Home Study in Hand and Off to Immigration!

GREAT NEWS!!  We received certified copies of our home study this past Thursday and today we mailed a copy off with our I-600A Immigration papers!  Yes! We are on our way!  Our home study was guaranteed to be completed in 8 weeks and we got it back in 4! Praise God!! Thanks to the Lord for Gateway Woods  for making that possible!  The Immigration papers basically give us permission to travel and let's immigration know we are traveling with the intent to adopt.  The next steps are to hear back from them about a date for getting our fingerprints done and complete more papers for our dossier.  As soon as we complete more of those papers we can send off our dossier to EE, but we cannot travel until we get our immigration granted.  Our agency is wonderful and we appreciate her support as we walk through this!

We have also heard about a new bill of a sort that was passed possibly to expedite adoptions between US and EE, I believe....and that there can be no more independent adoptions...all will have to go through an agency.  We already knew when we had researched about adopting from EE that they prefer to go through agencies, that is what motivated us to use one.

Well we are excited about this process and look forward to the next steps.  Keep following us as we will post a timeline on the blog as well as each step passes and we get closer to having her home! :)

On a fundraising note...the Praise Dance Camp today raised $85 towards the adoption! That is 8.5 more puzzle pieces! [btw-we added an extra $5 so we don't have to cut a puzzle piece in half for those who were wondering].  We are almost complete on the puzzle!! Let's try to finish it out by August 1st!!  Those families that sent their child to dance camp will have puzzle pieces added to the puzzle with their names on the back!!  [PS--look for the unveiling of the puzzle when it is complete---we will frame it in a clear frame, take pictures of it and post them on here and fb so that you can all find your names!! Then it will hang in her room for her to see all those that helped her to have a forever family!]  Thanks to God for his provision and thanks to many donors, including $200 from my Aunt Roberta and Uncle Ron!! Thanks so much!! I know my Aunt has visited and helped in Guatemala's orphanages for the past 7 years. I have always wanted to go with her! It was a real blessing today to get to know some new praise dancers and to know that everyone of the dancers has had adoption touch their lives in one way or another! One was adopted, two are getting brothers and one of them has a parent that was adopted! It is amazing to see that God is a restorer of broken lives and puts the lonely in families. God ALWAYS brings good out of the bad.  Thank you God for that!  I was sharing that with the dancers today as we were studying about God's purpose for dance and worshiping Him.  I was telling the girls about a time that I felt really alone in my life (while being in single motherhood) and that is when God drew me very close and showed me His dance.  He showed me that He loves me and never leaves me. He showed me that I am never alone and He is always with me. He comforted me and showed me how to dance.  He showed me the dance and now I get to pass that on to others, like I did today!  :)  Praise God!

Looking forward to the next steps in the adoption!! At this time, I am reading a book called, What Every Adopted Child wants their Adoptive Parents to Know.  Its really good.  It is good to read all about adoption and hear stories of every kind. I want to be as prepared as possible!! I am also putting together an adoptive parent support group!!  I have about 3 moms interested now and am welcoming more!! Just let me know if you are interested!! I will keep you all posted about when/where we will meet so others can join us.  If you even interested in adopting someday this would be a great time to listen and gather info!!   I am so blessed to have so many people in our lives that are supportive and encouraging.  Love you all, talk to you soon! Alyssa