Wednesday, November 25, 2009
It's Gone
I got my Dossier off to Madison. I also got 2 copies off to CCI in Florida. Sue, the director, is going to Ethiopia on Tuesday and said if she gets my copies, she will carry one with her and get the translation started. I Express Mailed it to her! God orchestrated that one!!!!
The Last Piece
We got our Police Certificate today! My Dossier is complete. Bill and I have to have the cover sheet notarized today. I can then run to the Newton PO and Express Mail the Dossier to the WI State Secretary for the State Seal on the POA and the Dossier. The Dossier is one document even though it has many supporting documents.
This is so exciting! I never really thought this day would ever come. I have been gathering documents since early September.
Next step: Dossier goes to DC to get bound. From DC it goes to CCI in FL. Our Agency will send it FedEx to The Ministry of Women's Affairs in Ethiopia.
This is so exciting! I never really thought this day would ever come. I have been gathering documents since early September.
Next step: Dossier goes to DC to get bound. From DC it goes to CCI in FL. Our Agency will send it FedEx to The Ministry of Women's Affairs in Ethiopia.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
I am so close to being done with my Dossier! Our agency thought our homestudy social worker would have a Police Certificate for us. They didn't. I UPS'ed the DJ-LE-250 form out on Thursday and included a self-addressed UPS envelope. I am hoping it gets there fast and comes back fast. It is all I am waiting for. I had to have Bill's medical clearance re-done by his doctor. Actually, this is sitting at the clinic waiting to be picked up (again). The notary forgot to put the date in. The notary date is very important as it is one of the things that gets looked at.
I got my notarized Home Study document in the mail on Friday. Because I have this, I was able to get together my I600a form last night. I needed an original Home Study to send with that form along with copies of our birth certificate, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and a check for $830. This form is an orphan petition. The purpose of this form is to:
I got my notarized Home Study document in the mail on Friday. Because I have this, I was able to get together my I600a form last night. I needed an original Home Study to send with that form along with copies of our birth certificate, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and a check for $830. This form is an orphan petition. The purpose of this form is to:
- determine the eligibility and suitability of the prospective adoptive parents looking to adopt
- determine the eligibility of the child to immigrate to the United States
We will have to go to the USCIS office in Milwaukee to get fingerprinted as part of this process. They will do a background check on us. We did this for our Police Certificate. The Manitowoc Police Department did the fingerprints. Total cost of fingerprinting: $180
After we get approved by the I600a form, the USCIS sends us an I171-H(Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advanced Processing of Orphan Petition). This allows us to file an I600 form while in Ethiopia. This form is a Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative.
I am praying that there aren't too many deer hunters in the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Justice office! They should have received my application for a Police Certificate on Friday. I have the UPS numbers to track so I will be watching them. My goal is to get my Dossier of the the State of WI for a State Seal before December 1st.
Friday, November 13, 2009
This is the story (total God thing) of T:
About 1.5 years ago, 2 college students with Campus Crusade for Christ were out evangelizing in a village.. They knocked on a door and a woman answered. They asked if they could come in and talk to her. She said yes they could, but to hurry because she had something to do. They talked with her and told her about Jesus and His salvation message. She listened and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! She then explained to them that she had just found out she was HIV+ and was going to commit suicide the moment they knocked on the door. She had three children and no way to support and feed them. She didn't know what she was going to do. The college students didn't know either what she was going to do with her children. They went back to the church they were working through and talked to the lady there. The lady said to them, "don't you know our church has an orphanage?" They went back and talked to the mother and told her that they had a place for her children. The mother, knowing she would die, agreed to put the two youngest (ages 1 & 4) up for adoption. My agency, CCI, put the two on their waiting list and a single mom, who was paper ready, saw them and accepted a referral. She was paper ready so they went straight to the transition house. She picked them up in June. She was surprised to find there was an older brother, age 10. He didn't want to be put up for adoption because he wanted to take care of his mother.
When it came time for court, the mother was very sick. The students said she was "rigid". They found orange Fanta and poured it down her throat to revive her so she could get to court. It is required if a parent is alive that they go to court to give up parental rights. She made it to court and decided she needed to have her son taken care of too. He got put on the waiting list and we saw him.
I had posted on my homeschool forum asking if anyone had used CCI. One lady came forward. I told our agency director I was in touch with "Mary". She said that Mary had T's siblings. Mary said it was her cousin who had them. I got an email from this cousin. I then got pictures. I got the story of picking up the two siblings. The cousin had went to T's mother's house and visited and met T.
