Switched back to Taiwan - whew!

We received a very important yet nondescript looking piece of paper in the mail this week.  It was from immigration services letting us know that we can now bring a adopted child from Taiwan (not Ethiopia) home to the U.S.!  It took our new Taiwan home study, several supporting documents, $410, a phone conversation with an immigration officer, 2 months of waiting, and we are good to go...until October 15.

Will we make the deadline???  This has been a HUGE concern. 

The desire to avoid paying for a "possibly needed" home study update and almost $1000 for new fingerprints/filing a new I-600A application is something that seemed eminent.  What if we don't get Selah and arrive back home to the U.S. before October 15??!  That would be big trouble.  Recommended refiling: 90 days before expiration.

Here's the GOOD NEWS:  According to the immigration officer I spoke to on the phone, even though we used up our "1 time free change of country from Taiwan to Ethiopia" and we paid for a 2nd change of country, we still haven't used our "1 time free I-600A extension".  Woohoo!!!  We thought using our "1 free change of country" voided any other "freebies" from the government.  Apparently not!  So praise Jesus, we can mail in a little form with no money, get a fingerprint appointment in Atlanta and get an additional 18 months to travel to Taiwan to pick up Selah!!!

Woohoo another 18 months!!

huh? wait. umm, not really excited about the 18 months part.
let's get this show on the road before October!!! :)

A NEW House for the Babies and Mommies!!!

 Official moving day is July 1st!!  More pics and details to follow!!



The outside of the new House of Hope



The babies trying out the new play area in the nursery

Selah's Meets Her BirthMom

After the court hearing, Selah's birthmother and grandfather went to the House of Hope to visit Selah.  Eric and I are SO grateful to His Hands that they have such openness and support for the birthfamilies and that they make this kind of visit possible.  It is vitally important for the families/babies to have these healthy connections.  We cherish the photos and videos we have from their visit on Friday.  Oh there are some tender moments captured on film!  Someday Selah will be blessed to 'see' how she is deeply loved by 2 families!

Court Hearing = Awesome!!

Eric and I are excited to report that our court hearing to adopt Selah went well-- no, it went great--no, better than great!  Here is a portion of what Mona at His Hands reported to us after the hearing:

Court is over and it was amazing.   I have been to 3 court hearings and this was by far the shortest.   We were only in with the judge for ten minutes at the most.  Rae Fang said this was the nicest she had ever seen this judge, she has given them a lot of interrogation in other cases but this time was very short and to the point.   She asked why you guys wanted to adopt.  She wanted to be assured that you guys would love her as your own and provide for her.  The judge questioned the birth mom and grandfather, asking birth mom if she realized what she was doing.  Once this judgement was passed she would no longer be responsible for the baby.  The judge wanted her to state that she had signed all papers and made the decision totally on her own that she was not coerced in any way.  The grandfather was asked if he realized what his daughter was doing and he said yes.  The judge asked if social services had been to their home and done a home study and the mom answered yes.  Rae Fang and both mom and father were given papers to sign and the judge dismissed us!    Rae Fang was very excited concerning how things went, she has been in the court every time so she is a good judge as to how things were.  Rae Fang will now request the home study be done for the baby and then we wait on the court's ruling. 

Wow, what an answer to prayer!! 

There had been those tiny little fears that pricked at our minds.  Feelings that most potential adoptive parents experience--  Will the judge like us?  Will the judge think we have the resources to care for another child?  Will she think we are ready to take on the responsibility? etc.

Then we learn how short and sweet the hearing was. 
Eric and I know without a doubt that God was the one in charge of that meeting. 
Lots and lots of people prayed, and God did his thing!

So now comes another period of waiting.  A guesstimate for when the judge will issue the final adoption decree?  8-ish weeks. ;)  We will keep praying for God to guide the process and trust in his plan.  And in the mean time, we will enjoy every drooly photo of Selah we can get our hands on!

TODAY IS THE DAY!!! (court)

After 2 1/2 years of trying to adopt our second child, in just 12 hours our Power of Attorney from His Hands Taiwan will go before the judge in Taiwan to represent us in our adoption case.  (Thursday June 23 9:50pm EST / Friday June 24 9:50am Taiwan time)

We are praying that everyone who needs to be there will be there, that all paperwork will be in order, that the judge will agree to proceed with the adoption, strength for Selah's birth family...basically that everything goes fabulously!  I'm not sure when we will find out how it went, but as soon as we know, we will pass it along. :)

We love Selah PingChen!!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

We've got a Selah Update headed your way! (about that...)

New pics, videos and new "tricks"...details to follow!!

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Regarding the update mentioned above... I know, I know. I am SO behind in blogging.  It has been a majorly rough 2-3 weeks - personal stuff, church stuff, illness, work drama, blah blah blah - ugh!  I just haven't been able to post the uber-cute pics and videos of Selah.  But I will. :)

Let me fill you in one one exciting bit of Selah news:  She is sitting up, all on her own!!  This is a big accomplishment for a 7 month old baby born 10 weeks early.  Go baby girl!  We are so proud of you!!

What's new?

I wish I had new photos and videos and adoption information to share, but Holly and Trena and their families and some of the House of Hope volunteers have recently left Taiwan for the summer.  Things have been crazy for everyone the past couple weeks-- end of the school year activities, packing for an extended trip, and making transitions to proceed with the His Hands Taiwan adoptions in progress.  Please pray for all these folks in their travels and for their summer to be a restful and blessed one.  Please also pray for those who remain in Taiwan and continue working with the ministry.  And when those "Selah Updates" come along--don't worry--I'll share! :)