Intent

Re-using the dossier we had for Star but also using a different agency presented a new complication.  This was a new program instituted by China and everyone from the Chinese agency, to adoption agencies and the United States government was trying to figure out what everyone had to do to make this work.

Before we could submit a letter to China asking if we could adopt this boy, China had to move our file from our previous agency to our new agency.  This meant someone had to go to a warehouse and physically find our file in some storage area and place it in a stack, drawer, box, some sensible order so it could be found when our new paperwork showed up.

That process took about 6 weeks and we were finally allowed to submit our Letter of Intent.  This went to China on 4 Mar 2011.

For those who have no idea what I'm talking about - it really is a letter of introduction of us to the Chinese authority over the adoption of orphans.  In that we basically introduce ourselves to the Chinese officials, we tell who we are, what our educational background is, what our vocation is.  We assure them that we have the funds to take care of the child, what educational and recreational opportunities exist as well.  Then we told them of our family - from marriage to the children we already have.

We asked for the honor of adopting the child and to raise him properly, never to mistreat or abandon him.  We promise with our signatures to comply with all the reports required by the government after the adoption, so that China will be assured we are living up to our promise to love and care for him as if he had been biologically born to us.