Our Next Steps
The waiting isn’t over yet. Having sent the LOI (letter of intent) to adopt Xi Xiao Yang, we must wait for China to match our dossier with Xi Xiao’s paperwork and approve us to adopt her. China will then send us a PA (pre-approval) to adopt. They will then send our TA (travel approval) next. The time from LOI to TA is generally around 60-90 days, but there are exceptions to that rule.
Once the adoption agency gets the TA, they arrange consulate appointments with the US Consulate in Guangzhou (near Hong Kong), start booking flights to and from China and planning the itinerary. The time from receiving TA to travel to China is usually about 2-3 weeks.
First, we will fly to Beijing (bay-jeeng) and spend a couple days there, sightseeing and getting used to the time difference. Next, we fly to Gansu province where we will be united with Xi Xiao and spend a week there getting used to being a family. Third we fly to Guangzhou (gwahn-joe) for a few days of paperwork, consulate appointments and such. Finally, somewhere around 10-15 days after we first land in Beijing, we will travel to Hong Kong and from there fly back home. I hope to travel with some other families, but because we are a SN family, we may find ourselves traveling all by our lonesomes. Don’t worry – I won’t be entirely on my own. The adoption agency has staff and works with travel guides in China and they will be with us every step of the way.
And so we wait. Check the site every once in a while for new posts. Hopefully one of the next entries will be news of our much-anticipated trip to China! Stay tuned!
Isaiah 43:5“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.”
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