So what happens next?

Referral wait is over. Whew. So now the question always turns to what happens next? Well my friends, we still have quite the process ahead of us. Basically once a referral comes, it is like stepping into the next phase of the wait.......but at least now there is a cute face to look at and pray for! 

Recently Ethiopian adoptions have undergone some changes and the process is different post-referral than what it was last Spring with our first referral - so what is coming next is new for us (and lots of other people)

It used to go like this:

Submitted to court (a child "paper ready", within 3 to 4 weeks of referral acceptance)

Birthparent or finder court date (3 or 4 weeks later)

Adoptive parent court date (2 to 4 weeks later) *after this court date child is considered adopted.

Submitted to Embassy (2 to 3 weeks later)

Birthparent or finder Embassy date (2 to 4 weeks later)

Clear Embassy & come home (1 to 2 weeks later)

Total time after referral to court: 2 to 3 months

Total time after referral to home: 4 to 5 months

The process now:

Submit I-600 to USCIS for PAIR process (typically 2 to 4 weeks to submit after accepting referral)

PAIR process/ Birth Parent or Finder Embassy interviews (8-12 weeks)

Submitted to Court (1 to 2 weeks)

Birthparent or finder Court date (2 to 4 weeks)

Adoptive Parent court date (2 to 4 weeks) *after this court date child is considered adopted.

Clear Embassy & Come home (3 to 6 weeks)

Total time after referral to court: 4 to 5 months

Total time after referral to home: 5 to 7 months

Time frames are obviously VERY approximate - one little bump can cost you weeks, sometimes months (just look at our very long referral loss bump for reference) The main difference between what the process looks like now vs. before is that the United States is basically clearing these children BEFORE they go to court, ensuring that once they are legally adopted in Ethiopia by the adoptive parents, that they will indeed be issued visas to come into the United States. A very good thing. It is also a great safeguard to double check the kiddos stories to make sure that everything is being done ethically and that these are true children who are in need. 

If you are like me,  you are adding up the approximate times in the above process and trying to figure out just when we might be bringing our little gal home. Unfortunately, it's not quite as simple as that, other factors are at play. Ethiopian courts close for 2 months out of the year - from about mid-August to mid-October. As it stands now with our adoption......if everything were to move on the fastest timeline possible with only the smallest of bumps in the road, we might make it to Ethiopia before court closure in August. As much as I want to be there sooner rather than later - knowing how adoption works, I am preparing myself for the Fall. It is a mind-set thing for me. I don't want to spend these next 4 or 5 months driving myself crazy trying to speed up something that I have no control over. 

So what do we do in the meantime? Wait. Pray. Trust. I know that God has got this. He's got this timing thing worked out all I need to do is just wait on Him. 

The good news? This phase in the wait, although potentially long, comes with cuteness. We are so fortunate that our agency provides weekly updates (complete with pictures) of our child, which gives us something to look forward each week. They are so amazing. Last week we got our first genuine smiley picture of our gal. Wowza. She is a precious little girl :)

Please keep her in your prayers - that she would stay healthy, she would truly feel loved where she is now and that God would prepare her heart for our family. Pray for the paperwork side of things, that it would go as smooth as possible for us.