Read About My Latest Document Miracles!

Okay so there are two remaining documents we need to have authenticated for our dossier:
1. the i800a approval letter (which is this document that I've been writing about so much), and
2. the Homestudy Verification Letter from CAS.

The reason we are getting that Homestudy Verification Letter in so late (as opposed to the 28 others we had already authenticated and I have in my hands now) is because since my Homestudy was done in Kenya and notarized in Kenya, the US officials can't authenticate it because it bears no US seal. The Kenyan National Adoption Committee (NAC) will accept my Homestudy as it is. Why? Because the NAC only requires authentication of foreign documents, not their own country's.  However, there is a Homestudy Verification Letter done by my stateside agency that is attached to the back of the homestudy. Susan at Little Angels correctly suggested we have that specific letter notarized and authenticated at the state and federal levels, like all the others, since that is a foreign document.

So...I emailed the folks at CAS about 3 weeks ago and asked if they could notarize my Verification Letter and then send it on to North Carolina to be authenticated.  Then it would go to my courier in DC who would authenticate it on the US level then Kenyan level.

CAS did that; sent it to Raleigh for its state-level authentication stamp. CAS said they fedex'd my document to my courier in DC on Tuesday, May 15, which is the same day I sent my i800a approval letter from Kenya to my courier. (Again, remember that drama?).

Well by Friday my courier had not received anything from CAS. So Friday night I sat in bed (it was close to 11pm here in Kenya) and I placed phone calls to the CAS office, to Fedex, and to my specific program coordinator. The CAS office closes at noon on Fridays (it was 3pm in their time zone) so I was literally freaking out. The thing is, to get my dossier to the NAC by the June 5 deadline, I needed my last 2 documents to be at the courier THAT FRIDAY so he could authetnicate at the US State Department (which takes 1 day), then the Kenyan Embassy (which takes 5 days). Then if my courier fedex'd international priority to me on Friday afternoon, then I would get the documents by May 29ish and could turn in to Little Angels by May 30, and Little Angels would have time to prepare my dossier on May 31 and June 4 (since June 1 is a Kenyan holiday), and they could take to NAC on June 4.  CUTTING IT PRETTY CLOSE!!

I hope I didn't lose any of you on that last paragraph.

In other words, to make the NAC meeting for June (which is a huge long shot anyway!), my courier needed to have both my docs by Friday the 18th at the latest! But Friday night I was on the phone trying to find that one missing doc from CAS.  And hyperventilating a little.  Or rather a lot.

Miraculously, my Program Coordinator from CAS got in touch with me. We chatted by phone for the first time!  Listen to the story she told me. I think I had a few little heart attacks while listening to her:

So apparently when my Homestudy Verification document came back from North Carolina on May 14, it had been apostilled instead of authenticated.  Major Mistake!!  Susan Fox, the director at CAS, recognized the mistake, and sent it back out to the state capitol for the correct stamp. Somehow (INSERT: GOD), the document went back to Raleigh, was correctly authenticated, and sent back to CAS office headquarters in Greensboro by Friday the 18th. Then the folks at CAS (even though the office closes at noon!), fedex'd it Overnight to my courier in DC. Courier got the doc on Saturday.

Now my courier had both my documents!

Monday the 21st Courier took my CAS doc to US State Dept to be authenticated. He used their same-day service, which I thankfully found out about through a fellow-adopting friend. He drove my 2 docs to the Kenyan Embassy that afternoon. Somehow (INSERT GOD AGAIN) the Kenyan Embassy authenticated my 2 documents in 3 days instead of the usual 5 days. So Wednesday the 23rd, Courier Fedex'd my completely authenticated documents to me. At the time I write this, my docs are in the air and just left Paris! They should make it to me tomorrow or Sunday.

So Monday the 28th I will drive my COMPLETED DOSSIER down to Little Angels.

I just can't believe it.  For a girl who found out she messed up her documents to Immigration on May 2, and then now she'll have her completed dossier turned in to Little Angels by May 28.  Living overseas. Shipping everything internationally. FOLKS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE!!  Especially considering the other issues with the documents that I've had...There is no other explanation but one: God.

Father God, I am continually humbled by your grace and your mercy and your miracles. May everybody who reads this see how Amazing You Are, Father!!

Received my Homestudy...Waiting to file i800a!

Well this is a busy week regarding the adoption process.
The funny thing with this process is, I can sit here for months with nothing to do. Then all of a sudden when the agency calls to tell me my Homestudy is ready (for example), then I have to drop everything else and the next step takes top priority in our family.  Luckily for us this is spring break!  No school!

