Visa Approved!!!

The picture taken for the visa...

Celebrating tonight that Fritzlin's visa to American has been approved!


We will travel to Port au Prince on Friday to pick up the visa at the US Embassy. Will let them know tomorrow so that Cory's name can be on the list to get in without a long wait on Friday.

Only one more piece of paper to go, an exit letter from IBESR that should only take a day or so..

We plan to fly out in early May to attend our Global Partner's area retreat in Florida.

Working on summer plans for after that!

Very excited to finally be at this step.

The type of visa issued means that as soon as we enter the USA we will meet with the officals and Fritzlin will be an American citizen before we leave the airport.

We will then wait to receive his Certificate of Citizenship.

Thank you for the prayers.

Medical and Embassy visits.

Medical visit went OK once everyone who needed to be there arrived. A communication misstep had us waiting for 3 hours at the doctor's office before everything came together: us, embassy letter, staff member, Fritzlin's passport, and most improtant Fritzlin.

Then the actual visit took about one hour. Fritz enjoyed a sucker but not the TB skin test placement. It was great to see and personally hold his Haitian passport for a bit and read Frtizlin Thede, all spelled correctly!

Then a needed second errand came to light as photos were needed for the next day's Embassy visit and for IBESR. So off to the photo studio we all went...and more waiting.

Tuesday morning in front of the US Embassy, adoption cordniator for COTP joined us, the first (Port au Prince based) staff person, and Fritz with all the needed paperwork for the final visa interview. I stayed in the truck and prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more.

Praise the Lord ! No further information was requested...because Fritz had already seen the doctor they kept his passport. The first staff member will bring the medical report when it is completed and then we should hear in 3-5 business days.

Moringa tree where I waited for them at the Embassy.

Wednesday morning we did a return trip to the doctor for the skin test to be read. Then once the report is completed and placed in an envelope it can be/was picked up and delivered to the Embassy.

Results were not shared with us and should the envelope be opened before reaching the Embassy the process would be delayed.

Not sure when or if the report has been delivered so we continue to pray for favorable results and the issuing of Fritz's visa so we can travel.

Once the visa is issued we will return to Port-au-Prince to personally pick up Fritz's passport complete with visa in it for travel to the USA, along with a sealed packet of papers for entry into the USA.

Waiting is hard at this point...you'd think after 5 years, 3 weeks, and 5 days that we would be at professional patience levels but seems we are running thin. Thank you for the prayers-we know that the Lord has used each prayer to get us to this point!

Passport Picked Up !

Thankful to receive news today that the staff have Fritzlin's passport in hand.

Next step will be travel to Port-au-Prince for Fritz's medical exam.

Because of the TB skin test that will need to be read two days after placement it will likely mean two nights in Port and a day of shopping in between.

We are now at the half-way point for the estimated time for the review of his visa application.

No request for further evidence yet so that is good news....no word at all so we continue to wait and pray.

Our 'paper pregnancy' now stands at 4 years 11 months 1 week and 2 days...since the day our first paperwork was in the mail.

So really a bit longer than that as we had to fill in all the forms before mailing them.

Passport done but not picked up.

After asking a couple times this week about any passport news, as we've been waiting for seven weeks,  we heard today that Fritz's passport is done.

The lawyer who went again to ask about it and received the news could not pick it up as she did not have the original receipt.

So the one staff member who can pick it up, Ivinge, with the receipt in hand will go to try.

Once he has the passport in his possession, he will tell our social worker who will relay the information to us.

Will be very exciting to see that cute face in a passport-representing one more step toward being able to travel together as a family.

The agency tells us that sometimes when Ivinge goes to pick up passports he's turned away, being told that the requested passport is not ready.

So praying that we hear soon that the passport has been turned over to the agency.

So far no word from USCIS office about our visa. We are 1/3 done with the 'estimated 6 week processing time'.

Praying that the review is going well. So far no request for additional evidence or information.

Prayers please. Fingerprints

I ignored it as long as I could hoping we would have heard by now that we've completed one step and moved into courts.

However the time has come to face the fact that we need to be looking into renewing our fingerprints once again for our I-600 visa paperwork.

You may remember how this was an issue the first time, since we live in Haiti...we ended up showing up at the USA Embassy and a lady did our prints.

When the time came to renew we asked again, were advised to go to the Embassy. When they didn't respond to our emails we showed up for a walk-in visit and were told that the prints could not be done.  Later our prints were 'refreshed'.

Sweet Potato

Our 'refreshed' fingerprints will expire the end of April, therefore we're to ask for an appointment 2 months in advance...which is now.

The actual expiration date of our approval is Nov. 21, 2016. If we do not have F and his visa before then we understand that we will need to start over again and file for a I-800 because Haiti is now a Hauge country. 

While I know the Lord is in charge and has a plan....I'll admit that dealing with governments and unknowns makes me nervous, a bit stressed.

Thank you for praying.

Philippians 4:6-7a "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this you will experience God's peace."

Praying. Know God knows what we need better than we do. Thankful. Needing God's peace.

Visa appointment and more waiting.

Tuesday F's appointment at the USA Embassy for his visa should occur.

He will be flying to Port-au-Prince with a staff member from the crèche for the visit. Not sure if his mother or aunt will also attend.

No news yet about where our papers are concerning IBESR.

I think that after our visit the social worker needed to complete a report and that now we're waiting for 'Authorization to Adopt' [a document needing 4 signatures] and then we could exit IBESR and enter the lower courts.

 New law states this should occur 10 days after the socialization visit but...some families remain in IBESR more than one year after their socialization visit at this time.

Heard that IBESR hired 10 new people to work with the adoption paperwork. Praying that they learn their jobs well and fast.

 Last week F's foster family of two years returned to the USA and his new foster family moved into the house.

Many people are waiting to exit following their socialization visits as well as folks who continue to wait for a referral.

Also heard that the IBESR director plans to be away for the month of August.

Praying we can exit before but knowing that the Lord remains in control.

Please pray:

• The transition to a new family in the house. 
• The new family's adjustment to Haiti as well as to their foster children and the other staff.
• The adjustment of his first family back to the USA.
• F's visa appointment on June 30th and travel.
• The charts [now ours and F's] to exit IBESR with our authorization to adopt.
• New IBESR workers adjustment to the job.
• Political stability with senate elections to be held in August.