Matching Grant, I800 Approval, NVC Letter, and more waiting

Adoption (as in many areas of life) seems like a rush and wait. Hurry and wait.  I hurry to finish my steps and then wait. A month, a year, weeks, a day. Always a rush and wait.

July 17th we heard from Hand in Hand that they would match $2500 of donations sent to them on our behalf.  So if we raise $2500, and they match $2500 that would be $5000!  A HUGE boost!

If you would consider helping this matching grant donations toward our adoption expenses should be a check or money order made payable to Hand in Hand Christian Adoption. The envelope in which the donation is sent should be addressed to:

Hand in Hand Christian Adoption
Matthew & Beth-Anne White
16469 Agnes St.

Gardner, KS 66030

July 25 we got our I800 provisional approval from the USCIS. 

Then we get to send emails to the National Visa Center and ask them to send us a letter with two specific numbers that we need to fill out an electronic DS-260 form for Eden to get her visa to come to America when we come home.

July 30 we got the letter from the NVC and I filled out the DS-260 online. 

Tomorrow, or rather tonight in China (which will be Thursday in China), our DS-260 and I800 will be delivered to the US Consulate.  Then we wait for Article 5 (the process of the US State Department, approving the issuance of an immigrant visa).  This will take approximately 2 weeks.

Then we wait 1.5-3 weeks after we receive Article 5 for Travel Approval.  This means that the CCCWA acknowledges the approval by the US Consulate in Guangzhou and issues and invitation to travel to China to complete our adoption. 

Once we have Travel Approval then CCAI (our adoption agency) will make an appointment for us at the US Consulate and then once we have that we will be booking tickets to CHINA! 

So this very broad estimate could have us traveling in 5-6 weeks.  Probably more like 6 weeks. 

In all this we wait :)

But! In all this wait we got an update and answers to most of our 5 questions we sent!

We also got this picture. My sweet girl.  My heart exploded seeing her.  So strong and beautiful.  No smile but look at her! 

She is lovingly dressed.  Sweet dress and precious sandals.  And her HAIR!  Someone took time to do up her short hair into a little hair style.  We love love love love love her.  I want to see her laugh and smile.  I want her know our love.  Yet, she is loved right now.  Her report says she is very attached and bonded to Nanny Qin.  Ayi Qin.  So I praise God for Qin and pray for her and for her heart as she prepares to say goodbye to Eden.  I love that she is loving Eden while we wait to get her.  So thankful that God has given Eden Ayi Qin. 

_________________________

Timeline as of 7/31/19:

• Applied to CCAI: 12/21/18
• Medical checklist submitted: 12/27/18
• Approved to adopt: 1/7/19
• Dossier instructions received: 2/1/19
• Home study in home visit: 2/11/19
• Finished collecting paper for home study process: 2/14/19
• Home study draft sent to CCAI 2/27/19
• Home study approved from CCAI 3/19/19
• Picked up notorized home study at Pinebrook Family Answers 3/25/19
• Homes study and I800A application sent to USCIS 3/26/19
• I800A application delivered at USCIS 3/29/19
• I800A application file received at USCIS 4/4/19
• I800A fingerprint appointment received 4/11/19
• I800A fingerprint appointment 4/19/19
• Saw Eden's file the afternoon of 4/8/19
• Spoke with medical professionals and submitted LOI evening of 4/8/19
• Got confirmation email that the LOI was received and they would begin the process 4/9/19
• File locked 4/10/19
• All but I800A documents notorized 4/11/19 
• All but I800A documents certified 4/12/19
• Pre-approval for Eden 4/16/19
• Sent all but I800A documents to a courier to be authenticated 4/19/19
• Received email that all sent documents had been authenticated and were mailed to our agency 4/26/19
• 4/29/19 Authenticated documents received at CCAI
• 5/16/19 I800A approval. Went and got it notorized.
• 5/17/19 Drove to Harrisburg to get I800A certified.  Mailed to NY to be authenticated.
• 5/31/19 Dossier sent to China (DTC)
• 6/3/19 Dossier delivered to CCCWA
• 6/4/19 Dossier logged in to China's system (LID)
• 6/13/19 Dossier out of translation
• 6/13/19 First update since seeing Eden's file. New videos!
• 6/17/19 Mailed I800 documents to CCAI to be reading when LOA comes.
• 6/27/19 Dossier was shown in the CCCWA's system as having completed the review process.
• 6/28/19 Rollstone Foundations grant received!
• 6/28/19 Soft LOA
• 7/1/19 Official hard copy of LOA
• 7/1/19 Printed and signed hard copy of LOA and emailed back to CCAI
• 7/3/19 I800 docuemtns mailed to USCIS
• 7/8/19 Received hard copy of LOA in mail. 
• 7/9/19 Mailed back signed copy of LOA and other travel documents to CCAI
• 7/10/19 Sent Emma's application and passport for China visa.
• 7/10/19 Saw email that we can ask 5 questions from orphanage
• 7/10/19 Text from USCIS saying that the case was received. Receipt #SIM192810016
• 7/11/19 Emailed 5 questions. So excited and anxious for new updates!
• 7/17/19 Hand in Hand offered grant matching up to $2500
• 7/25/19 I800 provisional approval letter received
• 7/29/19 Updated on Eden and answer to 5 questions
• 7/30/19 Letter email from NVC
• 7/30/19 Filled out and submitted DS-260

China in September?! Maybe!

