JOURNEY UPDATE--Immigration Approval!

It's been awhile since we've updated everyone on exactly where we are in the adoption process. Now is as good a time as any--mainly because we have NEWS!

One of the steps in our process is submitting the required applications and documentation to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). A while back we submitted USCIS Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition (sounds very official, right?). We also submitted to USCIS a copy of our home study as supporting documentation for our I-600A. This was followed by a trip to Dallas (our nearest USCIS Support Center) to be biometrically fingerprinted. Check. Check. Check.

Well, after accomplishing these tasks, we recently received our approval from USCIS. This is GREAT news because it happened sooner than we expected. After communicating with our agency, we were able to get a projected date for receiving our referral--NOVEMBER 13.

Let me interpret--this means that around mid-November we will have a picture to go with the name we lift up to the Father each night in prayer as a family. We will have in our hands the info that will help us prepare our home for little Gideon. We will have the tangible documentation that is evidence of a real child that belongs in our home. This gives us a timetable to guide our wait!

ALSO, the date we were provided tells us that our Gideon is out there...somewhere...on the other side of the world. He has been born and he's waiting. He's OURS and his place is with us. He is meant to be in our family. Yes, his bottom belongs in our Empty Chair. We pray every night that God would bring him to us quickly--join us in that prayer!