Our Article 5 paperwork was taken by our agency's courier to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou yesterday. They will ensure that everything is in order for Caylie's immigrant Visa. This takes a standard two weeks. On April 24, the courier will pick up the Article 5 letter and deliver it to the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA). Then we will wait for them to issue our Travel Approval! It looks like TA's are taking around 8-15 days recently. After we get that, we will ask for our Consulate Appointment date which will be the day we finalize our adoption on Guangzhou. This only takes a day or two. Then we can book our flights and be on our way!
Clear as mud, once again? Yeah.
After much prayer and thinking and talking, we have decided to take Keelan and Justin with us. We feel that it would be much better for Caylie to get to know her brothers in-country, and not just when we bring her into the house. We want her to feel comfortable with them as soon as possible, while she's becoming comfortable with Jim and me. And vice versa. Especially with Justin, we feel it will be better for her brothers to get to know her before we come home, as well. It will form a more special bond to have them there on "Gotcha Day" and while we are all getting to know each other the two weeks we are in China. We are very grateful for a financial gift from family which allows us to buy their plane tickets! (And we will just mush more people into the hotel rooms, haha!)
It's amazing to think we are almost there. God grabbed our hearts for adoption last May/June, and introduced us to our Caylie in July. It has been a long journey! We are finished with all paperwork (until we get there . . . then there will be more!) and are on to the more fun things, such as buying our sweet girl a backpack and new shoes, and getting clothes and toys and bedding ready. We are so excited!
For a glimpse of what we will be doing, here are a few blogs from people who are in China NOW!
By Grace Alone - this family is almost finished with their trip, so scroll down for previous entries! Their little girl is adorable.
Finding the Other End of Our Red Thread - this family amazes me. They are in China with a brother's family, ALSO adopting at the same time! God really orchestrated that one! So cool, and two cousins are getting to know each other before they are even home. They have also been in China for a few days, so scroll down!
Wahe's World - this family is just leaving for China TODAY! Follow along for all their adventures!
I will try to post more blogs as online friends are leaving to pick up their children. So fun!
Please continue to pray for us, friends. We are trusting God for the finances for our trip, orphanage donation, final agency fees, and more. We know He will be faithful, as He has been all along. Please pray also that God would be preparing Caylie's heart, mind, and spirit for the day she will leave all she knows and become family with us. And please pray that God would continue to grow an uncommon love in our hearts for her, before we are even there. So thankful for His Spirit that will accomplish these things and more.
"The One who has called you is faithful, and He will do it!" ~ I Thessalonians 5:24
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