Abandonment...

We recenlty learned from our agency that it may take up to a year to get an abandonment decree from the Haitian government for Christéla. This decree is needed before Christéla's adoption process can begin. Please PRAY with us that this isn't the case! Please pray that this decree is issued soon so that her process can begin. Our dossier is ready for her... so, as soon as that is in place, things can start. It is such a long process as it is... and with her health issues, we don't want to see her have to wait that long to come home! We had originally understood that she had to be in the custody of the orphanage for seven months and then that could be issued... that would have been in mid-December. Apparently, that may not be the case.

In other news, our dossier for Aliyah was sent by CCI to Haiti on October 15. We heard today that it arrived on October 21. We are waiting to hear that we have entered "First Legal." Here's an excerpt from another Haiti adoption blog about this step:

First Legal: Any document that had to be authenticated by the Haitian
Consulate has to be taken to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for further
legalization. They legalize the signature of the Haitian Consular Officer that
legalized your dossier at the foreign Haitian Embassy in your country.
If the child to be adopted is already identified and/or as soon as the child is
identified, the child’s portion of the adoption dossier has to be compiled. This
dossier portion includes the social history on the child which is prepared by a
Haitian Social Worker, a Psychologist report, a Medical report and a Lab Report
is made. Additionally, the child’s birth certificate, parent’s death certificate
or relinquishment papers are added to the dossier at that time. Additionally,
any birth or death certificates have to have Archive Papers attached to the
document. This certifies that the signature on the birth certificate and/or
death certificate corresponds with the signature of the official who signed
it. When all the papers are back from Legalization and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, and the child’s paperwork is finished, the dossier is prepared
for the National Office of Social Welfare (IBESR) and sent to the lawyer. The
dossier consists of one original document dossier and three copy dossiers.

Once we get through First Legal... we'll then wait to get into IBESR.