The words we have been waiting to say for so long. Seriously, I have had multiple dreams and countless mental pictures of what that moment would look like. I often pictured myself being at work and running out to the hallway to do a happy dance and scream!
Well....right in line with the rest of this journey, my patience was tested. I got the call while at a community meeting at another nearby nonprofit in which I had to present a portion of the agenda. As our agency's number came across my cell screen I glanced at my friend sitting beside me with (somewhat panicky) wide eyes and began the treacherous journey around the entire room, squeezing through chairs and tripping over people's purses and feet. Why did I pick the seat farthest from the door? It took forever and I am quite certain I made a scene.
Once in the hallway, I finally heard our caseworkers voice: "You aren't going to believe this". And I swear her voice dropped a bit because my heart crashed. [pause] "It went through".
Me: "What? Are you saying we passed?"
Her: "Yes, you passed!!!"
The tears started coming and my ability to make a sentence started diminishing. On the day we had chosen for his birthday, months ago, he was adopted. I walked into the first random unoccupied office I found and called Chad. Cried some more, wiped my eyes, took a deep breath and pulled myself back together. For 45 minutes, I sat patiently (well....does fidgeting, doodling and taking 2 more phone calls count?) and waited for my part on the agenda. It. Was. Painful.
Then it happened. The flurry of texts, phone calls, Facebook posts and emails! It was just so beautiful and I have so many pieces recorded for Kwe. Again and again throughout this journey, we have been reminded of just how much love and support we have around us and it was literally a dream come true to celebrate with those who have stuck it out with us.
We passed and we've been in a cloud since! Kwe is ours! His birth certificate reads our names. We get to make the decisions now about his care and safety and education. He can't just disappear or be moved or be taken by someone who claims to be mom's uncle's, grandpa's 3rd cousin. Ghana recognizes him as OUR SON. Which also means we can now share his beautiful face without fear!
Kweku David Rabit Steininger
5 years old
No longer an orphan
:)
So, what happens next?
Hands down. The most frequently asked question these past few days. I love it! :) You all are just like me! Get over one hurdle and you are automatically wondering about and planning for the next one!
Ok, so here we go.
Next we gather all the required documentation to file the USCIS I-600: Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate Relative. Basically this ridiculous stack of paperwork (most of which we have already collected and submitted at some point) is the final trigger for the US Immigration to start their piece in determining if Kwe is a legitimate orphan and safe to immigrate to the US. It is an important step and put in place for lots of reasons, including minimizing child trafficking...which is extremely prevalent.
One potential hurdle for us is that they wont begin their work until EVERYTHING they want is in hand, including the signed Adoption Decree from court and Kwe's new Birth Certificate listing us as his parents. Apparently, these documents can take months for the Court to send out. BUT, remember, we already booked our trip for mid-March!
And I will not be leaving Ghana until these documents are in my hands. AND IM NOT PLAYING AROUND PEOPLE!!!! (see post: Angry as Hell) :|
(insert sweet and innocent face)
Then we wait for approval or a request for additional information. We are told that due to the specific details of Kwe's social history, this process
Then, sneak peak to the NEXT step, once we get this approval we apply for Kwe's Passport and VISA. THIS IS THE LAST STEP! But it can be a tricky one... more to come on that later.
My attempts to keep this short and sweet have already failed miserably.
So for now, the celebration continues! We praise God for his faithfulness. He promised He would never leave us AND He promised that He would not leave Kwe as an orphan. And He came through. He always does.
Cheers!
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