Once you receive your PA, you begin your wait for LOA.
LOA - Letter Of Acceptance.
A letter from China that basically states that this child, the child whose picture you have fallen in love with, the child that you have been praying for and dreaming about is YOURS!Typically the LOA (acceptance letter) comes in 60-90 days. The first 60 days were easy. We have adopted twice before and we know that there are some steps that can not be expedited or shortened in any way. This is one of those steps. You basically hunker down and wait it out.
The next 30 days were not so easy.
They were hard.
I would check my email, my mailbox, my Facebook groups and call my adoption agency to see if they had any idea how much longer.
The new computer system that China had implemented was causing delays, especially for those who had started the LOA waiting process prior to the new system starting.
That would be US!
The NEXT 30 days
were REALLY hard!
We passed the "end" of the typical time frame
(90 days).
We hit the 100 day mark!
Devastating.
And we still saw no end in sight.
At day 121, we were having doubts.
What was wrong?
Was there something missing in our paperwork?
Was our paperwork missing???
Then the unimaginable, people who had been waiting for 60 days began to receive their LOA. Their paperwork had been entered AFTER the new computer system had begun. Their paperwork glided right through the system.
A group of families with our adoption agency who had also been waiting for over 100 days formed a group. The Century Club. We prayed for each other, called each other, and supported each other through daily interaction.
and finally on day number
We are moving again!
Now we apply for visas and begin more immigration paperwork.
