Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
WE ARE DTE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!
We are officially DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia) as of today, February 19th!!! Woo hoo!!!!! We got the email this morning (see below for the actual email). Needless to say, I squealed loudly and did a little dance around our bedroom. I can't believe it's actually come to this. After all the work and all the prayers, we've finally finished "our part". Now all we have to do is wait! Currently, the wait time for a referral of an infant boy is 3-6 months from your DTE date. Thanks again to all of you have helped make it possible.
Dear James & Kelly,
Your dossier will be sent to Ethiopia via FedEx later today! Thus, your DTE date is today! If you would like to track your dossier’s trip to Ethiopia, the package’s tracking number is *******. Congratulations and thank you for all of your hard work!
As you track your dossier, please keep the following things in mind:
· First of all, do not be worried if the package makes stops in Europe or other countries for long periods of time. This is normal, and we’ve seen this happen often.
· Also, when the FedEx office in Ethiopia receives packages for our in-country staff representative, they call her to pick up the package rather than deliver it directly to her office. Often times the FedEx report will say “wrong address.” We ask that you please not be alarmed by this. We are not sure why this happens, as these packages have yet to be shipped to a wrong address. It is something that we have spoken to FedEx about multiple times.
· Because the FedEx office is not close in proximity to our staff member's office, it often takes her a few days to pick up the package. If you see notes stating the package has arrived in Ethiopia but has yet to be picked up, this is why.
You will be receiving a packet in the mail with frequently asked questions regarding the wait period. A good way to stay up-to-date and informed on the adoption process is through America World’s blog. If you have not already done so, we strongly encourage your family to subscribe to this blog. This will help keep your family informed of possible changes to the wait time, changes in the program, and any other new information.
Congratulations again on a job well done!
God Bless
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Snow, Snow, Go Away
So I guess the very week we finally submitted our dossier was the same very week Washington D.C. decided to have some record breaking weather. This past Friday, the day our dossier was supposed to make it's way to the US Embassy, Washington D.C. was under a blizzard warning.
They told us along the way, to expect some "unexpected delays". I guess this is the first of those. I am praying this snow will skeedaddle so we can get our paperwork processed and get on the DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia)list! Still praying things will move along quickly and that we won't get held up by the annual court shut down in Ethiopia. Here's hoping for a smooth process from here on out!!!
So I guess the very week we finally submitted our dossier was the same very week Washington D.C. decided to have some record breaking weather. This past Friday, the day our dossier was supposed to make it's way to the US Embassy, Washington D.C. was under a blizzard warning.
They told us along the way, to expect some "unexpected delays". I guess this is the first of those. I am praying this snow will skeedaddle so we can get our paperwork processed and get on the DTE (Dossier to Ethiopia)list! Still praying things will move along quickly and that we won't get held up by the annual court shut down in Ethiopia. Here's hoping for a smooth process from here on out!!!
Monday, February 08, 2010
DOSSIER SUBMITTED!
So as of February 4th, we have OFFICIALLY submitted our dossier to America World Adoption Association! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the word "dossier" (I know I would have been prior to this process), a dossier is the collection of documents (we have been so diligently collecting and having notarized over the past 7 months) that is, after being reviewed, sent to Ethiopia. Its function is to give the Ethiopian government a thorough and intense look at us as a family. It will help them decide, in the end, whether or not to place an Ethiopian child in our home.
Needless to say, it has been a very long and rigorous process. After getting the final authentications, it was off to Staples to make 3 copies of every document. Then we headed to FedEx. It was difficult for me to hand over 7 months of hard work to an, albeit very harmless looking, FedEx worker. But I did it! And then I went home and felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. In fact, I even took a nap!
For those of you who are wondering what the process looks like from here, this is a rough snapshot of what we can expect:
1)Our agency (AWAA) will now begin the process of reviewing our dossier. They will double check every document and make sure we haven't missed anything.
2)From there, AWAA will send our dossier to the US Embassy in D.C. to be authenticated at the Federal level.
3)Once the embassy is finished, they will send it back to AWAA.
4)Within 1-2 weeks of receiving our dossier back, AWAA will send it off to Ethiopia.
5)Once Ethiopia is in possession of our dossier (about 3 weeks from now) we should expect to get a referral (a call/picture of a potential child) within 3-6 months.
Because we have picked out the name Phineas for our Ethiopian son, it has led to some confusion on whether or not we have an actual child already "picked out". This is not the case. We have requested a male infant in the age range of 0-10 months. We simply came across Phineas and decided it was supposed to be our new son's name. We will most likely retain Phin's birth name as his middle name.
For those so inclined, here are a list of things you can be praying for:
*Phin's mother/her pregnancy: Phin's mother is most likely still pregnant with him. Please pray that her pregnancy will be as healthy as possible. Also be praying for Phin's mother in general. Many of these moms relinquish their rights to their children due to poverty and/or illness. I myself cannot begin to imagine having to make that choice.
