I've been in touch with several families who are adopting older girls from the Guangzhou Orphanage. Of the families we've met via email, 3 familes have returned from China and started life as a new family.
Another family received their TA last Friday and today, received confirmation of the day they will be united with their daughter!!! It's always a joy to share in the excitement with other families who have become friends and have followed one another along the journey. Tonight, we are rejoicing with them in the joy of receiving their TA and CA!!!!
Sadly, Miao will be the last of the group of girls to come home. We are praying our TA is processed swiftly so that we can jet-over to China, ASAP!!!
Our dear friends did say that when arriving China, they will try hard to include our daughter at the McDonald's party. The only challenge is that our daughter is at the boarding school and our friend's daughter is at the orphanage, preparing for her family's arrival. Either way, they are going to try and include Miao. We are grateful for their thoughtfulness and generosity!
YEA SHEILA.....we are cheering you on and singing praises from Houston!
PS: If you're wondering about the McDonald's party. There seems to be a trend with the children being adopted. They want a party with their friends, to celebrate their new family. Of all the places, the children request McDonald's. The children consider it "special" having the opportunity to stand at a McDonald's counter and order their own food. Something they don't have an opportunity to do until families sponsor parties. Yes, we plan to have a party for Miao and include her friends and perhaps other children at the SWI who don't yet have families. More details to come as we get closer to travel. Another plan to be ironed out. It's not something that is customary but thanks to our wonderful care package service, Gifts To China With Love, they may be instrumental in assisting us in the planning.
Blessings,
Sharee
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
OFFICIALLY WAITING TA!!!!!
IT'S OFFICIAL!!
We received an email from our agency, earlier today confirming the CCAA received our Article 5 and original signed LOI, TODAY!!!! So, as of today, 10/25 we are officially waiting TA!!!
We've been keeping watch on recent TA's and they seem to be coming in 2-3 weeks.
We are beginning to put plans in place for travel, details to make our daughter's homecoming and transition as smooth as possible and to place finishing touching in her bedroom.
Please pray with us the TA is received smoothly and swiftly!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
We received an email from our agency, earlier today confirming the CCAA received our Article 5 and original signed LOI, TODAY!!!! So, as of today, 10/25 we are officially waiting TA!!!
We've been keeping watch on recent TA's and they seem to be coming in 2-3 weeks.
We are beginning to put plans in place for travel, details to make our daughter's homecoming and transition as smooth as possible and to place finishing touching in her bedroom.
Please pray with us the TA is received smoothly and swiftly!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
Friday, October 22, 2010
Article 5--Still Sitting Idle
WE CONTINUE TO WAIT
Well, as we last wrote, our Article 5 has been sitting on someone's desk since 10/13 and it continues to sit.
As mentioned in our last post, the original, signed LOI (Letter of Intent to Adopt) must be with our paperwork before the TA (Travel Approval) will be processed.
We also learned this is not a new rule from China but rather a rule that has always been in place but not enforced. Now, China is enforcing it. Bad news: those families who are with agencies that have not been including the original, signed LOI are in our same situation.
We Fed Ex'd our original, signed LOI to Madison on Sunday with an overnight arrival. It arrived on Tuesday morning around 10:30. Madison mailed our signed LOI to China on Wednesday afternoon.
We've been told it may take 3-4 days to arrive and also told it may take 7 days. Let's pray it only takes the 3-4 days to arrive!!!!
Once our original, signed, LOI arrives, we'll be back on track!!!! We're very close and at the final steps required before travel---THE TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!
How close we are to travel:
-Signed LOI reaches agency contact in Beijing
-Contact in Beijing hand delivers our original, signed, LOI to CCAA-TA is processed
-CA is scheduled (Consulate Appointment)
-Flights are scheduled
Please pray with us our LOI arrives smoothly and quickly to China AND our TA has a speedy process!!!
PS: For those not familiar with international adoption, CA is the American Consulate Appointment. This is the final step before returning home from China. This step allows us to receive Miao's visa to return home and one of the final steps toward her becoming an American citizen when the plan touches down, in the US!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
Well, as we last wrote, our Article 5 has been sitting on someone's desk since 10/13 and it continues to sit.
