Letter of Intent

Friday
August 16, 2013

This is it.  Letter of Intent Day.

For those of you new to our journey or unfamiliar with the process, here's the rundown.  The kids returned to Colombia on August 2, 2013.  No one can apply to adopt them for two weeks after they leave.  Beginning on August 16, families can send a Letter of Intent, which tells the Colombian government that they are interested in adopting one (or more!) of the kids who visited the United States this summer.  ICBF - the child protection system in Colombia, similar to our social services/human services - reviews all of the letters, then notifies the families whether they can proceed with the adoption process.  If more than one letter arrives for the same child/children, ICBF decides who will be allowed to apply.  If no one applies for a child within two months, the child is then eligible for other advocacy programs to try to find a forever family.

If you've been following our journey from the beginning, I'm sure you're wondering about the "rest of the story."  Did Michel find a forever family?  Will our family be applying to adopt?

Knowing that Michel is old enough to navigate Google, and wanting to protect her privacy and that of our family, I'm going to leave you in a little bit of suspense.  Many of you who know us well already know how this part of the story ends.  But if you're curious, please feel free to e-mail me through the contact page, and I'll be happy to share what we know thus far.

Perhaps this is revealing too much, but I'll just say this:  Michel came with the Summer Miracles program.  We are hoping to be more than just a summer miracle for her.  And perhaps she'll be more than a summer miracle for us.

Thank you for joining us in one of the most unforgettable journeys of our lives.  It has been an honor to share it with you.