*Phin: I have already begun to pray things over Phin, such as:
-that he would be healthy and strong
-that he would be a peacemaker and one of those people others are drawn to (much like his "soon to be" father)
-that there would be someone in the orphanage who would pay particular attention to Phin. Many times, there are so many children in an orphanage that there just isn't time for each one to be held. I am praying someone will be there to love on Phin, when we can't
*Legalities: one of the first major hurdles in Ethiopia is "Passing Court". Once we have accepted our referral a court date, in Ethiopia, will be scheduled. We will not actually appear at this court date. However, it is at this court hearing that we will legally become the parents of Phineas (who will have an Ethiopian name at the time). Many times these court dates go off without a hitch and there are no problems. If that is the case, we will begin to arrange our travel to go and get Phin. However, (and this is the prayer request) sometimes things get hung up because a paper wasn't filed right, or the birth mother doesn't appear in court to relinquish her rights, etc etc. In that case, a family "does not pass court" and another court date is arranged for the following month. This process can be repeated multiple times until all the requirements in Ethiopia have been met. There are some families who have been waiting to pass court for 6 months or more. This means, they have their referral, and pictures of their child, but are unable to go and get them yet. We are beginning to pray, even now, that we will pass court the first time! Please join us in this prayer.
*Timing: One interesting thing about the Ethiopian courts is that they are SHUT DOWN every year from August through October. I am not sure why this is, but I know that, literally, they are non operational during those months. This is another reason it is so important for us to get a quick referral and to pass court the first time! We need to travel prior to August in order to not get hung up during those crucial months. For instance, if we were to receive our referral in July, most likely we would not be able to travel to get Phin until November (due to the annual court shut down). Frankly, that would just be brutal. Please begin to pray with us, even now, that we can be home with our new son prior to the annual Ethiopian court shut down.
I am sure I could think of just about a million more things, including prayer for Halle's and Judah's adjustments. But I will close for now. Bless you all for sharing in our journey and for loving us. Peace.
So as of February 4th, we have OFFICIALLY submitted our dossier to America World Adoption Association! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the word "dossier" (I know I would have been prior to this process), a dossier is the collection of documents (we have been so diligently collecting and having notarized over the past 7 months) that is, after being reviewed, sent to Ethiopia. Its function is to give the Ethiopian government a thorough and intense look at us as a family. It will help them decide, in the end, whether or not to place an Ethiopian child in our home.
Needless to say, it has been a very long and rigorous process. After getting the final authentications, it was off to Staples to make 3 copies of every document. Then we headed to FedEx. It was difficult for me to hand over 7 months of hard work to an, albeit very harmless looking, FedEx worker. But I did it! And then I went home and felt more relaxed than I had in a long time. In fact, I even took a nap!
For those of you who are wondering what the process looks like from here, this is a rough snapshot of what we can expect:
1)Our agency (AWAA) will now begin the process of reviewing our dossier. They will double check every document and make sure we haven't missed anything.
2)From there, AWAA will send our dossier to the US Embassy in D.C. to be authenticated at the Federal level.
3)Once the embassy is finished, they will send it back to AWAA.
4)Within 1-2 weeks of receiving our dossier back, AWAA will send it off to Ethiopia.
5)Once Ethiopia is in possession of our dossier (about 3 weeks from now) we should expect to get a referral (a call/picture of a potential child) within 3-6 months.
Because we have picked out the name Phineas for our Ethiopian son, it has led to some confusion on whether or not we have an actual child already "picked out". This is not the case. We have requested a male infant in the age range of 0-10 months. We simply came across Phineas and decided it was supposed to be our new son's name. We will most likely retain Phin's birth name as his middle name.
For those so inclined, here are a list of things you can be praying for:
*Phin's mother/her pregnancy: Phin's mother is most likely still pregnant with him. Please pray that her pregnancy will be as healthy as possible. Also be praying for Phin's mother in general. Many of these moms relinquish their rights to their children due to poverty and/or illness. I myself cannot begin to imagine having to make that choice.
*Phin: I have already begun to pray things over Phin, such as:
-that he would be healthy and strong
-that he would be a peacemaker and one of those people others are drawn to (much like his "soon to be" father)
-that there would be someone in the orphanage who would pay particular attention to Phin. Many times, there are so many children in an orphanage that there just isn't time for each one to be held. I am praying someone will be there to love on Phin, when we can't
*Legalities: one of the first major hurdles in Ethiopia is "Passing Court". Once we have accepted our referral a court date, in Ethiopia, will be scheduled. We will not actually appear at this court date. However, it is at this court hearing that we will legally become the parents of Phineas (who will have an Ethiopian name at the time). Many times these court dates go off without a hitch and there are no problems. If that is the case, we will begin to arrange our travel to go and get Phin. However, (and this is the prayer request) sometimes things get hung up because a paper wasn't filed right, or the birth mother doesn't appear in court to relinquish her rights, etc etc. In that case, a family "does not pass court" and another court date is arranged for the following month. This process can be repeated multiple times until all the requirements in Ethiopia have been met. There are some families who have been waiting to pass court for 6 months or more. This means, they have their referral, and pictures of their child, but are unable to go and get them yet. We are beginning to pray, even now, that we will pass court the first time! Please join us in this prayer.
*Timing: One interesting thing about the Ethiopian courts is that they are SHUT DOWN every year from August through October. I am not sure why this is, but I know that, literally, they are non operational during those months. This is another reason it is so important for us to get a quick referral and to pass court the first time! We need to travel prior to August in order to not get hung up during those crucial months. For instance, if we were to receive our referral in July, most likely we would not be able to travel to get Phin until November (due to the annual court shut down). Frankly, that would just be brutal. Please begin to pray with us, even now, that we can be home with our new son prior to the annual Ethiopian court shut down.
I am sure I could think of just about a million more things, including prayer for Halle's and Judah's adjustments. But I will close for now. Bless you all for sharing in our journey and for loving us. Peace.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
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