As mentioned in our last post, the original, signed LOI (Letter of Intent to Adopt) must be with our paperwork before the TA (Travel Approval) will be processed.
We also learned this is not a new rule from China but rather a rule that has always been in place but not enforced. Now, China is enforcing it. Bad news: those families who are with agencies that have not been including the original, signed LOI are in our same situation.
We Fed Ex'd our original, signed LOI to Madison on Sunday with an overnight arrival. It arrived on Tuesday morning around 10:30. Madison mailed our signed LOI to China on Wednesday afternoon.
We've been told it may take 3-4 days to arrive and also told it may take 7 days. Let's pray it only takes the 3-4 days to arrive!!!!
Once our original, signed, LOI arrives, we'll be back on track!!!! We're very close and at the final steps required before travel---THE TRAVEL APPROVAL!!!!!
How close we are to travel:
-Signed LOI reaches agency contact in Beijing
-Contact in Beijing hand delivers our original, signed, LOI to CCAA-TA is processed
-CA is scheduled (Consulate Appointment)
-Flights are scheduled
Please pray with us our LOI arrives smoothly and quickly to China AND our TA has a speedy process!!!
PS: For those not familiar with international adoption, CA is the American Consulate Appointment. This is the final step before returning home from China. This step allows us to receive Miao's visa to return home and one of the final steps toward her becoming an American citizen when the plan touches down, in the US!
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
Monday, October 18, 2010
Article 5 Sitting Idle-Wait for TA Extended
NEW RULINGS FROM CHINA
Unfortunately, our Article 5 is just sitting idle, due to a new ruling that was put in place last week...wouldn't ya know, our Article 5 was processed on Wednesday, 10/13 and now must be included with the new ruling.
I spoke with our agency this morning to learn that once our Article 5 was picked up, the courier mailed to it the agency's contact in Beijing. They use snail mail so it will take a few days to arrive. Our agency anticipates it will arrive Beijing around today or tomorrow.
BUT, now an additional step has been added to the process. China now requires an original signed LOA to be included in the package of Article 5 paperwork. This must be done before the travel approval will be processed. Those families who haven't received Article 5, the paperwork must be received before the Article 5 is processed.
Since the original is required, there's no email or wiring the document, our agency must mail it out....unfortuantely, adding extra time to our wait..extra weeks. Bummer!
We placed an original signed LOA in the mail yesterday, via Fed Ex. Fed Ex will pick up the document today and will arrive our agency by 10:30 tomorrow morning, 10/19. In turn, the agency will place it in the mail to China. They anticipate it will take about 3-4 days to arrive to the contact in Beijing.
Due to this new procedure our Article 5 will not be submitted to the CCAA for processing our TA until next week or worse case, the following week. It will depend upon how quickly Madison turns around our original signed LOA and places it in the mail for China and how quickly it is received. The agency anticipates turning it around by Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.
Okay, let's look together at the new potential time line: (best guess scenario)
-10/19 original LOA reaches Madison
-10/20 Madison mails out original LOA
-10/25 Original LOA reaches contact in Beijing
-10/26 Original LOA & Article 5 sent to CCAA
The quicker TA's are currently taking approximately 2-3 weeks for processing. With God's favor, we'll be on the quicker time line--our daughter is anxious to come home and we are anxious to bring her home!!!!
We are keeping our prayes and thoughts on Miao and anxiously preparing for her homecoming!!! While it seems like it's never going to happen, in reality, it will be here soon!!!
Blessings
Unfortunately, our Article 5 is just sitting idle, due to a new ruling that was put in place last week...wouldn't ya know, our Article 5 was processed on Wednesday, 10/13 and now must be included with the new ruling.
I spoke with our agency this morning to learn that once our Article 5 was picked up, the courier mailed to it the agency's contact in Beijing. They use snail mail so it will take a few days to arrive. Our agency anticipates it will arrive Beijing around today or tomorrow.
