May 6: Received our finalized copies of the Home Study
May 7: Mailed i600A to USCIS (for US Immigration to approve us as an adoptive family and assign a biometrics appointment.)
May 8: Submitted application to Both Hands for a fundraising project
May 8: Submitted grant application to SBC Pastor's Adoption Fund (received approval on 5/20 for $500 grant upon child referral!)
May 9: USCIS receives our application
May 13: USCIS issues "Notice of Action"...they've received our application, and forwarded it for an appointment assignment
May 13: "Adoption Alert" issued: The government of Ghana has issued a temporary suspension on all international adoptions.
May 15: Submitted application to Show Hope for adoption grant.
May 23: Received biometrics appointment notification for June 12. Sarah will be in Uganda, so we must reschedule...appointment planned for June 20 or 21.
May 24: Received photos of our Africa pottery necklaces, designed just for us by Compelled Designs! We can't wait to get them in! We'll be selling them for $24 each, plus $3 shipping, if necessary.
May 24: Received official approval as a Both Hands family! We are so excited to be able to help a local widow, while raising funds for our adoption. If you would like to be part of our work/planning team, let me know as soon as possible. There is room for everyone, and we'll have a variety of projects that anyone can do! Check out the following video, that shows the heart of Both Hands.
BOTH HANDS FOUNDATION from michael sydenstricker on Vimeo.
As far as the temporary suspension of adoptions from Ghana...We're in a wait and see pattern. We were kind of caught in an in between stage, so we're just in a holding pattern to see what happens in Ghana over the next few weeks/months. The United States is still processing things on this end, so we continue, pray, and will see what happens.
