Silent Auction and Live Dessert Auction Fundraiser

Some wonderful friends from our church put together an AMAZING Silent Auction and Live Dessert Auction.  It was so much fun!  We had a great crowd, lots of laughs and raised over $2300!  We are so thankful to everyone who brought yummy desserts and donated items/services for the auction.  We walked away from this night knowing that our family and more especially this sweet gift from God waiting for us in Ethiopia is loved abundantly.

Laura, Bianca, Christy, Katie

Shelby was helping Maylee Grace sell her original masterpieces to raise money for our sweet baby boy

Our awesome auctioneer that wouldn't let the dessert go for less than he approved of at the auction. 

Maylee Grace and Julianna

PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia!

One more thing checked off the list!

• Apply with agency
• Home Study Process
• Home Study Approval
• File USCIS Paperwork
• Complete USCIS fingerprinting and biometrics screening
• Assemble International Dossier for Ethiopia
• International Dossier authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Accept Referral of our baby boy
• File PAIR agreement
• PAIR letter submitted to Ethiopia
• Embassy issues PAIR approval letter
• Approval Letter Authenticated in Washington D.C.
• Submit case to Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs in Ethiopia
• Court issues first court date for birthmother
• MOWYCA submits letter of favorable determination
• We get issued OUR court date and make arrangements to travel.
• We meet our boy face to face!
• We go to court.
• Our case passes court.
• Court issues adoption documents
• Our agency applies for new birth certificate and passport for our boy.
• He has a medical appointment by an Embassy approved physician.
• Submit case to Embassy
• Clear Embassy
• GO GET OUR BABY BOY AND BRING HIM HOME!!!!

Update

I spoke with our agency director this morning.  She gave me a run down of where we're at in the process.  At this point, we are waiting for our PAIR (pre-adoptive immigration review) approval letter.  The timeline given to us by the USCIS (US Citizen and Immigration Services) is 8-12 weeks.  

The PAIR process is the new process implemented September 1, 2013 for all Ethiopian adoptions.  The PAIR approval is an investigation that used to take place between the two trips to Ethiopia for adoptions hence the long time period between first and second trips.  Now this investigation is done before our court date in Ethiopia.  This helps the time from our court date in Ethiopia to homecoming MUCH shorter (from 3-6 months down to 2-4 weeks).

Currently, our paperwork is being processed in Missouri at the NBC (National Benefits Center).  From there, it will be forwarded to Embassy in Ethiopia.  After approval in Ethiopia, we will receive an official PAIR approval letter.  This letter will then have to have a State Seal from our Secretary of State in Santa Fe, NM and then it will be sent to the "Assistant Stork" in Washington, D.C. to get authenticated.  Then, it will be sent back to Ethiopia.  

Once Ethiopia receives our PAIR approval letter, the court process will begin.  There are two court dates involved.  The first court date is with the birthmother/relative/orphanage director (anyone that can represent our boy).  After or even on that court date, we will be issued OUR court date!  Right now, the time frame from finding out the court date to being in country is 1-2 weeks!!  YIKES.  We'll have to be ready to go.  

Then, we'll travel to Ethiopia where we'll get to meet our boy face to face and hold him in our arms.  The court date will be the following day.  Barring no problems, he will be our son after that court date!   After that court date, we have to wait for the adoption decree to be filed, a new birth certificate to be issued, a passport and then finally his visa.  We will most likely  make two trips rather than stay in country.  Then we will make a second trip to bring Endale home. 
Our director believes he'll be home no later than February!!!