So Monday morning I chatted with the folks at LAN about picking up the notarized copies of my Homestudy that afternoon.  I first took the agency homestudy payment to the bank (around US$1850). It took me a while to find the bank, as it wasn't where the bank's website indicated.  I had to drive a bit, and the bank was off the side of the road in a very crowded, dusty, trash-filled part of town. Yikes.  While in the bank the electricity kept turning off and on, everyone was staring at me, and I literally felt like I was about to have a nervous breakdown.  I was very much outside my comfort zone with that much money in hand!  Thankfully we made it out safely!  (Sometimes here in Nairobi I feel like I am in the middle of a movie. I keep looking around for video cameras.  Is this real?)

So then I hired a driver, secured the kids with our household helper, and took off down the road toward the agency to collect my papers.  I was supposed to be there between 3:30-4:00.  At 3:15, while driving toward their office, LAN called to tell me my homestudy wasn't ready for pickup after all.  Folks, I lost it.  I just completely lost all mental faculties. I was crying so hard.  (Apparently it was my mistake.  Apparently she had told me she would call me first to make sure it would be ready at 3:30pm.  Sorry, English is my first language.  Sometimes I miss things over the phone.  What I recall from the conversation was that they would call me at 2:30 if something came up.  Which they didn't.  Whatever.  Time means something completely different here.)

The lady on the line asked if I could just come the next day to pick it up. I realize she has no idea the effort it takes me to do anything in this foreign country.  Cause that's what I am here: a foreigner.  Nothing is familiar to me.  Nothing is easy for me. Not even driving two miles down the road.  Not even sending an email.

So I went back home completely broken and devastated and tired of obstacles.  Exhausted and sick of obstacles.  And exhausted from crying so much.  I asked my husband if we should just get pregnant and give up on the adoption.  Yes, that's how upset I felt. So I drove the kids to Planet Yogurt and stuffed my face with chocolate yogurt with M&Ms on top (even though I'm fasting sugar for Lent. Yikes!).  Then I got a phone call from a dear friend.  She reminded me of who is the author of obstacles.  She told me that I am a strong woman, and that maybe we were chosen for this particular child because someone else might have given up much sooner.  And that's exactly the word I needed.

So the homestudy folks canceled my appointment and rescheduled for the next day.  Big deal, right?  But this has now been a 13 month process for us.  This is the hardest thing I have ever done.  I'm still so scared that toward the end we won't be able to finish the process in time, and we'll have to leave the country without our baby.  So we will just keep pursuing and trying to get it done the fastest that we can.

I keep saying that this requires a Miracle in every step of the process from here on out.  So, Jesus, we are depending on You!

Homestudy is Ready for Pickup!

Caroline at Little Angels called today and said our Finalized, Notarized Homestudy would be ready for pickup on Monday afternoon. Woo-Hoo!!!

CAS is brilliant!

I am so impressed with my State-side agency, Carolina Adoption Services.

Dang, they are efficient!  Little Angels emailed them a copy of our final homestudy last week, and the Program Director at CAS only spent one day reviewing and making revisions/corrections.  That makes me happy.

So CAS sent the revision back to LAN, and now we wait for LAN to print it and notarize it.

Then LAN will need to return these documents to CAS (I wonder if it's by email or mail??):

-           the notarized homestudy with LAN's agency license attached,

-           verification of completion of 10 hours of Hague-compliant education,

-           a copy of the completed Homestudy Certification form, 

-           and the completed Community Resource Study.

After CAS recieves these documents from LAN, they will issue me a homestudy approval letter.  This approval letter must be included with my i800a application along with the notarized homestudy, our fingerprints, and a check for the fee.  So I can't mail the i800a yet!  But we are getting closer!

Homestudy Draft Appointment

Yesterday we visited our agency for our homestudy draft appointment.
Thankfully the sweet staff had already emailed me the draft so I could make my corrections on the soft copy.

They said they accepted all the changes I made.  There were just a few weird wordings for things that I changed.

For instance, Kevin and I are both lawyers and we enjoy debating topics (politics, religion, etc.) but they wrote that we enjoy fighting.  

Major difference!!!  So things like that I had to change.  Otherwise, it was fine.

Now we just await the Director's signature & notarization, then we can attach it to our i800a application and mail it!

Home Study Draft

Why haven't I updated in a while?
I've had nothing to update.

Kevin and I began talking about looking at other countries to adopt from.
We just feel this one might not take place in time.

