Wednesday, June 19, 2013

I'm Here...You're There. No Fair!

Three Months have passed since receiving our referral of S.  Three months that have flown and crept by at the same time.  Many have asked me what is next, so here is what we are currently waiting for. 

After referral, our information is given to the Social Worker in Thailand assigned to Holt's cases.  She then reviews the information and will present it at a Board Meeting with the Thai Dept of Social Welfare. Holt will be notified when this is done, and will call us with what is known as First Approval.  Thailand will then issue our Article 16, formal paper work to file with the United States who will issue our I800 to allow Isabel to immigrate to the U.S. Article 16 will also include court dates to appear in Thailand, which are approximately 2 months after receiving First Approval. These meetings take place twice a month and unfortunately Holt has no way of knowing when our case will be presented, and recent cases have seen wait times of 7-11 months.  Which means we could receive approval as early as October and travel in Nov/Dec or receive first approval as late as Feb of 2014 and travel in April of 2014.  We of course are praying and hoping for as soon as possible.  With changes and staff shortages in Thailand our agency has basically told us to expect a long wait...sigh, sigh, sigh...

Since it has been three months we were able to send another care package.  Again having to weigh no more than a pound and fit flat in a gallon Ziploc.  We sent a recordable book, You Are My Sunshine.  We each read a page, and then one all together.  I hope getting to hear our voices makes things a little more comforting later.  Rocky actually picked out a dress to send this time:)  I think Daddy is finally starting to get a little antsy about seeing his baby girl! The boys found the perfect metallic pink card with little monkeys on it captioned, I'm here...You're there...No fair, which we stuffed with more pics of us. 




I am also excited to post about God's continuing provision.  After our last grant we looked at the monies left and felt confident we could meet them.  God however keeps confirming that He has this in control and is going to provide all our needs removing any question of who is making this all possible.  I was in the middle of applying for another grant when when we received our JSC funds (they have asked us not to mention the specific amount).  I almost didn't complete it because we felt we could "handle the rest", but decided to go ahead.  When I opened my mail last Saturday I was a bit shocked to see a $1000 check slip out from the letter.  We have been blessed with another $1000, and if that wasn't enough my good friend at work sponsored a a surprise Pampered Chef fundraiser and with help from friends all over the hospital blessed us with $300!  I am simply blown away.  As I wrote in one one of our grant apps that wanted to know why they should consider our family for a grant, We have worked extra, created fundraisers, applied to every grant available (and have had the paper cuts to prove it), prayed and believed and have just asked to be prayerfully considered so that one day we can tell Isabel how God moved mountains for her!  And He is, He has, I'm just so overcome with the joy of it all.  And so I testify here and to everybody I talk to of how God is providing! 

However, she is still there and we are here, and it is NO FAIR:)  So we continue to pray for her and stay busy with our lives, enjoying our moments with just the four of us, yet anxiously awaiting the addition to our family.