On August 29th, we received an email confirming that our Adoption Decree had been completed. The Decree shows that we are officially K's parents, and she has been given our last name. I don't think words can express how special it was to see this in writing. About one month later, the Adoption Certificate was sent to us; yet another official document with official signatures indicating our approved adoption. These were two huge steps, and continued to move our paperwork forward through Haiti, towards the finish line. With both of these documents, there was still no clarity on when we'd get to bring K home. To be frank, I didn't have the heart to publicly say this again, which is why I've delayed publishing this post. So, we've continued our patient wait, enjoying the gorgeous conclusion of summer in Seattle, and the colorful turning of leaves. Eisley moved into her pre-K class recently, and we've watched her continue to flourish and grow. It's funny how life keeps moving along, minute by minute, despite part of your heart being 3,400 miles away.
Justin and I arrived back home yesterday after an amazing week away celebrating our 10th year of marriage. We flew into Liverpool and spent a few days wandering the city, marveling at the strange Giants, touring the bombed out church and the Tate, and, of course, watching Liverpool FC take on Man City at Anfield. Then, we hopped a flight to Rome and spent a few more days eating ourselves silly and walking miles upon miles to see the sights. (Three simple words: cacio e pepe). We stayed in an adorable walk-up apartment that overlooked a courtyard and a cobblestone through-road. Each morning, we threw open the old wooden shutters and enjoyed a rich espresso in the window before heading out for the day.
I am so grateful to have gotten this quiet time with Justin, just the two of us. As we were talking about this trip a few months ago, we knew it was possible this was our last "big trip" together for some time, with the adoption impending. There has also been some turmoil at work recently, so it was well-timed for us to step away, re-center, and soak up some time together. How blessed we are.
When we arrived in Liverpool, I told Justin, "For some reason, I feel like we'll hear an update about K while we're on this vacation."
Funny how these things work, because one day later, we received an email from our agency indicating that our paperwork had moved to the Ministry of Justice. These last steps are the most unclear to me, to be honest. We know that there is a series of signatures and checkpoints. We know that our paperwork goes through the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and also Ministry of Interior (MOI). There is an application for her passport, and another visa appointment, and then we should be done. However, how long each of these takes and in which order is fuzzy.
A day after the MOJ email, we received a second update: our Article 23 was issued on 10/4, certifying that the adoption has appropriately met Hague Convention procedures. This is another huge sign-off, and up next will be that visa appointment at the Embassy!
Based strictly on the recent families who've finished their adoptions, our agency's best estimate is anywhere from ~1.5 to 4 months for these last steps to be completed. This means that we could be booking our trip to fly back to Haiti and bring our little girl home. Please pray for quick processing, safety through the hurricane season, and hopefully the next update you'll see from us is our homecoming plan!
A couple of other things on my heart:
Justin and I arrived back home yesterday after an amazing week away celebrating our 10th year of marriage. We flew into Liverpool and spent a few days wandering the city, marveling at the strange Giants, touring the bombed out church and the Tate, and, of course, watching Liverpool FC take on Man City at Anfield. Then, we hopped a flight to Rome and spent a few more days eating ourselves silly and walking miles upon miles to see the sights. (Three simple words: cacio e pepe). We stayed in an adorable walk-up apartment that overlooked a courtyard and a cobblestone through-road. Each morning, we threw open the old wooden shutters and enjoyed a rich espresso in the window before heading out for the day.
I am so grateful to have gotten this quiet time with Justin, just the two of us. As we were talking about this trip a few months ago, we knew it was possible this was our last "big trip" together for some time, with the adoption impending. There has also been some turmoil at work recently, so it was well-timed for us to step away, re-center, and soak up some time together. How blessed we are.
When we arrived in Liverpool, I told Justin, "For some reason, I feel like we'll hear an update about K while we're on this vacation."
Funny how these things work, because one day later, we received an email from our agency indicating that our paperwork had moved to the Ministry of Justice. These last steps are the most unclear to me, to be honest. We know that there is a series of signatures and checkpoints. We know that our paperwork goes through the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and also Ministry of Interior (MOI). There is an application for her passport, and another visa appointment, and then we should be done. However, how long each of these takes and in which order is fuzzy.
A day after the MOJ email, we received a second update: our Article 23 was issued on 10/4, certifying that the adoption has appropriately met Hague Convention procedures. This is another huge sign-off, and up next will be that visa appointment at the Embassy!
Based strictly on the recent families who've finished their adoptions, our agency's best estimate is anywhere from ~1.5 to 4 months for these last steps to be completed. This means that we could be booking our trip to fly back to Haiti and bring our little girl home. Please pray for quick processing, safety through the hurricane season, and hopefully the next update you'll see from us is our homecoming plan!
A couple of other things on my heart:
- There was a meeting held recently where IBESR shared updates on a recent evaluation of the 700+ orphanages/creches in Haiti to ensure they're meeting expectations. This will apparently lead to many orphanage closures, updates, and a focus on family reunification and foster care. There is a lot that I don't know about this, and much to be fleshed out and implemented. Adoptin is not always the right solution, and it is encouraging to see Haiti continuing to evaluate how to funnel resources to support children in the right ways.
- One of the amazing girls we met at K's creche is a super intelligent, kind, spitfire 7 year old. We knew that a family had been trying to seek a referral for her, and recently learned that they were denied. She is considered a "Waiting Child", and our agency is advocating for her placement right now. My heart has been hurting for her, as we can see her flourishing, and know she will continue to do so when she gets to her home. I truly wish our circumstances were different, and we could seek her as well. I'm praying that she is able to be matched soon.
