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!