What's Next?

Many of you have asked recently what our next steps are as far as Maia's adoption goes.  I'll do my best to explain it for you.  :)

Our I-800 was approved and has been sent to Maia's country.  Sometime (hopefully) within the next couple of days, we will be issued an Article 5.  I don't really know what this is, except that it is a very necessary step in the process and nothing can happen until this Article 5 stuff is finished.  So the Article 5 is issued and is then sent to the MoJ.  The MoJ signs the Article 5 and the paperwork is sent to the courts.  We will be issued a court date when Maia will officially become ours.  Then we will pick her up!  If only it was that simple.  You see, the wait for a signature on the Article 5 can take up to 2 months.  Court does not happen immediately after signature either.  And we won't travel until 3-5 weeks after the court date.  There are so many unknowns with the timing that it's driving me nuts!  :)

As far as timelines go, we could travel in June at the earliest it looks like.  That's if we get a signature pretty quickly and don't have to wait long for a court date.  If the steps take a while we could travel as late as September.  So there you have it.  :)

So, in a nutshell, we need:
Article 5 submitted
Article 5 signature
Court Date

And, of course, to pass court.

We would appreciate all of your prayers that God will work a miracle and allow this process to move very quickly if it's in His will.