I figured this would happen - we got word that the orphanage donation went up. It was $3,000 US when we started. I knew it was going to go up, but in my mind, I figured it would go up by $1000 this year and maybe another $1000 next year.
According to the statement we received from Great Wall, the CCAA stated that, with the exchange rate, they are not able to make the money go as far as it once did (no surprise there - no one's money is going as far as it once did).
They have raised the donation to 35,000 Yuan (and payable in Yuan, which is new), which is, at today's (12/12/08) exchange rate:
35,000 Chinese Yuan(s) = $5,110.01 US Dollar(s)
1 USD = 6.8493 CNY
1 CNY = 0.146 USD
That's quite a jump. I wonder what it will be when we are finally in the home stretch?
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Pending Review
People from May 2007 are still pending review!!! Holy crud, does t his mean we're going to be in THAT limbo for another year, before we're in review, then pending referral for another freaking 2 years?!? I can't believe it. It looks like the 5 year prediction may actually come true.
Un-freakin-believable!!
Un-freakin-believable!!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
We're In Translation
We got our "Places Everyone" email from Beth at Great Wall today. We're now in translation. After that is Pending Review, Review, Pending Referral and...a long time later...Referral.
According to the email, Great Wall will receive the next referral group from CCAA in early September, and they will have experienced a 31 month wait.
31 months. Wow.
According to the email, Great Wall will receive the next referral group from CCAA in early September, and they will have experienced a 31 month wait.
31 months. Wow.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
LID!!!
We have our LID - June 13th!!!
I spoke with Beth from Great Wall and she said that the wait time is currently 30 months. They are being told by the CCAA that the wait time should peak by the end of 2008, then start to drop in 2009.
I spoke with Beth from Great Wall and she said that the wait time is currently 30 months. They are being told by the CCAA that the wait time should peak by the end of 2008, then start to drop in 2009.
Friday, June 6, 2008
DTC!!!
We are DTC (Documents to China). YEA!!!
The next steps are:
The next steps are:
- After the dossier is received by Great Wall in China, they will walk it into the CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) and we’ll get a Log In Date (LID). It typically takes about 6-8 weeks for the CCAA to send the agency the LID. The dossier is logged in pretty quickly, but it takes a while to get the date.
- Translation (CCAA translates all documents to Chinese);
- Review Room (CCAA reviews dossier for eligibility requirements); and
- Matching Room (CCAA matches us with child).
We are on our way.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
I-171H Received!!
We received our I-171H today. It's the last document needed in the paper chase portion. Nice wedding anniversary present (5/14/08 - 3 years) to Tom & me!!
I sent it off to Great Wall today via FedEx.
Amidst all the sadness for the people lost, missing and hurt in the earthquake, there's a little glimmer of happiness that we have finished a significant portion of our work.
I sent it off to Great Wall today via FedEx.
Amidst all the sadness for the people lost, missing and hurt in the earthquake, there's a little glimmer of happiness that we have finished a significant portion of our work.
5/14/08 - Update from Great Wall
From Great Wall:
"Here is an orphanage update received from our Beijing office. I still have not received any word on Fengdu SWI, Jiangjin SWI, or Guixi SWI. I continue to request updates and will pass along any information that I receive as it comes in. Here is the latest information we have received from the Civil Affairs:
Lianping, Chonqing: All children and staff are reported safe. Reports of serious structural damage.
Yunyang, Chongqing: All children and staff are safe. Some damage reported
Fuling, Chongqing: The staff and children are safe. The new orphanage building sustained some structural damage which is being assessed.
Nanchuan, Chongqing: All children are safe and no damage reported.
Xiushan, Chongqing: All children are safe and no damage reported.
Zhaotong, Yunnan Foster Care: All children in this program are accounted for and safe.
Chengdu CWI: Some foundation damage to the rehab building and some cracked walls in other buildings. The children’s building is in the best shape and all children have been moved to the first floor but spend most of the day outside, weather permitting – or in the institution buses if there is rain."
