Wow! This is awesome! Look what was delivered to my door today to take
to the orphanage visit! I just posted the link a couple of days ago,
and already goodies are arriving for the kids! Thank you so much for
responding to the need!
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Educational Goodies are Arriving!
Friday, February 27, 2015
Thank you, Pyramid Educational Consultants!
Pat, Abigail and Jen were fortunate to have an NGO (Non Government Organization) set up a school in their orphanage. You see, in China most orphans aren't allowed to attend school, especially if they have some sort of a physical or mental challenge. Our children were so blessed to have this school within their orphanage, and be given the opportunity for stimulation and to learn.
Once we received our Travel Approval I contacted the director of the school to ask if there was something they needed to help with their work there. She told me about their hope to begin PECS = Picture Exchange Communication System - with the non verbal children so they would have a way to communicate.
Abigail's adoption file indicated that she could not speak. She has come a very long way (to the point that she has earned the pet name from me of "Gabby Gail") but she still has severe speech issues. She understands everything, but her brain is not able to tell her mouth how to get the words out. So, the PECS system immediately got my attention, and I knew right away what our family would be taking to donate to the school.
Ahhh! I'm so excited! After seeing on Amazon that the PECS Starter Kit might take up to 25 days to get to me I tracked down the publisher. I shared the story of how I NEED this very soon so it can go to an orphanage in Southern China. They listened to my story, took my order (and will ship it today!) PLUS they are also sending some donations themselves to help the non verbal kids. So a big call out to Pyramid Educational Consultants for their customer response and their generosity! I'm so excited to be able to take this with us as we travel next month!
Would you like to donate some educational materials to enrich the lives of the children? We were given a list, and I have tracked down similar things on Amazon, and put them in a registry. Most of the things are in the $10 range - starting at about $5.00, with the most expensive being less than $50.00. And most require no shipping fee if you have Amazon Prime. This is such a practical way to help orphans, and can make such a difference in the quality of their lives. When you order you can request it be sent directly to me (they have my address on the registry) so it really is EASY and affordable. Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/gp/baby-reg/ref=?ie=UTF8&lid=1BEFGESV2THMA
I'll be sure to post a picture of what comes in, and what I HOPE is a suitcase full of things for the school to use. Thank you for your help!
Once we received our Travel Approval I contacted the director of the school to ask if there was something they needed to help with their work there. She told me about their hope to begin PECS = Picture Exchange Communication System - with the non verbal children so they would have a way to communicate.
Abigail's adoption file indicated that she could not speak. She has come a very long way (to the point that she has earned the pet name from me of "Gabby Gail") but she still has severe speech issues. She understands everything, but her brain is not able to tell her mouth how to get the words out. So, the PECS system immediately got my attention, and I knew right away what our family would be taking to donate to the school.
Ahhh! I'm so excited! After seeing on Amazon that the PECS Starter Kit might take up to 25 days to get to me I tracked down the publisher. I shared the story of how I NEED this very soon so it can go to an orphanage in Southern China. They listened to my story, took my order (and will ship it today!) PLUS they are also sending some donations themselves to help the non verbal kids. So a big call out to Pyramid Educational Consultants for their customer response and their generosity! I'm so excited to be able to take this with us as we travel next month!
Would you like to donate some educational materials to enrich the lives of the children? We were given a list, and I have tracked down similar things on Amazon, and put them in a registry. Most of the things are in the $10 range - starting at about $5.00, with the most expensive being less than $50.00. And most require no shipping fee if you have Amazon Prime. This is such a practical way to help orphans, and can make such a difference in the quality of their lives. When you order you can request it be sent directly to me (they have my address on the registry) so it really is EASY and affordable. Here is the link http://www.amazon.com/gp/baby-reg/ref=?ie=UTF8&lid=1BEFGESV2THMA
I'll be sure to post a picture of what comes in, and what I HOPE is a suitcase full of things for the school to use. Thank you for your help!
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Exciting Times!
If you have followed our adoption journey, you know that Pat and The Little Princesses were babies together and grew up in the same orphanage. There is already a sibling type relationship there. The girls are so, so excited for him to come home!
You also know that Pat will be our fourth addition to the family since April of 2013. Our family has gone through so many changes and adjustments in the past couple of years. We are doing very well but feel that it is important for our children to be involved in this next transition right from the start.
To that end we have been praying and researching and saving and cutting corners literally for months in hopes that our kids could go with us to bring Pat home. On January first of this year I asked you to join us in prayer about this situation. (see the post 3 Big Ifs )
So it was with MUCH excitement and thankfulness that we received a call from Laura Valentine's Ministry on Monday morning informing us that we were the recipient of their Valentine's Day Sweepstakes to help us with the expenses of the adoption!
In an amazing "coincidence" an hour or so later our agency called with the news that our Travel Approval had arrived at their office!
