Already? - APPROVAL!!!!

We got the call today from our adoption agency while I was home for lunch with Lenna. Only 15 days after receiving our completed and translated dossier, ICBF (the government agency in Colombia that oversees the protection of children) approved us for the adoption of Yamile! We were told this approval could take 1-3 months! Needless to say, we were excited to receive the call - I had goosebumps all over.

Lenna and I were able to hear the news together and had wide smiles on our faces. We immediately told Rebecca, and then the three of us proceeded to Subway to tell Annalisa while she was working. We had a mini-celebration right there in the restaurant, even splurging for some warm cookies.

Now it feels like things may actually start rolling along. The next step is to await the official referral from ICBF. We've been told that may take 2-3 weeks. Once we receive it, we will need to apply with U.S. Immigration (USCIS) for an I800. This takes about 3-4 weeks to process. Following that, we will then establish a travel date, go to the Colombian embassy in San Francisco for a visa that allows us to conduct business in Colombia, and prepare for our trip. If it all goes quickly, we may be traveling as soon as early August. With Yamile's birthday on August 24th, we have a strong chance to celebrate her 10th birthday with her. The Lord has great timing!

So ... the countdown begins (continues?).

New Friends in Atlanta

Well, it's certainly been a while since we posted anything. We've had the pleasure of making some new friends in Atlanta. A couple weeks ago we contacted a couple who had adopted from the same region (Huila) in Colombia where we will be adopting from. Furthermore, the girl they adopted actually is from the same city (La Plata) as Yamile.

We thought we'd give them a quick call, knowing it was 8:30 in the evening where they live. We ended up hanging up the phone nearly 4 hours later. Thank you, Leon and Jan, for giving us your time that way and sharing your adoption stories with us. It has helped to paint the picture of what Neiva will be like and has given us an understanding of some of the challenges, surprises, and celebrations we will encounter once we're home with our daughter.

As it turns out, their daughter looked at the picture of Yamile on the blog and says she remembers her! It's a small world, which is under God's sovereignty.

Dossier Update

I should have posted this before, but didn't get around to it. Several weeks ago we submitted the majority of the dossier to our contact person in Colombia for translation. It could not be turned in to ICBF (Colombia's equivalent to child protective services) until it was complete.

Last week, at last, we received our final paperwork for the dossier. We sent it directly to Colombia and they received it on Tuesday (May 4th). We've now been told it will probably be about two weeks before the dossier is completely translated and turned in. So now we wait, and trust in the Lord's timing.

Rough Translation of Email

Here is our first communication in 9 months from Yamile:

Good Day, Dear Geof and Lenna,

I am excited to have the opportunity to communicate with you. I have always hoped in my heart that this day would come. I am receiving good grades at my school.

I hope that you are well, that you continue to enjoy your beautiful home, and that we can continue our new communication soon.

I also enjoyed very much the chance to get to know you and enjoyed the days we shared each other's company.

A BIG HUG.

Attentively,

Yamile

Email from Yamile!

We were recently given permission to send an email to Yamile reminding her of our time together last August. With the help of a friend, we were able to send her a message along with some pictures of our family and our time with her. We sent that email yesterday. Well, today we received a response already! My rudimentary Spanish skills have allowed me to try to translate, and we are excited about what we've been able to figure out. Now, we are asking a friend for a more reliable translation. In any case, we are excited to be communicating with our potential daughter!

Our Adoption Blog

As we have been going through the adoption process, we realized we needed to start writing stuff down. We want to be able to remember it and to share it with our friends and family. So ... we hope you enjoy reading our story.