Wednesday, July 22, 2009

USCIS Prayer Request



Today was our consulate appointment, when our paperwork was reviewed by the American consulate to decide if all of our paperwork was in order and KayLi's visa could be approved. We and four other families had an issue with updates for special needs approval being sent from the US Citizenship & Immigration Services to the consulate. We will be trying to have those updates faxed to the consulate here asap and I will need to make phone calls to try and get that done at 9:00 pm here ( in 15 minutes) when they open at 8:00am in the states. One other family had the same issue yesterday and got things cleared up by this morning, so we are hopeful that we will get things sent soon and get things cleared up here tomorrow morning, since our oath ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Please, pray that we fine favor and that paperwork flows smoothly to where it needs to be. One person needs to fax one paper to one office and everything will be fine. I am certain that God did not bring us this far in our journey to desert us in the final moments. This is just one last battle before we bring our daughter home.

Since the person with the vital paper was sleeping while we were trying to wait patiently, we decided to stroll around Shamian island again. I'm sorry that I was a little concerned with everything and didn't take many pictures today. I do like this picture of Allie pushing KayLi's loaded down stroller and Emily looking up at all the beautiful trees.

Thanks so much for your prayers!!!

We love Y'all!!!!



Got this little bit ago so I am adding it together for one awesome post! - TJ



I just got off the phone with the USCIS and was told that the necessary paperwork had already been sent to the National Visa Center! I had left her a message and so had the embassy here. We were hoping she would fax it directly to the consulate here but she said she had to send it to the National Visa Center and they would send it to the consulate. Praise God, she confirmed that we have already been approved for a special needs child and sent the paper work on with an expedited request! It could still get hung up at the NVC but we are choosing to trust that God will push it through quickly. Right now, it looks like when our guide calls the consulate in the morning they should have everything worked out. Please continue to pray that there are no hang ups at the National Visa Center and that they will also forward paperwork quickly. The woman at the USCIS that I spoke with told me they are having a lot of trouble with the new forms for updates. So if any of you are traveling soon, please make sure that any updates to your homestudy have been sent to the consulate by the USCIS. Check with your agency but I believe that the USCIS should send you a "Notice of Action" once they have been sent.

Thanks again for your prayers and praise God he is already moving on our behalf!!!!! He has shown us over and over on this journey and especially here in China what an awesome God He is! His heart for the orphan is HUGE! We have been watching Him transform a life literally right before our eyes. He is more worthy of our worship and our praise than I can very express in words!!!!!! I look forward to rejoicing with you all in person very soon!!!!

Sitting happily at the feet of the Father,
Lisa


5 comments:

Jenn said...

So happy to hear that it is all working out! Whew!! Praying for you!

Blessings,
Jenn

MJ said...

I was praying for you again today...specifically for paperwork, but now I'll REALLY step it up! I'm sure this is just the devil having to stir the pot, because that's what he does. (blech!)

As He always has, God will see you through. It's so exciting to watch your journey, and the transformation of KayLi. Wow!

Kristi said...

Glad that the prayer request was honored before I even got to pray...

Melissa said...

Oh Lisa, I am so thankful that everything worked out. That is the worst feeling having one paper not right! Chris and I went through that too, and that was one of the longest days of our entire trip! We were panicking too! I cannot wait to see your return home with KayLi joined with your entire family. I am SO enjoying following your blog, and will continue praying for everything to go smoothly for you all!

Kathy said...

Hang in there Lisa and family. God will prevail! This is not an uncommon problem, unfortantely! To avoid this problem we spent 2-3 hours on the phone to China and New Jersey before we even went to verify that paper work was in fact there. The problem as we learned happens when it sits on top of someone's desk somewhere along its China journey! Even though we verified it was atleast in China we still held our breath that it would make its way to where it needed to be. We atleast had narrowed the search before we went, we knew it was in China. Is your agency also working for you on this end? The sad thing is that by taking months to complete adoption paper work it is not not needed until months later and it is not often cared for as vitally important as we would treat any of our sacred adoption documents. We saw other families go through this when we were there and not a one of them were not somehow worked out but how scarry for the families who go through this. It seems like just when you began to feel like the impossible dream is almost real this gets thrown at you. The last thing you want to hear right now at the final hour is that something is not in order. But hang on to this, "She is legally adopted now she can not be taken from you!" This problem has nothing to do with that process at all. Worst case scenerio one or all of you will be struck in China a while longer. Oh darn!!!!!!!!I for one sure would have loved extra time in that awesome country!!
Kathy Rees
www.jazzyrose.blogspot.com