What a great day to go to the mailbox! Yes...after three and a half months of hard work, stressful deadlines, expensive fees, numerous appointments and other obstacles along the way, we received THE DOCUMENT we've waited for so very long!!
It is official!!! Our I-797C Homeland Security Application Extension has been APPROVED...again! For the next eighteen months, we are in good standing as we wait for our baby girl/s from China. Thank you, God!!!
This was, by far, the most difficult extension process yet. But we have been blessed in this journey again and we are thrilled! We're closer than ever before, (almost 36 months since our "Log-In" date), and the estimate now is that we may only have about one year left to wait. A year may sound like a LONG time to others...but after being in this process for almost four years, one more year sounds wonderful! Actually we began meeting with our agency four years ago this month so our journey has already been that long. We applied in July of 2006 and were logged-in on April 13, 2007. So it's been a very long journey...and it somehow feels like we're "coming around the bend" to see the final stretch before us.
I had to share this exciting news with you today. How wonderful to have something so positive to share with you after the long updating process! Once again, God has been faithful. You have been encouraging and supportive. And our journey to our little girl/s continues in the middle of tremendous blessings! Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, encouragement and hope. You are such blessings!
To our dear, dear little JennaBeth/EmmaKate...I can only imagine how wonderful it will be to see you in another year or so. I can only imagine how exciting it will be to even see your picture/s for the first time when you are finally referred to us. I can only imagine the unspeakable joy we will know when we bring you home with us to live as a Forever Family. But I am not imagining the dancing I now hold in my heart for you this very moment. You are so very real to us and you have been loved for a very long time. You are so special...to your biological Mom who is giving you the opportunity to come home to us....to your caregivers there in China...to all the folks who are working so hard in PRC and USA to bring you home...to our family and friends here who can hardly wait to meet you...and to the God who knows you best and is designing every intricate detail for bringing us together. Please know that your Dad, Mom, Sister and Brother already consider you a major part of our family. We love you dearly...each day...each moment...each step of this journey. We are praying for you and all those who have already touched your life. Hold on, sweet baby girl/s. You're in our hearts, thoughts, prayers and lives. We simply need to bring you home. Until that day, I'm sending you all the love, hugs, kisses and joy that a Mom's heart holds for her child, which truly never ends. Rest, precious daughter/s. Rest in the love surrounding you, holding you, protecting you, providing for you and planning for you. Rest and know that we'll see you soon. I miss you, baby girl/s.
Cherishing the joy of our new daughter/s,
Terri & family
Jenna Elizabeth (aka "JennaBeth") Song Lorenz
Waiting For Our Little One To Come Home From China!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Another Trip to Cincinnati...Done!
Today was the day that Micah had to visit the USCIS office in Cincinnati. Since he turned eighteen years of age recently, Homeland Security required that his fingerprints be taken and filed before our Approval Extension could be issued. Since Rachel is home on Spring Break, Tim and I decided that he would take Micah to Cincy while I stayed home with Rachel. It was a blessed day.
Micah did great with the fingerprinting process. Plus, for the first time in the four trips we have taken to the USCIS office in Cincy, there were no incidents of getting lost entering or exiting the downtown area. Yay!!! This was exciting...especially since Tim, Rachel and I found ourselves heading to Indiana last time we were there. :) Tim was so thrilled about this that he assured me that when the three of us return to the USCIS office this summer for our updating appointments, he can get us in and out of the area without even using our printed directions. Now that's exciting! I am a bit directionally challenged...unless, of course, I am in a shopping mall or Walmart. But maybe there is hope for us since we're adjusting to Cincy. Just maybe we will be able to find our way around China, too! :) Thankfully, we will have guides with us there. Our agency has that already in place. Yay!!!
So...now we wait for the final official document from USCIS which will extend our approval for another eighteen months. HOPEFULLY, any further updates will not be necessary. Hopefully, we will have our sweetie/s home before then. But if not, we're still closer than ever before.
Thank you for your prayers...especially about Micah's trip to Cincinnati today. He and Tim arrived, met the appointment and were out of the office even before his official appointment time. What blessings they enjoyed. And we are thankful. We are also thankful for you and all of your encouragement in our journey. We will keep you posted as we continue to "hurry up and wait."
