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.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
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.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
DOSSIER....In the Mail!
Our dossier is in the mail! Kenneth took it to the FedEx store this morning. We paid for a courier service, Assistant Stork, to hand deliver our dossier to the US Department of State. The courier service takes our dossier to the Department of State and waits while they authenticate it. They then check to make sure the people at the Department of State have authenticated each page correctly. Then they walk it down to the Embassy of Ethiopia for authentication. Sometimes this takes 1-2 days. The courier will visit the embassy each day until the authentication is completed. Once the dossier has been authenticated at the embassy, the courier will mail our dossier to our adoption agency.
Although having the courier service was a little more costly than just mailing the dossier to the Department of State, I feel much better knowing that a person will have our documents and will personally care for them until all is completed. It also takes weeks off the processing time when someone hand delivers the documents. Money well spent in my mind.
We have our appointment to get fingerprinted at the FBI field office on January 6. At that time we will also be taking copies of our birth certificates and wedding certificate. This will complete the paperwork we need to turn in to USCIS. It could then take as long as 6 weeks for us to be approved to bring an orphan home from Ethiopia to the US.
In the meantime we will be waiting for a specific referral. Kenneth and I have a peace about adopting two children. Thank you for everyone who prayed for us in that specific way. We are trusting that God will find two little boys for us to adopt, if that is His will. If we only get one referral, we feel that it will be a way that God is telling us that one is enough for now. We are also trusting, and praying, that God will provide for us if we are to adopt two children both emotionally and financially. In addition to the extra money it will require to adopt a second child, we will now be thinking of regular expenses such as another bed, more diapers, etc. I am also thinking of having 3 children under the age of 3...a scary and blessed thought all at the same time!
Noah continues to pray for his "brudder" and ask when he is coming home. Yesterday he was looking out his window and told me that he was waiting for "brudder" to come home. I said we would be waiting a little while longer. To which he said, "Brudder live here now!"
We covet your prayers as we continue in this process. Here is how you can be praying:
Please be in prayer over the next week or so that our dossier will meet approval and go through the correct authentication process. Also pray that God would bring the right child or children to us through the referral process. Pray for me as I am getting really anxious to get a referral, I think I am starting to get knots in my stomach because I am soo not patient and want to see our children NOW. Also pray as we have a few grant and loan agencies looking over our applications right now. Pray for God's provision!
Although having the courier service was a little more costly than just mailing the dossier to the Department of State, I feel much better knowing that a person will have our documents and will personally care for them until all is completed. It also takes weeks off the processing time when someone hand delivers the documents. Money well spent in my mind.
We have our appointment to get fingerprinted at the FBI field office on January 6. At that time we will also be taking copies of our birth certificates and wedding certificate. This will complete the paperwork we need to turn in to USCIS. It could then take as long as 6 weeks for us to be approved to bring an orphan home from Ethiopia to the US.
In the meantime we will be waiting for a specific referral. Kenneth and I have a peace about adopting two children. Thank you for everyone who prayed for us in that specific way. We are trusting that God will find two little boys for us to adopt, if that is His will. If we only get one referral, we feel that it will be a way that God is telling us that one is enough for now. We are also trusting, and praying, that God will provide for us if we are to adopt two children both emotionally and financially. In addition to the extra money it will require to adopt a second child, we will now be thinking of regular expenses such as another bed, more diapers, etc. I am also thinking of having 3 children under the age of 3...a scary and blessed thought all at the same time!
Noah continues to pray for his "brudder" and ask when he is coming home. Yesterday he was looking out his window and told me that he was waiting for "brudder" to come home. I said we would be waiting a little while longer. To which he said, "Brudder live here now!"
We covet your prayers as we continue in this process. Here is how you can be praying:
Please be in prayer over the next week or so that our dossier will meet approval and go through the correct authentication process. Also pray that God would bring the right child or children to us through the referral process. Pray for me as I am getting really anxious to get a referral, I think I am starting to get knots in my stomach because I am soo not patient and want to see our children NOW. Also pray as we have a few grant and loan agencies looking over our applications right now. Pray for God's provision!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Process
We are so close to sending our dossier off to DC! I spoke with one of the workers at CCI in Florida this morning, and she assured me that our documents are in the mail. Hopefully our dossier will go to DC next week. We have had several questions about the next step after our dossier is sent in.
