Fingerprint Appointment!

On Wednesday, November  25 we mailed our 1-800A form to USCIS. 

On Monday, December 7 we got a letter of notice in the mail saying that had received our application.

On Thursday, December 17 we got a letter with our fingerprint appointment for Monday, December 28th!

I get giddy when I get to take another step in the adoption process.  Another step closer to our daughter.  

After the fingerprint appointment we will wait again to see if we have been approved or not.  If we are (which I am praying we are) then all our paperwork for the dossier has been gathered and we then have to get everything notorized (no big deal), certified (bigger deal because we drive to Harrisburg to get that done) and then authenticated (biggest deal because we have to get all of the documents to New York, wait three days, and get them). 

But the dossier is getting closer and closer to being done!  I might be looking forward to Christmas but what I am really looking forward to is getting our fingerprints on the 28th.  That is an answer to prayer because it is during Matthew's school break so he doesn't have to take any time off and we can go together while Edmund get's watched by my mom. I am so thankful for how God has worked out that timing.

_____________________

I also wanted to share how God is showing Himself to us through this adoption process.

My husband, Matthew turned on a Christmas CD and one of the songs is "All I Really Want for Christmas" by Steven Curtis Chapman.

Matthew said that this song had always touched his heart.

Which reminded me of another song by Steven Curtis Chapman called, "When Love Takes You In."

As we watched the music video for "When Love Takes You In" my heart filled with a longing. 

 A longing I have so often, that aches to draw our daughter into our arms and say we love her.

 

Something that is really difficult to deal with is knowing that I am not taking care of her since conception.  I have no idea if she cries alone, or if she has a loving arms to hold her.  I have no idea if she is afraid or hurting.  The "what ifs" can paralyze my heart.  I want her to know.  To tell her, "We're coming! Keep holding on!  We love you so, so much!"  I wonder if she is feeling alone, abandoned, forgotten.... If she only knew that we were doing all we could to come to her soon.

Then a thought came to me.  My longing for my daughter is like Jesus' longing for us.  Jesus is watching us, saying, "Hold on!  I am coming soon! If you just hold on a little longer I'll be there!  Don't give up living and trying.  I'm coming!"

I can feel the longing for our daughter.  The ache and tears for her.  I cannot imagine Jesus' ache and longing for us.  I don't want her to give up or lose hope, we are coming for her! Each day we are coming for her!

And don't you give up.  Jesus is coming for you.  If it was only you He would come.  Hold on.  He is coming soon and His heart has more love for you that you could ever imagine.

This is part what adoption is teaching me.