An Adoption Update - Where we are...

I know it's been a long time since I've posted an update on our adoption. I've been hoping that if I waited long enough, I'd have something really exciting to post, and I might actually have a more accurate timeline to share. But a lot of people have been asking, and there has been some positive movement, so I'll let you know what's currently going on and where we are. 

Here's a really quick rundown of the steps in the process that we still have to go through:

-Eastern (agency in Korea) requests our file to prep it for EP submission. 

-EP submission 

-EP approval

-Court submission

-Court date issued 

-TRAVEL!

Although things are still moving very slowly over there, they are finally moving again. 

Families matched with their children in January, February, March, and April of 2012 (just a reminder, we are a December 2012 family) are currently in the EP/court process. Some of them have just been submitted for EP, some of them have approvals, some of them have court dates scheduled, and some of them are in Korea right now receiving their children. There are actually even a few May families who have recently been submitted for EP!

More good news is that Eastern is currently requesting all files through mid-September 2012 to be prepped! This means that they are translating, double checking, triple checking everything to make sure it is all in order for these files to be submitted for EP. Families are currently being told that travel may be about 4 months (maybe a little longer) away once eastern requests your file. That guesstimate could very well change, and we are hoping that it speeds up as the agencies and the MOHW and the courts adjust to the new process. 

Our prayer is that Eastern would request our file at least by the end of the year. That still allows 4 months for them to move from mid September files to early December files. I just know it will bring us such peace and comfort knowing that our file has been sent and that they are at least processing it. It would also give us hope that we may able to travel before the summer next year.

Speaking of travel, as it stands right now, we will be making two trips when we do receive permission to travel. The first trip will be about 7-10 days in length, and it will be to meet Lennox, have a couple visits with him and his foster family, and to appear in court. We will return home for approximately 2-3 weeks, then return to Korea for about 5 days to receive custody, take Lennox to his visa appointment, and bring that baby home!

I'll definitely try to do a better job at keeping adoption updates current on here. Hopefully there will be a lot of exciting things to post about in the coming months! 

Something else I'm really excited about is starting a blog series on here called "Touring Seoul". About once a week, I'll highlight a different place/tourist attraction/etc in Seoul, so that we can all learn a little bit more about Lennox's birth country. Seoul is a beautiful, fascinating city, and I can't wait to share more about it!