Adoption Update: One Step Closer

We witness a miracle every time a child enters into life.
But those who make their journey home across time & miles,
growing within the hearts of those who wait to love them,
are carried on the wings of destiny and placed among us
by God's very own hands.
Kristi Larson

We've had some exciting things happen regarding our adoption in the last few weeks and we'd like to update you on our progress!

In our 2011 Year in Review we asked for prayer that Amber would receive her background check from Morocco. Boy, did we feel the prayers of our friends and family around the world! It wasn't but a few days later that we received an e-mail from Am's power of attorney in Morocco telling us that she had gotten the background check and would send it back with her son who was returning to the US the next week. This was much quicker than expected. PRAISE THE LORD!!



Finally holding the background check!



Notice the word "Neant." This means Amber did not commit any crimes while in Morocco. Whew!

 As soon as we received the background check we sent it on to our agency and anxiously waited to receive the final copy of our home study approval. We were so excited to find six copies of our home study sitting in our mailbox this morning! Now we are officially home study approved!

Our long awaited for Home Study Approval!



Zai is preparing to be a big brother with Am's old baby doll.

Giving the baby a kiss.

And a sweet hug.

Soon to be a family of four!

Our next step will be to send our home study, along with the form I-600a (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) and wait for an appointment to be fingerprinted. If they approve our home study and our fingerprints come back clean we will have USCIS approval - the final step we need to complete before we leave for Uganda. We will be sending in our I-600a and home study tomorrow morning. Yay!

We would ask for prayer that all would go smoothly and that we would receive our USCIS approval before we leave in May. Trying to figure out how to get Am's background check from MA really set us back and thus, we are now a bit pressed for time to receive our approval. BUT, with God all things are possible. We have seen his hand move mightily and we know that he hears and cares when his people call on his name!

We will keep you updated on our progress!

  Not flesh of my flesh, Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously my own.
Never forget for a single minute,
You didn't grow under my heart - but in it
Fleur Conkling Heylinger

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows —

this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

God places the lonely in families.

Psalms 68:5-6