Immigration

Short update, we were finally able to get our fingerprinting done last week. So now, again, we wait. We should be getting immigration approval this week or next and then our dossier can be routed through the government authorities, translated, and on to China. It feels like we have been waiting on this step forever...but this is just the way the adoption process goes apparently.

A member of the facebook group (thank you Mandy Rae!!) I am in made this little graphic on the adoption steps--so, for anyone interested-this is basically what we are going through. There is light at the end of all of this--and our boy is worth the wait! We are basically on step 5-but it seems steps 1-4 are some of the most time consuming since we are already matched with our boy. We are still hopeful for mid-summer travel!

 

 



 

  We also did a lot of prep in getting the bedroom ready for Titus and Zhen to share. We painted the walls and ceiling and got the bed ready to put the bunk on top. They may not share right away-as with any new child coming into a family, we will take it as it goes and just try to meet everyone's needs as they arise.

Thank you all again for your support. Please keep praying for our adoption auction on March 14.  And, as always, please pray for our boy's safety and for him to be loved on. Pray for continued forward progress in our paperwork so that we can go to him as soon as possible.

 

Much Love,

Aaron and Sarah

 

 

 

 

Create change...

We tried to walk in early for our immigration fingerprinting earlier this week.... but apparently, Idaho stopped allowing early walk-ins for this. Womp-womp. We were bummed, but we have our fingerprinting appointment on Tuesday. So, we won't be ahead of schedule like we were hoping, but I am trying to remember, we are exactly on the schedule that God has already decided on. As much as I think I want control of this process, I don't have control. And realistically, I am human and would probably mess something up--so I will choose to be thankful that I don't have to be in control and have everything figured out.

We are still gearing up for the great Adoption Auction fundraiser! My sister-in-law is super creative, and had the great idea to make some necklaces to sell at our auction and online. Here is a little sampling of what we have been working on.

These necklaces! They come in several sizes, I am wearing the larger size in this picture. It is a map of China with a heart over Z's province.

 These are a few of our other creations. There are maps of Idaho, Montana, some vintage prints and a few other options. I think they are adorable! There are some up in the etsy shop my sister-in-law has started and the rest will be at our auction. So exciting!!






In other news, the weather has been beautiful! The kiddos and I took a little bike ride to the park and had such a fun time. It is so amazing to think that soon there will be one more sweet boy with us. Soon, this sweet boy will know what it is to be part of a family, to be loved, to have siblings who adore him and, I am sure, occasionally irritate him. He will learn that sometimes family won't always agree, but we will never leave. He will have extended family, friends, and church friends who love him just the way he is, who want to see him succeed and encourage him to love and be loved.

We also had more friends donate change jars and check/cash donations to our adoption fund. We deposited another $326.81 today!! Again, we are so humbled and so thankful. One of my favorite quotes I read this week is this
"The world may not change if you adopt a child, but for that child, their world will change"
We are so very thankful for all of our generous friends and family that want to see this sweet boy's world change.

Much Love,
Sarah

Immigration!!

I have never been so excited to be fingerprinted in my life!! We got the notice in the mail today that we have an appointment to be fingerprinted by Immigration. This is so exciting because this is one of the steps to the US Immigration giving us permission to adopt from China. After we are fingerprinted and have the appropriate permission (which usually comes about 2-3 weeks after fingerprinting from what I understand) then we can send our dossier to the rest of the required government agencies then off to China!

After our dossier goes to China there are still several more government required steps. But this will at least get us one step closer to our boy. We are likely looking at late summer travel to go get Z, but I am still praying for early summer! 

Our agency also let me know today that our update has been requested from the orphanage, but they are often slow to respond. She said it is oftentimes more than a month before they get a response...so we (not so patiently) wait. And pray. And wait. And pray.

We also have had a few donations from companies to our adoption auction that will be taking place March 14! My friends, sister, and sister in law have helped me so much in this! We have 4 roaring springs tickets, a Texas Roadhouse gift certificate, 2 months to a great Boot Camp, some fabulous necklaces including some handmade and some from the adopt shoppe, a cake/cupcakes/goodies from the amazing local bakery Amaru among other things! This is going to be amazing!! So all of you mark your calendars-March 14 at 5pm!!!

As always, thank you friends for all the love. We have more change bags to take to the bank the next time I have a day off. I have people ask me about our sweet guy at work and at church, and friends that call or text and ask me how things are going. It means so very much to us. Z is constantly on our minds, but to know others are thinking about him, loving him, and praying him means more than you will ever know! Thank you all! In the meantime, pray for continued speediness on the part of USCIS (immigration) and for our dossier to smoothly be pushed through all of the agencies and on to China.

Much Love,
Aaron and Sarah