What is all this hull-a-baloo? and Say a little prayer

If you can, say a little prayer for each of these things that I have bolded

Watch out...this post is dry and informative. This is just to answer the question "What in the world are we waiting for?" and "Why can't you just go get Jude NOW?"

Good question....here's what has to happen prior to Jude coming home...

1.Legals. This is all the legal documents for our child....basically the facts that get the "ball rolling". We got these today. Praise the Lord. Our agency says that this can take 4-12 weeks after assignment. For us, it was exactly two weeks. God is good.  (Please praise God for the timely arrival of our legals.)

2. I-600 (we are sending this form tomorrow) and hoping for approval in about a month. The approval will be sent to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). This begins the visa process. This approval is called the I-171.  (Please pray for the "US Citizenship and Immigration" officer that will be handling our approval. Please pray that his/her heart will be softened and that they will work very hard to get our approval asap)

3.The approval will be sent by CIS to the National Visa Center (NVC). (Please pray for those in the National Visa Center that will be working to help issue the visa. Pray for a quick response from them.) 

4.The NVC then sends the approval to the US Embassy in Seoul (the time it takes for the approval date on our I-171 to the time it arrives at the Embassy can be 2-4 weeks). This approval has to be at the Embassy BEFORE the visa can be issued. Before the visa can be issued, Jude has to also have a passport. (Please pray multiple times over for the officers in the US Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. Pray for Jude's visa to be issued quickly by that specific officer. Please pray for Jude's passport to be touched by hands that will move quickly to get him home.)

5. I-864 This document is being done now and it shows the Embassy in Seoul that our income meets the required minimum for adopting a child. Our agency's sister agency in Korea takes these to the US Embassy when they apply for a Visa. (Pray for the Embassy to process this paperwork quickly, making us one step closer to Jude being home. Also, please pray for our agency and our sister agency in Korea to work diligently and let the hands that work on his paperwork be determined and quick.)

6. TC: Once our agency knows that Jude's passport is issued and the visa cable is at the Embassy in Seoul, Jude should get "Travel Clearance" withink 2-4 weeks. Our sister agency takes Jude's passport and the I864 to the Embassy.  Once the visa is issued, that is celebration time friends!!!! Since we are traveling to Korea, our agency will notify us when we have "travel clearance"!!!! (Please pray for God's timing in the travel clearance. I know that I have a plan for this but pray that I would be reminded of God's perfect timing. I desire God's timing to be perfected and for Him to use people to bring Him glory.)

Thanks for your prayers and thanks to God for "every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17