Today we passed through another step. With this one complete we are now legally Bedeline's parents! While this is wonderful news, it's still not time to go pick her up. :( The next step is the Ministry of Interior, where they issue her a Haitian passport. This step has been known to take a few months, but we're hoping our lawyer will work the same magic she's worked in the last two steps, which she moved us through very quickly.
While we wait we're very excited to get to spend Christmas with our families, especially my nephew, Owen, who we haven't seen since June.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each of you!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Another step hurdled!
After not writing anything for months, it's crazy to have enough to write about that I'm putting up two posts in one night! We just heard that we've already passed through another step and the lawyer is feeling confident that we'll be through yet another within the next week or two. As you can see from my last post, this is much faster than the timetable that we'd found, which is great news. We'll keep you posted! :)
Health and Timeline Updates
Hi friends and thanks for all of your well wishes in the last week! It's been much fun to hear from all of you.
We heard that Bedeline has recovered from malaria and is on medication to clear her chest of the pneumonia that still lingers. We are relieved that at least one of the illnesses is over and continue to pray for her health.
As for the timeline, we've been checking websites and asking friends that have recently brought their children home from Haiti. What we've seen and heard is that from this point to the point at which we go pick her up could be 6-8 months. I know that many of you had been imagining us packing our bags up this weekend and though we wish we were, 6-8 months is much better than the five years we were beginning to think we'd have to wait. And who knows? Maybe Haiti will surprise us and we'll get to go pick her up even sooner.
In case you're interested, I've listed the next steps below. We'll continue to post as we hear that the paperwork moves from step to step. Please keep the "paperwork people" (as we so lovingly refer to them), Bedeline, and us in your prayers. Thanks and Merry Christmas! :)
Civil Court
4-8 weeks
Legalization & creation of Affidavit
8-12 weeks
Minister of Interior (MOI)
3-5 months
Immigration/Passport printing & Medical Exam
2-8 weeks
USCIS Orphan Investigation
2-8 weeks
Visa Process
2 weeks
We heard that Bedeline has recovered from malaria and is on medication to clear her chest of the pneumonia that still lingers. We are relieved that at least one of the illnesses is over and continue to pray for her health.
As for the timeline, we've been checking websites and asking friends that have recently brought their children home from Haiti. What we've seen and heard is that from this point to the point at which we go pick her up could be 6-8 months. I know that many of you had been imagining us packing our bags up this weekend and though we wish we were, 6-8 months is much better than the five years we were beginning to think we'd have to wait. And who knows? Maybe Haiti will surprise us and we'll get to go pick her up even sooner.
In case you're interested, I've listed the next steps below. We'll continue to post as we hear that the paperwork moves from step to step. Please keep the "paperwork people" (as we so lovingly refer to them), Bedeline, and us in your prayers. Thanks and Merry Christmas! :)
Civil Court
4-8 weeks
Legalization & creation of Affidavit
8-12 weeks
Minister of Interior (MOI)
3-5 months
Immigration/Passport printing & Medical Exam
2-8 weeks
USCIS Orphan Investigation
2-8 weeks
Visa Process
2 weeks
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After sitting completely immobile in the same agency since July 2007, our paperwork was signed today!! The lawyer immediately brought it to the next stage, which is one of a few left, including the passport process. We have no clue about timelines, but are just thrilled to know that it's moving.
We had just started to talk about looking into other countries and had been urged by many to give up long ago, but we knew that this country and this little girl are for us. And so we somehow stuck it out for 18 months of waiting.
Thanks to all of you who supported us through that time and for putting up with our moodiness and/or lack of communication. It hasn't been easy, but as we heard C. S. Lewis quoted in a play last night, "The pain now is part of the happiness then. That's the deal."
And so we move closer into the "happiness then" stage. You can now begin to check here more regularly (if, indeed, anyone out there even still checks this!) and we'll let you know when our sweet girl is coming home to us.
Until then, please keep her in your prayers. She's currently very ill with both malaria and pneumonia. So, prayers for her health as well as for the speediness of the rest of this process so we can get her here and healthy would be much appreciated.
:) :) :)
We had just started to talk about looking into other countries and had been urged by many to give up long ago, but we knew that this country and this little girl are for us. And so we somehow stuck it out for 18 months of waiting.
Thanks to all of you who supported us through that time and for putting up with our moodiness and/or lack of communication. It hasn't been easy, but as we heard C. S. Lewis quoted in a play last night, "The pain now is part of the happiness then. That's the deal."
And so we move closer into the "happiness then" stage. You can now begin to check here more regularly (if, indeed, anyone out there even still checks this!) and we'll let you know when our sweet girl is coming home to us.
Until then, please keep her in your prayers. She's currently very ill with both malaria and pneumonia. So, prayers for her health as well as for the speediness of the rest of this process so we can get her here and healthy would be much appreciated.
:) :) :)
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