Another 2+ weeks in Pakistan . . . going on 149 days, 21+ weeks, 5.5 months! We have a very special Birthday coming up for our Sweet Pea, Gracy Girl !!!
I know I sound like a broken record . . . but, have I told you, AGAIN, how HOT it is here!!! My favorite taxi driver & I have a special way of saying hello - Nancy: "How hot will the drive be today?" Driver: "Today . . . HOT Drive!" Believe me, I will welcome the "hot" Oklahoma summer of 2-3 weeks of just 100 degree weather! But, truly . . . it is only a minor inconvenience! :)
Monday (5/23) - I received a call from the USE/Islamabad late in the afternoon. The Islamabad "decision" has been made . . . the case's timeline orphan status "facts" is too "complex" for USE/Islamabad to approve Gracy's IR-4 adoption permanent immigrant visa. The case will now be sent on to New Delhi, India for final decision/processing. Yes, the tears flowed & flowed & flowed tonight! My family & I skyped for comfort. The guest house family (Karim, Shelina & Sameer, bless them!) helped me weather through the disappointment. Gracy & I will not be coming home this week, next week or . . . for sometime. During the call, I did ask for special permission to speak to the USE official that has made this decision. I have a "possible" appt with him tomorrow morning. Hopefully, I can get a better explanation on what this "no approval" decision means & the status of the case from this individual.
Tuesday (5/24) - I was able to speak with the Mgr of American Citizens Services Unit this morning. I was not allowed a personal, face-to-face appointment with him (which I had requested), but I was able to directly speak with him via phone. He explained that the USE/Islamabad has only a very basic USCIS office & has authority to approve only the very "straight forward" I-604 investigation cases. Our case is not "straight forward" . . . but is very complex with complicated timeline facts for orphan status eligibility & prospective adoptive parent status eligibility. Islamabad has not "denied" the immigrant visa, but neither has an "approval" been given. The electronic file & case has been sent "up the chain of command" so to speak . . . to the closest, fully staffed USCIS office . . . New Delhi, India. All is not lost with the I-604 processing done here in ISL. New Delhi will take the I-604 investigation facts that ISL has gathered & will begin a thorough review, again, from the inception of the case in 2009. However, the USE ACSU Mgr could not give an estimated timeline on how long this next level of processing will take . . . there is no average timeline . . . it could take a few days to several months . . . so, all I can do is wait. The next step is to wait a week & then follow up again with USE/ISL to see if I can be given a status update.
The rest of the week was the normal, daily childcare, laundry & catching up on work emails. I am starting to work a few hours each week to try to become re-introduced back into my work at H&P. I have regularly kept up on reading emails, but now I am actively responding & participating in specific tasks. It definitely helps in feeling "normal" again! LOL!
Tuesday (5/31) - I have waited a week for news that the electronic file has officially been sent on to New Delhi. I called the USE/ISL today to verify that the electronic file was sent last Wednesday. Yes, you have to follow up & make sure people are doing what they say they will do . . . "things" slip through the cracks (enough said!). So . . . yes, the file was sent. I'm told it will take a week to receive the electronic file in New Delhi &, at this point, ISL is no longer involved in the final decision & will not receive any status updates until the final decision is made. I'm told to forward any questions/concerns I have to New Delhi . . . I'm given a generic email address, which I'm told I may/may not get a response from, depending on my question/concern. I send an email plea to the New Delhi USCIS office, using the email address, to please provide me a "timeline estimate" on the process for immigrant visa decision. We will see what the next week brings . . . hopefully good news.
Saturday (6/4) - I picked up my new Pakistan visa extension this afternoon. Miracle worker, Shelina, was able to help me obtain a 6 month visa extension this time. The monthly extensions were bringing too much focus to my case & creating some issues with the Pakistan Ministry of Interior, so Shelina suggested this option. No one really knows how long the USCIS immigrant visa process in New Delhi, India will take . . . so we applied for a several month visa extension (very, very rare with a tourist visa) . . . so I can stay here in Pakistan with Gracy.
