Well as you can see, it has been awhile since I have made any blog updates. That has been for a few reasons - time, work and waiting. I feel a little funny about posting every day or even every week just to say "we are still waiting". That is sort of how things go with the adoption process. You rush and do a bunch of stuff and then you sit and wait for the next step. So much of what needs to be done is out of your control. And if you like control - well - it becomes a real challenge to get from one day to the next knowing there is nothing you can do to make it go faster.
A few things have happened since the fingerprints. We did finally get our US Immigration approval (the greatly anticipated I-797 form). It's so funny how our government can work at times and the process of our own state did not help matters. Long story short - USCIS (Immigration/Homeland Security) received all of our necessary information by Oct. 9th. We did our fingerprints on Oct.24 and the Nov 2 we receive a notice that they were missing our Homestudy (which was delivered & signed for on 10/9). So I make some phone calls and USCIS works to track it down. I follow up a week later and our agent still does not have it - she agrees to track it down. She calls me back about 30 minutes later and it has been found - she is now reviewing. She then calls me less than 2 days later to say it is being approved. It takes another week before the actual I-797 form is received. This is just a minor 3 week delay as we jump through hoops, stand on our head and beg for our info to be tracked down. It's frustrating but I hold to the fact that God has a plan and the delay is working for His greater purpose.
So - this last, very critical piece gets sent to the Philippines to officially complete our Dossier. Now we just wait for their approval. This is the hardest part because this is the show stopper. It's almost like waiting for those test results from the doctor's office. Time ticks by slowly and every chime of an incoming email sends goosebumps up your spine - will this email be the one you have been waiting and wanting to receive? Will the news be good or bad? Are we taking the next step in the process or did our journey come to an end? At times I'm amazed that I still have hair on my head and nails on tips of my fingers. Again I just hold to the hope that this is all part of God's plan. That while I cannot see or understand the reason, this is how He needs this process to procedure for us. That the slow response is necessary to ensure that our child/children will be ready for us.
One really good thing that did come through this week was our Lifesong approval for fundraising. As soon as we have the Philippines approval, then we will get our Lifesong account information out to everyone. Hopefully this will be before the end of 2012 so folks can take advantage of the tax deduction for this year. We do not want to do any fundraising until we have the approval from the Philippines. We have also applied for a Matching Grant but we will not have a decision on that until sometime in January.
I appreciate all of the support and words of encouragement that we get from family & friends as we move through this process. It seems like just when I am in that deep pit of depression and the enemy is attacking my mind, someone calls or emails or comes to me in the store to give me hope & encouragement again. My little angels and my big God reminding me that He is in control and He has a plan. Please continue to be in prayer for our Philippines approval!!
For His Glory,
Christina
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