BUT, now an additional step has been added to the process. China now requires an original signed LOA to be included in the package of Article 5 paperwork. This must be done before the travel approval will be processed. Those families who haven't received Article 5, the paperwork must be received before the Article 5 is processed.
Since the original is required, there's no email or wiring the document, our agency must mail it out....unfortuantely, adding extra time to our wait..extra weeks. Bummer!
We placed an original signed LOA in the mail yesterday, via Fed Ex. Fed Ex will pick up the document today and will arrive our agency by 10:30 tomorrow morning, 10/19. In turn, the agency will place it in the mail to China. They anticipate it will take about 3-4 days to arrive to the contact in Beijing.
Due to this new procedure our Article 5 will not be submitted to the CCAA for processing our TA until next week or worse case, the following week. It will depend upon how quickly Madison turns around our original signed LOA and places it in the mail for China and how quickly it is received. The agency anticipates turning it around by Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning.
Okay, let's look together at the new potential time line: (best guess scenario)
-10/19 original LOA reaches Madison
-10/20 Madison mails out original LOA
-10/25 Original LOA reaches contact in Beijing
-10/26 Original LOA & Article 5 sent to CCAA
The quicker TA's are currently taking approximately 2-3 weeks for processing. With God's favor, we'll be on the quicker time line--our daughter is anxious to come home and we are anxious to bring her home!!!!
We are keeping our prayes and thoughts on Miao and anxiously preparing for her homecoming!!! While it seems like it's never going to happen, in reality, it will be here soon!!!
Blessings
Thursday, October 14, 2010
ARTICLE 5 RECEIVED!!!!
WE'RE GETTING VERY CLOSE & VERY ANXIOUS!!!
Wow, what a great day it's been!!!
First, I spoke with my administrator today to share with her our anticipated travel plans. Something about speaking with her makes it all seem so real......yes, we've been planning for Miao's homecoming for over a year now but something about notifying your work that you'll be out for an extended amount of time is the realization that it's coming, very soon!!!
All the endless hours of time and effort vested into the paperwork involved with an international adoption, sending care packages to Miao, exchanging letters with her and waiting for over a year, viewing her picture, day-after-day, it begins to seem surreal and that it's never going to happen and when it does finally "happen" it sort of takes your breath away! By the grace of God--it's happening and very soon!!!!!
Once I drove away from the school, I immediately phoned Earl to share with him our conversation and the joy that Miao is welcome to finish out the school year, at my school!!! This will be great mother-daughter time each day driving back-and-forth from home to school. My commute is over 2 hours, each day so this will allow lots of time together. Guess I best start searching out music DVD's in Mandarin. :-)
Okay, the good news today, continues. We decided to have dinner out tonight and when returning home and jumping on the computer for any signs of a status on our adoption--THERE IT WAS---CONFIRMATION THAT OUR ARTICLE 5 WAS PROCESSED AND THE COURIER FROM OUR AGENCY PICKED IT UP, YESTERDAY--10/13!!!!!!!
Okay, just maybe...just maybe, we will be able to travel at Thanksgiving..that's our dream/best case scenario but if not, we are happy with the opportunity to travel by end of year!!!!! We want our beautiful daughter home for Christmas!!!
Miao wrote in her last letter to us, that she was counting the days until we bring her home....we are thrilled to share with her that we will be traveling very soon and she will no longer need to count the days!!!!
Blessings to all,
Sharee
Wow, what a great day it's been!!!
First, I spoke with my administrator today to share with her our anticipated travel plans. Something about speaking with her makes it all seem so real......yes, we've been planning for Miao's homecoming for over a year now but something about notifying your work that you'll be out for an extended amount of time is the realization that it's coming, very soon!!!
All the endless hours of time and effort vested into the paperwork involved with an international adoption, sending care packages to Miao, exchanging letters with her and waiting for over a year, viewing her picture, day-after-day, it begins to seem surreal and that it's never going to happen and when it does finally "happen" it sort of takes your breath away! By the grace of God--it's happening and very soon!!!!!