"Here is an orphanage update received from our Beijing office. I still have not received any word on Fengdu SWI, Jiangjin SWI, or Guixi SWI. I continue to request updates and will pass along any information that I receive as it comes in. Here is the latest information we have received from the Civil Affairs:
Lianping, Chonqing: All children and staff are reported safe. Reports of serious structural damage.
Yunyang, Chongqing: All children and staff are safe. Some damage reported
Fuling, Chongqing: The staff and children are safe. The new orphanage building sustained some structural damage which is being assessed.
Nanchuan, Chongqing: All children are safe and no damage reported.
Xiushan, Chongqing: All children are safe and no damage reported.
Zhaotong, Yunnan Foster Care: All children in this program are accounted for and safe.
Chengdu CWI: Some foundation damage to the rehab building and some cracked walls in other buildings. The children’s building is in the best shape and all children have been moved to the first floor but spend most of the day outside, weather permitting – or in the institution buses if there is rain."
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Earthquake In China
May 13, 2008
There was a horrific earthquake in China yesterday, killing tens of thousand of people.
Tom and I heard from our adoption agency that three of the social welfare institutes they regularly get referrals from were in that region. The information coming out of the area is spotty, due to the lack of phone services, etc., but early reports stated that the local regional guides are all okay, and the orphanages were evacuated. We sent a donation to the relief fund. Hopefully it will help.
There are still pretty large aftershocks happening in the area.
Please keep these poor people in your prayers.
Here's what we received from Great Wall:
Dear Families, Several orphanages in the Sichuan and Chongqing provinces that Great Wall regularly receives referrals from have been directly affected by the catastrophic earthquake that occurred in China May 12, 2008. In an effort to assist orphanages that have been affected by the earthquake; Great Wall has started a special relief fund for orphanages in need. These funds will go directly to providing rescue resources, reconstruction projects, and any other necessary assistance.
If you are interested in donating to the fund,please click on the following link to download the donation form. This form can then be emailed, faxed, or mailed directly to Great Wall. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Kimber at Great Wall China Adoption by phone at 512.323.9595 ext 3053 or by email at kimber@gwca.org.
Link to donation form: http://www.gwca.org/donate/earthquake-relief-fund/
There was a horrific earthquake in China yesterday, killing tens of thousand of people.
Tom and I heard from our adoption agency that three of the social welfare institutes they regularly get referrals from were in that region. The information coming out of the area is spotty, due to the lack of phone services, etc., but early reports stated that the local regional guides are all okay, and the orphanages were evacuated. We sent a donation to the relief fund. Hopefully it will help.
There are still pretty large aftershocks happening in the area.
Please keep these poor people in your prayers.
Here's what we received from Great Wall:
Dear Families, Several orphanages in the Sichuan and Chongqing provinces that Great Wall regularly receives referrals from have been directly affected by the catastrophic earthquake that occurred in China May 12, 2008. In an effort to assist orphanages that have been affected by the earthquake; Great Wall has started a special relief fund for orphanages in need. These funds will go directly to providing rescue resources, reconstruction projects, and any other necessary assistance.
If you are interested in donating to the fund,please click on the following link to download the donation form. This form can then be emailed, faxed, or mailed directly to Great Wall. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Kimber at Great Wall China Adoption by phone at 512.323.9595 ext 3053 or by email at kimber@gwca.org.
Link to donation form: http://www.gwca.org/donate/earthquake-relief-fund/
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Hello Left Hand? My name is Right Hand. What have you been up to?
As you can see from my earlier posts, my mother’s fingerprints have failed at USCIS (Immigration) on a couple of occasions now. After the first time (Feb. 14th), they sent us another notice for March 11th. We go March 11th and they process her twice. We are told that they only print twice and they did hers three times, so we’re done, right? WRONG.
