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