My friend Heidi was there as well, but she spent the evening behind the camera. Thank you, Heidi, for taking all these great pictures!
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Domestic Adoption
Ethiopia Adoption
A Family of Six!
God's Heart for People
- Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction... (James 1:27)
- For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. (Lam. 3:31-33)
- Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom. 13:10)
- Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors Him. (Prov. 14:31)
Ethiopia Facts
- Bordered by Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia
- Slightly less than twice the size of Texas
- Population approximately 77 million
- Capital Addis Ababa
- Addis Ababa population approximately 5 million
- Official currency is the Ethiopian birr (~11 birr to 1 dollar)
- Amharic is the official language, although more than 80 other local languages are spoken
- Primary two religions are Ethiopian Orthodox Christian and Sunni Muslim
- Average income approximately $1 per day
- Adult literacy rate less than 50%
- Median age is 18
- Average life expectancy approximately 48 years
- More than 1 million people with AIDS
- More than 4 million orphans ages 0-17
- Children in orphanages are either abandoned due to poverty or orphaned due to AIDS or war
Addis Ababa Local Info
Ethiopia Timeline
- What's Next..... (LAST THING TO DO) Change Kayla's citizenship status with Social Security
- 7/5/2011 - Received Certificate of Citizenship
- 4/23/2011 - Applied for Certificate of Citizenship
- 4/13/2011 - Received Kayla's US birth certificate
- 3/16/2011 - Received US birth certificate notification and sent in application
- 2/23/2011 - Received Decree Validating Foreign Adoption
- 2/15/2011 - After much delay, we have submitted Kayla's Colorado re-adoption paperwork to the courts
- 6/4/2009 - We receive Kayla's passport, visa, medical exam results, and head to the airport to return home.
- 6/2/2009 - Appointment at US Embassy in Addis Ababa. Kayla is approved for entry to the US on an IR-4 visa.
- 6/1/2009 - We pick up Kayla from foster care this morning. She is with us from now on!
- 5/30/2009 - Fly to Ethiopia
- 4/24/2009 - Received our Embassy appointment date, which determines our travel dates.
- 4/21/2009 - Ethiopian court approves our adoption of baby Kayla. She is now officially ours! Can't wait to go get her, but we still need an Embassy appointment date.
- 4/2/2009 - Homestudy update completed and mailed out.
- 1/30/2009 - Completed homestudy update interviews.
- 1/17/2009 - Moved to Colorado!
- 12/11/2008 - Started working on paperwork for Colorado homestudy update.
- 12/8/2008 - Received our referral!
- 11/3/2008 - Decided to move with my job to Colorado. Big decision. Huge decision actually.
- 7/7/2008 - Our dossier ships out to Ethiopia. We are officially on the waiting list for a referral!
- 7/5/2008 - Received our I-171H (Notice of Favorable Determination Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petitions) from USCIS
- 6/24/2008 - Complete dossier sent to Washington DC for authentications.
- 6/13/2008 - Copies of entire dossier sent to CWA for review.
- 6/10/2008 - Official homestudy report received! Copy sent to USCIS.
- 5/21/2008 - Draft copy of homestudy report sent to CWA for review
- 4/30/2008 - Received certified Dossier Cover Letter and Power of Attorney forms from Secretary of State
- 4/19/2008 - Homestudy interviews and house inspection completed and passed!
- 4/5/2008 - Mailed notarized Dossier Cover Letter and Power of Attorney forms to Secretary of State for certification
- 4/4/2008 - Received call from social worker. The homestudy interviews and home safety inspection are scheduled for the 19th.
- 3/31/2008 - Completed "Adoption Parenting" book and online exam to satisfy the remaining hours of training required by the Hague Convention
- 3/24/2008 - Completed and mailed paperwork requirements to homestudy agency - now waiting for phone call from social worker to set up interviews and home inspection
- 3/22/2008 - Completed "With Eyes Wide Open" online training course
- 3/8/2008 - Fingerprinting at USCIS for FBI background check
- 2/21/2008 - LiveScan fingerprinting at Police Dept for Justice Dept background check
- 2/19/2008 - Mailed I-600A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) to USCIS
- 2/8/2008 - Started working paperwork for homestudy requirements
- 2/4/2008 - Accepted for our homestudy
- 1/25/2008 - Applied to another local agency to do our homestudy
- 1/24/2008 - Received Gary's passport (really bad picture)
- 1/22/2008 - Canceled contract with local homestudy agency after they said they would not work with a family that has an infant in the home already
- 1/21/2008 - Received Jamie's passport (with a good picture of course)
- 1/19/2008 - Completed NCFA online training course to satisfy 8 of the 10 training hours required by the Hague Convention
- 1/16/2008 - Signed with local agency for California homestudy
- 1/04/2008 - Applied for passports
- 12/30/2007 - Signed up with Christian World Adoption for placement of an Ethiopian girl between the ages of 6 and 18 months
- Dec 2007 - Started seriously looking at international adoption agencies
Links of Interest
Blog Archive
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3 comments:
You are very welcome :) I don't want to leave! Can I just move into the basement permanantly?
I recognize Gary's mom... Who is the other woman?
Great pics!
Julie
Julie, The other woman celebrating with us is a dear friend from church, the kids call her 'Miss Nancy'.
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