Submitted to Embassy

Josh and I knew there was a chance that our case might get submitted to embassy this week (cases can only be submitted on Wednesdays) but when I woke up on Wednesday morning with no e-mail from the US embassy I figured that our agency was not able to get all of the documents needed to submit us. I quickly e-mailed our agency just to make sure. They quickly e-mailed back to say that the embassy had typed our e-mail address in wrong and that we had INDEED been submitted.  All I could do was yell THANK YOU LORD about a zillion times!!! One step closer to having our son home.  Here is the e-mail from our agency which explains what the next steps are:

"Dear Rogers Family,

Congratulations, your embassy paperwork was submitted today!

We are excited for your family as you enter into this final stage of your adoption process. Many families have commented this season of waiting is the hardest, and our prayer for your family is that you will have a peace that passes understanding as you wait through this final season.

Once the embassy receives your paperwork, the embassy will let us know within 10 business days whether you are cleared, whether they'd like to interview someone involved in the case (birth parent, police, etc.), or whether your case is "not clearly approvable" and is being forwarded to the USCIS office in Nairobi, Kenya. Based on the most recent timelines we've seen, I anticipate we'll hear from the embassy regarding your case early next week.

Once your paperwork is submitted, the embassy will copy your family on all correspondence with us. The Embassy could potentially notify us on any day of the week that you are cleared to travel and will notify you and us once you are cleared via email. As soon as they clear you to travel you will need to notify the embassy of your top 3 choices for embassy interview dates. We will then request these dates and should hear from the embassy on the following business day regarding your request.

Embassy interviews occur Monday-Thursday with the exception of embassy holidays. Visas are issued the second day after the interview (Monday interview=Wednesday visa pickup) with the exception of Thursday interviews for which visas are issued the following day (Friday). Families can leave Ethiopia any time after 7pm on the day the visa is issued."

We are once again praying for a MIRACLE.  We are praying that our case would be cleared and that we can get GET OUR SON!  However, we know God's plan is perfect.  We'll let you know as soon as we hear what the Embassy would like to do with out case.