I love the way our 6 year old daughter Noelle describes our family-through-adoption...or what it will look like once W comes home. :)
She says:
Our family is like an ice cream sundae.
Mommy and Daddy are the scoops of vanilla ice cream on the bottom (they are light skinned).
Me and Selah are the caramel sauce on top (we have tan, caramel colored skin).
And when brother W from Haiti comes home, he will be the fudge topping (his skin is dark like chocolate).
And our two kitties are the colored sprinkles on top.
Noelle, I like the way you think. All of us put together make up something wonderful, truly special and sweet!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
We have reached PHASE TWO! (plus some prayer requests)
Thanks to God moving on hearts, and your generous participation in our adoption, we have paid our first adoption agency fee, and have our home study fee is fully covered!!!
We have now entered Phase Two.
This stage of the process is commonly, and oh-so-lovingly (yeah right) referred to as "The Paper Chase". The paper chase involves two elements: The Home Study and The Dossier. Maybe it should be called the Paper Race??...
The home study process is conducted with a certified social worker and is essentially the adoptive family's "Life On Paper". (Hope you're not a private person!) The social worker meets with the family several times and collects a large list of documents from the family. After this, she writes an 8-15 page report that describes each parent and the family as a whole. Documents and procedures include things like-- Police background checks, reference letters, financial records and statements, employment letters, medical exams, marriage / parenting / adoption questionnaires, autobiographies, insurance verifications, and much more... Oh so fun... ;-)
----Our Goal: To be finished with the home study by the end of May. Eeek! We have some huge family commitments in June and July, so if we don't finish this month, we are looking at August before we complete the home study. We truly hate to put this off, making W wait even longer at the crèche before he gets a family.
The dossier process is focused more on certifying documents at a federal level for both the U.S. and Haiti. Many of the documents used to support the home study are also included in the dossier. Some items in the dossier include-- the home study report, certified marriage license, certified birth certificates, U.S. Immigration approval (approval to adopt a foreign born child and bring him/her to the U.S.), medical evaluations, employment letters, financial letters, family photos, and more. Once gathered, the documents receive multiple levels of certification--county, state, federal...then authenticated by the Haitian embassy. The dossier is translated, and then it is sent to Haiti!! THAT is the mega exciting part, believe me. After having sent a dossier to China and one to Taiwan, woooeeee the celebrating begins!
----Our Goal: To submit our completed dossier in August or September.
Oh friends! Eric and I could SO use your prayers!
1) The Paper Chase is very intense and time consuming. It is often stressful and frustrating. Will you please pray with us that we are able to complete all the necessary tasks...and that they be done correctly the first time?
2) Will you also pray for W. (This is big.) Because his background and family is unknown, some of his "dossier" is proving difficult to gather. Some documents will have to be created, so to speak (legally, of course). Tracking down information and finding people from the past several years can be very challenging, to say the least. We cannot adopt W...until his paperwork is complete and in order. Please, please, plllllllease pray with us that his crèche is able to make all the connections, find the people, and get everything they need to complete his dossier.
3) Lastly, will you pray again for those Financial Mountains to MOVE once again? This Phase Two mountain is a little smaller (approx. $3000) but still really big to us. Once our home study is finalized, we can start applying for grants. We also have some fundraising ideas. But when it comes down to it, it will have to be God who does the providing.
Thank you, Dear Ones!!
We have now entered Phase Two.
This stage of the process is commonly, and oh-so-lovingly (yeah right) referred to as "The Paper Chase". The paper chase involves two elements: The Home Study and The Dossier. Maybe it should be called the Paper Race??...
The home study process is conducted with a certified social worker and is essentially the adoptive family's "Life On Paper". (Hope you're not a private person!) The social worker meets with the family several times and collects a large list of documents from the family. After this, she writes an 8-15 page report that describes each parent and the family as a whole. Documents and procedures include things like-- Police background checks, reference letters, financial records and statements, employment letters, medical exams, marriage / parenting / adoption questionnaires, autobiographies, insurance verifications, and much more... Oh so fun... ;-)
----Our Goal: To be finished with the home study by the end of May. Eeek! We have some huge family commitments in June and July, so if we don't finish this month, we are looking at August before we complete the home study. We truly hate to put this off, making W wait even longer at the crèche before he gets a family.
The dossier process is focused more on certifying documents at a federal level for both the U.S. and Haiti. Many of the documents used to support the home study are also included in the dossier. Some items in the dossier include-- the home study report, certified marriage license, certified birth certificates, U.S. Immigration approval (approval to adopt a foreign born child and bring him/her to the U.S.), medical evaluations, employment letters, financial letters, family photos, and more. Once gathered, the documents receive multiple levels of certification--county, state, federal...then authenticated by the Haitian embassy. The dossier is translated, and then it is sent to Haiti!! THAT is the mega exciting part, believe me. After having sent a dossier to China and one to Taiwan, woooeeee the celebrating begins!
----Our Goal: To submit our completed dossier in August or September.
Oh friends! Eric and I could SO use your prayers!
1) The Paper Chase is very intense and time consuming. It is often stressful and frustrating. Will you please pray with us that we are able to complete all the necessary tasks...and that they be done correctly the first time?
2) Will you also pray for W. (This is big.) Because his background and family is unknown, some of his "dossier" is proving difficult to gather. Some documents will have to be created, so to speak (legally, of course). Tracking down information and finding people from the past several years can be very challenging, to say the least. We cannot adopt W...until his paperwork is complete and in order. Please, please, plllllllease pray with us that his crèche is able to make all the connections, find the people, and get everything they need to complete his dossier.
3) Lastly, will you pray again for those Financial Mountains to MOVE once again? This Phase Two mountain is a little smaller (approx. $3000) but still really big to us. Once our home study is finalized, we can start applying for grants. We also have some fundraising ideas. But when it comes down to it, it will have to be God who does the providing.
Thank you, Dear Ones!!
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