This is the "Track Your Progress" information from our adoption agency, CCI. It may be helpful for inquiring minds. I added an additional step at the beginning (the home study) because I love to make lists and check things off. Plus, it is a legitimate step!
1. Home study conducted.
2. Select agency and complete application process.
3. Send contracts and all other files to CCI.
4. Authenticate dossier and send photocopies to CCI.
5. Dossier translated and authenticated in Ethiopia.
6. Case submitted to court.
7. Court date given.
8. Case approved by court.
9. Case submitted to embassy for appointment.
10. Travel to Ethiopia and bring child home!
Within those steps, we will also have to wait for a referral for a specific child or children. We will also wait to be approved by the US to bring an orphan home. We have our fingerprinting session at the FBI office in Louisville the first full week of January, so that should move us closer to being approved by the US.
This is the "Track Your Progress" information from our adoption agency, CCI. It may be helpful for inquiring minds. I added an additional step at the beginning (the home study) because I love to make lists and check things off. Plus, it is a legitimate step!
1. Home study conducted.
2. Select agency and complete application process.
3. Send contracts and all other files to CCI.
4. Authenticate dossier and send photocopies to CCI.
5. Dossier translated and authenticated in Ethiopia.
6. Case submitted to court.
7. Court date given.
8. Case approved by court.
9. Case submitted to embassy for appointment.
10. Travel to Ethiopia and bring child home!
Within those steps, we will also have to wait for a referral for a specific child or children. We will also wait to be approved by the US to bring an orphan home. We have our fingerprinting session at the FBI office in Louisville the first full week of January, so that should move us closer to being approved by the US.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Authentication Complete
We are getting a little closer to finishing up the dossier. I am still hoping that we can get this finished before Christmas! Kenneth has spent the past two days authenticating our power of attorney and dossier cover letter. He went to Fayette County court house yesterday, and then went to Frankfort this morning. The documents are notarized and authenticated, and now we are just waiting on two things from the adoption agency in Florida (Celebrate Children International). When we get those two documents in the mail, I will fax a copy of the dossier to CCI to get a second look at it and make sure no changes need to be made. Once that is complete, I will be sending the dossier off! What a great feeling that will be!
We are also still waiting to get an appointment to go be fingerprinted in Louisville. Once we are fingerprinted and the FBI realizes that we are not criminals, we will hopefully get the approval to bring an orphan home.
This past week has really made me think about how much time Kenneth and I have spent on this adoption (and all well, well worth it). Every time one of us goes to the computer, Noah says, "Brudder?" He must think we are just ordering him a brother from the internet--bless his heart! It is adorable. He likes to sit at the computer, pretend to type, and then tell us that he is looking for his brudder. Each night as we pray for him at bedtime he persistently says, "brudder, brudder" until we say, "And Lord, bless Noah's brother..." A couple of nights ago Noah told us that he wanted "two brudders." Then he held up his fingers and counted to two, "See. One. Two. Two brudders." I still want to know who put him up to that one...
We are also still waiting to get an appointment to go be fingerprinted in Louisville. Once we are fingerprinted and the FBI realizes that we are not criminals, we will hopefully get the approval to bring an orphan home.
This past week has really made me think about how much time Kenneth and I have spent on this adoption (and all well, well worth it). Every time one of us goes to the computer, Noah says, "Brudder?" He must think we are just ordering him a brother from the internet--bless his heart! It is adorable. He likes to sit at the computer, pretend to type, and then tell us that he is looking for his brudder. Each night as we pray for him at bedtime he persistently says, "brudder, brudder" until we say, "And Lord, bless Noah's brother..." A couple of nights ago Noah told us that he wanted "two brudders." Then he held up his fingers and counted to two, "See. One. Two. Two brudders." I still want to know who put him up to that one...
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