There are new photos in a few posts:
the newest: Last minute....
August 31, and Shopping August 29.
I also have edited them all with more info. You might want to glance through to see the changes.
Claire and Tracy, your gifts were given out. Read and see. *Smile*
Blessings, Justine (PS - getting closer to a Canada-side update)
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Loving Sisters
Our Girls
Mesai Raine Ayana
Gadisae Song Savannah
Our Family
Fingerprinting (J) Criminal check (J) Visa pictures (J) Fingerprinting (R) Criminal check (R) Visa pics (R)Copy marriage certificate Copies birth certificates Copy of passport (J) Copies of driver's licences Copy of citizenship (J)Copy of life insurance Copy of medical insurance All paper to lawyers-notarized Application to Kidslink mailed Retainer $1500 mailed Fingerprints Xpress mailed Ray passport mailed Financial statement verified Notice of assessment (J)Option C (J) Reference letter #1 Pictures of us and house Option C (R) Reference Letter - Rusty Power of Attorney-KidslinkKidslink retainer agreement Undertaking Followup-notarizedPower of Attorney-Ethiopian Rep.Consent to Exchange InformationOur letter to Ethiopian Ministry of Women's AffairsHope Services application formVerification of self employment LetterLetter from business partnerCopy of marriage certificateProof of financial incomeReference checklist-eight peopleProof of value of real estate$350 application fee Hope Criminal check (R) - Hope Criminal check (J) - Hope Prior contact forms (R & J)Proof of savings account balance Reference letter - Gloria Reference letter - Cynthia Reference letter - Shelagh 2 sets Medical forms (R and J) Hope application mailed TB skin test Medical forms and tests mailed Eight References questionaires Twelve page essay questionaires Reference letter - Denise Mailed off dossier to Kidslink Risk Factor Questionnaire Home study fee - $1850 mailed Proof of length of business life Immigration papers Last seven years income tax files to accountant for proof of business Accountant letter to Kidslink Copy of dossier - Hope Services Mailed $6500 Intercountry fee Mailed $4770 Balance KL fee Mailed signature pages to agency Mailed copy of Ray's passport-KL Mailed Permanent Resident Visa applications Faxed Letter of Acceptance to Hope re girls New Criminal Checks for R&J New Prior Checks Doctor's Check of Girls' Medicals
Our Family
My "Sister Chicks", Denise and Renee, live thousands of miles away, but that makes no difference to us Sister Chicks!
This summer our family started on a journey towards fulfilling a dream that we have all shared for a long time. A little girl. A daughter. A sister.
"Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west." Isaiah 43:5
Followers
Ray and Justine
Loving Sisters
Our Girls
Mesai Raine Ayana
Gadisae Song Savannah
Our Family
Our Boys!
About Me
- Is Eight Enough?
- I am a homeschooling Christian mum with six wonderful sons. We also have two precious little girls waiting for us in Ethiopia. We can't wait until the day that we can bring them home to be part of our family. We live in a small town and enjoy the quieter pace of life. We are now a family with children ages: 3, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 15, and 17. Are we ever blessed!! God has gone above and beyond my dreams of 'family'!
Ethiopia
Time of Day in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa |
Adoption - Must Reads
Ethiopian Books - Children's
Adoption Timeline
- July 5, 07 - Decision to adopt
- July 10 - Sign with Inter. agency
- July 28 - Sign with BC agency
- Sept. 28 - Begin homestudy
- Oct. 30 - Complete homestudy
- Nov. 6 - Dossier to Foreign Affairs
- Dec. 6 - Dossier to Ethiopia
- April 10, 08 - Referral received
- May 16 - Court successful
- May 27 - Court docs & birth cert. rec'd
- June 3 - Passport received
- June 19 - Medical received
- July 28 - Visa received
Steps to Adoption
- Homestudy - 90 days
- Dossier Authentication - 36 days
- Waiting for Referral - 126 days
- Waiting for Court Date - 35 days
- Passports - 17 days
- Birth Cert. & Court Docs. - 11 days
- Waiting for Medical - 57 days
- Waiting for Visa - 38 days
Please Partner With Us In Prayer
REQUESTS:
Please pray: We need the government to agree to give us back our overpayment. This would probably nearly cover our outrageous flight fees in August. To the tune of $16,000 for 4 out and six people returning.
PRAISES:
~ We had an amazingly fast court date: 5 weeks!! The girls are ours!
~ Our referral WAS a quick one!! It was 3 months, 30 days! We were referred two girls: 4 1/2 & 3 1/2.
~ The medical can now be begun at referral, rather than at court date, thereby shortening our 'time til travel by 2-3 months' after court date!!
~ Our file has gone to Ethiopia - St. Nicholas Day!
~ Our homestudy is complete and approved!
~ Cassidy got the part of Randolph in the musical Bye Bye Birdie, after sacrificing his television/movie auditions trips for the adoption.
