It has been exactly 105 days since I last wrote a blog on our process. That's nearly 1/3 of a calendar year. Summer vacations are over, schools are back in session, an entire season has passed us by, however, the beats of my heart have been standing still. There's been little to report on the adoption home-front, and the weekly and monthly updates to our status that we received in year one have been replaced by the deafening silence of year two. I act surprised, though I had read and been told repeatedly that this is what would be in store for us in the latter part of the process.
By nature I am an optimist to the max! I've been consistent in quoting historical adoption timelines to my friends and family. As each of those dates have passed I have become more hesitant and less optimistic in my Korean adoption expertise. What I'm trying to say is as long as I wasn't blogging, I wasn't getting my own hopes up for this process to move at the pace that I felt it should.
So let me run through this for you.........
On August 23rd we received a call from our Program Director letting us know that our file was being prepped for EP submission and that they would need some things updated in order to get us submitted. To make a long story short we frantically rushed to update financials, medicals, home-studies, background checks, reference letters, affidavits, etc., etc., etc. At this point there really wasn't anything to blog about because it would have led me to do more explaining of the unexplainable. Basically the call was to let us know they would be spending the next 4-8 weeks getting our paperwork ready to submit to the ministry.
Today, as I was sitting at my desk, trying to pull myself out of a case of "The Monday's", my phone rang. It was none other than our program director. Now at this point, with optimism at its lowest in years.....I was preparing for the worst. Maybe updated FBI prints needed, maybe a 14th copy of my pay-stub and W-2's required......I mean you never know. But not today.....today we heard those words....."You have been submitted for EP!"
Ok, let's break this down a little. What in the hell is an EP? I'm going to be completely honest with you. I have been trying to figure this out for nearly two years now.....and by definition, I'm still not confident in my explanation.
EP - Emigration Permission......ok so that may not even be completely correct but lets roll with it. I spent a year calling it an exit permit and an emigration permit, and both of those hold weight. I'm still trying to understand emigration vs. immigration.
Basically what you need to understand about an EP is this.....Upon completion of our EP prep, we were submitted for EP approval on 9/30/13. The good news is that this means our paperwork has officially been submitted to the ministry for approval. Once this approval takes place (8-10 weeks) our approval will be forwarded to the courts. After this we will look to be summoned to the courts in Korea, after which we hope for preliminary approval, followed by final approval, followed by Gotcha Day!
To make a long story longer and to answer the oft answered question of when do we go to Korea.....I'm not ready to hop on the train of optimism just yet so lets say all signs point to no later than end of April......you can get optimistic for me and move the dial backwards all you want.
I apologize for all the acronyms I've been using. I have this insane Facebook group I like to call the "Crazy Korean Adoption Group", and this how we've become accustomed to talking to each other.....in other words, this is how we roll!!
This may not be an exciting post, but I assure you this is a major major day for me and Jen, and for all those "Crazy Korean Adoption Group" friends that received the same news today!
It brings Makaio closer to our hearts and closer to our home. It's been amazing to read back through my blog and experience the emotions of the ride all over again.....it's even crazier to know the best is yet to come!
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