I am amazed, grateful, and honestly quite stunned. Our primary concern with adopting again so soon was funding. But God has shown Himself to be faithful over and over in this journey, orchestrating it right down to providing traveling funds for us on the very day we received our travel approval! Here are the kids when they got the good news of the day.
International travel with several children is going to be stressful. Add in wheelchairs in a country that is largely not handicap accessible and it may be downright tricky. But looking at all the factors that had to come together to even make this trip possible for us, then possible for our children, and the plan seems crystal clear. We're all going to China! We would appreciate your continued prayers as we prepare for this long trip!
You also know that Pat will be our fourth addition to the family since April of 2013. Our family has gone through so many changes and adjustments in the past couple of years. We are doing very well but feel that it is important for our children to be involved in this next transition right from the start.
To that end we have been praying and researching and saving and cutting corners literally for months in hopes that our kids could go with us to bring Pat home. On January first of this year I asked you to join us in prayer about this situation. (see the post 3 Big Ifs )
So it was with MUCH excitement and thankfulness that we received a call from Laura Valentine's Ministry on Monday morning informing us that we were the recipient of their Valentine's Day Sweepstakes to help us with the expenses of the adoption!
In an amazing "coincidence" an hour or so later our agency called with the news that our Travel Approval had arrived at their office!
I am amazed, grateful, and honestly quite stunned. Our primary concern with adopting again so soon was funding. But God has shown Himself to be faithful over and over in this journey, orchestrating it right down to providing traveling funds for us on the very day we received our travel approval! Here are the kids when they got the good news of the day.
International travel with several children is going to be stressful. Add in wheelchairs in a country that is largely not handicap accessible and it may be downright tricky. But looking at all the factors that had to come together to even make this trip possible for us, then possible for our children, and the plan seems crystal clear. We're all going to China! We would appreciate your continued prayers as we prepare for this long trip!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
TA!
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Article 5 issued
We received an email from the Consulate in Guangzhou that our Article 5 has been issued. Our agency's representative should have picked it up today and sent it via overnight express to the CCCWA in Beijing where our travel approval will be issued. Almost there!
Monday, February 9, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Last Steps!
When the I800 has its provisional approval it is sent to the National Visa Center. When it is entered into their computer system there it is issued a GUZ # which basically means the number needed for the Consulate in Guangzhou. We received our GUZ# on January 26th. Once I had this number I was able to fill out the electronic DS-260 online to apply for Pat's entry into the country. Then the biggie, that rtf letter (emailed) that proves the Guangzhou Consulate was cabled the letter needed to start the final steps. I waited patiently (mostly) for the rest of the day for that email only to find out that the NVC had closed early due to the blizzard in the eastern states, and worse yet would also be closed the following day.
I don't know if the letters go out automatically in the middle of the night or what, but I was shocked to find it waiting for me in my email the next morning! This completed the documents that our agency needed to send everything to their in country coordinator for the drop off of our Article V. There seems to be some confusion as to when (if?) our A5 was dropped off as I'm getting a conflicting date report. It always takes ten business days to complete it (unless there is a holiday in there) so I'm hoping it WAS indeed dropped off right away and we are closing in on the half way mark to that approval.
What is the A5? According to Bureau of Consular Affairs "If the Consular Officer determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States and that the information provided indicates that the adoption process thus far has complied with the Convention and IAA, he or she will notify the Convention country's central authority by issuing an Article 5/17 letter. The Article 5/17 letter will inform the foreign central authority that U.S. competent authorities have determined the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suited to adopt, that the child may enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed."
This is the FINAL step before we are sent our TA from the Chinese government. The Travel Approval - the "go ahead and come get your son"!!!!! We are still hoping to make Pat's adoption official at the end of March.
I don't know if the letters go out automatically in the middle of the night or what, but I was shocked to find it waiting for me in my email the next morning! This completed the documents that our agency needed to send everything to their in country coordinator for the drop off of our Article V. There seems to be some confusion as to when (if?) our A5 was dropped off as I'm getting a conflicting date report. It always takes ten business days to complete it (unless there is a holiday in there) so I'm hoping it WAS indeed dropped off right away and we are closing in on the half way mark to that approval.
What is the A5? According to Bureau of Consular Affairs "If the Consular Officer determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States and that the information provided indicates that the adoption process thus far has complied with the Convention and IAA, he or she will notify the Convention country's central authority by issuing an Article 5/17 letter. The Article 5/17 letter will inform the foreign central authority that U.S. competent authorities have determined the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suited to adopt, that the child may enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed."
This is the FINAL step before we are sent our TA from the Chinese government. The Travel Approval - the "go ahead and come get your son"!!!!! We are still hoping to make Pat's adoption official at the end of March.
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