Gracy & I moved g.house rooms today. LOL :) . . . since we have been here, we have had 4 different rooms! Karim just keeps moving us, as he needs to best utilize his g.house accommodations for all his guests. At this point, we are like family & just move as needed! This time, however, was a "clean out" project. We had been staying several months in one particular room & mama had to go through & "clean house". Since our new room is smaller, I packed up all the items that we are not using . . . and now, we are down to just the bare essentials!
Monday (6/6) - A week has gone by since the last follow up on the USCIS decision. So, another follow up . . . I found out today that the I-600 form (the critical document for applying for an IR-4 immigrant visa, which I turned in on 4/21 to the USE/ISL) . . . was never sent along with the electronic file 2 weeks ago to New Delhi, India . . . without the I-600, nothing happens, the file was put at the bottom of the stack & not even looked at! No one at USCIS New Delhi & no one here in USE/ISL caught this important oversight . . . I could go on & on about the mismanagement of our case's electronic file, but it really serves no purpose . . . At this point, all I can do is pray . . . pray . . . pray for someone with "higher power" to take over with an "eye on the sparrow". I ask for prayers to be lifted up for the "appropriate, priority focus" on Gracy's case.
Nicky has his 1st Little League Baseball game tonight. My little guy is crazy about baseball. Please pray for me . . . I am a bit blue that I am missing out on so much of my Nicky's life these days. It is difficult to be away from my sweet Nicky, who I love more than life! However, G'ma, Uppa D & my wonderful family, neighbor & friends are helping fill in the gap for Mama . . . but my heart still aches for my "sweet baby, Tyoma"!
Tuesday (6/7) - Our Sweet Pea, Gracy Girl . . . TURNS 2 years old TODAY!!!! For a week, g.house owner Karim has been busy planning a birthday bash! In fact, his entire family has gone over & above. And . . . they have kept it all a secret from Mama & Gracy! Of course, Gracy doesn't have a clue what a birthday is . . . but she will enjoy the attention & have FUN . . . we all will.
The Big B-day started out with Gracy dressing in Mama's favorite . . . a pretty pink/white summer "frock" (as Pakistan calls a little girl's dress) with a big pink bow in her beautiful, dark brown hair. Pink is Gracy's color! Then there were BALLOONS - EVERYWHERE! Karim had ~ 150 balloons put up all around the g.house. Unfortunately, the heat began to pop the balloons before Gracy could get outside to see them . . . no matter . . . the effort was so appreciated! Once they started popping . . . Karim went out & bought even more balloons to bring to the g.house. Gracy had a lot of balloons to celebrate with! Next there was a special luncheon with the g.house staff. There are 6 young men that work at the g.house & have a special love for our Gracy Girl! They take turns each day taking care of Gracy while Mama works or runs errands or needs to attend a specific appointment. Gracy is a very, very active child & sitting still just doesn't come easy for her! LOL! So, if her personal presence is not required . . . she stays at the g.house & plays. Mama know that Karim/Sameer will make sure she is safe & well taken care of. So, it was only fitting that Gracy have a special b-day lunch with the staff! After lunch, she was taken into the common lobby area & she opened her "gifts". She had a small swimming pool & a toddler tricycle waiting for her! She oohhed & aahhed over each one. But, she immediately wanted to try out the tricycle! She can't quite work the pedals yet, so she just "scoots" with her feet to make it "go". She played & played . . . going back & forth from one end of the lobby to the other. Next, it was the "big time" . . . on to the driveway, one end to the other. Then she went swimming in her new pool! She loves water & splished/splashed everyone! We ALL kept cool for about an hour. Mama was wanting Gracy to nap for a bit, but Gracy had other ideas . . . she moved from tricycle to pool over & over again for hours. That evening was a special b-day celebration at a very nice restaurant, The Olive Garden (no, not the US Olive Garden!). It was a very, very nice restaurant . . . and Karim, Shalena & Sameer (once again) went