Once I drove away from the school, I immediately phoned Earl to share with him our conversation and the joy that Miao is welcome to finish out the school year, at my school!!! This will be great mother-daughter time each day driving back-and-forth from home to school. My commute is over 2 hours, each day so this will allow lots of time together. Guess I best start searching out music DVD's in Mandarin. :-)
Okay, the good news today, continues. We decided to have dinner out tonight and when returning home and jumping on the computer for any signs of a status on our adoption--THERE IT WAS---CONFIRMATION THAT OUR ARTICLE 5 WAS PROCESSED AND THE COURIER FROM OUR AGENCY PICKED IT UP, YESTERDAY--10/13!!!!!!!
Okay, just maybe...just maybe, we will be able to travel at Thanksgiving..that's our dream/best case scenario but if not, we are happy with the opportunity to travel by end of year!!!!! We want our beautiful daughter home for Christmas!!!
Miao wrote in her last letter to us, that she was counting the days until we bring her home....we are thrilled to share with her that we will be traveling very soon and she will no longer need to count the days!!!!
Blessings to all,
Sharee
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Cooler Temps + Fall= Holiday Season
Sterling and Pumpkins
The weather this weekend is BEAUTIFUL!! When summer temps remain in the 100's, day-after-day, the low 80's is consider, cooler weather!! We have clear blue skies, low 80 degree weather and pumpkin patches are starting to pop up everywhere!
We took advantage of the great weather and spent time at a pumpkin patch, clicking pictures of Sterling.
The weather this weekend is BEAUTIFUL!! When summer temps remain in the 100's, day-after-day, the low 80's is consider, cooler weather!! We have clear blue skies, low 80 degree weather and pumpkin patches are starting to pop up everywhere!
We took advantage of the great weather and spent time at a pumpkin patch, clicking pictures of Sterling.
NVC Cable to US Consulate in China
Another step closer to travel!!!
The NVC office cabled Miao's information to the US consulate in China on 9/25!!!! Only 6 days after our I800 approval, which was 9/16. Another stop closer to Miao's homecoming!!!
We faxed the confirmation letter the NVC mailed us to our agency's office on Friday afternoon, which is Friday evening in China. So, the earliest anything can happed is on Monday.
What happens next? Our agency's courier will pick up the cabled document from the US consulate and hand-carry it to the CCAA. We are experiencing trouble getting answers from our agency in regard to timing, when the carrier will pick up the paperwork, if the CCAA is closed for any holiday etc. We plan to contact them again on Monday for the details.
Exactly how close are we to travel.....let's see:
Hand-carry NVC cable to the CCAA
CCAA to prepare the Article 5
CCAA to release the Travel Approval (our agency will notify us when TA arrives)
CA scheduled by our agency (American Consulate Appt.)
Book travel
We are still hoping to travel by end of year.....it will all depend upon the available CA appointments...there are a limited amount of appointments and a lot of major events occuring in Guangzhou that can greatly affect travel. Please be in prayer with us that we may be united with Miao by end of year.
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
The NVC office cabled Miao's information to the US consulate in China on 9/25!!!! Only 6 days after our I800 approval, which was 9/16. Another stop closer to Miao's homecoming!!!
We faxed the confirmation letter the NVC mailed us to our agency's office on Friday afternoon, which is Friday evening in China. So, the earliest anything can happed is on Monday.
What happens next? Our agency's courier will pick up the cabled document from the US consulate and hand-carry it to the CCAA. We are experiencing trouble getting answers from our agency in regard to timing, when the carrier will pick up the paperwork, if the CCAA is closed for any holiday etc. We plan to contact them again on Monday for the details.
Exactly how close are we to travel.....let's see:
Hand-carry NVC cable to the CCAA
CCAA to prepare the Article 5
CCAA to release the Travel Approval (our agency will notify us when TA arrives)
CA scheduled by our agency (American Consulate Appt.)
Book travel
We are still hoping to travel by end of year.....it will all depend upon the available CA appointments...there are a limited amount of appointments and a lot of major events occuring in Guangzhou that can greatly affect travel. Please be in prayer with us that we may be united with Miao by end of year.
Blessings,
Earl & Sharee
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