We get a notice in the mail that her prints were unreadable again, so we have to get a background check for her in Suffolk County (her current county of residence) and any city she’s lived in for the past five years (Katy, Texas). Then we’ll have to bring her to USCIS and have her attest to a questionnaire in the presence of an agent. Can this be done in Hempstead, I ask the person at the 800 number? I don’t know, they reply. Probably not. (Sigh.)
So, since it looks like we have to go all the way into Manhattan, I figure it would make more sense for my mom to have valid ID instead of expired ID. First, a non-driver’s ID from Motor Vehicle. Tiffany is nice enough to offer to take my mom to DMV, but of course, it doesn’t work. They won’t accept her expired passport, they won’t take her Social Security Card (it’s metal and was issued about 50 or 60 years ago by Social Security). So, no go.
Wednesday: I take my mom to Social Security to get a new Social Security Card. They won’t accept her expired passport or her expired license. They won’t accept the metal Social Security Card, even though they issued it. After giving me a bit of a hard time, I tell her that we have been running around in circles trying to get this straightened out. I can’t get a license with out the Social Security Card and I can’t get the Social Security Card without a license? So, after looking over my mother’s 18 pieces of identification that she won’t accept, she accepts an AARP membership card (no picture) as identification. SCARY.
Saturday: While we’re waiting for the Social Security Card to come, I ask Tom to take my mom and get her picture taken for her passport and send in the application, pictures and old passport for renewal. I leave typewritten, detailed instructions of what to send, because I will be away and won’t be able to do it. It’s basically the first thing in this process that I’ve asked Tom to take care of. He sends the application and pictures overnight to the Passport Service Center, but neglects to send the passport, figuring that my instructions are wrong and they just need a copy. WTF?!?!? So, I come home from a nice relaxing two days in Amagansett to this. I lose it, to put it mildly.
Monday: I have to call the Passport Service Center and see what the procedure is for getting the passport to them, as I don’t want to send it without a referral number and have it get lost in the mix. They tell me that I have to wait for either a phone call or for the passport to be returned in the mail. Sigh again. Thankfully, there was a call on my machine on Thursday of that week, asking us to call.
Thursday: I call the Passport Processing Center and they tell me that they can’t talk to me; they need to talk to my Mom (who is staying at my brother’s for a couple of days to watch his kids). I knew I should have pretended to be her, but want to do things the right way. I tell her that I’ll conference my mother in, but if all she is going to do is give us a reference number so we can send the passport in, I will be the one handling it and she can just tell me. She sighs I can get behind that, I’ve been sighing A LOT lately) and tells me that she really needs to talk to my mom. I tell her again that I’ll conference her in. She sighs again and tells me its okay. She just needs the old passport. Of course, my mother brought it with her to my brothers, and my lunch hour is half over, so I’m not going to get there and get back in enough time. Sigh. I stop by after work and pick it up.
Friday: I overnight the passport. It arrives on Monday. We have her passport on Wednesday. Alright, things are looking up, right?
In the midst of all this freaking nuttiness, we get another fingerprint appointment notice for my mom for May 7th. WTF again? They said we wouldn’t have to go back, but maybe we can keep the appointment, bring the questionnaire and the police clearances and take care of it all at once. Only one way to find out – call USCIS and ask. What a train wreck their phone system is. After being on for about 20 minutes and pressing every freaking option they give you (because there is no specific option for getting contradictory freaking information from USCIS – and there should be!), I finally get a person. He can’t answer my question (What? No? You’re kidding?), but he gives me an email address for the NYC field office, tells me to email my question and they will get back to me within 48 hours. Yeah, right. Good thing I wasn’t holding my breath. Over 48 hours pass and I send a second email, telling them I was told that I would have an answer within 48 hours and they are handing out contradictory information and I need to know what to do.
Today (5/1/08): I get an automated response from USCIS, telling me that they will get back to me in 3 business days from their receipt of my email if the question can’t be covered in the information contained in their response. Well, guess what Sparky? It can’t and the information in your email is outdated. The fees are incorrect and the I600A has become and I800A due to the Hague Convention.