Last night I wrote in my diary: "Okay, God, show me whether to give up or to keep going."
I put my pen and notebook down, and decided to click 'refresh' on the email page on my iTouch.

And there was an email from our agency with our Homestudy Draft!!
I was so shocked.  And in the exact moment I asked God!!

I spent today making corrections, then I emailed it back to our agency.
So we are so excited to be moving it along!

To God Be the Glory!

Working on my Dossier

Today I am collecting all my dossier documents for each to be sent to their originating state in order to be "authenticated" by the Secretary of State.

Here is where they are going:

Mississippi: 2 certified birth certificates
Virginia: 3 certified birth certificates, marriage license, notarized letter
Pennsylvania: 1 notarized letter
Colorado: birth certificate, marriage certificate
DC: birth certificate

And I just realized one of my reference's notary signatures has already expired so I can't send that one in yet...my reference has to do that all over again.  Which means my reference has to fill out another reference form, have it notarized, and send it to me in the mail.  Who knew!  The little things!  And then once I receive it in the mail, I can send it on to its respective state to be authenticated.

I am very happy that each state's website is pretty straightforward.  Most even have forms to print out and send in with the appropriate documents.  And they all take personal checks - yippee!  It would be impossible to do this if I had to get a money order or cashier's check for each one.

I am also pleasantly surprised at our mail system here at the embassy.  These envelopes are all going priority mail, so the states should receive them in 5 days.  It's exciting to actually be DOING SOMETHING!! and moving this adoption forward.  Or so, I hope!  We are still waiting for our home study draft.  It's been 5 months...

Electrical Problems and No Updates

Wow I am so excited to be sitting at a computer writing a blog post!!  (I'm writing this on all my blogs!)

My computer is dead - it somehow got a terrible virus when we arrived here and is completely unusable right now.

Then the power cord on Rachel's computer broke, and we JUST GOT A NEW ONE IN THE MAIL!!!  So this is the first time in almost a month that I have been able to type out my homeschool curriculum and print things again and blog again!

It is strange; we have had so many electrical problems since we moved here.  Kevin's 65" inch TV died, our VCR (that I just bought in the States this summer), Rachel's iPod dock, our computers, and today our bread machine died.  It took me forever to set up our printer and Vonage phone.  I still cannot use my fax machine.

To say it is upsetting is an understatement.  There have been some days where I just wanted to pack up and leave.  And then I remember we are here for a reason...so we trudge on.

And actually, there has been absolutely nothing to update.  We are still waiting to review our Home Study Draft from Little Angels.  It was the end of September when we finished all the home visits.  I am preparing my Dossier materials to be Authenticated.  But I cannot resolve my fax issues - - so I cannot fax my documents to my agency in the States for review.  I have had a very, very difficult time of paperwork since moving here.  Silly issues like trying to find U.S. money orders and mailing documents and faxing materials.  Things that are super easy to do in the States but has been impossible here.  I do not know why.  I am trying to stay encouraged.  With the Spirit's help.

There have been many days recently where I have prayed:  "Okay, God, is adopting still Your Will for our family?"  That is how seriously difficult it has been.  So I still keep doing paperwork.  And I still keep praying, waiting for a Word.

Home Study Draft

We have all our documents together except for our FBI clearances and child abuse checks.  We are still waiting for those to arrive in the mail.  I sent off for those a couple of weeks ago and I had the hardest time finding a place here in Nairobi that issued US money orders.  In fact, I went to 7 different banks and post offices, including downtown.  Nothing.  No one issues international money orders here.  After much frustration, my US-based adoption agency told me to mail them the documents and they would get the money orders and mail my documents.  Oh thank goodness.  How do other people do stuff like this if they don't have folks Stateside to help them?

So now we wait for our appointment to review the home study draft.  

Boy I just really really thought we would have Baby by Christmas, but it's October and we haven't even finalized the Home Study yet.  

Patience.  Patience.  Patience.  (I'll write more about that tomorrow.)

Home Visit Tomorrow!

We are very excited because our case worker is coming to conduct our Home Visit tomorrow.
Our household shipment arrived 7 days ago, and since then we have been unpacking boxes and organizing our stuff.  I hope we have everything ready for when she comes!  All our pictures await to be hung on the walls, but I can't control that...GSO has to come out and drill holes in our (concrete) walls for all those items.

All of our visits so far with Little Angels have been very good.  Tomorrow will be our 4th visit.
I am so impressed with Susan, our case worker.  I hope this is a good sign of the rest of our time with them.
This process is so long.  So I am glad we have a good working relationship with all the folks we are dealing with.

