Incompetence with a Happy Ending

9:30 am:  call Supervisor at USCIS(immigration, but I have some optional other names), get routed to voicemail, left a message
10:30am: get a return call from Supervisor at USCIS
11:15am: get an email with the wrong approval
11:16am: call back and speak to a thoroughly confused Supervisor
12:05pm:  send an email pleading for the correct approval
12:37pm: call and get routed to voicemail, left a message
1:30pm:  call, and get routed to voicemail again, left a louder message
1:30pm:  get a return call from Supervisor at USCIS stating all the reasons why I don't have this approval  yet, I heard her say:  "blah, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, blah, blah".
1:50pm:  get an email with the actual approval in it, WITH THE NAME SPELLED WRONG
1:51pm:  call back and speak/cry to Supervisor at USCIS teller her my daughter-to-be's name is spelled wrong
2:09pm:  get an email with the actual and correct approval.  They will mail the original.
2:37pm:  ship necessary documents to Bethany Christian Services Grand Rapids, MI
2:45pm: order a Venti Sugar Free Caramel Frappuccino, ahhhhhh--thank you Jesus!

I feel like I have been beaten with a bat.

So the happy ending is that this day is over, paperworkwise, and I am at home with my beautiful family and I don't have to cook dinner because I have a wonderful husband who is amazing and I am blessed.  How's that for Choosing Joy?  Confession time:  Joy went out of the picture for much of my day!

The papers will be on their way to China this week......and thankfully we have yet another governmental redundancy to contend with, but the margin for error is very slim.  They will be delivered to the US Consulate to begin the application for Jadyn's immigration visa, after they match up all our paperwork, Bethany will get them to the Chinese govt, who will then issue our travel approval.  A few weeks for the first part and then a few more weeks to get travel approval.

Deb

Fingerprints

This photo was taken by Townline Lake at Ford-Lincoln Camp in August.

Today we got fingerprinted by the Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). What started out with us being 40 minutes early, ironically turned into us being 5 minutes late. FYI--When heading South on Ind. Blvd at 7:30 a.m., one should remember that if, for any reason, you have to turn around and head back 5 miles North, that it will take you at least 3 times as long to get back. So, we find the place in an obscure corner of Hammond only to observe the small waiting line outside the door--they weren't even open yet. Two minutes later the desk guy opens up and starts YELLING directions in English to the 7 Mexicans in front of us. Just a little confusion for them. The whole ordeal took us about 8 minutes and we were back to business as usual. We are expecting to hear back from USCIS anywhere from 30 to 90 days from now. (Come on 30!!!) So we need this final paper to show China that we have been approved from the US to adopt abroad. Recently, with the implementing of the Hague Treaty, there have been a bunch of new procedures and the government agencies are trying to keep up with the new applications while still dealing with the old grandfathered ones. Crazy.

Deb & Dwayne