So we’ve had 5 weeks of fantastic things!
September 11: I woke up to a WONDERFUL email . . . our NVC (National Visa Center) letter had arrived. That was the last piece of the puzzle for our Article 5 paperwork. From that point, it was an estimated 4 weeks to TA (Travel Approval) and then ~2 weeks until we fly.
September 16: We were told that Article 5 pick-up would be on Monday the 21st. It would go from the consulate to the CCCWA. We were looking to be a little ahead of schedule!
September 22: We received our second grant award letter from Gift of Adoption! [Our first grant was from Show Hope.]
September 23: We found out that our Article 5 pick-up had been delayed by a week. It was a little ahead of schedule, and then it was a little behind. Thus is the adoption process! That put our estimated departure back to the last week of October.
September 25: WE’RE FULLY FUNDED!!! We received a confirmation email that morning from the JSC Foundation, and between our grants and our savings, we are fully funded for our adoption! The part of the process where we stepped out in faith, trusting the Lord for provision, has been one of growth and amazement at the extraordinary family and friends that we are surrounded by! If we go over our “estimated cost” when including our adoption savings, then we will be able to apply the adoption savings to post-placement costs (such as home visits and re-adoption processing in the states). And we are also basing our numbers for travel on estimates. Those expenses can vary too. All adoption funding will go toward the adoption.
September 29: Article 5 pick-up was successful! All of that paperwork headed to the CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption) so they could issue our TA (invitation to travel). Then it just so happened that China just started a week-long holiday (October 1st is National Day followed by a Golden Week). So nothing would really be moving along until the middle of the following week. Even with all of that, we were estimated to be on-track to be in China by the end of October!
October 9: WE HAVE TA! Unexpectedly, as it was Saturday in China, but after the long holiday, they were working a Saturday. We then submitted our requests for our consulate appointments (officially submitted them the Monday following), and as long as we got one of our top 3 choices, we would leave for China 3 weeks from then!
October 11: We FINALLY got updated pictures of Baby after waiting 6 weeks due to delays on China’s end. My cup runneth over!
October 12: We found out that we got our 3rd consulate choice, which meant that we will be flying out on October 30th!!!
October 13: In the midst of all the travel news, we also got our 4th grant acceptance from A Child Waits! That leaves some of the adoption savings for post-placement costs.
October 15: We bought plane tickets! Figuring out international flights while trying not to spend too much time in layovers but not wanting to be excessive in price was insane! But we leave the morning of October 30th and will be stateside again with Baby late on November 14th. It was surreal buying 3 tickets for the flight home.
October 18: We were blessed to have an adoption “maternity shoot” by my bestie! And we got a few final pictures of our “family of 5.”
October 19: We have our itinerary! Gotcha Day is Sunday, November 1st! That means at 12:30am Saturday "night"/Sunday "morning" for you all stateside, we will be meeting Baby!
After waiting and waiting and waiting and . . . the last month has been a whirlwind! And the next 10 days until we fly out promise to be just as crazy getting everything ready here for our absence and settling the big siblings in with the grandparents for 2 weeks. Then off to China!
[Check out Part II for a breakdown of our time in China!]
September 11: I woke up to a WONDERFUL email . . . our NVC (National Visa Center) letter had arrived. That was the last piece of the puzzle for our Article 5 paperwork. From that point, it was an estimated 4 weeks to TA (Travel Approval) and then ~2 weeks until we fly.
September 16: We were told that Article 5 pick-up would be on Monday the 21st. It would go from the consulate to the CCCWA. We were looking to be a little ahead of schedule!
September 22: We received our second grant award letter from Gift of Adoption! [Our first grant was from Show Hope.]
September 23: We found out that our Article 5 pick-up had been delayed by a week. It was a little ahead of schedule, and then it was a little behind. Thus is the adoption process! That put our estimated departure back to the last week of October.
September 25: WE’RE FULLY FUNDED!!! We received a confirmation email that morning from the JSC Foundation, and between our grants and our savings, we are fully funded for our adoption! The part of the process where we stepped out in faith, trusting the Lord for provision, has been one of growth and amazement at the extraordinary family and friends that we are surrounded by! If we go over our “estimated cost” when including our adoption savings, then we will be able to apply the adoption savings to post-placement costs (such as home visits and re-adoption processing in the states). And we are also basing our numbers for travel on estimates. Those expenses can vary too. All adoption funding will go toward the adoption.
September 29: Article 5 pick-up was successful! All of that paperwork headed to the CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption) so they could issue our TA (invitation to travel). Then it just so happened that China just started a week-long holiday (October 1st is National Day followed by a Golden Week). So nothing would really be moving along until the middle of the following week. Even with all of that, we were estimated to be on-track to be in China by the end of October!
October 9: WE HAVE TA! Unexpectedly, as it was Saturday in China, but after the long holiday, they were working a Saturday. We then submitted our requests for our consulate appointments (officially submitted them the Monday following), and as long as we got one of our top 3 choices, we would leave for China 3 weeks from then!
October 11: We FINALLY got updated pictures of Baby after waiting 6 weeks due to delays on China’s end. My cup runneth over!
October 12: We found out that we got our 3rd consulate choice, which meant that we will be flying out on October 30th!!!
October 13: In the midst of all the travel news, we also got our 4th grant acceptance from A Child Waits! That leaves some of the adoption savings for post-placement costs.
October 15: We bought plane tickets! Figuring out international flights while trying not to spend too much time in layovers but not wanting to be excessive in price was insane! But we leave the morning of October 30th and will be stateside again with Baby late on November 14th. It was surreal buying 3 tickets for the flight home.
October 18: We were blessed to have an adoption “maternity shoot” by my bestie! And we got a few final pictures of our “family of 5.”
October 19: We have our itinerary! Gotcha Day is Sunday, November 1st! That means at 12:30am Saturday "night"/Sunday "morning" for you all stateside, we will be meeting Baby!
After waiting and waiting and waiting and . . . the last month has been a whirlwind! And the next 10 days until we fly out promise to be just as crazy getting everything ready here for our absence and settling the big siblings in with the grandparents for 2 weeks. Then off to China!
[Check out Part II for a breakdown of our time in China!]
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