This is an email another member of our group received today (wishing we had heard something as well - we've been sitting here all day waiting to hear some news):
We just spoke to the team in Ethiopia, who had a meeting with the US Embassy today. They discussed the extended time frame it was taking the US Embassy to issue invitations for Embassy appointments to families. It was a very positive meeting, with the US Embassy being complimentary about our Lifebooks and desire to complete ethical, transparent adoptions.
They did indicate, however, that we should no longer rely on them taking only 1 - 1 1/2 weeks to review
cases after submission (our team in Ethiopia currently submits the case at least two weeks prior to the family's
intended Embassy date, as soon as they have the required paperwork (birth certificate, passport, etc.) in order to do so). The Embassy could not provide a specific time frame that their review would take, but families would need to, instead, wait until our staff received the "okay" for the
family to travel before starting to plan for a specific Embassy date.
Please inform your families that we do not, at this time, expect that they will be able to travel for the Jan. 4 Embassy date, as we do not know when the Embassy will issue this "okay" to travel. The US Embassy is closely reviewing each child's documents, which takes time. The US Embassy pointed out that this is in the child and the family's best interest to ensure that ethical adoptions are being completed.
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I am so sorry Sills. You have been on my mind and in my prayers often. I actually woke up this morning wondering if you had left and was so sad to read all the updates. Remember this is God's story, not yours or "H's" but God's. Praying for a peace that passes understanding at this point..... and for a fast review of your papers.
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