Adoption Update 9/18/2012

We didn't get an official update from our agency last week, but the adoption status page on GLA's website was updated. It appears that our file had moved from MOJ legal and into MAE legal. We don't know when in the previous 2 weeks that happened, but we're praying to get through MAE legal and into MOI this week. Will you pray that with us?

And regarding MOI and passport printing, here are the timelines for two previous families adopting from GLA who've gone through:

Family T: Entered MOI 7/26, exited MOI 9/4, passport printed 9/17

Family M: Entered MOI 8/22, exited MOI 9/18, passport printed 9/21

Family T has their son's visa already, and are making travel preparations - so exciting!!! However, I can't use their post-passport timeline to guesstimate what ours might look like because they are a Canadian family. I am watching closely to when Family M gets their I-600 approval and visa, as they are a US family and we'll follow the same process as they do. They were told that US visas were averaging a month to process.

It's so encouraging seeing MOI and passport-printing moving so quickly! It gives me hope that James could be home before Christmas, but there are a lot of IFs to get beyond first. I keep thinking in my head, IF we get into MOI by the first week of October, and IF we exit MOI in 4 weeks that puts us at the week of Oct 29, then IF it takes 1 week for printing his passport that puts us at the week of November 5, then IF his visa is ready in a month, we're looking at the first or second week of December, and IF we can make travel plans on short order, he COULD be home before Christmas!

That's a lot of IFs! And, that's taking the shortest timeframe I've heard of recently! We know GOD can accomplish this, but we know HIS will and timing are perfect, so I'm trying to rest in that, instead if getting my heart set on a specific time period.

As far as what works for us, it'd be awesome if he could come home early December. Jock and I would both be able to take time off for the adjustment period. Jock may not be able to hold over the vacation time he's saved up from 2012, into 2013. On the other hand, I think about how overwhelming it could be for a child to join a new family/home during the holidays? We probably wouldn't be able to travel or spend much time with our extended families all together if he came home right before Christmas either.

But whatever comes of our adoption timeline, we'll take.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28.

So, when people ask when we might have James home, I keep saying, we're hoping that he'll be home for Christmas, but it'll be tight. We really don't know for sure, and won't until the time comes. :)

Adoption Udate 9/6/2012

Well, I thought we wouldn't hear anything again until we were in MOI, but since we'd been stuck and I'd inquired about it a few weeks ago, they kindly followed-up with an update when we got un-stuck.

So, we're officially unstuck. :)

Our adoption decree got the necessary stamp from the Parquet Commissioner.

Our dossier is being submitted to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) for legalization of our adoption documents.

After that, it'll be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) for another level of legalization of our adoption documents.

MOJ and MAE combined are expected to take 3-4 weeks. Please pray with us that these two steps go smoothly, even faster than 3-4 weeks.

After MOJ and MAE, it can be submitted to the Ministry of Interior (MOI). This means they're applying for James' Haitian passport.

Please pray also that MOI continues to process adoption dossiers quickly. We've heard recent exits that were in the 3-5 week range, which would be awesome!

Adoption (Non-)Update 9/5/12

Well, what we'd hoped regarding the Parquet stamp on our adoption decree wasn't. Monday night, when GLA updated their adoption status page, ours still hadn't moved - we're through Courts and Attestation, but not yet in Legalization. I was VERY bummed to see that. :(

However, I'm encouraged today, hearing that several families that we know adopting from GLA have gotten through Parquet - so that means the new Parquet Commissioner is indeed working on adoption papers. I'm hopeful that our adoption decree might now have its stamp, and has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice (aka MOJ) for legalization (like notarizing). After that will be the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (aka MAE) legalization (again, like notarizing), then Ministry of Interior (aka MOI = Haitian immigration/passport application). Although, we probably won't hear another update until we enter MOI.

Please continue praying with us that we get through MOJ and MAE legalizations quickly and enter MOI.

James - 2 years old!!!

James had his 2nd birthday on August 22nd. The orphanage does one birthday celebration each month, and celebrates all the kids that had birthdays that month together. Their account of him enjoying the party:

James had a great time celebrating his birthday with three other little boys. He spent a little time playing with balloons, and then came over to check out the cake. He got his own piece of cake on a plate, and started working on eating it. He had some help for a little while, and then he fed himself some cake. At one point, he dipped his head down level with the plate so that he could get a mouthful of the fluffy, sweet treat!

And some photos of him from the party:
I'm so thankful that they celebrate with the babies and toddlers, not just the bigger kids. It's awesome to have these photos of his early childhood, even if we can't be the ones to share the moments with him.

As far as the adoption processing goes, I asked for an update on August 17th. We had hoped we would be in MOI a month earlier, as when we exited Parquet, we were told that they expected our files to pass through courts, attestation, and 2 legalization steps in a month total.

Monday, August 20th, we got a response that our file had passed through courts and attestation - which means James has an adoption decree! However, apparently our adoption decree has to have a stamp from Parquet (yes, back to Parquet - we had no idea! - but it must usually be a very quick thing because it's not listed in the steps. The stamp is required before it can got through the 2 legalization steps. The Parquet Commissioner had been out of the office much of the summer (after we passed through the first time), and now there's a new Parquet commissioner. At that time, we were told that GLA did not have confirmation that he'd begun signing out dossiers. GLA's lawyer was hopeful that we'd have the stamp "within the next week or so", and then would submit our dossier for legalization.

We're now praying that, since it's been two weeks since that update, that we did indeed get that stamp from Parquet and that both our legalization steps are complete, and we hear this week that our files have been submitted to the Ministry of Interior. Will you pray this with us this week?

Furthermore, we have heard on a couple adoption groups on Facebook, that one family went into MOI on August 13th, and was out by Sept 1. Another family confirmed that files from their orphanage were being approved through MOI very quickly as well. We're hoping we can get in and out of MOI just as quickly!!! After MOI, they'll print James' passport, then double-check all his documents (for errors or anything needing a re-do) before submitting to the US Embassy. :)

We'd LOVE to have this little guy home in the next 2-3 months, which seems possible if we get into MOI and it moves as quickly as it appears to be currently.