Paperchase Begins!

Since Monday, we have been paperchasing like crazy.. running around, ordering documents, calling for updates.. etc!

We sent our Letter of Intent (LOI) off to the agency this morning, so they should have that by Friday. We also completed the application and some other paperwork needed. And we sent off the I-600A to INS, as well.

So far, our folder of "Documents for the Dossier" contains:
Mom's birth certificates
Dad's birth certificate
Financial Form
Adoption Application Letter

We only ordered Mom's birth certificates on Monday and they got here TODAY! That was fast!! However, their marraige license is another story! According to Vitalcheck.com, my parents were never married! So, we contacted the Archives in Maryland (where they were married) and were finally able to order a marriage license. That's expected in 10-15 days, but they've put a rush order on it so hopefully it will get here sooner. Since those documents originated in Maryland, we have to send them back to Maryland for certification from the Secretary of State. And then they go back to Washington D.C. for authentication from the U.S. State Department!

Paperchasing wouldn't be so difficult if everything didn't need to be notarized, certified.. etc!

Next, we wait for a fingerprint appointment from INS, which shouldn't take too long. After our homestudy is completed and sent to them, we'll receieve our I-171H. Fortunately, our INS office is usually very fast so that shouldn't be much of a hassle!

We're waiting to hear from our social worker about our homestudy update, but because it's a holiday weekend I'm sure we won't hear back 'til at least next week. Once we meet with her, we can get the background checks and Mom's employment letter.

Dad will get his employment letter hopefully next week, and then he and Mom will also get their physicals done.

What else? Well, then we will just need passport pictures, passport copies and more photos!! And then most everything will need to be notarized, authenticated by the Secretary of State and then sent to the Chinese Consulate! Whew!

I expect this process to move much faster than our other two adoptions, so hopefully we'll be DTC in January. Of course, that's wishful thinking.. but we'll see! We're hoping to have Asher home ASAP, since the orphanage is located right by North Korea and with all that's going on over there we'd really like to have him home soon, and safe! But we're trusting God that he'll bring Asher home in his perfect timing. So we continue to wait but with the holidays soon approaching it makes the timing go by so quickly!

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31