Hold on, dear JennaBeth/EmmaKate. Your big brother was fingerprinted today so that our trip to you is even more possible. We love you, sweet baby girl/s...and we continue to hold you in our hearts, thoughts, prayers and lives...forever. Rest sweetie/s, for the day will come when you will finally be with us...and we'll bring you home.
Cherishing another step and another day closer...
Terri & Family
Micah did great with the fingerprinting process. Plus, for the first time in the four trips we have taken to the USCIS office in Cincy, there were no incidents of getting lost entering or exiting the downtown area. Yay!!! This was exciting...especially since Tim, Rachel and I found ourselves heading to Indiana last time we were there. :) Tim was so thrilled about this that he assured me that when the three of us return to the USCIS office this summer for our updating appointments, he can get us in and out of the area without even using our printed directions. Now that's exciting! I am a bit directionally challenged...unless, of course, I am in a shopping mall or Walmart. But maybe there is hope for us since we're adjusting to Cincy. Just maybe we will be able to find our way around China, too! :) Thankfully, we will have guides with us there. Our agency has that already in place. Yay!!!
So...now we wait for the final official document from USCIS which will extend our approval for another eighteen months. HOPEFULLY, any further updates will not be necessary. Hopefully, we will have our sweetie/s home before then. But if not, we're still closer than ever before.
Thank you for your prayers...especially about Micah's trip to Cincinnati today. He and Tim arrived, met the appointment and were out of the office even before his official appointment time. What blessings they enjoyed. And we are thankful. We are also thankful for you and all of your encouragement in our journey. We will keep you posted as we continue to "hurry up and wait."
Hold on, dear JennaBeth/EmmaKate. Your big brother was fingerprinted today so that our trip to you is even more possible. We love you, sweet baby girl/s...and we continue to hold you in our hearts, thoughts, prayers and lives...forever. Rest sweetie/s, for the day will come when you will finally be with us...and we'll bring you home.
Cherishing another step and another day closer...
Terri & Family
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thirty-Five Months Since L.I.D.!
Although time seems to pass so quickly in every other area of life, our adoption journey continues to enrich our patience...and trust...and we are thankful. Thirty-five months ago last Saturday, our Dossier was logged-in China's system...and we are almost at the three-year mark of waiting since Log-In. We realize that the wait when we were logged-in was only eighteen months. So much has changed. But we also knew when we began this journey that the timeframe could fluctuate...and that has been the case. We also know that it's all in God's hands and we must trust that He knows what is best for our baby girl/s...and for our family. So we wait...and we celebrate that we are one day closer...now thirty-five months closer...to meeting our little one/s in China.
Sure, it's tough to wait this long. It's not easy to have a precious daughter (or two) half-way across the world and not know what she looks like, what her Chinese name is, where she lives, what she likes, etc.. But it's also amazing to know that the same God who holds us in His hands here also holds her in His hands there. So we wait...and we pray...and we love...and we are thankful for the hope we have today...and tomorrow.
Life remains busy in our home. Tim continues to work hard. Rachel is finishing up her spring semester of her junior year at the university. Micah is finishing up his senior year in high school. And I'm staying busier than ever with home, family, goals, etc.. We realize that each day is a reason to celebrate and we cherish the blessings of each day.
One week from today, we will take Micah to the USCIS office in Cincinnati for his fingerprinting with USCIS. After that, we should receive official word on the 36-Month-Update approval. Whew! What an adventure it has been this time!
We will keep you posted. We thank you for being a part of this long but very worthwhile journey. Thank you for your prayers for JennaBeth...(EmmaKate?)...and our family...as well as everyone who helps us along the way. It's a true joy to know we are not alone in this journey of blessings. Be a blessing...and be blessed.
Cherishing the blessings of each day,
Terri & family
Sure, it's tough to wait this long. It's not easy to have a precious daughter (or two) half-way across the world and not know what she looks like, what her Chinese name is, where she lives, what she likes, etc.. But it's also amazing to know that the same God who holds us in His hands here also holds her in His hands there. So we wait...and we pray...and we love...and we are thankful for the hope we have today...and tomorrow.
