Four Counties, Three Police Stations, Four Superior Court Visits and off to Atlanta

As you can tell, It has been a bit busy around here. We sent off our immigration paper work and received word that it is in hands of the Department of Homeland Security  and so now we wait. We have been told it can take up to 90 days to get back what we need. We of course are praying for a speedy turn around and that our 797 (which is what we are waiting for) will arrive when God allows for it to arrive.

In the mean time, we have been working on our Dossier packet. This pile of documents along with the 797 will go off to China and allow us to wait some more, but this time for a referral.

These documents include, but are not limited to, financial declarations, birth certificates, marriage certificate, pictures of our house, pictures of us, police reports from everywhere we have lived in the past 5 years, a letter of petition for our adoption to the Chinese government, 5 reference letters and our home study. All of which (except the pictures) have to be notarized and then certified by the county in which the notary resides, the state in which the notary resides and then the Chinese consulate. With several trips across a couple of counties we have everything ready to go to the State, and then it will be off to the Chinese consulate. 

This has definitely been an interesting process, some of the highlights include:

·      Having a “fun” conversation with the Chief of Police in Newnan as to why he needs to write the letter we needed and not have this Yankee go to the Mayor 

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       Clayton County Superior court suggesting that I go to QT or Quick trip to Lunch.  For those of you who do not know, that is a gas station.

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   Michael heading out to Griffin, only to have them delay due to a sheriff being arrested.  His mom so graciously picking up the document and then finding out it had to go to another county because that is where the notary was from. She had a great adventure on FridayJ (And adventure we are thankful for)

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    Seeing an old friend and hearing her say: “You look great for having a baby in the next year” That just made me smile.

So you see it has been a wild ride. But on the flip side of all the miles driven, our daughter’s story is being shared with so many people. And that is all worth it!

Please join us in prayer as we wait for the 797 and as we head to the capital in two weeks to have their stamps put on everything.

Jennifer