Visa medical: Passed!

After anxiously waiting all week, yesterday brought the news that Francis passed his visa medical exam!  Yay!  Yahoo!  Yippee!  (Just a few of the things that were said on the phone when the news was revealed.)  His visa exit interview will be on Tuesday, due to a holiday (Hero’s Day) on Monday in the Philippines.  After that, we see if we have approval to book our travel dates.  I say again – Yay!  Yahoo!  Yippee!  We had a phone conference call with our agency yesterday to prepare us for travel, and it all finally seemed so very close and so very – right about time!  I have been so emotionally overwhelmed it’s been hard to stop myself from crying at the drop of a hat the past few days. 

Francis – it’s almost time!!!

Visa Appointments Scheduled!

After having things up in the air for a while, I was delighted to get the definite, his-plane-ticket-to-Manila-is-booked, for real dates for Francis’ medical and visa appointments today!

He and his escort will be flying into Manila this coming Sunday, the 19^th, have his medical appointment on the 20^th, and then the blood work will be processed the 22^nd - 24^th.  (The 21^st is a holiday in the Philippines this year.)  They expect to have the medical results back on the 24^th.  Monday the 27^th is another holiday in the Philippines, so his visa appointment won't take place until Tuesday the 28^th. 

We’re praying all goes well with his appointments and we can head out very soon after his visa appointment is completed.  We are SO ready to go!

Wishes for You, for Your Country, and for Our Family

One year ago today, I concluded a blog post with these words:

That my child-to-be is happy, healthy, safe, and loved, wherever s/he is, and that his or her heart might be ready and willing to accept parents who will love and cherish him or her forever.

That is what I’m wishing for today.  

One year later, I know it is Francis we are waiting for.  I know he is healthy and safe and loved.  I know where he is and I know he has loving caregivers preparing him to be part of a family.  I know that on July 19 he told our agency’s liaison in Manila that he is “happy and excited” to meet his mommy and daddy.  This in and of itself is the best birthday gift I could possibly ask for today.

Ironically, we were given a picture of Francis that was taken the day another family from our agency went to his RSCC to bring home their child, taken one year ago today.  The irony of the situation is that the very day that I wished happiness for my child, wherever he was, he looked absolutely – well – miserable!  You can feel his sadness looking at this picture, as he could not understand why every time a family came for a child they never came for him.  Francis, we love you and we are coming soon.  My wish for you again this year is for your happiness, and that you will share the beautiful smile we have come to love so much with those around you today. 

At the same time, my heart has been breaking over this week’s flooding in Manila.  This tragic loss of life and mass destruction tears at my heart.  My wish for the people of the Philippines is for an end to this devastation and a quick reconstruction.  Our prayers are with them.

A visa appointment had been requested for Francis prior to the flooding, and I received word on Wednesday morning that his medical appointment was to be on Monday, August 13, with the visa appointment presumably on Wednesday the 15^th.  He was to be in Manila for five days.  Yesterday morning, however, I received word that the appointments were going to be pushed back to “the 20^th and onward.”  My wish for our family is that the appointments will remain fixed at the week of the 20^th and we will be able to travel soon afterward.  Prayers in this regard would be welcomed.

Here Come The Delays

I promised myself (and just about everyone else) that I wasn’t going to get cranky/moody/upset with the wait to go get Francis.  I was doing so well with that promise.  Until this week.  Yup.  Here come the delays.  I knew if we were going to hit any kind of major delays in the process to get Francis, we would encounter them after our NVC approval landed at the embassy. 

NVC approval was cabled to the embassy in Manila on July 3.  I was so excited because we were just about to the home stretch.  All we needed to do was wait for the visa and medical appointments to be scheduled and we would be off! 

Or not.  It turns out that while we were under the impression that everything had been taken care of with Francis’ passport, he had not made his passport appearance in Manila yet.  (This will make the first of two flights that Francis and his caseworker need to take from Ligao City to Manila before we get there.  He will be quite an experienced flier.)  In fact, there are some issues with the DFA and our agency’s liaison in Manila is hoping that news will come next week.  (Even if we hear on Monday, there will have been a full week with no news.)

So what does this mean? 

The passport appearance still needs to be scheduled.  Once it is scheduled and he appears, it will take 10 days to process the passport.  Only after the passport is in hand can the visa appointments be scheduled.  After that, we can go.

Realistically?  We’re looking at September travel now.  Maybe, if we’re lucky, the very end of August.  We’d just as soon look at September and be surprised if we get called early.  Either way, it’s a delay of about 3-4 weeks from our original estimate, and that’s a kick in the gut.  I just hope we’re with Francis for his birthday in September.

I’ve discovered that reason doesn’t sit well when the one thing you want is to hold your son in your arms – today.  I knew the delays were probably coming, but boy, I would love to know where we stand now.  How much time really is left?  Reassurance in that department would be nice.  Eventually just doesn’t cut it on a week like this.

In other news, Gregg and I are going through the anxiety-inducing process of finding a pet sitter for Lakota and the kitties for while we’re away.  Lakota has separation anxiety and is a big dog, so finding someone who is willing to take care of her is quite the chore.  Praying we’ll find the right person and they’ll be available on short notice when we go. 

Francis – Mommy and Daddy are coming.  We don’t know when, but we’ll be there as soon as we can.  We love you so much and hope you can feel the kisses we send you each day.  xoxo