I am trying not to freak out about whether the house is clean enough or whether the kids will completely misbehave while Susan is here!  Because that all is a part of LIFE.  And the point of her being here, too, is to see us doing LIFE together.  Not to put on a good show for her.  So I have done my very best in the short time that I had to organize all my stuff.  So we'll see how it goes!

Visiting Little Angels

I visited our Kenya-based adoption agency two days after we arrived in Nairobi.
I needed to turn in the homestudy documents from my stateside agency as well as my documents such as birth certificates, marriage license, etc.
I hopped in a cab and drove for a long, long time.  Or so it seemed!
The roads here are almost hilarious in some spots.  There are pot holes big enough to lay down in and take a nap (no kidding).
And in one place our car went over a "bridge" which was some creaky boards draped across a huge ditch wide enough for only one car to fit across.  I held my breath as we passed over...
It was surreal to see the Little Angels logo on the outside gate of their little compound.
I have been corresponding with these folks online for so long, so it felt amazing to finally be there in person.
My usual contact there was on summer leave, so I waited around for an hour or so to chat with someone else that was filling in her place.
I turned in my documents and we talked for about an hour about the process in general.

At some point in the conversation I began to feel really uneasy.  There were a couple of topics covered that were completely different than anything I had read online or heard about.
First, the home study through LAN is a 12-visit process.  Or at least that is what was explained to me at the time.  If you are familiar at all with home studies, you know they are 4-6 visits maximum.  So I was shocked to learn this initial process would take months and months.
Second, she told me the youngest a child they ever adopt out is 6 months, but that young age is rare, too.

At this point in the conversation I had been there over two hours, my taxi cab fare was still running outside, and I was very upset about this new and different information I was presented.  So I stood up and left.  I was told I would be assigned a case worker and could set up my first appointment soon.

Fast forward four weeks.  Yes, 4 weeks.

No word from Little Angels.  I am irate at this point.  So through other friends, I found out there are 4 other agencies in Nairobi that process international adoptions.  I called one of them and set up a time to chat about doing the adoption or the homestudy through their office.
Unfortunately, my stateside agency works through Little Angels exclusively...
But at this point I was researching other stateside agencies to use, too.  This is how seriously upset I was about the whole thing.

I then contacted my case worker in my stateside agency and she was so sweet and explained that LAN's system had been down for a while.  And, true, when I finally got ahold of LAN via telephone, I found out: 1) my usual contact was still on summer leave until the week before, 2) the contact I met that day at LAN was actually on leave and out of town also, and 3) their internet had been down for 2 weeks.  PLUS, I was new to Nairobi and did not have a phone number yet...

It was the perfect storm of 4 things at one time that culminated into my getting lost somewhere in the middle.

When I finally spoke with my contact at LAN I told her I was switching to another agency for the homestudy, and she quickly explained to me that there are not 12 separate visits.  Just 12 separate topics that must be covered in the visits.  But the explanation I received and even the documents I have from LAN explain it differently.  Either way, she is emailing me a homestudy schedule (hopefully today) and I pray it will be what I expected.  She said we could start our first appointment next week.  So that is good news.

Why the rush?  Why do I get so upset so easily when I have to wait a measly 4 weeks?

Because my baby is sitting in an orphanage somewhere in this city.  My baby is WAITING for ME. He needs me to hold him and hug him and kiss him and feed him and give him a warm bed to sleep in at night.
He wants me to rush.  He needs his family NOW.

So that is why I am persistent.  That is why I am trying to hurry this process along.  Excuse me if I seem rude, but my baby is desperately waiting for me.

A Peace

I recently sent a follow-up email to the adoption agency in Kenya to make sure Kenya has no restrictions on the number of prior children living in the home.

I looked all over the internet and found nothing with restrictions listed.

And yep, Kenya has no such restrictions.

But...the standard is "best interests of the child", so we have to be able to show to the social worker that we are able to "accomodate" another child. Aw man I love my big happy family and I cannot wait to show the social worker how our family functions. I know I will be judged whether I can "handle another kid", so it is sort of nerve-racking realizing someone else is judging me as a mother. And honestly there are days when I don't feel like I can handle ONE kid, let alone a whole house of kids.

But that's the point: I can't handle ANYTHING on my own! It is only with the power of the Holy Spirit that I do any of this on a daily basis.

So I have a peace and a confidence that only the Lord has been able to give. I will not be anxious about the home study. Bring it on!