Long Overdue Update

Sometimes in the adoption process there are times where it seems nothing happens. Nothing seems to change, nothing seems to move, nothing seems to be getting done. Our dossier was sent to the agency. This meant we had no more appointments, no more paperwork to shuffle, no more rushing to meet deadlines. We couldn't make plans to visit yet. We received no e-mails or phone calls from the agency. There was just nothing.

But in reality that is wrong. There is always something , but it's just a matter of how you look at it. We have been working on our parenting skills to prepare for the special needs that are sometimes needed in adopting an older child. We have been on our knees a lot praying for her safety through storms, praying for enough food to keep her belly from hurting, praying for her little heart to grow closer to Jesus.

We've even been daydreaming of what joy will fill our hearts when we see six children at the dinner table instead of five or three little ones swinging in the yard instead of two. When it comes to adopting child, big or small, there is never nothing to do or nothing happening. So even though we haven't blogged in a little bit we have been filling the time that has passed with preparation and prayer.

So... is that our update? Nope! This past week we have received news of progress.

Our Dossier was translated and legalized and arrived safe and sound in Haiti. The lawyer in Haiti informed us this morning that our dossier is at the Foreign Ministry Affairs office for 1st Legalization and that she has Nephtali's social evaluation appointment set for next week. There are a few more appointments that need to be made and a few other things that have to happen before Nephtali's dossier is complete and ready but we are getting much closer.

Erin and I are waiting on pins and needles, to get the okay to buy our plane tickets to visit our little girl and file our I-600. The I-600 is the petition to classify Nephtali as an Immediate Relative of ours . This is the form that will give us permission to bring Nephtali into the US as an immigrant orphan. We will still have to wait for the Haitian Government to say she is ours. And that step takes the signatures of four different government officials and a dispensation from the Haitian President. So please keep praying, we still need it!

It's hard waiting for that final bit of news that makes it a go for us to buy tickets because the paper we are waiting on was already done last year. but the agency said it would probably cause problems to use it since it shows a prior relationship between us and Nephtali. And the Haitian Goverment would ask questions about why and how we had a prior relationship. Normally you would think a prior relationship would be a good thing but in Haiti's eyes they might worry that there was less-than-honorable behavior involved. And in a country with so many poor children sold into salvery and other horrible things, it's best to avoid any appearance of impropriety. So in order to help things going smoother, we are waiting for that paper to be redone.

Once we get word that it is done our tickets will be bought and within days I should be able to hold my little girl for the first time!