Life remains busy in our home. Tim continues to work hard. Rachel is finishing up her spring semester of her junior year at the university. Micah is finishing up his senior year in high school. And I'm staying busier than ever with home, family, goals, etc.. We realize that each day is a reason to celebrate and we cherish the blessings of each day.
One week from today, we will take Micah to the USCIS office in Cincinnati for his fingerprinting with USCIS. After that, we should receive official word on the 36-Month-Update approval. Whew! What an adventure it has been this time!
We will keep you posted. We thank you for being a part of this long but very worthwhile journey. Thank you for your prayers for JennaBeth...(EmmaKate?)...and our family...as well as everyone who helps us along the way. It's a true joy to know we are not alone in this journey of blessings. Be a blessing...and be blessed.
Cherishing the blessings of each day,
Terri & family
Monday, March 1, 2010
Another Step Forward...toward Cincinnati!
We've heard it many times in our journey so far. "God's timing is always perfect." Although we believe it in our minds, it's sometimes difficult to grasp in our hearts...especially while we miss our baby girl/s so deeply. But we realize that this journey is all about trusting Him every step of the way. He led us to the blessing of adoption. He will lead us through the adoption process. And in His perfect timing and design, He will bring our sweet little girl/s home with us as a Forever Family. It's not always easy to "feel" but we know it is always in His hands...completely.
Such is the case of the latest 36 Month Update Homestudy and Approval. As we have shared with you recently, this has been the most difficult part of the journey so far. New USA regulations were extensive, challenging, demanding and on a limited time allotment for completion. Why? Due to a treaty agreement with other countries, the USA became a part of the "Hague Convention" which promotes more detailed background checks, etc. in order to further protect the lives and futures of the orphan children. It's an incredibly detailed and expensive process...but it is primarily for the benefit and well-being of the children. So we began our six-week process and were finally able to submit all the necessary paperwork and fees.
We soon received word from Homeland Security, also referred to as USCIS, that they had received our papers and would begin the process. Whew! What a relief it was to hear that. Then another letter arrived...unexpectedly. Although we had checked with our adoption agency about this specific concern, USCIS informed us that due to our son recently turning 18, he has to be fingerprinted BEFORE the 36 Month Update papers would be complete. (Our agency thought he would be required to go with the rest of us this summer when we are due refingerprinting appointments. We suspect this was yet another recent change in the new regulations.) So we immediately submitted the necessary form (and another fee!) to USCIS. Today we received word of Micah's scheduled appointment with the USCIS office in Cincinnati in a few weeks.
I will honestly tell you that at first, this was frustrating for us. Yet, we are beginning to believe that this may just be a blessing in disguise. Although our previous "Official Approval Document" expires on March 5, the time allowed for Micah's fingerprinting appointment may actually extend our new "Official Document of Approval" by a few weeks or more. That means that we may have even more time between now and the next required update...and that's a very good thing. Depending on our referral and time of travel to China, it could be a very close race of time which could or could not require yet another update in the next year or so. Pushing our expiration date ahead by a few weeks...could be a tremendous advantage in the long run. So in the middle of our "frustration," we have found that there just may be a wonderful blessing involved.
We had prayed that we would be sent to the USCIS office in Cincinnati instead of Louisville...simply because we are very familiar with the Cincy office. That is exactly where Micah is being sent. We have always had to leave our house around 5 am to arrive for early appointments there. (Yawn!) However, Micah's appointment is at 1:00 pm...so he can go to school, leave early and then return in time for work, if he is scheduled at the Pharmacy that day. So many blessings have already been given in this situation. We are very thankful.
Again I am reminded that even when we want something to go a certain way, God sees the big picture and His timing is much better than ours. The possibility of Micah's unexpected USCIS appointment may very well prove to be an incredible blessing after all. Once his fingerprints are electronically transferred to the USCIS office, we should be officially approved for another eighteen months. And the few weeks between our initial approval timeframe...and this later one may be quite important when the time comes to travel to meet and bring our baby girl/s home.
