Update

We thought we would write and give everyone a quick update on our adoption. There really is not much to say as we are just waiting for our regional assignment, which will probably come sometime next Spring or Summer.
We are fairly close to a few other couples also adopting from Colombia. Two of the couples received their regional assignments and we are anxiously waiting to see what happens from here. This is our first time to see this part of the process in action.
We have been doing a lot to get ready for our new little one. We bought some furniture for the nursery, Chris has been picking up a few things at garage sales and we have been reading through our children’s books to refresh our memories of our favorite stories. We also had a garage sale last weekend as a fundraiser. It was probably the hottest day of the year (at least it seemed like it to us). There were not many people out, nevertheless we had the biggest and best sale in our neighborhood. A couple of people came back for seconds. Paul put up a sign thanking our family and friends who donated items. Not 2 minutes after the signs were up, someone came up to us and began telling us about their daughter they had adopted 20 something years ago. We thought that was neat. He said he might drop by sometime to see how things are progressing.
A few weeks ago we were able to meet Julie, our social worker in Oregon. Children’s Hope sponsored a dinner for all Colombian families to come meet her. She sat at our table (which happened to be full of people still waiting for their children) and she was barely able to eat because we kept asking questions. It was a rare opportunity to meet her face-to-face and get to talk with her. She is so gracious and patient. She never acted putout or disappointed that she had to eat a cold dinner and answer the same questions she has been asked hundreds of times.
There were so many children at the dinner. We had forgotten how many families we have been able to see come together. It was nice to have everyone in one room visiting. The event was an excellent resource for us. Everyone is so tickled when you ask about their children and their trip; they provide a lot of encouragement and advise. (Take a look at the photos)
Children’s Hope has an annual picnic in St. Louis. Julie sent us the link to view the pictures (http://www.childrenshopeint.org/colombiaupdate.html) and a link for a news interview with a mother whose family has adopted 3 children from Colombia. http://wb11tv.trb.com/news/kplr-news-071506-1,0,4067270.story
Colombia news: In the last few months Colombia has elected a new president. He is considered to be a conservative and ally to the U.S.
General adoption news: There is upcoming legislation regarding the form the INS (now a part of the Div. of Homeland Security) requires all adoptive families to complete and have approved before they are allowed to bring their child into the states. The form is the I-171h. The application fee for this is $545, plus $70 per person for fingerprints. The proposal is to allow the approval to last for 2 years instead of 18 months.
Why is this important to us? The approval is required by the country you are adopting from before that country will approve your adoption. Often the wait between the time the form is approved and when you go get your child is more than 18 months. This requires the parents re-apply and, yes, pay those fees again. While the fees listed above are the ones required by the INS to process the application, there are also fees for the paperwork submitted to the INS with their application (ex. homestudy, certified copy of birth certificates, marriage license).
If you are interested in influencing this legislation, please contact your congressperson and encourage them to move forward on it.
The legislation will not help us with this adoption, but it will save us money on the next one.
Thank you for being part of our adoption adventure. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. We will keep you posted every few months.