Before we started our Chinese adoption, I never would have guessed how excited I would be to hear the three little letters LOA. Yet, when on Friday we received ours, we were definitely celebrating around here. That's right, we have our LOA!!! It's been here, been signed, and been sent back to the agency, who will send it along to China. Which means, we're in the homestretch!
Next in the process is waiting (again) for the I-800 approval letter from USCIS, then Travel Approval (TA) from CCCWA. The approval from USCIS should be here within the next three weeks, and the Travel Approval letter comes very soon after that.
What's next after those steps, you ask? Why, we go to pick up our new daughter in China, of course!
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
We Have a LID!
In the world of Chinese adoptions, there are several capital letter combinations that have great significance. In our last post, we mentioned one of these combinations--our DIC (Dossier In China). The next, and possibly one of the most important, is the LID, which stands for Log In Date. The LID marks the date on which the CCCWA officially received our dossier and entered our information into their system. This is the date that marks the beginning of the last few steps before we receive our travel date. After the LID comes the LOA (Letter of Acceptance--the official referral making our little girl ours), which we will sign and send back to CCCWA, a copy of which will be sent to USCIS along with the I-800 request for an immigrant visa for our little girl. Very soon after that step comes the final step in the process before travelling, and the one we are waiting most anxiously for--TA (Travel Approval). As you can see, at the time of the LID, things start moving along rather quickly toward that all important TA.
Now for the good news...we heard from our adoption agency recently that our LID was June 10!
We should receive our LOA within the next three to four weeks. Yes, that's right--3 to 4!
It looks like we will be travelling sometime in late September or early October!
After all the struggles, waiting, and losses, the end is in sight. We have hope of holding our little girl in our arms in the not-too-distant future!
As a side note, I realize I have used a lot of exclamation points in this post, but with exciting news like this, I just couldn't help myself.
Please continue to pray for us as we complete this process. God has been so good in providing financially throughout this process, but we are still short about $5000. To look back and see how He has brought us the funds needed up to this point, and to know how many people have given so generously toward this adoption, we are not worried about these remaining finances. We know He will provide everything needed in His perfect time. (Remember also, if you feel led to be a part of our effort to bring our daughter home from China, tax-deductible donations can be made through this link.)
We would also appreciate prayers for our little girl, that God would be preparing her heart for her new family. We have already taken some necessary steps to prepare our family for her arrival. We look forward to sharing a bit more about her once we have received our LOA--we'll even share a picture!
Now for the good news...we heard from our adoption agency recently that our LID was June 10!
We should receive our LOA within the next three to four weeks. Yes, that's right--3 to 4!
It looks like we will be travelling sometime in late September or early October!
After all the struggles, waiting, and losses, the end is in sight. We have hope of holding our little girl in our arms in the not-too-distant future!
As a side note, I realize I have used a lot of exclamation points in this post, but with exciting news like this, I just couldn't help myself.
Please continue to pray for us as we complete this process. God has been so good in providing financially throughout this process, but we are still short about $5000. To look back and see how He has brought us the funds needed up to this point, and to know how many people have given so generously toward this adoption, we are not worried about these remaining finances. We know He will provide everything needed in His perfect time. (Remember also, if you feel led to be a part of our effort to bring our daughter home from China, tax-deductible donations can be made through this link.)
We would also appreciate prayers for our little girl, that God would be preparing her heart for her new family. We have already taken some necessary steps to prepare our family for her arrival. We look forward to sharing a bit more about her once we have received our LOA--we'll even share a picture!
Sunday, June 8, 2014
A Big Step Forward!
Finally, we can report some major progress being made in our adoption process! Our dossier is actually in China! By some time in the next week or so, all the documents will be translated and it will be logged in with CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption). This is a huge step toward bringing our little girl home!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
China Adoption Timeline
Application Sent to Adoption Agency--January 13, 2014
Home Study Update begun--January 13, 2014
Pre-approval from CCCWA--February 11, 2014
Home Study Update Completed--February 28, 2014
I-800A Sent to USCIS--March 1, 2014
Dossier In China (DIC)--June 1, 2014
Log In Date (LID)--June 10, 2014
Letter of Approval (LOA)--August 11, 2014
Home Study Update begun--January 13, 2014
Pre-approval from CCCWA--February 11, 2014
Home Study Update Completed--February 28, 2014
I-800A Sent to USCIS--March 1, 2014
Dossier In China (DIC)--June 1, 2014
Log In Date (LID)--June 10, 2014
Letter of Approval (LOA)--August 11, 2014
Hurry Up and Wait
I am amazed at the goodness of the Lord which can be seen in every turn on life's road. We have had some busy weeks since starting the Chinese adoption process. Gathering paperwork, filling out forms, getting medical exams and police clearances, and visiting a notary public several times has kept us quite busy over the last month or so.
We have made some very encouraging progress in the adoption process (finally!). About two weeks ago, we received official pre-approval from CCCWA (China's adoption authority) to adopt a certain precious little girl! Pre-approval is great news and means that this adoption is going full steam ahead! It is the first major step in the adoption process in China. Looks like we will have a new daughter sometime this fall!
Another big step we reached just last week was completing our home study update. What a relief to have that portion of the work in this adoption behind us. It is a very important step, because it is necessary for us to send in an updated home study with our I-800A form. This form is sent to United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to apply for approval as adoptive parents. I dropped our I-800A in the mail, along with the home study, last Saturday (March 1).
We will also need to include our home study with our dossier when the time comes.
At this point, I am quite proud of the fact that all of our dossier documents have been collected and notarized, with the exception of the I-800A approval letter. Once we have received that, our dossier will be complete and we will be ready for the next step. The I-800A approval process takes about 8-12 weeks.
So for now, we wait.
We have made some very encouraging progress in the adoption process (finally!). About two weeks ago, we received official pre-approval from CCCWA (China's adoption authority) to adopt a certain precious little girl! Pre-approval is great news and means that this adoption is going full steam ahead! It is the first major step in the adoption process in China. Looks like we will have a new daughter sometime this fall!
Another big step we reached just last week was completing our home study update. What a relief to have that portion of the work in this adoption behind us. It is a very important step, because it is necessary for us to send in an updated home study with our I-800A form. This form is sent to United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to apply for approval as adoptive parents. I dropped our I-800A in the mail, along with the home study, last Saturday (March 1).
We will also need to include our home study with our dossier when the time comes.
At this point, I am quite proud of the fact that all of our dossier documents have been collected and notarized, with the exception of the I-800A approval letter. Once we have received that, our dossier will be complete and we will be ready for the next step. The I-800A approval process takes about 8-12 weeks.
So for now, we wait.
Join Us on Our Journey
Thank you for joining us on our journey toward the adoption of orphans in need of a family. God has called us to this, and we excitedly anticipate all He is going to do in our family through this life-changing process.
For several years, we have been researching, learning about, and preparing for adoption in our family. About a year ago, we finally felt the time was right to pursue this dream to provide a home and the love of a family to a child in need. Though the road has been rough and there have been many twists and turns, God has been faithful to lead us and we have seen His hand at work throughout the process.
We hope to share regular updates here on how this journey is proceeding. We hope you will come along with us as we travel this road toward adoption.
For several years, we have been researching, learning about, and preparing for adoption in our family. About a year ago, we finally felt the time was right to pursue this dream to provide a home and the love of a family to a child in need. Though the road has been rough and there have been many twists and turns, God has been faithful to lead us and we have seen His hand at work throughout the process.
We hope to share regular updates here on how this journey is proceeding. We hope you will come along with us as we travel this road toward adoption.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)