above & beyond. A special table was decorated all in pink/white with party hats & the "works"! As Mama & Karim brought Gracy into the restaurant . . . candles were lit while singing "Happy Birthday"!!! Gracy's cake was a beautiful pink/white w/tiny blue flowers, Princess "Barbie Doll" cake (with a real Barbie Doll)! And . . . a big number 2 candle! All around the cake were lit tea candles that made the cake just glow . . . beautiful! Gracy (with the initial practice help of Sameer) did her best to blow out all her candles (Sameer helped). It was such a surprise b-day for our precious "Princess"! So, we had cake 1st (everyone deserves to have their cake 1st on their b-day, right!?!) After the cake & watching Gracy dance to the restaurant music, we ordered dinner. Wow! what a feast! Gracy had her normal 2 bites & then wanted her bottle of Nido (formula)! But . . . the adults had a wonderful meal! What a special, special b-day dinner. It was pretty late when we finally got back to the g.house & Gracy was still wide awake! This child doesn't miss anything! She wanted to play with the balloons, AGAIN! It was after midnight before she finally settled down enough to sleep & then ONLY if Mama would let her sleep with several of her balloons! LOL! What an amazing, special day! Words cannot express my gratitude/appreciation for everyone's efforts in making our Sweet Pea's 2nd birthday (but her very 1st b-day celebration) such a wonderful memory. Yes, I know the celebration was more for the adults than for Gracy, since she is so young & Gracy will probably not remember this special party day (& probably will be the only one she will celebrate in ISL) . . . but the adults will remember & we will forever share the memories with her.
Of course, once we are back in the US, we will have another Party BASH! It just HAS to be . . . because it will be such a wonderful, wonderful moment to FINALLY be back home with our Sweet Pea!!! Yes, everyone is invited!
Wednesday (6/8) - A very down day . . . Gracy was very tired today & took a good long nap! She loved playing with her balloons (I think we could have just given her balloons & she would have been happy!). She also rode her toddler tricycle up/down the driveway with each staff person taking turns helping her make it "go"! Yes, a splish/splash in the pool was mandatory after that! She fell asleep very early . . . Whew! Mama was tired too!
Thursday (6/9) - A very normal day of wait . . . but playing with the new b-day toys break up the day. After a good pool splish/splash, we had b-day cake, again, mid-afternoon (this time - we shared it with Giorgio, Italian NGO coordinator). Mama even stuck in her feet in the pool today (of course, I made sure my knees & elbows were covered! lol!)
Mama & Gracy have "adopted" a stray kitty born under the guard house. It is a yellow tabby. Gracy loves it & looks for it everyday. The kitten is very emaciated & we are "loving" it back to health (G'ma remember my childhood days with the barn kittens?). I've told Karim that he will need to take care of it when we are gone! He smiles & says he will try to make sure the kitten stays healthy. Now that we see the kitten gaining in health . . . we will give it a name . . . Hmmmmm . . . will let you know!
Gracy, of course, has some new words -
"Bir-day" - of course, a BIG word this week in honor of our bir-day girl!
"Balloon" - many, many balloons to pop & play with.
On the legal/USCIS/Immigrant Visa front - there is a lot of frustration & uncertainty on what will happen next. I wish I could tell you that the USCIS immigrant visa process is going smoothly, but it is not . . . Please pray for wisdom . . . the right people, the right steps taken, all within the right timing . . . all are very important. Without wisdom, we could hinder the case instead of help. The "bigger picture" is . . . Marina Grace's future! I'm a US citizen with a US passport . . . I can come back to the US, at any time. However, Marina Grace cannot at this point in time (even though I am her legal guardian) & the way we communicate & handle the case . . . will determine Gracy's future!
Yes, we are ready to come home! Pray for wisdom & God's omnipotent timing . . . hopefully good news soon.
Take care . . . talk to you soon!
Love & Blessings,
Nancy (Mama) & Gracy (our b-day sweetie!!)
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