Breathing In, Breathing Out....

I keep reminding myself to do that today. Well, the last few days. It always seems that life gets crazier times 10 when you're getting ready to go to Ghana.

Can't go into it here, but yesterday "at work" was one of the craziest EVER! Seriously, such a roller coaster (with a happy ending).

This morning was full of our own family drama. I was hoping our I-600a approval could be rushed a bit because we have a final adoption and I'm going to Ghana next week (and can file the I-600 there). So I wrote to our USCIS office.

THANKFULLY, the officer wrote me back! THAT is a huge praise! And she was very helpful. The chink in the get up is that they need additional evidence to approve our I-600a. The issue is that with Eric's health issues, and with Kendi's health issues, they want to know how I can provide health insurance and enough income to support us all if Eric can't work anymore.

We have to get an amended homestudy (explaining these things) as well as an additional letter from Eric's doctor. All this while I'm getting ready for Ghana and hoping by some miracle we can gain approval by end of week!

But the Lord is good. After a frantic hour and a half we have contacted our Social Worker (whom we have really connected with this time round) and she is going to try to get the amendment done tonight or tomorrow (to us by Thursday). Our WONDERFUL team of nurses at the dialysis clinic also got on the ball, drafted the letter we need, and it's ready and waiting for the doctor to sign tomorrow!

By Thursday this should all be done so that it can arrive back on the desk of the awesome USCIS officer by Friday morning! She said that they approved another case with Eric's health issues last month, so I am praying it's just a matter of getting the additional evidence they need so that she can confidently approve the I-600a.

If all goes perfectly, maybe our I-600a will be approved next Monday, June 8th--the same day I will be filing our I-600 in Ghana (minus the I-600a). By end of week next week maybe we'll have a copy we can scan to the DHS in Ghana so that they can actually begin to adjudicate Miss Kendi's I-600!

The Lord's hands were all over this day. Even though it wasn't easy, and it's not going to result in an I-171h before the end of the week, He provided us with a caring and responsive USCIS officer, who emailed the additional evidence required (rather than snail mail) and has indicated that she will approve ASAP after everything is sent to her. We will end up (trustfully) with an I-171h more quickly than we would have if I would have never inquired with USCIS yesterday.

Praise the Lord! I just have to keep breathing....

Anita