Surprise, surprise!! I get an email from USCIS, telling me that we should disregard the fingerprint notice. They emailed a copy of the document my mother needs to complete and sign in the presence of a witness and a notary. So, no need to go into Manhattan or Hempstead? Great. The document says that she’s signing in the presence of a USCIS agent, but the email (thank God I got it in writing) says that it can be done here as long as it’s witnessed and notarized. We’ll see. It’s done and in FedEx for delivery.
We get a notice in the mail that her prints were unreadable again, so we have to get a background check for her in Suffolk County (her current county of residence) and any city she’s lived in for the past five years (Katy, Texas). Then we’ll have to bring her to USCIS and have her attest to a questionnaire in the presence of an agent. Can this be done in Hempstead, I ask the person at the 800 number? I don’t know, they reply. Probably not. (Sigh.)
So, since it looks like we have to go all the way into Manhattan, I figure it would make more sense for my mom to have valid ID instead of expired ID. First, a non-driver’s ID from Motor Vehicle. Tiffany is nice enough to offer to take my mom to DMV, but of course, it doesn’t work. They won’t accept her expired passport, they won’t take her Social Security Card (it’s metal and was issued about 50 or 60 years ago by Social Security). So, no go.
Wednesday: I take my mom to Social Security to get a new Social Security Card. They won’t accept her expired passport or her expired license. They won’t accept the metal Social Security Card, even though they issued it. After giving me a bit of a hard time, I tell her that we have been running around in circles trying to get this straightened out. I can’t get a license with out the Social Security Card and I can’t get the Social Security Card without a license? So, after looking over my mother’s 18 pieces of identification that she won’t accept, she accepts an AARP membership card (no picture) as identification. SCARY.
Saturday: While we’re waiting for the Social Security Card to come, I ask Tom to take my mom and get her picture taken for her passport and send in the application, pictures and old passport for renewal. I leave typewritten, detailed instructions of what to send, because I will be away and won’t be able to do it. It’s basically the first thing in this process that I’ve asked Tom to take care of. He sends the application and pictures overnight to the Passport Service Center, but neglects to send the passport, figuring that my instructions are wrong and they just need a copy. WTF?!?!? So, I come home from a nice relaxing two days in Amagansett to this. I lose it, to put it mildly.
Monday: I have to call the Passport Service Center and see what the procedure is for getting the passport to them, as I don’t want to send it without a referral number and have it get lost in the mix. They tell me that I have to wait for either a phone call or for the passport to be returned in the mail. Sigh again. Thankfully, there was a call on my machine on Thursday of that week, asking us to call.
Thursday: I call the Passport Processing Center and they tell me that they can’t talk to me; they need to talk to my Mom (who is staying at my brother’s for a couple of days to watch his kids). I knew I should have pretended to be her, but want to do things the right way. I tell her that I’ll conference my mother in, but if all she is going to do is give us a reference number so we can send the passport in, I will be the one handling it and she can just tell me. She sighs I can get behind that, I’ve been sighing A LOT lately) and tells me that she really needs to talk to my mom. I tell her again that I’ll conference her in. She sighs again and tells me its okay. She just needs the old passport. Of course, my mother brought it with her to my brothers, and my lunch hour is half over, so I’m not going to get there and get back in enough time. Sigh. I stop by after work and pick it up.
Friday: I overnight the passport. It arrives on Monday. We have her passport on Wednesday. Alright, things are looking up, right?
In the midst of all this freaking nuttiness, we get another fingerprint appointment notice for my mom for May 7th. WTF again? They said we wouldn’t have to go back, but maybe we can keep the appointment, bring the questionnaire and the police clearances and take care of it all at once. Only one way to find out – call USCIS and ask. What a train wreck their phone system is. After being on for about 20 minutes and pressing every freaking option they give you (because there is no specific option for getting contradictory freaking information from USCIS – and there should be!), I finally get a person. He can’t answer my question (What? No? You’re kidding?), but he gives me an email address for the NYC field office, tells me to email my question and they will get back to me within 48 hours. Yeah, right. Good thing I wasn’t holding my breath. Over 48 hours pass and I send a second email, telling them I was told that I would have an answer within 48 hours and they are handing out contradictory information and I need to know what to do.
