3.06.13

if the Christian faith seems foreign to you, here's why we pray - prayer is how Christians talk to God, nothing fancy, just sincere. we pray because the God to whom we pray, hears us and is very personal. we never have to doubt the Living God. we may wonder what He's doing and why from our perspective, nothing seems to be happening, but He is always at work. He can be trusted.

last week, thousands of our friends and their friends, church people, neighbors here in san francisco, people close to God and people who skeptical have been praying. we've called for prayer many a time on this adoption journey and on the church planting journey. God never ceases to amaze us with His power, provision, and peace. And He is so good to put people with skin on around us, smiling at us at church, patting us on the back, texting us, gathering their family to pray, sharing our requests with their small group.

we are beside-ourselves-with overwhelming-gratefulfulness for you.

what happens next?

in the next two weeks...

receive 1-2 photos, medical history, personal history from the orphanage

(how long she’s lived at the orphanage, her personality, any education she’s received)

sign a document from our agency confirming the referral

sign a document from the orphanage confirming the referral

confer with an international pediatrician regarding her medical records

pay referral fees

after that?

between us, the u.s. government, and india, this could take 1-2 months...

file 1-800A with united states citizenship and immigration services (USCIS)

us embassy approval letter (article 5) to cara

state level clearance in india

and then?

most of this is dependent upon the indian judicial system and could take 8-12 months...

we sign a power of attorney

court dates (each orphanage works with individual courts/judicial system)

approval paperwork with the orphanage

receive noc (no objection certificate)

passport applied for

ben and i travel!

we will take one trip. everything will be taken care of before we arrive.

we will spend 7-10 days in india and return with our daughter!

the two differences with this process and process we just completed is...

we know her name.

there will be communication and approvals along the way as all parties complete documents.

 we don't doubt the miracle. God moved through the earthly impossible.

word is that india is not issuing noc's as of today.

india is closed to receiving initial international adoption paperwork right now.

we certainly have stopped to praise Him and celebrate.

yet while giving praise, we simultaneously ask Him to move more mountains.

as a family, we are pushing forward and believing God to unite her to us and us to her very soon.