Dossier On its Way!

Well, last Thursday and Friday (before Memorial Day) I went into overtime collecting everything I needed for the dossier. I had things to print and copy, signatures to acquire and notary stamps to get. Throughout the weekend I was able to get everything together and I went to see Julia at CHI to have her look over everything. We found 3 things I should change. So, I went back to Gina (my personal notary, apparently!) Wednesday morning before we went to Springfield. Paul and I took the kids and we headed out for a day trip to our State's capital. When we arrived at the Capitol building we took the kids for a quick tour and found a tunnel to take from one building to the rotunda floor. Then we found the Index building where we went to get our dossier state certified. Except for a few minor details, which we quickly worked out, everything passed inspection and we left with our state-certified documents! Yeah!!!



After that, we called Jenni Grigsby-Rogal, a friend we met through CHI's Ethiopia adoption yahoo group. She and her husband, Jim, work on the Senate floor. They came out and said hi, introduced us to our Senator, and showed us around a bit. Jenni gave us a Congratulations card on accomplishing this step in our adoption process. It was very sweet!



We had a great day together as a family. It was exciting and somehow profound. I still can't imagine that all of this paperchase is going to produce a child forever becoming part of our family...How providential is our God?! It's amazing!



So, Thursday was my last workday to get everything done to be gone on vacation for a week. I didn't get to FedEx before it closed, so I brought my package with me in the car when we left early Friday morning for Florida. When we reached Paducah, we wasted almost an hour looking for a FedEx drop site. It was in vain! Finally, we got back on the road. Once we got off in Chatanooga, we searched again. It was 5:30 p.m. when we finally found a site. They had already picked up for the day...uggh! However, the man working there said he would walk my envelope across the street and put it in the drop box that was picked up at 6:30. So, it was officially out of my hands!

Now it is off to CHI where it will be bundled and sent to Washington, D.C. to be authenticated at the Secretary of State and Ethiopian Embassy. After that it is off to Ethiopia! I guess we are getting to the point in our journey in which a referral picture is right around the corner - I can't wait!

Is it Real?

This whole journey so far seems very surreal. I can't quite wrap my mind around traveling to Africa and holding my son in my arms. I've been on several missions trips, traveled to six other countries in my lifetime, and yet have never gone with my husband. (Much less expected to come back with a person!) How can I even begin to understand God's sovereignty on this issue?! Even though I am very excited, it just seems strange to think and dream about it. We are at the point, though, that it could happen sooner than I realize. I guess it's time to start getting excited!

The last few weeks there has been nothing new to tell. I have been extremely busy with church and school things. The only end in sight to all of that is May 11 (when school ends). The morning of the 13th I am going full swing into getting my dossier prepared and hopefully can get everything authenticated at the state level and off to my agency before we leave on vacation at the end of the month. I don't think it will be all that difficult now that I've already prepared my homestudy. I have a sense of what I have to do, anyway. So, here's to fast document collecting...

What's in a Dossier?

Over the weekend I received our package from CHI with the details of preparing our dossier, which is the paperwork which will go to Ethiopia and be presented before our referral is given. Oh my goodness! It looks somewhat intimidating. On the other hand, I believe we already collected most of it for our homestudy. So, except a few things, we shouldn't have to collect many more pieces. Then we have to get it certified at the state level before the whole package is taken to be bundled and authenticated. And, then, well, then it goes on to many more hands before it is finally translated in Ehtiopia and we receive the green light. What a bureaucratic mess of red tape this whole ordeal is!!! Here's praying we'll get through this with smooth sailing.

On the List

Today I received a very special piece of information in the mail...our I-171H. Our homestudy is complete and we now have clearance from CIS so we can go on the list for a referral! This could take several months. I'm not sure exactly when we begin to work on our dossier, but I'm sure it will all be happening quickly...Yeah!

License Finally Here!

Yesterday, April 5, was the day! CHI officially received their license from the Ethiopian government. Everyone is so excited! I am very grateful to Sharon Turner, the director of this new program, and all the CHI staff who have worked so hard to get to this day. We are one of 30 families who are in this new ministry of CHI, so it is very thrilling to be a pioneer with the others. What a journey it will be!!!

Finally Started

Well, our journey to Ethiopia officially began March 8, 2007. We had been accepted to Children's Hope International and begun our homestudy process in summer of 2006, but went on hold throughout the fall, feeling as though we had no clear direction on which country program we should join. Finally, in January, our interest was peaked as we read about the new Ethiopia program in which CHI was getting licensed. We met with our social worker, Julia, and the director of the Ehtiopia program, Sharon, in February and made our official change. Our completed homestudy was mailed off on March 8 and we are now awaiting the rest of the journey.