Yesterday I left at 7am to head to the Department of State...Yahoo map directions were GREAT! The drive was easy, great weather and not too much traffic..I listened to Contemporay Christian music, sang and listened to Charles Stanley a bit. It took a little under 3 hours to get there, and I was in and out within about 15 minutes! Gassed up the van and hit the road again...I was about 30 minutes from home when I received a call from our agency on the west coast. They had received my home study that I sent fedex ($46!!!) on Thursday...I could tell by her tone that there was an issue...UGH!! She said "we received your package, but it looks like you are short on your training hours"...WHAT??? How on earth could that be?? I had 12.5 hours when they required 12...I told her I would send her all my certificates when I got home...She totally caught me off guard, but I knew I would get home and email them to her and everything would be fine. I got home jumped on the computer and emailed her everything she needed. YEAH! That is done. I was hopeful that they would send out the notarized home study with my I-800 application to the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) She is aware that the sooner the better...it is my understanding that it went out yesterday so I'm just going to go with that...I was a little bummed when I looked at the approved notarized homestudy and the date it was signed and notarized was NOV. 2ND!! Apparently they had to get the director's signature on the cover letter, and since she was out that seems to have been the hold up...water under the bridge, nothing I can do to go back in time...SO NOW THE PRAYERS ARE FOR THE I-800 APPROVAL!!!!!!!!!!!! It can take 30-60 days for approval, (I realize I have said some of this before, it helps me to write, even if it is the same), then Thanksgiving and Christmas days off will slow down a bit, BUT I am in prayer that EVERYONE that has ANYTHING to do with MICHAEL STEPHEN XUEFA'S adoption and coming home will be thorough and quick!!!PRAYERS FOR NO DELAYS!!!!!! Remember it was suppose to take 4-6 weeks to get our passports and it took 17 days! After I sent the training certifications to the agency, I made copies of all my docs (which used A LOT of ink!!), and sent them to the courier in DC. She will get the package on Monday and go to the state dept. on Tuesday and then Chinese Embassy that day or on Wed. They will process for 4-5 days and when she picks them up they will be sent FEDEX (super saver service 3 day which is still $20!!) to my agency...So the only things left for our dossier will be the I-800 and the POA (power of attorney) Once those come back then I'll have to drive to the Dept of State again then run fedex to DC then back to state dept and the Chinese embassy back to the agency...
It is looking like we will not all be able to go since I have heard the costs of travel - airline tickets almost double in price in May! 5 tickets flying there and 6 tickets flying back, alone airline fees could top $12K!!! Then you have hotel fees. Each child counts as 1/2 person, we would have 4 adults(2 adults, 4 children) and they make you have 2 hotel rooms! limit of 3 adults!!UGH!! So that is double hotel fees, food, cabs, trains etc!! Could be a $18-20K trip for 10-14 days!!!!! That doesn't include the application fee, home study review fee, home study fee, passports, I-800A, fingerprinting, agency fees, international processing fees, CCCWA charge, document expenses, POA, Post placement visits (for 5 years!!!) China entry visas, In China travel, Adoption registration cost (in China) Adoption Notary (in China) fedex fees, Orphanage Donation Fee, Michael Stephen XueFa's visa photos/medical (in China), Michael Stephen XueFa's immunization requirements (in China), Michael Stephen XueFa's US visa and processing cost. Then re-finalization of the adoption in the United States!
A reminder that the monetary cost of this priceless addition = faith, hope and love
1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
