We've moved up a step in our journey! If you follow any family pages on Reece's Rainbow, you'll quickly see that the family's progress is documented on the bottom. Our "Mila" has gone from a waiting child, to "My Family Found Me" (which totally made me cry), to our family page which said "Homestudy in Process" to now "Compiling Dossier!" This means that our home study is officially, and finally, wrapped up, approved, done and over with! A copy is on it's way to immigration to match with our forms and be ready for approval, and copies are on their way to us to be put in our dossier (and also to be used for grant applications).
Actually, though we are listed as "Compiling Dossier," the truth is we are nearly finished with it! We've been actively working on our dossier at the same time we were going through home study, and the vast majority of our dossier is at the Secretary of State to be apostilled as I type. Or, will be, actually. It's due to arrive tomorrow (Monday). :) So, for those following along, here are our next steps:
1) Apostille copies of our home study and agency licenses, once they arrive, to go in our dossier.
2) Receive our FBI clearance papers (our fingerprints had to be done again, this time in ink, and are on their way to biometrics, also due to arrive tomorrow), and send them to apostille in DC.
3) Get immigration/USCIS approval and get that approval letter apostilled.
4) Send everything to "Mila's" country.
5) Be submitted!!!
We are chugging right along! Some days it feels like this is taking forever, but we only committed to adopting "Mila" at the end of November, so we actually have come a very long way in a short amount of time. We're coming for you, Sweet Girl!
Money is currently the biggest obstacle in our way. We will need at least a good $15,000 when we travel, but as close to $18,000 as possible to be covered in the event things don't go according to plan, which is more the rule than the exception, lol. As I write this, our FSP (family sponsorship page) reads $1,405. So yeah, we have a ways to go to being fully funded. I waiver between stressed out about the money, which seems insurmountable, to at peace about it, knowing God is in control. As a friend gently reminded me yesterday, God has not forgotten "Mila." Deep within her country, in whatever region and whatever orphanage, in whatever room and whatever crib, she is not hidden from His sight. I find a great deal of peace knowing He knows every hair on her precious little head.
That said, we do still have a few fundraisers going on that you can help with! Today and tomorrow are the last days to buy a vehicle decal sticker to help advocate for orphans in general but specifically to help bring "Mila" home to us. The decals say #AdoptionRocks and are available in several color options, and can be ordered HERE for only $7! Also if you'd like to donate directly to our FSP page on Reece's Rainbow, we currently have a matching grant, matching every donation dollar to dollar up to $450! We have another local fundraiser, this time at Dairy Queen, on Wednesday, too, and I'm excited about that! Things are moving closer every day. :)
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