We are almost done with our dossier...Praise God!!! Below I have listed all of the documents and their current status. We are hoping to have the final draft of our home study in hand by next week so that we can apply to USCIS (United States Immigration) to obtain approval to adopt a child internationally. This process generally takes 6-8 weeks to complete and then we can send our dossier to Ethiopia and officially get on the waiting list!!! We should be able to complete this by the end July at the latest!! However, we need to save/raise $7430 by that time or it will delay our dossier submission. I am going to be honest...the prospect of this huge payment scares me, especially because the longer it takes to pay it will mean the longer that we have to wait for our little boy...but I know that God is bigger than my fears and that He will provide.
This payment includes the second payment to our agency ($2000), our first international program fee to Ethiopia ($3750), a translation and courier fee ($950), and our post adoption visits deposit ($1000). We should be able to save about 1/2 of this on our own, but we need your help to raise the other half. We are going to be holding an online silent auction from May 21st-26. We are hoping to raise at least $1500 as a result of the sale. Here are some of the items that we will be auctioning: Yosemite Vacation Rental, Family Photography Session, Custom Cake, Ugandan Magazine Bean Necklace, Crystal Bowl, Crochet Items, Letter Press Goods, Professional Landscape and Urban Photography, Antique China, and more! There will be additional information on our blog as we get closer to the 21st.
If you would prefer to donate funds in lieu of bidding on an item you can do so using the Pay Pal link on our main blog page or donate directly to our agency American World by following this link. Make sure to select "Eternal Family Program" for the designation and include our names (Michael and Karen Smith) in the "notes" section. You can also let them know in the "notes" section if you would prefer that your donation remain anonymous.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us through prayer and financially thus far!! We are one day closer to our baby boy because of your generosity!!
The Dossier
Application Letter to the Ethiopian Government- Complete
Michael's Birth Certificate- Complete
Karen's Birth Certificate- Complete
Marriage Certificate- Complete
Michael's Physical Exam- Complete
Karen's Physical Exam- Complete
Proof of Medical Insurance- Complete
Proof of Life Insurance- Complete
Financial Statement- Complete
Michael's Employment Letter- Complete
Karen's Employment Letter- Complete
Home Study- Visits Complete and Draft Approved
Letters of Reference (3)- All Complete
Michael's Police Report- Complete
Karen's Police Report- Complete
Agency Post Adoption Commitment- Complete
Agency Recommendation- This will be completed at the time of dossier submission
Power of Attorney- Complete
Dossier Cover Sheet- Complete
Copies of Passports- Complete
Additional Passport Photos- Complete, until Costco lost them...take two next weekend
Family Photo Pages- Working on it...
USCIS Approval- We hope to submit our paperwork by the end of next week
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