So What's Next?

Okay, so now that I've caught up on our first trip to Ethiopia, let me fill you in on what we're waiting on to return.

After we passed court on March 5th, our son became "B" William McGee. Next steps include his paperwork being sent off to have a NEW birth certificate with our names on it. A passport must be filed for him with his new name. Then, an embassy-approved medical doctor has to assess him to give medical clearance.

After all of those three things occur, (which can take up to 5 business days per thing, we were told) we will be submitted to the United States Embassy office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Embassy submissions only occur on Mondays. We will be emailed when we are submitted.

After you are submitted, your file is "opened" and reviewed. We will also be emailed when our file is opened.

After it is opened and reviewed, a person from our file will be interviewed. We will be given this interview date. Lately, the embassy has been very backlogged on interviews so the interviews occur 3-4 weeks after the decision is made to do an interview.

After the interview occurs, Lord-willing, we will be cleared to go pick up our son. This typically happens within a week of the interview.

SO, this is how we are praying, and how we would ask that you join us in prayer:
-A very, very speedy embassy submission. We're hoping for this Monday (which will be 2 weeks/ 10 business days after our court date).
-For our file to be opened soon after, and interview date set shortly after that.
-No hiccups in our file, and that we can proceed efficiently and quickly.
-To bring our son home in April. At that point he will be six months old and have been in an orphanage for five months.

Feel free to join us in praying* boldly for these things! I have so appreciated all of your support, especially after my post about leaving our son. Although I was warned, I don't think you can really prepare yourself for that experience. I still find myself crying and missing him so much, but it is nice to have people who are waiting with us in this, and other adoptive families that are going/have been through the same thing.

***And when I say pray boldly, I mean it. This embassy process can take 1-4 months for families, and several of my readers/ friends are also in this stage, having passed court and waiting for submission. I'm praying that the US Embassy picks up speed in general, seeing the need for children to reunite with parents quickly and to move out of institutionalization and into homes.

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