We are 9-12 weeks from China. Maybe 8-11 now.  It is hard to tell.  This has been so exciting to watch these new papers come in. 

Here's an update to where we are.

We received China's official YES we can adopt Eden with our Letter of Acceptance.  This is also where we sign a very official paper saying YES we want to adopt Eden.

We are currently in the last 5 immigration steps for our adoption process before travel.

Our I800 has been submitted and we are waiting on approval.  I won't explain all the next steps, but all all these steps (once I800 has been submitted) take 9-12 weeks. That would be the beginning or end of September!  WOW.

On top of that we got our first grant from Rollstone Foundations! We are so grateful.  This covered 2/3 the cost of an agency fee. 

Even though we have more funds to raise God has been so faithful through so many of you!  It is amazing to do the budget and be sending large checks to our agency and then as we do the budget we see $20, $150, $40, etc. etc. and all of a sudden there is enough for the next payment.  We are so blessed.  Thank you thank you!

God has also been blessing us by giving me (Beth-Anne) online classes to teach.  She is currently teaching 3 and in the fall she will teach four.  All this goes toward China and preparing for Eden. 

We are still praying and hoping for other grants to come in, meanwhile it is abundantly clear that God is providing. At just the right time and in just the right way.  It is so humbling and beautiful.  A true coming together. A village of love.  None of it is deserved but there is so much grace and love.

In the meantime we are getting Eden's room ready. 

A friend found an amazing deal on twin bunk beds that we have put side by side with railings on the sides. That way neither girl will fall out and they can be together while still having their own bed.

Emma got to help choose her cover and we chose a duck cover for Eden as her file says she likes duck toys. Both have another side that has just colors if they want that.

Last week Debbie (Matthew's mother) bought sheets for the girls, two with hearts and two with butterflies.

I love having two beds in Emma's room. Emma has a small room, and we've taken out furniture and there isn't much room. And I love it.  I love that we don't have 3 bedrooms and one bed in each room. It might sound silly but I love that our lives are not going to be as "neat and tidy" as it was with two adults and two kids. I know it will be hard. Harder than I think.

And in the hard I will have to rely on God even more. I can't do this on my own. We can't do this on our own. We need God, His Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ's life in us. We are not able but He is. 

So I love knowing our car will have three car seats in the back. Ideal, no.  But it will be our family and I'm so excited.

Timeline as of 7/11/19

Applied to CCAI: 12/21/18

Medical checklist submitted: 12/27/18

Approved to adopt: 1/7/19

Dossier instructions received: 2/1/19

Home study in home visit: 2/11/19

Finished collecting paper for home study process: 2/14/19

Home study draft sent to CCAI 2/27/19

Home study approved from CCAI 3/19/19

Picked up notorized home study at Pinebrook Family Answers 3/25/19

Homes study and I800A application sent to USCIS 3/26/19

I800A application delivered at USCIS 3/29/19

I800A application file received at USCIS 4/4/19

I800A fingerprint appointment received 4/11/19

I800A fingerprint appointment 4/19/19

Saw Eden's file the afternoon of 4/8/19

Spoke with medical professionals and submitted LOI evening of 4/8/19

Got confirmation email that the LOI was received and they would begin the process 4/9/19

File locked 4/10/19

All but I800A documents notorized 4/11/19 

All but I800A documents certified 4/12/19

Pre-approval for Eden 4/16/19

Sent all but I800A documents to a courier to be authenticated 4/19/19

Received email that all sent documents had been authenticated and were mailed to our agency 4/26/19

4/29/19 Authenticated documents received at CCAI

5/16/19 I800A approval. Went and got it notorized.

5/17/19 Drove to Harrisburg to get I800A certified.  Mailed to NY to be authenticated.

5/31/19 Dossier sent to China (DTC)

6/3/19 Dossier delivered to CCCWA

6/4/19 Dossier logged in to China's system (LID)

6/13/19 Dossier out of translation

6/13/19 First update since seeing Eden's file. New videos!

6/17/19 Mailed I800 documents to CCAI to be reading when LOA comes.

6/27/19 Dossier was shown in the CCCWA's system as having completed the review process.

6/28/19 Rollstone Foundations grant received!

6/28/19 Soft LOA

7/1/19 Official hard copy of LOA

7/1/19 Printed and signed hard copy of LOA and emailed back to CCAI

7/3/19 I800 docuemtns mailed to USCIS

7/8/19 Received hard copy of LOA in mail. 

7/9/19 Mailed back signed copy of LOA and other travel documents to CCAI

7/10/19 Sent Emma's application and passport for China visa.

7/10/19 Saw email that we can ask 5 questions from orphanage

7/10/19 Text from USCIS saying that the case was received. Receipt #SIM192810016

7/11/19 Emailed 5 questions. So excited and anxious for new updates!

Update on Bake & Soap Sale

I wanted to do a separate post to say THANK YOU to everyone who donated items to sell, came out to support us, or even bought stuff after the sale!  Together you covered half of our third agency fee.  What a gift!!

Here are some pictures from the day.