One Step Closer!

There was much rejoicing in the Saski house today as we received news that we are one (big) step closer to our hearts' desire of bringing Chelley and Naika home!

We received an email from our agency this morning that Chelley and Naika's paperwork was being submitted to the Haitian Ministry of the Interior (otherwise known as MOI) today.  It's been 6 weeks since we found out the girls were legally Saskis.  Since that time, our dossier made it through the 3 necessary steps/offices of attestation and legalization and now that those steps are complete, we get to move on!  Being submitted to MOI means that GLA is now applying for approval of the girls' Haitian passports.  This does not mean that their passports are being printed...just that we are now waiting for approval to print their passports.

In some countries, this would be a fairly quick process...sometimes even done while the adoptive parents are in the country with their child.  In Haiti...I'm not sure there is any such thing as a fairly quick part of the adoption process!  Earlier this spring, the step that we are now in was taking 1-2 weeks.  When families got into MOI in March or April of this year, that meant that they should get serious about packing their bags and making final preparations to bring their kiddos home! 

Then, for some reason, in May, progress in MOI came to a screeching halt and many families that I know of have waited 10, 11, 14...some as many as 18 weeks, simply to have their children's passports approved.  This has NOT been encouraging for those families waiting so much longer than expected, or for those of us behind them in the process.  Even earlier this week, I knew that we needed to get into MOI but I wasn't even necessarily looking forward to it because I wasn't prepared for another stretch of waiting for MONTHS  for something that could be done in weeks. 

Then, yesterday, many of us in this process were given great news and renewed hope.  7 families that are just ahead of us on this journey (through the same orphanage) got word yesterday that they had made it OUT of MOI.  Some of them were in MOI 8-9 weeks but some were only in for 4-5 weeks.  That is faster than anything we've seen in months!  We've all been praying that God would release the floodgates of MOI and He mercifully answered those prayers yesterday!   Our prayer is that it continues that way, and maybe even returns to the earlier timelines of 1-2 weeks.

MOI is the last big step that we have left.  The next news that we will receive is that we are out of MOI and after that, it is just a series of shorter steps...Passport printing (1-2 weeks), and then on to a few different steps of the Visa process on the U.S. side of things, which only take a few weeks and then you're planning travel dates and buying airline tickets!!  On average, as people have exited MOI, it is taking about 6-8 weeks until they are given the best news of all...that they can come to Haiti ASAP and pick up their children and bring them HOME!!

The biggest date looming in our hearts and minds is Naika's 3rd birthday on December 2nd.  We are really hoping and praying that God will allow us to spend her birthday with her and not miss yet another birthday.  We've already missed too many birthdays and other milestones for both of our precious Haitian daughters!  So, that means that we would either have them home already or that we would be traveling to go get them in time to spend Naika's 3rd birthday with her.  (Chelley's birthday is in January so this would allow us to have both of their birthdays AND Christmas all together as a family!)  In order for this to happen, we need to be out of MOI in about 4 weeks.  Earlier this week, that would've been possible (because NOTHING is impossible with our God) but not likely.  Now, it's seeming more likely that it could actually happen!!

We know that if God's timing is such that we do miss her birthday, He will redeem and restore all the time that we have missed with our girls.  However, we also know that He wants us to pray specifically and that He delights in giving His children wonderful gifts.  What a gift it would be to have our girls home in time for birthday and Christmas celebrations!!  So, if you will join us in praying along with us for that possibility, we would be so grateful.

Thank you for continuing to stand with us on this journey.  I know it's looooooong and the adoption updates might get old, but we appreciate your love and support so much and pray that God blesses you richly for your kindness and generosity towards us.  We are one BIG step closer and can begin to see the faint outline of the finish line in the distance.  Praise God for all that He has done and is doing in and through this process.  He is ALWAYS faithful!!