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!!!

What happens next?

I have had several people ask what happens next for us.  It is a very detailed process and a lot of things still have to take place before we can travel.  That is why it will most likely be the beginning of next year. We are praying that it is quick and smooth.  We know God's hand is in this completely and He can do amazing things that we'd never expect.  He's already showed us that!

Here is a simplified order of the process:

• 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!!!!

So at this stage of the game, we are waiting for our PAIR (Pre-Adoptive Immigration Review) to be approved (8-12 weeks).  This is a new step implemented September 1 this year.....lucky us....for all adoptions in Ethiopia.  This process still happened before, but typically after meeting the child and the court date.  Now, we file and have to get approval before we can go to court.  It is also supposed to cut down on the amount of time between our two trips to Ethiopia and ensure you can complete the process.  Our trips will most likely be 2-3 weeks apart.  The first trip will be meeting him and going to court where (if we pass) he will be officially be our son!  Then, we wait for all the documents, birth certificate, passport and Embassy Doctor's appointment before we can clear Embassy and go back and get him!  

Goosebumps.

As our puzzle started taking shape, I started thinking about what the back would look like once we finished it.  This morning the glue had dried and I turned it over.  I got goosebumps.  You have no idea what this picture does to me.  God's provision through so many different people that mean so very much to us.  We are truly blessed by this picture and what it means.

Camden's passport arrived!

This week, Matt's renewed passport arrived and Camden got his as well! 

We're ready to go!

OUR PUZZLE IS FINISHED!!!!!!!

We have sold 1000 puzzle pieces!

Let me say that one more time....We have sold 1000 puzzle pieces! 
We are in complete shock.  Honestly, when we started this huge undertaking we figured there would come a time that we'd just have to finish the puzzle because no one else would want to buy anymore pieces.  Isn't God in the business of blessing our socks off!?!?!  Later this week, we will add the final pieces to the puzzle.  All glory goes to God. 

To us, it is a beautiful picture of all the relationships we've had over...well, forever!  We have family members,  friends, church members, neighbors, former youth students, loved ones that have passed away and even family pets on our puzzle pieces!  

This will be a treasure in our house forever.  Thank you.  We are truly humbled by the generosity of all of the people in our lives.

You may ask, what next?  Well, let me assure you that we still have a long ways to go to meet our $28,000 fund goal, but God has been faithful every step of the way.  

Here are a few more fun ways you can support our family in the upcoming days if you'd like:

1.  My sweet friend is hosting a Thirty-One party in honor of Endale!  All proceeds will go to our adoption costs.  You can come to the party or you can shop online.  Click here to begin shopping.

2.  Some wonderful ladies from Paragon Church have been working on a Silent Auction and Dessert Auction.  It will be October 20 at 6:30pm at FBCRR.  If you haven't seen our sweet boy yet, you will get a glimpse of his pictures and the video of him that night!  Watch for more details to come!

3. We are going to order T-shirts in the next week. We will have a few for sale the night of the auction or you can pre-order your size by this Friday.  The shirts will be $15 (local) or $20 (shipped to our friends outside of NM.)