~We have been so blessed by the kindness of all our friends in caring for our children while we have been at seminars and meetings.
~Our social worker is a really nice lady.
~Due to no comments stating the opposite I can only assume that our financial situation is acceptable to everyone.
~We received an adoption grant of $10,000!
~Our social worker will complete our homestudy over the next two weeks!! We are moving forward!!
~Our financial needs are being met abundantly.
~We have been very blessed by gifts from friends and family lately.
~Our accountant's letter was approved by Kidslink!
~ We heard that our income is not taken into account when approving us for adoption with the Kidslink adoption agency.
~Praising that Courtney got into ISEBR before Sept. 3.
~We had the pleasure of meeting another Ethiopian adoption family that lives in our province!
~ We made friends with a kind Ethiopian man who will have his son take us around Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!
~ We don't need to wait for Ministry Approval as our agency can give this approval!! One less step involved!!
~We received a $750 mystery cheque from the government!
~ Our medical exams & tests came back free of problems!
~ Our physicals are only going to cost $200, instead of nearer $1000 for forms, exam, and tests!
~ Huge Praise!! Through dear friends of ours, God has met some more of our needs! Thank you!!!!
~ Babysitters lined up for the Seminars!!!
~ Criminal check in England not necessary - one less hoop!
~ We did great at our garage sale - we made $255
~ Ray has an abundance of work right now!!
~ Our lawyer has not charged us a penny for his services!
the Paper Chase
Our Family
Friend and Family Blogs
Canadians Adopting
- Leah (Private)
- Mary Catherine's Family
- The River to Africa - Ethiopia
- Africana
- Tracy & Rob
- Jenny & Rob
- Sandi and Jason
- Barb's Family
- Jason and Susan
- Sandra
- Karen - Calgary
- The Boudreau Family
- Erin - Zambia - BC
- Nick and Danielle
- Trina - BC
- Sharla
- Tammy and Chris - PEI
- Lesley's Family - BC
- Nicky and JRock
- Jaclyn and Craig - ON
- Jill and Marty - ON
- Sarah and Todd - BC
- Laura and Shawn - BC
- Lisa - AB
Helpful Links
- 10 Days in Africa - Board Game
- Awesome Ethiopian T Shirts etc
- African : Everything!
- Destination Ethiopia
- Keedo - Cutest Kids Clothes
- Mom 4 Life
- I Love You: Amharic T-Shirt
- Yahoo - African Children's Hair
- Amharic Toys and Books
- Cute Beads, Snaps, and Braids
- All Things Rasta
- Adopting From Ethiopia T-Shirts
- Blended Beauty Hair Products
- Shuruba Hair Care
- Raising My Boys in the Country
- Ethiopian Children's Books
- Ethiopian Culture - 2
- Ethiopian Culture
- Ethiopian Holidays and Calendar
- Adopting Ethiopians - Culture Info
- Ethiopian Music
- Fun Widgets For Blogs
- Adding Music to Your Adoption Video
- Outline For Your Adoption Story
Other Blogs I Follow
SISTER CHICKS
My Sister Chicks
My "Sister Chicks", Denise and Renee, live thousands of miles away, but that makes no difference to us Sister Chicks!
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4 comments:
I love the verse at the top of your blog...we used the same verse on the video at our blog (www.daveandrae.blogspot.com).
As a fellow adoptive parent, I thought to write and tell you about the new guest home in Ethiopia specifically for adoptive parents and volunteer groups for the benefit of orphans in Ethiopia. Now that it is up and running, we would love to share the vision with other adoptive parents. You can see more at http://www.ethiopiaguesthome.com.
If you would like to post a link, send me an email at dave@ethiopiaguesthome.com and I’ll forward you the information.
Blessings,
Dave McIlrath, MA
Orphan Advocate
Ethiopia Guest Home
More Than a Place to Stay
www.ethiopiaguesthome.com
Ahh, thanks for finding some cuties to gift the cars to!! You made me cry!!!!!
Claire
Hi,
It's Steve here from southern California. I have enjoyed looking at your blog and thinking about your cute little girls and how much fun I had meeting you all at Bole Airport. I have told all my friends about your family and I will check in every once and awhile to see how things are going with you all. My daughter and her husband will leave for Addis at the end of the week. They will be working down in southern Ethiopia for three weeks. It is a blessing for all of us when God gives us little ones to love and raise. It is truly a blessing to see them come to know Him, and to serve Him. Our prayers are with you on your journey with the girls. I will be back in Addis on Oct 24th for three weeks. Yo0u can contact me at sbbrownguitars@yahoo.com.
God bless you guys!
Justine and Ray,
I just wanted to say that it really was a honor reading all of your blog postings about your family journey, FAYA, and all the other good you were doing in Ethiopia. The world is full of so many special people, you guys included!
You did an absolute amazing job on writing and putting your pictures in to describe everything. Truly wonderful!
Rhonda
rkturgeon.blogspot.com
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