USCIS WANTS MORE

(I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S UP WITH THIS NEW FORMAT ON BLOGGER, BUT IT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO INDENT OR SEPERATE MY PARAGRAPHS WITH SPACES. TIPS, ANYONE?) Earlier this week we got the wonderful news that we had been assigned an USCIS officer. Usually it takes 2-3 days, approval is received, and the family can make travel plans. The day before yesterday, our agency received a call from the officer at USCIS. The reason for the call: USCIS is requesting an update in our homestudy, and they've asked us to file a form called the Supplement 3, which is another small bit of paperwork. In order for our homestudy to be updated, our original social worker has to come back to our home and do another interview and update our information. There are a couple of reasons why USCIS wants us to update our homestudy. One reason is because our financial information has changed since we did our homestudy, now over a year and a half ago. Another reason is because our original homestudy did not include the information about our ability to adopt a child with special needs. Our little girl is considered special needs due to the fact that she is significantly developmentally delayed, and has had 3 seizures over the last 2 1/2 years. Our family trusted the Lord when we requested this precious little girl and were miraculously matched with her, even though she was nearly a year older than the approval Peru themselves gave to us. God himself has opened doors that would have been impossible for our family to open on our own, time and time again. Now, it is the Lord Himself who is able to bring us through this final approval. USCIS wants to be sure our family is capable in every way to provide for our little girl. We are standing on the Word of God alone right now, and refusing to let our minds wonder to the what ifs. Thankfully, the short list that USCIS is asking of us should not take too terribly long. In fact, our amazing social worker is coming to our home this very weekend to interview us and amend our home study. We also have to update our back ground checks, and are going to be ale to go about that in an expedited way, so that it should not take long at all. Our prayer- everything is at USCIS by the end of next week. What's going on in Peru right now? The governing authority over adoption, SNA, is merely waiting to hear from USCIS that we are clear to travel and set up meetings. What else? A little girl is waiting on her mommy and daddy, and three brothers to come and embrace her, and love her forever. Here in Lousiana? The USCIS determines yet again whether our family is capable or suitable in one way or another. What else? There is a mom whose arms are aching to hold and care for her precious little girl. A daddy whose heart's desire is to have his daughter home to tickle, chase, and read to. Three little brothers who are so, so eager to finally have their sister home forever. I never blogged about a recent discovery we had. We have a friend who lives right here in our town who is from Peru. I've known her for some time but only in the last year did I find out that she was from Peru. A little over a year ago, at a baby shower, we got to visit for some time and that's when I found out she was from Iquitos, Peru. That city didn't ring any bells in my heart at that time. I knew it was a city in Peru, but I knew there was little to no chance we'd be going to that exact city. She also told me that her aunt worked with something dealing with adoptions in Peru. I thought that was really neat. What a coincidence! So you can understand my excitement when I found out that we were adopting a little girl from that exact town! You can also understand my excitement when I got another piece of information. My friend's aunt that works with adoptions in Aperu- actually works at the exact orphanage our little girl is at!!!!! It is truly absolutely nuts. We are beyond thankful for the contact and the help! Because of certain laws regarding making contact with the child you intend to adopt, while filing this I800, we aren't sure as to when we can make real contact yet. Hopefully we will be able to do that very soon, though! We are choosing to fix our eyes on our God and His Word right now. BUT LET ALL THOSE REJOICE WHO PUT THEIR TRUST IN YOU; LET THEM EVER SHOUT FOR JOY, BECAUSE YOU DEFEND THEM; PSALM 5:11