Mary's cousin had been with another agency and was #300 in line for a child/children. Mary had asked why she would wait when her agency had many children available and there was no wait. She changed agency's, made a few changes to her paperwork and was very quickly paper ready.
I guess I saw God's hand in it all and we were meant to take T.
About 1.5 years ago, 2 college students with Campus Crusade for Christ were out evangelizing in a village.. They knocked on a door and a woman answered. They asked if they could come in and talk to her. She said yes they could, but to hurry because she had something to do. They talked with her and told her about Jesus and His salvation message. She listened and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! She then explained to them that she had just found out she was HIV+ and was going to commit suicide the moment they knocked on the door. She had three children and no way to support and feed them. She didn't know what she was going to do. The college students didn't know either what she was going to do with her children. They went back to the church they were working through and talked to the lady there. The lady said to them, "don't you know our church has an orphanage?" They went back and talked to the mother and told her that they had a place for her children. The mother, knowing she would die, agreed to put the two youngest (ages 1 & 4) up for adoption. My agency, CCI, put the two on their waiting list and a single mom, who was paper ready, saw them and accepted a referral. She was paper ready so they went straight to the transition house. She picked them up in June. She was surprised to find there was an older brother, age 10. He didn't want to be put up for adoption because he wanted to take care of his mother.
When it came time for court, the mother was very sick. The students said she was "rigid". They found orange Fanta and poured it down her throat to revive her so she could get to court. It is required if a parent is alive that they go to court to give up parental rights. She made it to court and decided she needed to have her son taken care of too. He got put on the waiting list and we saw him.
I had posted on my homeschool forum asking if anyone had used CCI. One lady came forward. I told our agency director I was in touch with "Mary". She said that Mary had T's siblings. Mary said it was her cousin who had them. I got an email from this cousin. I then got pictures. I got the story of picking up the two siblings. The cousin had went to T's mother's house and visited and met T.
Mary's cousin had been with another agency and was #300 in line for a child/children. Mary had asked why she would wait when her agency had many children available and there was no wait. She changed agency's, made a few changes to her paperwork and was very quickly paper ready.
I guess I saw God's hand in it all and we were meant to take T.
Where are we at? I am waiting for: Obligation of Adoption or Social Welfare Agency - CCI prepares this document, notarizes it, and mails it to you for inclusion in your dossier.
I think this got put in the mail. My third reference letter is in the mail.
Then, I am waiting for this: Home Study- Include the License of the Home Study Agency and the Diploma/License of social worker providing the Home Study as the last two pages of your Home Study so you can have these 3 documents notarized as one.
Not sure where this is at but shouldn't be too far behind.
After I get these items, I can finish my dossier and get it off to Wisconsin Secretary of State for authentication. I will FedEx it there, it will take 2-3 days and they will FedEx it back. Then it goes to DC to get Authenticated.
Then:
10. CCI will receive the completely authenticated Dossier and review it
11. CCI will mail Dossier to Ethiopia to the in country representative
12. Dossier is translated and authenticated in Ethiopia (2 weeks)
13. Your dossier goes (3-6 weeks)
14. CCI’s in country representative submits your case to court for a court date (1 week)
15. Your court date is given (4-6 weeks later)
16. Court takes place with an in country representative from CCI acting on your behalf by Power of Attorney to complete the adoption (same day)
17. File goes to WACM to get letters needed to have a passport and birth certificate created (1 week)
18. Case is submitted to American Embassy for embassy appointment (1 week)
19. Embassy appointment is given
20. Family travels to Ethiopia to pick child up and to go to the embassy appointment (5 weeks after exiting court)
We are expecting traveling in May.
I think this got put in the mail. My third reference letter is in the mail.
Then, I am waiting for this: Home Study- Include the License of the Home Study Agency and the Diploma/License of social worker providing the Home Study as the last two pages of your Home Study so you can have these 3 documents notarized as one.
Not sure where this is at but shouldn't be too far behind.
After I get these items, I can finish my dossier and get it off to Wisconsin Secretary of State for authentication. I will FedEx it there, it will take 2-3 days and they will FedEx it back. Then it goes to DC to get Authenticated.
