to pick our children up until we have all the money. We are still in need of about $15,000. We have applied for about 8 different grants but have only heard from 1. However, we are confident that God will provide to bring the boys home, and that He will continue to provide for our family once the boys are home.
HE DID! As of today, we accepted a referral for a 2 year old boy and a 7-8 month old boy. God has brought us two little boys from the same village! Words cannot describe our excitement. I just can't believe I get to be the mother of these boys!! We have seen pictures of both of them, but we are not allowed to post them anywhere until we have passed court and they are legally our children.
The next step is for our case to be submitted to court. In all likelihood, our case will be submitted in about a month, and then we will wait for a court date for each boy (they are not biological siblings, so they will have separate appointments). Most of the time, people do not pass court the first time. Or, we could have one boy pass and not the other. In which case, we would have to wait for another court date to be given. This could take a few months.
Here is how you can be praying for us now.
-That our cases would be submitted to court in God's perfect timing, and that the court system would go smoothly for us.
-The paper work that now has to be done for these boys both in Ethiopia and the US.
-That the US would grant us the right to bring home the two boys we have been matched with.
-That God would provide for us financially. We cannot travel to pick our children up until we have all the money. We are still in need of about $15,000. We have applied for about 8 different grants but have only heard from 1. However, we are confident that God will provide to bring the boys home, and that He will continue to provide for our family once the boys are home.
Monday, February 1, 2010
God is so good!
I am still amazed at God's goodness toward us. I was having a really tough day today. It has been a full moth since we have sent the dossier off, and still no referrals. I am not a very patient person, and the wait really takes it toll on me some days. I feel so in love with our boys, even though we do not know them yet. Today I just wanted to cry (which is something I never do).
God continually reminds me that I do not want to rush His timing. He knows perfectly well who are children are, and the right time to bring them home. I want to wait for God's best, but it is just a struggle some times.
This evening we received a call from LifeSong for Orphans that they will be giving us a matching grant of up to $3,000! LifeSong will match, dollar for dollar, any donations they receive toward our adoption. PRAISE THE LORD! If you are interested in learning more about how you can help in this way, please send me an e-mail at kristy@portermemorial.net. This is the first agency that we have heard from after sending out eight different applications back in December. What perfect timing of some good news.
Please continue praying for God's provision for us both spiritually and financially. Also continue to pray for us to be matched with God's best children for our family in His timing.
God continually reminds me that I do not want to rush His timing. He knows perfectly well who are children are, and the right time to bring them home. I want to wait for God's best, but it is just a struggle some times.
This evening we received a call from LifeSong for Orphans that they will be giving us a matching grant of up to $3,000! LifeSong will match, dollar for dollar, any donations they receive toward our adoption. PRAISE THE LORD! If you are interested in learning more about how you can help in this way, please send me an e-mail at kristy@portermemorial.net. This is the first agency that we have heard from after sending out eight different applications back in December. What perfect timing of some good news.
Please continue praying for God's provision for us both spiritually and financially. Also continue to pray for us to be matched with God's best children for our family in His timing.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Prayer for Referral
Please be in prayer for us as the next step in our adoption journey is getting specific referrals. We have requested two boys, under the age of 2 1/2. We are second in "line" for an infant boy. Please be in prayer that if there are two baby boys who need a family, that somehow they would be brought to one of the orphanages that work with our agency CCI. This way the family ahead of us can get their son, and we can get ours.
What a tricky situation. We do not want any child to be orphaned. And sadly, we know that there are thousands of children being orphaned each day in Africa alone. We want to pray that those orphans be brought to a place where they have the opportunity to be adopted into a family.
Also, selfishly, we want to bring our sons home soon. We want to love them and give them a family as soon as possible.
What a tricky situation. We do not want any child to be orphaned. And sadly, we know that there are thousands of children being orphaned each day in Africa alone. We want to pray that those orphans be brought to a place where they have the opportunity to be adopted into a family.
Also, selfishly, we want to bring our sons home soon. We want to love them and give them a family as soon as possible.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Dossier is Finished in DC
I couldn't wait to share the news! I just received an e-mail from Angela at our agency saying that they have received our dossier! It is all finished in DC and now resides at our agency in Florida!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
USCIS Application Process Complete.
We went for our fingerprinting session this morning at 8 am at the FBI field office in Louisville. We had to get up at 5:30, which if you know me, is PAINFUL. I realize that some of you are morning people and this is a perfectly acceptable time to get up in the morning...but it isn't in this house!!! This was the first morning that I felt "morning sickness" with these boys. Thankfully, I do not have that every day as I did with Noah!
Our entire trip to and from Lousiville went great. I guess that is because last night it seemed like nothing could go right. All day I had been worried that I had filled out the I600a form wrong. This is the form that we filed with USCIS, which is a petition to bring home an orphan. Getting it filed, processed, and approved is usually one of the longest steps in the process. Getting our fingerprints was just one step in the process. I thought we might have to do it all over again because all the paperwork we received back said "Kristina Marie Schmitz" rather than "Bruce." I was also concerned that they had not received copies of our birth certificates and marriage license, and that it would further delay things. When I got home last night at 8 pm, I decided to make copies of these documents "just in case." Wouldn't you know, I went to get the documents to copy and they were no where to be found. The only thing I could think was that somehow I left the file with the documents at work. Kenneth got back in the car and went to the church. Thankfully, the documents were there. He brought them home. By this time it is 9 pm. I go to make copies and the ink in the printer is totally out. Of course! Kenneth gets back in the car and goes to Wal-mart to get ink. When he came home we were finally able to make the copies.
