What does I-800A approval mean anyways?

As you all noticed, I'm just a teensy bit excited about getting our I-800A approval from immigration.  However, many of you have asked a very valid question.  What exactly does that mean?  Where are we in the process?  My wonderful friend, Tonya Wike (who by the way got us into this whole mess in the first place =]), offered a chart that she used to explain this process to her friends and family.  If you follow each number, you will be able to see what step happens next.

Getting the I-800A approval means we just finished step 5.  So, we are on to step 6.  Now, we have to send a copy of the approval to the Indiana Secretary of State with a notarized cover sheet saying that it is the real and true response from US Immigration.  The Secretary of State will put their gold seal on it with a piece of paper that says the notary we used is a valid notary with a current license.  This is called authenticating the document.  Sound kind of silly?  It kind of is but I guess this would be an easy part of the process to try to forge.

Once we get that authenticated, we send our whole packet full of paperwork including our home study, medical exams, proof of employment, financial statement, birth certificates, and marriage certificate all to Washington DC where they will visit the US Dept of State and the Chinese Embassy.  Why?  To be honest, I don't really know why.  What I know is we pay them per document to work whatever magic it is that they do and then . . . and THEN, all of our paperwork is ready for step 7.

We are then waiting for LOA which is a Letter of Acceptance from the Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs.

Hopefully, this gives all of our family and friends an easier way to pray for us.  I will continue to keep you all posted.  Thank you!  Thank you!  THANK YOU! for your continued love, support and prayers.  When I opened up Facebook and saw how many people were celebrating with me, it gave me a HUGE boost.