Today (5/1/08): I get an automated response from USCIS, telling me that they will get back to me in 3 business days from their receipt of my email if the question can’t be covered in the information contained in their response. Well, guess what Sparky? It can’t and the information in your email is outdated. The fees are incorrect and the I600A has become and I800A due to the Hague Convention.
Surprise, surprise!! I get an email from USCIS, telling me that we should disregard the fingerprint notice. They emailed a copy of the document my mother needs to complete and sign in the presence of a witness and a notary. So, no need to go into Manhattan or Hempstead? Great. The document says that she’s signing in the presence of a USCIS agent, but the email (thank God I got it in writing) says that it can be done here as long as it’s witnessed and notarized. We’ll see. It’s done and in FedEx for delivery.
Monday, April 14, 2008
WILL IT NEVER END?
We got a notice that my mother's fingerprints were rejected - AGAIN - and now we have to obtain a police clearance from all jurisdictions she's lived in the past 5 years (Katy, Texas and here). Then I have to take her back to Immigration and she has to complete a questionnaire in the presence of an INS officer.
I can't freakin' believe it. We are never going to get our baby.
I can't freakin' believe it. We are never going to get our baby.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Fingerprints Part II
Well, my mom got a notice today that she needs to have her fingerprints redone. March 11th @ 8:00 AM. So far, no notice for me, but at this point, if they need mine redone, they may as well send me one, since I have to take off work to take my mom anyway. Right before my vacation, too.
I'll probably get my notice next week and have a different date for printing, so I have to take MORE time off. ARGH!!!
3/11/08 - UPDATE
We went this morning so my mom could get printed. She was third in line (okay, going pretty decently so far, right?). They took her in about 8:30. She comes back out around 10 minutes later and sits down. They scanned her prints - no good. They want her to wait so they can do it again.
We wait about an hour. They reprint her - no good. I ask what the next step is as this is the second time we've been back. He said we won't have to come back. They have 3 sets of prints (incomplete as they are), so the FBI will attempt to cull one viable set of prints from those three.
I emailed Diedra at Great Wall (I love Diedra and will miss her when we move on to the next phase) and asked what options are available. She got back to me very quickly and emailed me a sworn statement for my mom to fill out regarding her history. That should take care of it.
I'll probably get my notice next week and have a different date for printing, so I have to take MORE time off. ARGH!!!
3/11/08 - UPDATE
We went this morning so my mom could get printed. She was third in line (okay, going pretty decently so far, right?). They took her in about 8:30. She comes back out around 10 minutes later and sits down. They scanned her prints - no good. They want her to wait so they can do it again.
We wait about an hour. They reprint her - no good. I ask what the next step is as this is the second time we've been back. He said we won't have to come back. They have 3 sets of prints (incomplete as they are), so the FBI will attempt to cull one viable set of prints from those three.
I emailed Diedra at Great Wall (I love Diedra and will miss her when we move on to the next phase) and asked what options are available. She got back to me very quickly and emailed me a sworn statement for my mom to fill out regarding her history. That should take care of it.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Keep your finger(tips) crossed!!
We had our fingerprints done on Valentine's Day. Tom's went perfectly, they had a little bit of an issue with my mom's, and a big issue with mine. They had a hard time getting mine to read on the scanner.
I was in there about 10 minutes longer than anyone else. They just kept redoing them, smashing my fingers around on the scanner. I don't care what they did to my fingers, as long as it comes out alright. The woman that did it said that she got them to a point where they pass on her end, but if the person who is running the background check is picky, I may have to go back. Things just don't want to go smoothly with my prints. I had to go back again at the local level, too.
If I have to go back, I just hope it's quick.
