The Home Stretch!!

As many of you know, we are -hopefully- in the home stretch of our adoption.  We have had a lot of questions about 'how close we are' or 'how soon until he comes home' so I thought that I would tell you all about these last few steps before Sam can come home.

One thing that I have learned with Haitian adoptions is that you truly do not understand the steps of the process until you are in the actual step - or even through it!

On January 15th, we received a copy of Sam's passport.  This was the last step of the Haitian-side of the adoption and the first time that we have actually seen a document with our last name on it.  Hurray!!

Two days later, Sam went to have a physical.

The report from the physical and his passport were the last 2 items that we needed to complete his USCIS file - our next step.  USCIS = United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.  That is where our file is now and this is what we are waiting for...

We are waiting for the US Immigration Services to declare Sam as our immediate relative.  We have been granted to bring an orphan into the US, now we are waiting for USCIS to approve Sam as that orphan.  THAT is what we are waiting for right now.

Please, friends, pray with us that they give us approval soon!!

Once we get our immigration approval, we will be sent his Visa appointment date.  This would be similar to us going to an appointment to file our passport paperwork.  Usually, this appointment is scheduled about 2 weeks out.

I will likely travel to Haiti around this time because Visas are typically ready 2 days after the Visa appt... and then Sam can come H.O.M.E!!

Home!!  The thought of him being home makes me want to jump up and down with joy!  This past year has been such a roller coaster of emotions... extremely high and extremely low and sometimes changing on a daily basis.  We were told a couple of times that it didn't look like we would find a way to process this adoption because of the changing laws in Haiti BUT God never let my heart believe that.  He comforted my heart, held my hand, and kept my mind determined.  Additionally, we have been very blessed with a particularly fast timeline.  Our file didn't even get into the Haitian government until May, so this is amazing to even be talking to you all about him coming home!!

We are still hoping that he will be home by the end of February.  As of right now, that is still possible.  Our family hasn't decided which family members will make that final trip for the homecoming.  There is a very strong possibility that Stephen will stay home with the other children while Michelle makes the trip.  We are VERY excited about our homecoming plans...  We are planning on flying into Fort Lauderdale and head straight to our church's parking lot where we will have a 'meet and greet' of sorts.  So many of you have been extremely supportive and instrumental in this adoption and we want to share this glorious celebration with you all!  Please let me know if you would like to be on our email or text list for the day/time of Sam's homecoming.

Here is a look at the many different steps that we have gone through and those that are hopefully coming soon:

• Identified Sam as our intended adoptive child - December 2012
• Dossier/File arrived in Haiti - January 24, 2013
• Dossier enters IBESR (Haitian Child Services) - May 17, 2013
• Dispensation (presidential signature) and exit IBESR - September 28, 2013
• Parquet (Haitian courts) - October - mid-December
• Minister of Interior - mid-December - first week of January 2014
• Passport delivered January 15, 2014
• Entered USCIS January 21, 2014 **where we currently are waiting**

Steps Left:

• USCIS approval for Sam's immigration
• Visa Appointment
• Visa in hand = HOME

We are SO VERY READY to have our son home!  And by the looks of it, he is practicing on getting filthy with his brother, Jack.

  PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER FOR A QUICK APPROVAL FROM USCIS!!  This, we humbly ask from each of you.  Thank you to every one of you for your continued love and support!

As always, feel free to shoot me questions if you have them.  I love, LOVE, talking about adoption and this great experience.