I-797C, Certification, Authentification OH MY

September 15…… how the day began and how it ended were nothing but further proof of HIS way not our own.

We had planned on running to Chicago to get our I-797C paper authenticated. We had a 15 passenger van ready. two DVD’s set for the girls. I had maps of exactly were the consulate was, where China town was, where the post office was, where the expressway ran, hours of the consulate were double checked and called on. We THOUGHT we had it all set…. perfect. We were going to get to the consulate before 11:30 drop off our form, go to China town, lunch, pick up form after 3:00, mail completed dossier to China, head back to Michigan, clean school and EVEN make our hair appointment.

Welll, go figure – it just did not happen that way BUT God made it work perfect!!

First after about 30 mins out in the van, Dan got sick and we had to turn around and take him home. Steve said he still would drive and we decided we still had time to make the deadline. THANK YOU STEVE!!

Then starting back out 1 hour later, the closer we got to Chicago – the wetter things got and eventually we hit a detour. Not great when we did not even have a state map because Dan knew where to go….. and he was home. ANYWAYS, we made it through the detours and started watching the clock…. getting closer to our deadline of 11:30. Between bringing Dan home and the detour, we were cutting it very close.

So finally we make it to downtown, found a exit that I had on my map and headed to the consulate. Steve was a incredible driver in that huge bus!! In and out of traffic and able to turn at any street that I told him. RED lights? After running one I asked him "did you know you ran that" He said "YUP, and I'm going to run this one too!!!I bet he could drive in China!! We made it to the consulate with 15 minutes left in our deadline only to find the door locked!! WHAT??? We called and double checked that they were open. Well as we just looked at each other like “what to do” a mailman came and rang a bell and was let into the building and we followed right behind. The lady behind the window gave us a card and pointed down the road. The mailman said just go 3 streets up to their other office!! So, we ran back to the van, directed the crazy driver and he pulled that van on our way. When we got close to the corner where we should be Stacy, and I jumped out of the van, I saw the address and ran in, asked directions inside and hit the elevator for the 5th floor. Once we followed the signs we had to pick a number…. 281 they were on 251 - and it was 11:24. Not only that but they closed for lunch at 12:00 We sat and wondered, do they sent everyone away at 12:00?? I was calculating how long it took one person to get done (3-5min) and then we called Steve. He was circling the block with the girls thinking we could just drop off the papers and be out – NOT!! He found a parking spot (after 4 laps the girls said) and we just sat wondering what to do. We knew if we came back after their lunch we would not be able to pick up our authenticated papers the same day. We knew we did not have a mailing envelope for them to even mail it to us. We knew any delay in getting the I-797C authenticated today would make our dossier have to wait 1 more week for the log-in-date AND we would be 1 month behind AND China closes for a couple of weeks in October and we would have to wait even longer.

Sooo, as we sat there and contemplated what to do… praying for a miracle to make the deadline yet, we noticed a lady that just came out with lots of passports and paperwork in her hands. We joked that maybe it was “Denise” the currier we had used before to run our papers to the consulate. I said to Stacy “call her name” thinking maybe she could help us. Stacy looked at me and thought WHY NOT!! So she did,… “Denise” and Denise looked around and it WAS HER!! We introduced ourselves and our dilemma and she pulled us over to the counter and said to Stacy “run and get me a number” We thankfully had
* cash for the fee
* a passport picture so that she would be allowed to pick up the papers for us
* a mailing label all filled out for Great Wall
* a copy of the form that GW needed along with the completed I-797C

She took everything, ran to the window minutes before they closed for lunch and they took it. She said she would pick up the completed forms, mail it to GW for us, mail us a copy and we could just reimburse her for the mailing fee. WHAT?? HOW could that have been more perfect?? We had everything we needed for a currier to pick up the form for us and just happened to find one there, at that moment, that we knew her name, that would even put her own money out for us!!

Tell me that the whole day was not orchestrated by HIM!! Stacy and I ran out the building with the cell phone in hand to call Steve and at the very second he happened to pull up right in front of the building, I mean just like in the moives!!

Then we had a incredible lunch in China town, walked the streets a little while and left for home - Steve wanted to head back to beat the rush hour. We then pulled off in Michigan City (still an hour behind Michigan time) and mailed the rest of our dossier from the post office. It felt wonderful to have that on its ways… knowing that the I-797C would arrive in GW’s office one day later but everthing would be in Texas before their 10:30 am Wednesday deadline for mailing to China that week.

I keep telling Stacy and I know she agrees. Nothing on this earth can stop HIS plan to bring these two little girls home!! Not only to a home, our home, not only one but both… TOGETHER!! Can I say it one more time …. God is so good!!!

Oh, and yes, we made it to our hair appointment… thank you Rhonda for taking us even though we were a little late and yes, after that the school got cleaned.

slept good that night!!

September 19, 2008
Got our long awaited call from Stephanie that the dossier was on it’s way to China!! We waited months to hear those words!! Felt wonderful. We now have about 60-90 days to wait for LOA (letter of acceptance) and then 30 days for TA (travel approval) and then 30days for travel arrangements and we hold our long waited daughter and niece!! Heres praying for faster time frames so that we could travel in December. We would not have to miss much work & the tax credit would help with the bills AND WHAT A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT!! We shall see what is in Gods plans - HIS timing is flawless.

A special Thank you should also go to Debbie our USCIS person. She went beyond the call and has a heart for the children and the families that she helps. She was at her position until one day after she completed our I-797C. Can not imagine where our file & Knopers would have been had she not been our reviewer. I know the timing was perfect to have her work on our files!!