I was in there about 10 minutes longer than anyone else. They just kept redoing them, smashing my fingers around on the scanner. I don't care what they did to my fingers, as long as it comes out alright. The woman that did it said that she got them to a point where they pass on her end, but if the person who is running the background check is picky, I may have to go back. Things just don't want to go smoothly with my prints. I had to go back again at the local level, too.
If I have to go back, I just hope it's quick.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Wait - Revisited
I've been avoiding the Adoption.com forum for a while now, as the rumors about the wait are beginning to get to me.
As I said in an earlier post, there are rumors that the wait could go as high as 5 years (which is just crazy!). There are rumors that the CCAA will close down during the Olympics, increasing the wait time.
Even though every step we take is a step closer to the wait for the referral, I feel like they are stepping back on the other end, and taking our baby with them. I know everything happens for a reason and I should just keep that in mind, but 5 years?!? 21-24 months is bad enough.
What has helped has been visiting Tiff's blog and the China adoption blogs I have links to here. It helps to see people who are home with their babies. They are beautiful and happy and had to wait a long time, too. Thanks to all of you.
As I said in an earlier post, there are rumors that the wait could go as high as 5 years (which is just crazy!). There are rumors that the CCAA will close down during the Olympics, increasing the wait time.
Even though every step we take is a step closer to the wait for the referral, I feel like they are stepping back on the other end, and taking our baby with them. I know everything happens for a reason and I should just keep that in mind, but 5 years?!? 21-24 months is bad enough.
What has helped has been visiting Tiff's blog and the China adoption blogs I have links to here. It helps to see people who are home with their babies. They are beautiful and happy and had to wait a long time, too. Thanks to all of you.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Home Study
We got our draft home study by email last night. Thank you Miriam. It looks good and only needs a couple of corrections. Then it can be sent to Great Wall and Immigration. Then we can get fingerprinted again.
Thanks to Bonnie, Dave, Sandy, Tiff & Squid for their letters of recommendation.
UPDATE: 1/9/08 - Great Wall wants changes and Tom got a new job (Hallelujah!!), so we need changes as well. Of course, this is going to cost us. There will be an additional fee on top of the $800 already paid. I don't have a problem with it, except I hope she's not lumping in the information that she keeps asking me - which I've given her at least 2-3 times already.
At least we're getting closer. That's what I have to keep telling myself.
UPDATE: 1/13/07 - Got the revised home study. Still a couple of changes. One step closer every day. Sending back my revisions today.
UPDATE: 1/16/08 - The changes have been made and revised home study is off to the NY license agency for signature. Then we'll get it back and send 1 original to CIS to attach to the I600 (then hopefully we'll be fingerprinted in the not to distant future), 2 originals to Great Wall and 1 original for us. The bill for the changes was very reasonable. One step closer.
UPDATE: 1/24/08 - I spoke with Jan at Baker Victory (the NY licensed agency that oversees the Social Worker) yesterday. She said the home study was due to be sent back to me yesterday. Another step closer.
Thanks to Bonnie, Dave, Sandy, Tiff & Squid for their letters of recommendation.
UPDATE: 1/9/08 - Great Wall wants changes and Tom got a new job (Hallelujah!!), so we need changes as well. Of course, this is going to cost us. There will be an additional fee on top of the $800 already paid. I don't have a problem with it, except I hope she's not lumping in the information that she keeps asking me - which I've given her at least 2-3 times already.
At least we're getting closer. That's what I have to keep telling myself.
UPDATE: 1/13/07 - Got the revised home study. Still a couple of changes. One step closer every day. Sending back my revisions today.
UPDATE: 1/16/08 - The changes have been made and revised home study is off to the NY license agency for signature. Then we'll get it back and send 1 original to CIS to attach to the I600 (then hopefully we'll be fingerprinted in the not to distant future), 2 originals to Great Wall and 1 original for us. The bill for the changes was very reasonable. One step closer.
UPDATE: 1/24/08 - I spoke with Jan at Baker Victory (the NY licensed agency that oversees the Social Worker) yesterday. She said the home study was due to be sent back to me yesterday. Another step closer.
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