OUR ADOPTION

We just adopted a little girl from Bulgaria.  She is eight years old.  Her name is Ivelina Anne.  Bulgaria is a small country in Eastern Europe.
 
 

Our adoption timeline:
- - Many months of praying about adoption - - 

NEW YEARS EVE 2011:  Jeremy and I make the decision to adopt internationally
January 3, 2012:  Mailed pre-application to All God's Children Intl.
May 13, 2012:  (Mother's Day)  Announced our adoption plans to our families
June 29, 2012:  Mailed formal application with deposit to AGCI
July 2, 2012:  Pre-approved for one child from Bulgaria!!
July 9, 2012:  Orientation phone call with AGCI
October 17, 2012:   Contracted with AGCI & paid first payment
October 24, 2012First phone call with our AGCI case worker
October 28, 2012:  Applied for home study
January 16, 2013:  Submitted initial home study paperwork and fees!
February 7, 2013:  Began home study visits with social worker
March 22, 2013:  Ivelina officially put "on hold" for our family
May 11, 2013: Received finalized home studies in the mail! 
Early Juneapplied for NBC 
July 9, 2013:  NBC fingerprint appointment
August 6, 2013:  Received NBC Approval! ...just waiting on our official match now!
September 13, 2013:  No official match. =(  Home study update and rewording required.
October 28, 2013:  Our second NBC approval.  Waiting on official match again!! Fingers crossed!
November 15, 2013: Official match and travel dates offered
**We had to decline the first travel dates we were offered.
January 16, 2014:  I800 application mailed
January 18-25, 2014:  First trip to Bulgaria to meet Miss Ivelina
February 16, 2014: I800 approval! ---> submit Article 5 for approval
** getting new medical letters, new FBI clearance, and new local criminal clearance while we wait
April 25, 2014:  Court appointment!  We passed!  Ivelina is ours!!
June 4-14: Pick-up Trip
June 15th around 7p.m.: Finished - HOME with Ivelina!!! 



Scripture that has spoken to us about adoption:
Psalm 31:8-9
8Open your mouth for the mute,
For the rights of all the unfortunate.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

John 14:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm 82:3-4

3 Vindicate the weak and fatherless;
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

 John 1: 12-13
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Isaiah 1:17
17 Learn to do good
Seek justice,
Reprove the ruthless,
Defend the orphan,
Plead for the widow.





1 comment:

  1. From 2011 to November of 2013, adoption really has a long process. But the long wait will definitely pay off as soon as your little girl will come home with you. I hope everything, paper works-wise, go well so you will be together during the holidays.

    Nancy @ Bill Beck Law

    ReplyDelete

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