I800a: Back in Texas

We received a notice on Tuesday, November 15th that our I800a application was received at the lock box back down in Texas and is being forwarded to the National Benefits Center.  This is the farthest we've gotten with our paperwork so things are looking pretty sweet right about now :)  What happens next is that we will wait for a notice indicating who the immigration officer will be that is assigned to our file and when our fingerprint appointment is scheduled for.  Then, we will go in (before our scheduled date and time), get down on our hands and needs and beg them to give us an earlier appointment.  There are no guarantees, but an earlier appointment MAY mean an earlier approval of this paperwork granting us the coveted "797" approval, verifying our suitability to adopt from a Hague Convention Country.  The wait time between receipt and approval is runs anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. Holt may have to do some leg work for us with Hope's referral if we can't make it in time for our December 27th DTC date.  Its not looking too promising at this point of meeting that time line, BUT anything is possible through Christ.  We will not be defeated by looking at the calendar.  The only timing that matter's is HIS and its always impeccable even if it doesn't make sense to us.  At this early stage in the game, our best estimates regarding when we will to travel and bring Hope home suggest May-July as the most likely window, but I'm praying for a Mother's Day miracle.  Won't you join me?  :)

After the 797, approval what's next?

We will expedite our certification and authentication of 3 documents at the Embassy in Washington, D.C. which should take about a week and then overnight our Dossier to Holt's headquarters in Oregon.  They will carefully look over everything and get our DTC (Dossier to China).  HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT!!

From there, things will be a whirlwind for a few weeks as the legalities of obtaining a Log In Date, submitting our Letter of Intent for Hope and receiving our Provisional Approval to adopt Hope are received relatively quickly and then we begin a long wait to receive our official Letter of Acceptance which has been taking anywhere from 28-125 days!!!

Once that LOA comes, our estimated travel time will be narrowed in pretty well and we'll be up, up and away to bring our little angel home within about 5-8 weeks.  It gives me butterflies just thinking about it.