Journey to China . . .: Two days to go...

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Two days to go...

...until Grandma's Marathon! Katie has been faithfully training for her first-ever marathon. And the fundraising has reached and exceeded our goal by 110%! We feel so blessed! We now have enough for one airline ticket. Check it out...LINK

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Our Adoption Timeline

2006
January
1 Pre-application
26-30 Passport Photos and Application
February
14 Formal Application
April
1 Apply to Department for Homeland Security/I-600A for Immigration of an Orphan/Fingerprinting
May
8 Homestudy finalized
August
4 Completed dossier sent to China Team in Grand Rapids, MI to be translated
14 China has our dossier! Friesen Family Dossier Login Date!

We were told it would be about 8-12 months of waiting for a healthy infant. . .

2007
April
9 Homestudy Update (expires every year)
July
26 Re-fingerprinting (expires every 15 months)
December
15 Re-apply to Department for Homeland Security/I-600A for Immigration of an Orphan (expiries every 18 months)

We were told it would be about 24-36 months of waiting for a healthy infant. . .

2008
June
9 Homestudy Update (third time)
November
15 Fingerprinting expires--we're too weary to update them

We were told it would be about 6-7 years of waiting for a healthy infant. . .

2009
March
2 Receive a list of referrals from a COP List (Children of Promise--aka: special needs or older children).
12 We requested a girl, but were turned down for the 3rd time (I don't remember the dates of our other requests).
31 Receive another list of referrals from a COP List.
April
7 Request two children from the referral list--a boy and a girl. By that afternoon we received the news that we were expecting...Lu QiuFang was our match!
8 Paper work begins...everything that can expire is expiring
21 Our match request paperwork is received by the China Team in Grand Rapids, MI.
23 Re-apply to Department for Homeland Security/I-600A for Immigration of an Orphan /Fingerprinting (3rd time)
May
22 Receive LOA (Letter of Acceptance)
22 Receive the famous "Clear Envelope"
27 Signed LOA received by China Team in Grand Rapids, MI
(This is KEY: means 4-6 weeks to TA!)
June
2 Send visa request forms, passports and some money (of course) in to a courier in DC to get travel visas
3 Received Immigration Approval from Department of Homeland Security (for the 3rd time)
4 Sent a package to Olivia! See story in posting...
14 Our care package arrived at Olivia's orphanage!
16 Received our passports returned with China travel visas pasted inside
18 Our cake was delivered to Olivia's orphanage! Report has it that she was able to enjoy it with her friends. I'm waiting for the pictures...
18 Appointment with our social worker, Kristina, at our agency to go over all the paperwork that we need to hand carry to China in our "Clear Envelope"
18 Homestudy Update (4th time)
July
7 Received TA (Travel Approval)
8 Troy & Jenn's 20th Anniversary!!!
13 Received travel dates!!!
14 Finalized flights to and from China
17 Sent another package to Olivia. See story in posting...
23 Olivia's package arrived
30 Received "Notice of Travelling to China for Adoption"
30 Received Travel Itinerary
August
8 Leave from Minneapolis
9 Arrive at Beijing
10 Fly to Hefei--capital of Anhui Province
10 Gotcha Day--Meet Olivia!!!
14 Fly to Guangzhou
18 US Consulate Meeting
20 Fly to Beijing
21 Leave from Beijing
21 Arrive in Minneapolis
September
5 China travel visas expire

Items pending:
~Mission accomplished!