This and That

An adoptive mom just returned from Haiti this week and told me a little bit about Dieunifer:

• I have been meaning to message you to tell you that I visited with your daughter ( I am afraid to try to spell her name and offend you or her!) while I was at GLA and you won't be surprised to hear that she is still a force to be reckoned with! She keeps all those little boys in line! She is beautiful!   She is something ... In the best way!

Sounds like she will fit right in with the rest of the kids and hold her own!

Dispensations:  We are almost at the 7 MONTH mark of waiting for the signature from the President of Haiti (15 months since our papers arrived in Haiti, and 19 months since we started the whole process...but who's counting?)

  There are at least 115 families (more I am sure), waiting for this signature.  For months it seemed that no one was getting released.  Last week we heard of several families receive the signature.  Our number is 20,400 and families in the 20, 600's were released.  Yes, that doesn't make sense, but that's just the way it is!

Once we receive that signature (any day now?), we will travel to Haiti a few weeks later for 5 days.  We will go to court and the US Embassy, meet Dieunifer and come home and wait another 8-10 months.

I know you are thinking..."Why does it take so long?"  Lots and lots of reasons...some that make sense, others that don't.  For now, we do what we can on this end and then we....WAIT some more!

Still waiting on our homestudy to be updated.  It is taking a bit longer, because now we have to be Child Abuse cleared in all the states either of us have lived in...so NY, CT, PA, and NJ.  Once these clearances come back fine, our homestudy and federal fingerprints will be sent to United States Citizenship and Immigration for an updated 1-600a (approval to adopt and orphan).  When we go to Haiti on the first trip this will be changed to a 1-600 (approval to adopt a specific orphan).

Appreciating your prayers!