I just ordered from a wonderful service, called Blessed Kids, that will deliver a birthday cake to a child in an orphanage. They do other care packages also. They include a card, a panda bear, and a letter to the Orphanage Director and Nannies. It's a standard letter, and they will change specific words, listed in ALL CAPS below. It reads a bit like a Publisher's Clearing House letter:
Dear Director and Nannies,
WE ARE eagerly looking forward to adopting AI QIANG. HIS birth date is SEPTEMBER 22, 2006.
WE feel honored that WE will be parents of this wonderful little BOY soon. Thank you for
all the love and care you have given HIM.
If our child is in foster care, we would greatly appreciate it if you could pass the package and
cake to the foster family.
WE HOPE YOU AND AI QIANG ENJOY THIS BIRTHDAY CAKE AND THE PHOTOS WE HAVE SENT PREVIOUSLY.
WE deeply appreciate the time and effort you and your staff devote to helping these precious
children have a good place to live and grow.
PLEASE GIVE THE TEDDY BEAR TO AI QIANG SO WHEN WE COME TO ADOPT
HIM, HE HAS SOMETHING FAMILIAR TO PLAY WITH. PLEASE BRING THE TEDDY BEAR AT ADOPTION TIME.
Thank you for all you have done for AI QIANG. WE will forever be grateful. WE look forward to
traveling to China to bring AI QIANG home as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
MOM AND DAD - JOLIE BAILEY AND SCOTT SUSTEK
AND 3 BIG SISTERS.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sample Itinerary
Here is a rough outline of our travel itinerary. I guess I'd better unpack all those shorts that we packed when we thought we'd be traveling in August or September.
Day 1 - Departure from your hometown to Beijing, you will meet the other families in your Group when you reach China. (If you wish to depart early for China, we will transfer you to your group hotel once you arrive in Beijing. Unless otherwise noted, families arriving early will be booked into the group hotel.) As a general suggestion, it is advisable to go at least one day earlier than the group departure date, especially if you are planning to do the tour in Beijing. If you miss your flight or if any flights are delayed and you miss the tour, there are no refunds.
Day 2 -Arrive in Beijing (Guide will be outside customs holding a green flag and transfers you to your group hotel.)
Day 3 - Beijing Cultural Tour: The Great Wall, Tian'an Men Square and the Forbidden City. (Full day touring.)
Day 4- Travel to your child's Province. You will receive your tickets for the capital city of your baby’s province at the airport in Beijing. You will also receive your tickets for all other Intra-China flights from your guide prior to your flights. Your guide will hold your airline tickets until that time. (A guide will meet your flight and transfer you to the hotel once you arrive in your province.) Your child is usually delivered to your hotel once you arrive unless otherwise listed on your Intra-China itinerary. (Some families travel to the Office of Civil Affairs the same afternoon to receive their child; the Province officials determine this procedure.)
Days 5 to 9 - Bonding with your child, sightseeing, and all official paperwork will be done this week (Receive your child’s passport.)
Day 10– Travel from your child's province to Guangzhou
Day 11- Have baby’s brief medical exam
Day 12- Consulate Appointment (Guide takes your paperwork to the Consulate for review.) Please keep in mind that the American Consulate accepts appointments only on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week.
Day 13 – Pick up baby’s exit visa in the afternoon, the day after the scheduled American Consulate appointment.
Day 14– Morning departure from Guangzhou to the US
Travel Approval Finally Received
Yesterday afternoon, I had completely given up hope for receiving our TA any time soon. Scott went to pick up the big girls from school while I had a glass (or 2) of the champagne we had been saving for TA day. I was sitting at the computer, as usual, playing with the yearbookyourself site -- much thanks to Courtney for distracting me from my woes. I clicked over to my email to look at funny pics Courtney had sent, and there was an email timed at 3:42 from my agency saying, "Waiting Children Families, Travel Approvals have arrived." So I guess I didn't open that champagne prematurely!
It's bittersweet news, because there are no more September appointments at the American Consulate. The email from my agency says travel will be in "October-November." I was afraid of this. Because of the trade fair in Guangdong beginning October 15, our agency doesn't travel from October 15 through the 29th. When I asked our agency rep specifically for the dates she requested, she just said, "I have requested a multitude of dates to get families to China as soon as possible." I think she should run for public office. She certainly has the reassuring but vague answers down pat.
