Our LOA has arrived!

Yesterday, after waiting 110 days, we received our

notification. Our agency wrote us an e-mail congratulating us at 5:15 p.m., but since we were having dinner and did not respond immediately, they called us at 5:55 p.m. to congratulate us. Derek answered the phone, and as I listened to the conversation unfold, I started crying and ran to the computer to read it for myself. After Derek hung up the phone, our whole family started jumping up and down and thanking God!

This long wait for LOA ("Letter of Acceptance") is quite abnormal, but since Ch*na implemented a new computer system, we had to patiently wait for them to fix the "technical difficulties" and process our paperwork.

Essentially, the LOA is the letter that confirms that Hope's paperwork is done and is matched up with our paperwork in Ch*na. This letter also gives us the "go ahead" to begin the paperwork to bring a "named immigrant" into the country. In doing so, we can complete our adoption in Ch*na, and when Hope steps foot on U.S. soil, she will instantly become a U.S. citizen.

This very nice man delivered our LOA today and was so happy to hear the news of our upcoming adoption:

He was beaming!!

So, Derek and I signed the paperwork enclosed and immediately sent it and the immigration paperwork out via overnight mail. Now, instead of simply sitting still and waiting, we have begun the process once again on the U.S. side.

We officially have a countdown to bringing Hope home: 10-14 weeks. We are on a race to get home before our home study expires!