Many thanks to each of you as your continue to pray, encourage and share in the joy of this journey. We do not take your companionship, kindness and assistance for granted! Although our journey can be very frustrating at times, the joys and blessings far outweigh the stresses involved. We could never travel this journey of faith and provision without Him...or without you. Thank you!
Hold on, "JennaBeth" ("EmmaKate"?) We're one step closer to you...one day closer to you...and one more visit to Cincinnati closer to you. It's definitely worth it as we look forward to holding you in our arms and bringing you home. Until then, we're holding you in our hearts and trusting God to hug you closely and kiss your sweet little face/s for us. We love you, sweetie/s...and we thank God for you, our dear daughter/s in China.
Cherishing each step of the journey,
Terri & Family
Such is the case of the latest 36 Month Update Homestudy and Approval. As we have shared with you recently, this has been the most difficult part of the journey so far. New USA regulations were extensive, challenging, demanding and on a limited time allotment for completion. Why? Due to a treaty agreement with other countries, the USA became a part of the "Hague Convention" which promotes more detailed background checks, etc. in order to further protect the lives and futures of the orphan children. It's an incredibly detailed and expensive process...but it is primarily for the benefit and well-being of the children. So we began our six-week process and were finally able to submit all the necessary paperwork and fees.
We soon received word from Homeland Security, also referred to as USCIS, that they had received our papers and would begin the process. Whew! What a relief it was to hear that. Then another letter arrived...unexpectedly. Although we had checked with our adoption agency about this specific concern, USCIS informed us that due to our son recently turning 18, he has to be fingerprinted BEFORE the 36 Month Update papers would be complete. (Our agency thought he would be required to go with the rest of us this summer when we are due refingerprinting appointments. We suspect this was yet another recent change in the new regulations.) So we immediately submitted the necessary form (and another fee!) to USCIS. Today we received word of Micah's scheduled appointment with the USCIS office in Cincinnati in a few weeks.
I will honestly tell you that at first, this was frustrating for us. Yet, we are beginning to believe that this may just be a blessing in disguise. Although our previous "Official Approval Document" expires on March 5, the time allowed for Micah's fingerprinting appointment may actually extend our new "Official Document of Approval" by a few weeks or more. That means that we may have even more time between now and the next required update...and that's a very good thing. Depending on our referral and time of travel to China, it could be a very close race of time which could or could not require yet another update in the next year or so. Pushing our expiration date ahead by a few weeks...could be a tremendous advantage in the long run. So in the middle of our "frustration," we have found that there just may be a wonderful blessing involved.
We had prayed that we would be sent to the USCIS office in Cincinnati instead of Louisville...simply because we are very familiar with the Cincy office. That is exactly where Micah is being sent. We have always had to leave our house around 5 am to arrive for early appointments there. (Yawn!) However, Micah's appointment is at 1:00 pm...so he can go to school, leave early and then return in time for work, if he is scheduled at the Pharmacy that day. So many blessings have already been given in this situation. We are very thankful.
Again I am reminded that even when we want something to go a certain way, God sees the big picture and His timing is much better than ours. The possibility of Micah's unexpected USCIS appointment may very well prove to be an incredible blessing after all. Once his fingerprints are electronically transferred to the USCIS office, we should be officially approved for another eighteen months. And the few weeks between our initial approval timeframe...and this later one may be quite important when the time comes to travel to meet and bring our baby girl/s home.
Many thanks to each of you as your continue to pray, encourage and share in the joy of this journey. We do not take your companionship, kindness and assistance for granted! Although our journey can be very frustrating at times, the joys and blessings far outweigh the stresses involved. We could never travel this journey of faith and provision without Him...or without you. Thank you!
Hold on, "JennaBeth" ("EmmaKate"?) We're one step closer to you...one day closer to you...and one more visit to Cincinnati closer to you. It's definitely worth it as we look forward to holding you in our arms and bringing you home. Until then, we're holding you in our hearts and trusting God to hug you closely and kiss your sweet little face/s for us. We love you, sweetie/s...and we thank God for you, our dear daughter/s in China.
Cherishing each step of the journey,
Terri & Family
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