Grace Finds a Home

Success! This morning Helen called us to report that all of our documents were ready a whole day early. This meant that we were to be at the United States Consulate at 4:00 pm to receive them and take our oath. The consulate is in downtown Guangzhou. We went up about four levels of escalators and were herded into a large room along with many families, all of whom were adopting Chinese children. After queuing up to have our passports checked we took a seat. Children were everywhere...laughing, crying, sleeping, screaming, and playing. Parents were swapping their stories and trying to keep kids in line. Eventually, the consulate general came out and took the microphone. He welcomed us to Guangzhou and congratulated us on our expanded families. He noted that November is National Adoption Month in the USA. Then he shared some statistics. Today, 52 families from 29 states were receiving immigration documents for their children. Then he mentioned that several of the children are having birthdays this month. He shared that Grace Minjun Russell's birthday is November 30 and that she will be 4 years old. Everybody cheered! Then he had all of us stand and raise our right hands. Next came the oath: "Do you certify that the paperwork and documents you have submitted are authentic and true?" Everybody said "I do" and that was it. We received three important documents at this point. One was a sealed brown envelope with various documents inside for the customs/immigration officials at Newark, NJ where we will land in the USA. This package is only to be opened by homeland security at that time. The second document we received was the adoption decree. The third document was Grace's Chinese passport with a visa to the USA in it. She will be traveling on a Chinese passport...but when she lands on US soil she will become an American citizen. The picture at left shows Grace proudly holding her new passport. When we get home we will apply for her new USA passport.

It felt almost like a graduation...as though we had recieved our diploma for completing our BS degree in adoption and immigration. Anyway you slice it, we won the paperchase and we're bringing home Grace!