LID--Another step closer to our boys!

LOG IN DATE RECEIVED FROM CHINA!!!!!

As September comes to a close, it's been a wonderful month filled with excitement & joy!
First and foremost, we finally received our LID for the adoption of our 2 boys!!!!! 

LID or log-in date, is the day China logged our information into the computer system.  Remember all the mounds and mounds of paperwork, referred to as the Dossier--well, it made it's way to China and is now, in their computer system!!!  Y-E-A!!! 

We now wait for the dossier (ie: mounds & mounds of paperwork) to be translated.  Not an easy task when you are talking about every single page translated from English to Mandarin. 

We are another step closer to our precious boys coming home!!  God is good, all the time!!!

 

We are at the LID stage of international adoption...the next stage is the LOA!! 

LOA-"Letter of Approval"
China will send an "official" legal document that we sign, to say, "Yes, we approve this adoption and want to move forward."  At this stage, Eli & Ming's files will be pulled and tied-into our dossier paperwork, to show that we are their family!

I800 is filed
 Earlier in the process, during the paper chase, we filed for an I800A, to receive approval from the US Government to adopt our boys and to allow them citizenship.  Now, at this stage in the adoption, the I800 is filed, which is the step that alerts our government the boys are coming to America and will be considered US citizens once the plane touches down. 

Article 5 is filed with the China Government
This document allows the travel approval to be issued to us for travel (sounds funny, but the Article 5 is sort of the approval for the Travel Approval)

TA-Travel Approval
AWWWW--the long awaited travel approval.  EVERY family is anxious to hear these two words-TRAVEL APPROVAL--because no one goes to China without it and until you make it to this final step, you are sitting and waiting.  The travel approval shows that everything is in order and we have China's permission to travel into their country and bring these 2 precious boys home!!!!!!


Please pray with us that our adoption continues in God's timing and that our boys are kept safe and healthy, as they wait  & we wait to become a family!!!!!   I'm still in total awe that we have been blessed with not one but 2 BEAUTIFUL boys!!!  

Moore Family Continues to Grow! (Repeated Post)

As we approach another year without our boys, I am repeating a post written this time last year, announcing the joy of our family adding a second precious boy (Ming) to our adoption and thus, bringing home 2 boys at once!  We can't wait to bring these boys home!!!!


God continues to move in our family and in a big way! 

We submitted our "Letter of Intent to Adopt" for another little boy.  Yes, you read it correctly, we are adopting another little boy in addition to Eli!  We are adopting 2 children at one time.  Our adoption agency sent our LOI (Letter of Intent to Adopt) to China on September 26. 

This has been a journey and not one that we've taken lightly or allowed to be driven by emotions-though it has been an emotional ride.  Its been what seems to us, a long time in the works, since the July timeframe and there is a beautiful and personal God-story that comes with our journey.  (then again, each one of our adoptions have been very special, unique and God-driven)  There were challenges along the way yet, God prevailed with each challenge! A special prayer warrior reminded me of this particular bible verse, during these challenges and when my soul was restless,  Exodus 14:14, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still."  

There is a lot to share and journal with this beautiful adoption but for another time!  Sterling and Arabella are anxious to begin decorating the house for the fall season but I wanted first, to share the joy of our new son!

Our newest son recently turned 8 years old.  His birthday is one day before mine, on September 16.  As you know, Sterling will turn 8 years old in December...so they are virtual twins!  Sterling is elated to have 2 new brothers and can't wait to get them both home!  Arabella is happy as well but her comment has been, I don't mind having more brothers but I don't want any sisters.

In China, our son is named, "Ming."   When he joins the family, his name will be Ezekiel Ming Moore, with the nickname, "EZ."  However, we also understand that with older children, they may or may not warm up to thoughts of a new name, so we'll see how it goes.  We have been calling him Ming for months, so we're okay with leaving it as Ming, if those are definitely his wishes. 

We will have an Elijah (calling him Eli) and an Ezekiel (calling him EZ).  We are excited to bring both boys home and are busy making adjustments and changes in the house, to accommodate for 3 boys.  We are currently looking at double bunk beds, moving furniture around, selling a lot of office furniture at an upcoming garage sale and moving things around.  We had converted an upstairs bedroom into an office but it will revert back to a bedroom and the office will move downstairs.

We are over the moon excited and thankful for the blessing of Ming!

Psalms 127:3 "Son's are a heritage from the Lord."

 

How can you NOT fall in love with this boy--he has a knock-out smile and an equally fitting personality, as we've starting getting to know him through someone he lived with for a short time, while they were an ex-pact in China!

Bethel China

Bethel China

Back On Track-DTC Scheduled This Week!

DTC......DOSSIER TO CHINA!!!

Our dossier (mounds of paperwork)is going to China!!!