So now, guess what we do? More waiting! The Consulate Appointment confirmation will come to our agency by email in 3 to 10 days. By the time our TA arrived in Austin, it was already Friday night in China so the Consulate wasn't open. In addition, because it is the American Consulate, they won't be open Labor Day, Monday. Of course, neither will our agency. So the first time the Consular staff could see the CA request is Tuesday morning in China, which is Monday night in the US. If they answer in 3 days, then we will know something Thursday or Friday.
This almost guarantees that we won't be with Jon Wiley on his 2nd birthday. I'm trying to keep in mind that we will have him for all the rest of his birthdays!!!
It's bittersweet news, because there are no more September appointments at the American Consulate. The email from my agency says travel will be in "October-November." I was afraid of this. Because of the trade fair in Guangdong beginning October 15, our agency doesn't travel from October 15 through the 29th. When I asked our agency rep specifically for the dates she requested, she just said, "I have requested a multitude of dates to get families to China as soon as possible." I think she should run for public office. She certainly has the reassuring but vague answers down pat.
So now, guess what we do? More waiting! The Consulate Appointment confirmation will come to our agency by email in 3 to 10 days. By the time our TA arrived in Austin, it was already Friday night in China so the Consulate wasn't open. In addition, because it is the American Consulate, they won't be open Labor Day, Monday. Of course, neither will our agency. So the first time the Consular staff could see the CA request is Tuesday morning in China, which is Monday night in the US. If they answer in 3 days, then we will know something Thursday or Friday.
This almost guarantees that we won't be with Jon Wiley on his 2nd birthday. I'm trying to keep in mind that we will have him for all the rest of his birthdays!!!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Chinese Visas back -- T.A. wait continues
Ugh, the wait for TA has been torture. It is always stated as "2 to 4 weeks from LOA," so we've been on pins and needles since July 24. Of course, our agency sends packets to China only on Fridays, so our signed LOA didn't leave Austin until August 1st.
However, several families on the "Rumor Queen" website have posted TAs, with LOAs of 7/31/08. Not only does this make me feel left behind, but those families are scheduling consulate appointments in mid to late September. There are even a few consulate appointments already booked in October. My concern is that there won't be any consulate appointments left in September, and that we will experience yet another delay.
On a positive note, we have our Chinese visas. Scott's mother, Dian, endured road raging motorists and Disneyworld-length lines to deliver our passports and applications to the Chinese consulate on Monday. Then she went back Thursday to pick them up and express mail them to me. They arrived in perfect condition yesterday (Saturday). In January 2008, the application fee for a Chinese Visa magically jumped from 75 dollars to 130 dollars per person. Can you say Olympics?
It would be so wonderful if our TA finally comes this week. Considering all the important papers that have arrived on birthdays, I am led to believe that we will get it on August 27, my mother's birthday. We are already one month from receipt of LOA, and 3 weeks from return of signed LOA.
But getting our son will be all that much sweeter after all this waiting.
However, several families on the "Rumor Queen" website have posted TAs, with LOAs of 7/31/08. Not only does this make me feel left behind, but those families are scheduling consulate appointments in mid to late September. There are even a few consulate appointments already booked in October. My concern is that there won't be any consulate appointments left in September, and that we will experience yet another delay.
On a positive note, we have our Chinese visas. Scott's mother, Dian, endured road raging motorists and Disneyworld-length lines to deliver our passports and applications to the Chinese consulate on Monday. Then she went back Thursday to pick them up and express mail them to me. They arrived in perfect condition yesterday (Saturday). In January 2008, the application fee for a Chinese Visa magically jumped from 75 dollars to 130 dollars per person. Can you say Olympics?
It would be so wonderful if our TA finally comes this week. Considering all the important papers that have arrived on birthdays, I am led to believe that we will get it on August 27, my mother's birthday. We are already one month from receipt of LOA, and 3 weeks from return of signed LOA.
But getting our son will be all that much sweeter after all this waiting.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
GUZ# confirmed
Yes! I received an email today from the American Consulate in Guangzhou. They have our Homeland Security / USCIS file and emailed me our GUZ#. There are so few hurdles left!