This morning I took our "just in case" copies, along with my passport because I figured that my passport was the only identification that I had to show that my name has changed from "Schmitz" to "Bruce." What a God thing... When we got to the office, I explained the situation with my name. They told me that the USCIS adoption office, which is in the same building, is closed to the public on Wednesdays. Of all days! But then they said, "Do you have any identification that shows that you are truly Kristina Schmitz" because my license would say "Bruce." I pulled out my passport and all they did was make a copy of the ammendment showing that my name was changed from "Schmitz" to "Bruce." They made a simple note to file with the USCIS adoption office, and that was it!
I then asked if there was any way to find out if the USCIS adoption office had received our paperwork. Although it was not open to the public today, one of the men offered to walk down to the office and personally look at our file. I am soo thankful that happened.
We waited while the gentleman looked at our file in the adoption office. He said that our paperwork must have gotten lost in the mail, because they did not have it on file. Thankfully, I was able to give him the copies I made last night, and it was just what they needed. He also said that for some reason our home study was sent to them, but never got processed as part of our application. Who knows how long our case would have just been sitting there! He pulled out our file and gave it to someone to process right then and there. We are now in line to be approved. He said that other people's cases are ahead of ours, but at least we are all processed and in line!Praise God! Who knows how much time was saved in our process because this man was so gracious!
Now, we truly can do nothing but wait...
Our entire trip to and from Lousiville went great. I guess that is because last night it seemed like nothing could go right. All day I had been worried that I had filled out the I600a form wrong. This is the form that we filed with USCIS, which is a petition to bring home an orphan. Getting it filed, processed, and approved is usually one of the longest steps in the process. Getting our fingerprints was just one step in the process. I thought we might have to do it all over again because all the paperwork we received back said "Kristina Marie Schmitz" rather than "Bruce." I was also concerned that they had not received copies of our birth certificates and marriage license, and that it would further delay things. When I got home last night at 8 pm, I decided to make copies of these documents "just in case." Wouldn't you know, I went to get the documents to copy and they were no where to be found. The only thing I could think was that somehow I left the file with the documents at work. Kenneth got back in the car and went to the church. Thankfully, the documents were there. He brought them home. By this time it is 9 pm. I go to make copies and the ink in the printer is totally out. Of course! Kenneth gets back in the car and goes to Wal-mart to get ink. When he came home we were finally able to make the copies.
This morning I took our "just in case" copies, along with my passport because I figured that my passport was the only identification that I had to show that my name has changed from "Schmitz" to "Bruce." What a God thing... When we got to the office, I explained the situation with my name. They told me that the USCIS adoption office, which is in the same building, is closed to the public on Wednesdays. Of all days! But then they said, "Do you have any identification that shows that you are truly Kristina Schmitz" because my license would say "Bruce." I pulled out my passport and all they did was make a copy of the ammendment showing that my name was changed from "Schmitz" to "Bruce." They made a simple note to file with the USCIS adoption office, and that was it!
I then asked if there was any way to find out if the USCIS adoption office had received our paperwork. Although it was not open to the public today, one of the men offered to walk down to the office and personally look at our file. I am soo thankful that happened.
We waited while the gentleman looked at our file in the adoption office. He said that our paperwork must have gotten lost in the mail, because they did not have it on file. Thankfully, I was able to give him the copies I made last night, and it was just what they needed. He also said that for some reason our home study was sent to them, but never got processed as part of our application. Who knows how long our case would have just been sitting there! He pulled out our file and gave it to someone to process right then and there. We are now in line to be approved. He said that other people's cases are ahead of ours, but at least we are all processed and in line!Praise God! Who knows how much time was saved in our process because this man was so gracious!
Now, we truly can do nothing but wait...
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy 2010
Happy New Year! Kenneth, Noah and I are so excited for what God has in store for our family in 2010. Lord willing, we will have two more little boys celebrating the holidays with us next year.
This week will be a big week for us as far as the adoption is concerned. Our dossier will be getting authenticated at the US Department of State and also the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, DC. We will also go in for our fingerprinting appointment at the FBI field office in Louisville on Wednesday.
Our case worker at CCI said that we would begin talking about specific referrals once they get our dossier. I am not sure when we would actually get a referral, but it is at least another step closer! We can hardly wait to see our children and know how old they will be, what they look like, their names, etc. If you know me at all, you know that I will feel so much better once we can start planning logistics with specific children in mind. :) Car seats, beds, clothes, diapers, etc.
We pray that God will give you a wonderful New Year filled with all the blessings we have in Christ Jesus. It is truly a privilege to be serving Him another year. We hope that this year will bring us even closer to Him as well as a greater realization of His unfailing love for us through adoption.
This week will be a big week for us as far as the adoption is concerned. Our dossier will be getting authenticated at the US Department of State and also the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington, DC. We will also go in for our fingerprinting appointment at the FBI field office in Louisville on Wednesday.
Our case worker at CCI said that we would begin talking about specific referrals once they get our dossier. I am not sure when we would actually get a referral, but it is at least another step closer! We can hardly wait to see our children and know how old they will be, what they look like, their names, etc. If you know me at all, you know that I will feel so much better once we can start planning logistics with specific children in mind. :) Car seats, beds, clothes, diapers, etc.
We pray that God will give you a wonderful New Year filled with all the blessings we have in Christ Jesus. It is truly a privilege to be serving Him another year. We hope that this year will bring us even closer to Him as well as a greater realization of His unfailing love for us through adoption.
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