Hanna is here!

Well, today was the day I got our little girl. It was quite an experience. The trip to the Foster Home was indescribable with so much poverty everywhere. This has definitely been eye opening for me. I knew it was bad, but you never really know until you see it. To think, my little girl could have had that life. Speaking of Hanna, she is very very sweet. She had no problem leaving with me. I think they had been preparing her and her buddy Rosa for some time now. She ran right to me when she saw me and then stayed with me the whole time. I think it helped that her BFF was with her! She seems to have gotten very good care and she LOVES to eat. I am hoping there is nothing wrong because her belly is very big. We are having a good time hanging out with the other girls and getting to know each other. I am having a hard time posting pics, but I will soon!

We made it!!!

So, after much persistence on my travel companion Elsa's part, we were able to get on a flight yesterday to Kinshasa. We arrived at about 8 pm last night. It is a HUGE culture shock! Makes me appreciate the US a great deal! We found out that we have to go to the US Embassy today in order to get Hanna's exit letter processed. We are being told it could take until Tues. Please pray that we get everything done by Sat so my other travel companion can catch her flight and I can leave Mon as planned!

Next time I post I will have a new addition!

Stuck in Brussels

Well, not only was my plane 2 hours late to Chicago from Columbus (which would have been OK because we had a long layover in Chicago), but our flight was delayed from Chicago to Brussels which meant us missing our connection to Kinshasa!  We originally thought we could get on a flight Thursday night, but now it is gonna be Friday!!!!  We are here in Brussels for 2 nights now.  The Airlines has put us up in a Hotel and provided meals, but we want to see our kiddos NOW!  It seems that all flights for tomorrow are over booked!  Ugh!!

I got my Visa today!!!  Now we are good to go!  Hanna will get her Exit Letter Sat!  Ready or not, here I come!

What a great Monday!

This is what I woke up to today!!!

Dear Susan and Gary Macklis,

 

Congratulations! Your visa has been issued. We are very happy for your family.

We are trying to get a hold of your representative to come and pick up your baby’s visa and packet tomorrow Tuesday, July 24, at 3:00 pm.

 

Sincerely,

Sarah

 

Consular Section

US Embassy Kinshasa

Hanna is coming HOME!!!

OK, so our Escort may have problems getting a Visa, so I (Sue) have decided to go get our baby girl!  I will be traveling with another Adoptive Parent, meeting up in Chicago.  We plan to leave August 7th, arrive in Kinshasa August 8th and I will be back in the USA with HANNA August 14th if all goes well! Hanna has her Embassy Appointment this Monday, July 9th, so we feel confident that she will be ready to come home by August. We are sooooooooo excited to finally have a plan and a date!!!

Thank you Sherrod Brown!!!

So, we have had an interesting turn of events the past few days.  Hanna had her Medical Exam last Weds, 6/20 which means her documents could have been dropped off at the US Embassy 6/21.  When our Agency Attorney attempted, he was told the next eligible day to drop off documents was July 12th!!!!!!  Docs are only accepted on Thursdays!  So, we reached out to Senator Brown's office, and here is what we got today.

Thank you for your email regarding the inquiry made by Senator Brown’s constituents.

 

The adoptive child of the Macklis family is scheduled for document drop off on June 28, 2012 at 12:00 p.m.

The interview is currently scheduled for July 9, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. as our interview schedule is full for July

2, 2012.

 

We hope this information proves helpful to Senator Brown and his constituents.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Andrew G. Winkelman

Acting Consular Officer

U.S. Embassy

Kinshasa, DRC

No matter your political affiliation, please remember what he has done to  help us bring our daughter home!!!!!  After the Embassy  Appt, there is an investigation and then her Visa is issued and her Exit Letter!!!!  Yeah!!!!! 

In the meantime, another family is picking up their son and they saw Hanna at her Foster Home!  Here is what she said about her:

"She held hands w our in country rep on the way to our taxi.  She was dressed really cute, clean, well coiffed. Their care was obvi good." Unfortunately, she did not know for sure it was Hanna because they were calling her "Anna".  The H would be silent in French!  LOVE HER!!!!