*WARNING* This post is a little whiny; I just really needed to vent about this process a little!
So we are down to needing just three more documents for our dossier to be complete, and we are having a lot of trouble.
1) We need a letter from our health insurance provider stating that we have coverage and that we can add our adopted child to the policy. I don't see why this is such a big deal. We have coverage, we pay a substantial amount each month for this coverage, and legally they have to add our child once the adoption is finalized. The provider, however, states that they are not allowed to provide such documents or make those claims for legal reasons. We have been fighting with them for over a month now, and have spoken with the supervisors, supervisor, supervisor, and so on. They will just send us letter after letter stating that we are "eligible" for coverage with a computer-generated signature (not a real ink signature). There are over 2,500 adoptions from Ethiopia each year, all of which require this statement, surely we are not the first to make this request; our provider is a national brand.
2) We need a local police clearance letter. This is a letter from our local police department stating that we are not criminals. I don't know why this is needed since we have already had a state background check, two FBI clearances, and child abuse and neglect checks, but it's an Ethiopian requirement. Our local police also refuse to provide this letter stating that they cut that service a few years ago. So, we have been cleared to have a Kentucky State Police (tell me how that's different than state criminal check and FBI?) clearance as a substitute for this requirement. We sent this form off yesterday and are hoping it doesn't take long to process.
3) Finally, we need a letter from Warren's life insurance provider stating that he has a policy and the value of that policy. So far they have sent this 25 page confirmation packet that no one will ever be able to translate into Amharic....We're just looking for one simple paragraph with a letterhead and signature.
So needless to say we are a little stressed. Everything else is falling into place - we should get our fingerprint appointments for USCIS (yet another FBI check) soon with our approval by October. At that time, given the three above documents come in, our dossier will be complete and sent on for authentication in Washington, D.C and then to the Ethiopian Embassy and finally on to Ethiopia!
We are so eager to have our Abijah (or Selah) home! We have been told many times that our lives are going to change once he arrives: yes we know, and we can't wait!!!
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, they mean the world to us!
31 July 2012
10 July 2012
Moving On
We have "officially" had our home study approved!
Because our home study has been completed for a while, just working on wording that Ethiopia likes more, we have already started our Dossier. This is a huge packet of information that will be sent along with our home study to Ethiopia. We are working hard to get all these documents together, but since they all have to be notarized by the person we are requesting them from, it is taking much longer than we would like.
We just finished our paperwork for USCIS (immigration paperwork to bring orphan into the US) and are waiting on our notarized copy of the home study to send along with it. Really hoping that it arrives before the end of the week. Once USCIS has our paperwork, they will notify us of our appointment for FBI background checks, which we will have to go to either Louisville or Cincinnati to complete. The total processing time for USCIS is about 90 days.
We are hoping to be finished with our Dossier by the time our USCIS approval arrives.
Did I mention that this is a long and tedious process? Oy! I know that it will all be worth it when I see the sweet face our our child!
Because our home study has been completed for a while, just working on wording that Ethiopia likes more, we have already started our Dossier. This is a huge packet of information that will be sent along with our home study to Ethiopia. We are working hard to get all these documents together, but since they all have to be notarized by the person we are requesting them from, it is taking much longer than we would like.
We just finished our paperwork for USCIS (immigration paperwork to bring orphan into the US) and are waiting on our notarized copy of the home study to send along with it. Really hoping that it arrives before the end of the week. Once USCIS has our paperwork, they will notify us of our appointment for FBI background checks, which we will have to go to either Louisville or Cincinnati to complete. The total processing time for USCIS is about 90 days.
We are hoping to be finished with our Dossier by the time our USCIS approval arrives.
Did I mention that this is a long and tedious process? Oy! I know that it will all be worth it when I see the sweet face our our child!
19 June 2012
Anniversary
Today is our anniversary! Warren and I have grown so close over these past two years and God has truly blessed us!
I pray that we will have MANY MANY more years together and that we will continue to grow in our faith together!
I pray that we will have MANY MANY more years together and that we will continue to grow in our faith together!
08 June 2012
Fundraising
In addition to the yard sale we have planned for June 22-23, we are also going to be selling t-shirts. We have designed these shirts using Vista prints so all of the profits will go directly to our adoption fund.
Shirts are available in all sizes from S to XXL and a choice of three colors: white, gray, or black.
Color/Cost
White $15
Gray $18
Black $20
There is an additional $2 charge for XXL and an additional $3 charge if we need to mail it to you.
To order a shirt email, facebook, comment on the blog, or call us. Payments can be made to us or through our paypal link on the blog.
Shirts are available in all sizes from S to XXL and a choice of three colors: white, gray, or black.
Color/Cost
White $15
Gray $18
Black $20
There is an additional $2 charge for XXL and an additional $3 charge if we need to mail it to you.
To order a shirt email, facebook, comment on the blog, or call us. Payments can be made to us or through our paypal link on the blog.
21 May 2012
Yard Sale
So the first thing that we are planning to do to start raising funds is a yard sale. We are hoping to get a date set for late June and try to sell everything that we can. I'm not sure how successful this will be as I have never had a yard sale but we are faithful.
If you have any items that you would like to donate to the sale please let us know! Also, if you have experience and would like to help us that would be amazing.
This will be just the first of many efforts to bring our baby home. If you have any ideas or past events you have done to raise funds please share them.
As always, thank you to everyone who is praying for us! We love you all!!!
If you have any items that you would like to donate to the sale please let us know! Also, if you have experience and would like to help us that would be amazing.
This will be just the first of many efforts to bring our baby home. If you have any ideas or past events you have done to raise funds please share them.
As always, thank you to everyone who is praying for us! We love you all!!!
10 May 2012
Welcome to the adoption blog of Warren and Christina!
We have just started the international adoption process, and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us!
The agency we are working with is located here in Ky and is called Adopt Inc. and have been wonderful to work with. There's a lot to do - but thankfully the adoption agency has everything mapped-out and will be with us each step of this new journey.
Since before Warren and I married in 2010 we both knew that adoption was something we were called to do. We, like most couples had dreams of having our own family but through many difficulties and aching hearts know that this is now the right time to begin this journey. We are not giving up on our dreams of having our own birth children, but God has already started to form an equal - and somewhat stronger - desire in our hearts for a child from Ethiopia.
We know that on our own we will never be able to fund an adoption and on our own we can not grow our family so, we are leaving it all up to the One who is already directing our path, God. We are asking that our friends and family pray for us as we start this journey. At this time please pray specifically that we will be able to earn the necessary funds to bring our child home, that God will lay a protective hand over our child as they are being knit in the womb and being cared for at birth until we can come, and that we will have continued peace and patience through this process.
We have just started the international adoption process, and are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us!
The agency we are working with is located here in Ky and is called Adopt Inc. and have been wonderful to work with. There's a lot to do - but thankfully the adoption agency has everything mapped-out and will be with us each step of this new journey.
Since before Warren and I married in 2010 we both knew that adoption was something we were called to do. We, like most couples had dreams of having our own family but through many difficulties and aching hearts know that this is now the right time to begin this journey. We are not giving up on our dreams of having our own birth children, but God has already started to form an equal - and somewhat stronger - desire in our hearts for a child from Ethiopia.
We know that on our own we will never be able to fund an adoption and on our own we can not grow our family so, we are leaving it all up to the One who is already directing our path, God. We are asking that our friends and family pray for us as we start this journey. At this time please pray specifically that we will be able to earn the necessary funds to bring our child home, that God will lay a protective hand over our child as they are being knit in the womb and being cared for at birth until we can come, and that we will have continued peace and patience through this process.
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