Spoke with our agency today and received confirmation that yes, our dossier will be going to China, this week!!  I'm a bit hesitant to write this post prior to it actually happening but I'm going on the good faith that it will!!!  Finally, we have the mounds of paperwork, referred to as the "paper chase" behind us!!!

We now enter the world of "acronyms." 

DTC (Dossier to China) Mounds of paperwork required to adopt from China, is sent to China!  (believe me when I say mounds of paperwork, it's no exaggeration! There are a lot of documents involved.)

We are at the DTC stage in our adoption.....here's what's to come!

Next step, is LID-"Log in Date." 
When China logs our dossier (mounds & mounds of paperwork) into their computer system.

Then is the LOA-"Letter of Approval"
China will send an "official" legal document that we sign, to say, "Yes, we approve this adoption and want to move forward."  At this stage, Eli & Ming's files will be pulled and tied-into our dossier paperwork, to show that we are their family!

I800 is filed
 Earlier in the process, during the paper chase, we filed for an I800A, to receive approval from the US Government to adopt our boys and to allow them citizenship.  Now, at this stage in the adoption, the I800 is filed, which is the step that alerts our government the boys are coming to America and will be considered US citizens once the plane touches down. 

Article 5 is filed with the China Government
This document allows the travel approval to be issued to us for travel (sounds funny, but the Article 5 is sort of the approval for the Travel Approval)

TA-Travel Approval
AWWWW--the long awaited travel approval.  EVERY family is anxious to hear these two words-TRAVEL APPROVAL--because no one goes to China without it and until you make it to this final step, you are sitting and waiting.  The travel approval shows that everything is in order and we have China's permission to travel into their country and bring these 2 precious boys home!!!!!!


If you'll please pray with us that our adoption continues in God's timing and that our boys are kept safe and healthy, as they wait  & we wait to become a family!!!!!   I'm still in total awe that we have been blessed with not one but 2 BEAUTIFUL boys!!! 

 

Here's Eli!  Just look at those big beautiful eyes!!!

 

 

Here is Ming---LOOK at that knock-out smile!!!  It's contagious! 

 

Thank you Lord for the blessings of these beautiful boys!!

Dossier Delay

Last week we submitted all our dossier documents to our agency with anticipation of it shipping to China this week....well, when emailing our agency yesterday for confirmation, we received an email to say there are 3 documents missing!  How in all of my pre-planning, planning, keeping a list, notes and checking them twice, could I have missed 3 documents!!!!  I'm so angry and frustrated at myself for making such a mistake!!  We really need this dossier to arrive China ASAP! 

Our original plan was to travel this summer--yes, right now---but when Sterling and Arabella became very sick around the holiday time and Sterling continued to worsen as I came down with the flu, our dossier paperwork had to take the backseat. 

Once again, we readjusted expectations for completing the dossier immediately following Christmas, then, with a new job and the struggles and time that new adventures can present, our dossier paperwork continued to sit....and sit.

Then, during all the delays, documents expired, which meant driving here or there for new documents and one document in particular, had to come from Mississippi, which meant additional wait time.

Now, once again, we wait.  What's frustrating is that we now wait, because of a mistake on my part, that could have been prevented. 

After emailing our agency to clarify one missing document, because I'm clueless in what the document is about---I went for a short drive to get a cup of coffee. During the drive, sadness and frustration continued to build and tears filled my eyes to think that now, I've caused additional delays----at that very moment, this song came on the radio-Aaron Shust, "My Hope is in You."

 Isn't it amazing that our God will send encouragement at just the right time!

While there have been delays out of our control and delays that we contributed, either way, God is in control and it will all happen in His timing.  We will rest in His assurance and continue to prepare our hearts and home for these 2 precious boys, coming home!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

We celebrated a very special birthday earlier this week--Daddy!!!

Earl is the most amazing man I've ever known-he serves his family with deep devotion, dedication and love and works endlessly to provide for his family!  We love you with a deep admiration!

Final Dossier Documents Submitted!

Another step closer to our boys!

Yesterday, July 22 was a double milestone, it was Earl's birthday and the day we finally submitted the last of our dossier documents!  YEA!!!  Our documents were scheduled to arrive at the agency, this morning by 10:30.  It's a milestone that's been a long while in the making.  This adoption has taken much longer than previous adoptions because the paper chase has been never ending BUT, it's such a blessing to finally have it completed. 

I spoke with our agency yesterday to get an overview of the current wait times for the remainder of steps involved and while it varies, here are the estimations:

3-4 days for our agency to compile the dossier (many, many documents required by China)

1-2 weeks for China to translate all the documents
 (agency said it's currently taking longer than these average wait times)

4-6 weeks to receive LOA (Letter of Approval) China's "official" paperwork that links us with our boys

8-10 weeks to receive TA (Travel Approval from China)

Our agency said approximately 6 months from submitting dossier until travel, which may or may not allow us to travel by end of year but we are remaining hopeful!  Either way, God knows best and we'll find comfort in resting in His plans, regardless of when travel occurs.