A few of the families who received LOA/LSC on July 24 have started receiving TAs. Our agency held ours for a week, so I don't expect anything until the middle of next week at the earliest. There is a rumor (isn't there always?) that a large group of TAs will be mailed out next Wednesday. My fingers and toes are crossed. The people just ahead of us from our agency have received American Consulate appointments on September 9th and 10th, which means they are traveling 8/28 to 9/12. Remember the American Consulate Appointment happens at the end of the 2 week visit. So it is still very possible that we would be in China 9/4 through 9/19 with a consulate appointment on 9/17. We could potentially leave even earlier if we can get an earlier consulate appointment. Hey, I'd be quite happy with a consulate appointment on September 11, 12, 15 or 16.
What we really need now is for the Olympics to be peaceful and smooth. I can see the Chinese government freaking out about the Olympics and shutting down all the government offices. Yikes!
A few of the families who received LOA/LSC on July 24 have started receiving TAs. Our agency held ours for a week, so I don't expect anything until the middle of next week at the earliest. There is a rumor (isn't there always?) that a large group of TAs will be mailed out next Wednesday. My fingers and toes are crossed. The people just ahead of us from our agency have received American Consulate appointments on September 9th and 10th, which means they are traveling 8/28 to 9/12. Remember the American Consulate Appointment happens at the end of the 2 week visit. So it is still very possible that we would be in China 9/4 through 9/19 with a consulate appointment on 9/17. We could potentially leave even earlier if we can get an earlier consulate appointment. Hey, I'd be quite happy with a consulate appointment on September 11, 12, 15 or 16.
What we really need now is for the Olympics to be peaceful and smooth. I can see the Chinese government freaking out about the Olympics and shutting down all the government offices. Yikes!
Friday, August 1, 2008
LOA sent to China today
Today we are about 2.5 hours from home, picking up Eiley and Mia from camp. It's a nice distraction from my constant anxiety about the TA (Travel Approval). I want to make it magically come SOON. It was sent to China today, so I'm really, really hoping for TA on or before 8/15/08 and travel on or before 9/4/08. There are lots of rumors flying through the China adoption Yahoo groups about what effect the Olympics will have on the adoption process. Some families are still getting consulate appointments in mid-August, so it seems that the CCAA (Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs) is expecting to be fully functional.
Several of the families who received their LOAs on 7/11/08 reported that they received TAs today. This is great news, because we are in the very next group! TAs and LOAs tend to happen in 2 week cycles, so keep your fingers crossed.
Once we get the TA, our agency will book an American Consulate appointment. This appointment occurs near the end of our 2-week China trip and makes Jon Wiley an American citizen. Luckily, this appointment is one of the few things that can be booked online. Then we will know our exact departure date, and better yet, our "Gotcha" day!!! We will express-mail our passports with visa requests to the Houston-area grandparents so they can hand-deliver them to the Chinese Consulate in Houston. We did the same thing for Devyn 3 years ago. Chinese consulates will not accept Visa requests by mail; they all must be hand-delivered.
I also learned today from my online-adoptive-mom-friends that our file number for the American Consulate in Guangzhou (aka GUZ#) might be contained on a specific letter from the American Visa office. Tomorrow, I will go home and tear through the files to see if we have it. That would be a relief.
I have a feeling that we will be celebrating Jon-Jon's 2nd birthday in the White Swan hotel in China. How great for us, and how confusing for him. We have all been practicing singing "Happy Birthday" in Mandarin.
Several of the families who received their LOAs on 7/11/08 reported that they received TAs today. This is great news, because we are in the very next group! TAs and LOAs tend to happen in 2 week cycles, so keep your fingers crossed.
Once we get the TA, our agency will book an American Consulate appointment. This appointment occurs near the end of our 2-week China trip and makes Jon Wiley an American citizen. Luckily, this appointment is one of the few things that can be booked online. Then we will know our exact departure date, and better yet, our "Gotcha" day!!! We will express-mail our passports with visa requests to the Houston-area grandparents so they can hand-deliver them to the Chinese Consulate in Houston. We did the same thing for Devyn 3 years ago. Chinese consulates will not accept Visa requests by mail; they all must be hand-delivered.
I also learned today from my online-adoptive-mom-friends that our file number for the American Consulate in Guangzhou (aka GUZ#) might be contained on a specific letter from the American Visa office. Tomorrow, I will go home and tear through the files to see if we have it. That would be a relief.
I have a feeling that we will be celebrating Jon-Jon's 2nd birthday in the White Swan hotel in China. How great for us, and how confusing for him. We have all been practicing singing "Happy Birthday" in Mandarin.
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