March 2009 Attended an information session for Adoption Ministry of YWAM, began pursuing domestic adoption
June 2009 Application accepted with Adoption Ministry of YWAM
September 2009 Switched gears, began pursuing international adoption from Ethiopia, through YWAM Ethiopia
October 5, 2009 Sent in application to YWAM/CHI
October 13, 2009 Application approved by CHI
November 25, 2009 Sent in homestudy paperwork packet (50+ pages!)
November 29, 2009 Sent fingerprints to FBI
December 6, 2009 First of 3 social worker home visits
December 21, 2009 Final social worker home visit
Janaury 20, 2010 Homestudy sent to us for editing
February 2, 2010 Homestudy approved, waiting on fingerprints
February 19, 2010 FBI fingerprint clearance received
February 25, 2010 Picked up homestudy from YWAM, mailed I-600A to Homeland Security Office
March 6, 2010 Received confirmation of receipt of I-600A from USCIS
March 18, 2010 Received fingerprint appointment card from USCIS.
March 26, 2010 USCIS fingerprint apopintment
April 28, 2010 Received I-171H in the mail, notarized dossier & copies
May 17, 2010 Dossier arrived in Addis Ababa
May 25, 2010 Accepted referral for 13 month old boy!
June 1, 2010 Referral documents arrived in Addis Ababa
June 17, 2010 New birth certificate requirement announced, our case put on hold to gather required documents
July 23, 2010 YWAM Ethiopia staff received our child's birth certificate from the local MOWA office
August 5, 2010 Case resubmitted to court with birth certificate
August 6, 2010 Courts closed for rainy season
August 20, 2010 Received court date of November 26, 2010
September 21, 2010 Received new court date of October 28, 2010
October 28, 2010 Attended court hearing in Ethiopia, did not pass due to missing documents
November 11, 2010 2nd court date (we did not have to attend), did not pass
November 15, 2010 Passed court!! Welcome to the family Eba Ezekiel Ballast!!
January 4, 2011 Documents submitted to Embassy, given *tentative* Embassy date of January 18, 2011
January 14, 2011 Found out we did not receive Jan 18 embassy date
February 18, 2011 Received a confirmed Embassy appointment for February 23, 2011!
February 20, 2011 Left for Ethiopia
February 22, 2011 Arrived in Ethiopia and took custody of Zeke!
February 23, 2011 Embassy appointment
February 25, 2011 Received visa
February 28, 2011 FAMILY DAY: Arrived home with Zeke -- we are now a family of 5!
November 15, 2010 Passed court!! Welcome to the family Eba Ezekiel Ballast!!
January 4, 2011 Documents submitted to Embassy, given *tentative* Embassy date of January 18, 2011
January 14, 2011 Found out we did not receive Jan 18 embassy date
February 18, 2011 Received a confirmed Embassy appointment for February 23, 2011!
February 20, 2011 Left for Ethiopia
February 22, 2011 Arrived in Ethiopia and took custody of Zeke!
February 23, 2011 Embassy appointment
February 25, 2011 Received visa
February 28, 2011 FAMILY DAY: Arrived home with Zeke -- we are now a family of 5!
