Thursday, September 13, 2012

Our Immigration Approval Is In My Hand

September 13, 2012

It's finally here! 

In today's mail came a very important document called our I-797, Immigration approval.  An I800A is an application for determination of suitability to adopt a child from a convention country, which is what we filed to get this.  It comes from the department of homeland security. 

As stated on the letter, it says:

"You have been approved to adopt one child from the following Convention country: China."  It says a lot more than that, but that's the important part.

I had Scott read it twice then with tear-filled eyes grabbed it and read it for myself.  I got the joy of sharing it with a group of ladies later and put my hand over my stomach and said "I'm officially pregnant."  Now don't be offended by that, I know it's different, but then again it's not.  I carry this child around every hour of every day, only I carry them in my heart.  To get that goverment approval that is needed without any hang-ups was a weight off our shoulders and a huge answer to prayer.  It's kinda like getting over morning sickness, again I know it's different, yet the same. 

So what's next?  Scott and I will take this document and get it notarized, then I will drive to Harrisburg to have it state certified.  After that it will go to Washington, DC for a process called "authentication."  Authentication is a process which foreign governments require to verify that a document is "authentic".  The State Department in DC will examine the state letter and seal and then add their own letter and seal verifying that everything is correct and authentic.  The letter then goes to the foreign Embassy to verify that the U.S. Department of Authentications handled the document. At this time the foreign government will add their own seal and stamp of approval to this letter. At this point the letter is considered totally "authenticated" and can then be presented to the foreign government.  When all of that happens we will then send our dossier to China, and a whole new process of being accepted will begin in our journey.  One country down, one country to go.

Part of this process was petitioning our government for their approval to move forward so our child could become ours.  Ultimately though that approval does not compare to the approval we receive from God when He makes us His through Jesus.

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

1 comment:

  1. oh this is so good to read.

    Continuing to pray for you and your little one when the day will be -as one, together!! No more in between. And waiting.

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