Then:
10. CCI will receive the completely authenticated Dossier and review it
11. CCI will mail Dossier to Ethiopia to the in country representative
12. Dossier is translated and authenticated in Ethiopia (2 weeks)
13. Your dossier goes (3-6 weeks)
14. CCI’s in country representative submits your case to court for a court date (1 week)
15. Your court date is given (4-6 weeks later)
16. Court takes place with an in country representative from CCI acting on your behalf by Power of Attorney to complete the adoption (same day)
17. File goes to WACM to get letters needed to have a passport and birth certificate created (1 week)
18. Case is submitted to American Embassy for embassy appointment (1 week)
19. Embassy appointment is given
20. Family travels to Ethiopia to pick child up and to go to the embassy appointment (5 weeks after exiting court)
We are expecting traveling in May.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Home Study
Yesterday we had our Home Study visit. I was able to hand her Seth and Alex's Physician Physical forms. They had doctor appointments on Monday. That appointment included a PPD (or a tuberculosis test). They shoot a small amount of the TB virus under the skin of their forearm and then we go back 48 hours later and if there is a rash, they have been exposed to TB, and then they probably wouldn't be able to travel to Ethiopia. We were safe, no rash.
Alex is deathly afraid of needles. The poor boy was shaking and turning white for the ppd. Then they had to draw blood. Thank goodness he got to go first. He then watched Seth's draw. I should tell you Alex's reason for his needle-phobia. He had to have a rather large wart removed from his big toe. It was a very stubborn wart and it got down to having to laser it off. It had to be frozen which consisted of sticking a needle under the wart. Alex was sweating it hurt so bad. He had beads of sweat on his little nose. I think he is damaged for life!
Back to the home study. The visit included a walk through our house with Diane and Monica. They said we have plenty of room for two more boys. They loved the remodeled bedroom for the boys. They loved our view out all our windows. They loved the colors in my bedroom (I do to!). They loved my kitchen. Whew, I guess we passed. Diane was supposed to check all the smoke detectors but never did. The family got interviewed next. They had to make sure we knew what we were getting into. Especially the boys seeing that they will have to share all they have with strangers. Seth and Alex are really excited to have two more brothers.
We are using Lutheran Family and Counseling Services out of Wauwatosa. Diane, the Social Worker, has all of our paperwork now. She had done most of her report from the paperwork we sent her. She will only need to add the home visit part. Our Agency, Celebrate Children International, out of Florida, will then get that report. CCI will prepare a Home Study Approval Letter , notarize it, and mail it to us for inclusion in our dossier.
We are getting closer!
Alex is deathly afraid of needles. The poor boy was shaking and turning white for the ppd. Then they had to draw blood. Thank goodness he got to go first. He then watched Seth's draw. I should tell you Alex's reason for his needle-phobia. He had to have a rather large wart removed from his big toe. It was a very stubborn wart and it got down to having to laser it off. It had to be frozen which consisted of sticking a needle under the wart. Alex was sweating it hurt so bad. He had beads of sweat on his little nose. I think he is damaged for life!
Back to the home study. The visit included a walk through our house with Diane and Monica. They said we have plenty of room for two more boys. They loved the remodeled bedroom for the boys. They loved our view out all our windows. They loved the colors in my bedroom (I do to!). They loved my kitchen. Whew, I guess we passed. Diane was supposed to check all the smoke detectors but never did. The family got interviewed next. They had to make sure we knew what we were getting into. Especially the boys seeing that they will have to share all they have with strangers. Seth and Alex are really excited to have two more brothers.
We are using Lutheran Family and Counseling Services out of Wauwatosa. Diane, the Social Worker, has all of our paperwork now. She had done most of her report from the paperwork we sent her. She will only need to add the home visit part. Our Agency, Celebrate Children International, out of Florida, will then get that report. CCI will prepare a Home Study Approval Letter , notarize it, and mail it to us for inclusion in our dossier.
We are getting closer!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Blogs
I spent the last two days reading Steppin' Heavenward. Click on the link and at least look at her family. She is just amazing. How in the world does she find time to post on her blog? To post all her pictures? Truly amazing!
I also love following this blog: the Journey She is serving orphans in Uganda, East Africa. Her ministry is striving keep the children in Uganda alive and give them life to the fullest. They want to educate the poorest of the poor there intellectually and spiritually.
I also love following this blog: the Journey She is serving orphans in Uganda, East Africa. Her ministry is striving keep the children in Uganda alive and give them life to the fullest. They want to educate the poorest of the poor there intellectually and spiritually.
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