Inside the Brown Envelope

More about that Brown Envelope.

I took it in the house, opened it carefully, knowing it was headed for the "save box," glanced at it quickly, then promptly forgot about it until just now. I never really read through it to find out why that lady in our group thought it was such a life-giving balm to her prospective adoptive-parent's soul.

I'm reading it right now.

On top is an un-signed letter from the Chief of the Immegrant Visa Branch, American Consulate General dated April 18 - just 6 days after our LID, I want to note. Maybe the mailman was the one who ate the BLT.

It says, "Dear RAINFORD, CHERYL: The BCIS (INS) recently notified the American Consulate in Guangzhou (pronounced GWONG-jo) that you have been approved to adopt an orphan overseas."

(Apparently Jon didn't make the cut? Just kidding, he's listed on the return address, their database probably just doesn't know what to do with married couples with two last names, like every freakin business in America.)

Now I remember why I didn't spend much more time going through the rest of the mailing. That first sentence is the important part, summed up right there.

The other reason I stopped reading is that apparently this is the stack of papers we need to take to China and fill out after Molly/Mali's adoption is finalized on the China side and before we arrive at the US side to get her a visa. The rest of the papers in the envelope are: 1. Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative from the U.S. Department of Justice, Immegration and Naturalization Service (isn't that the Department of Homeland Security now?) 2. A notice that effective May 1 we have to use a new version of a medical form that they don't have copies of yet 3. A map of Shamian Island and Surrounding Area 4. A form entirely in Chinese that looks like a list of some sort which, now that I've flipped it over is translated in English on the other side. It is a list of medical exam instructions for orphans adopted by American Citizens with a list of hospitals and clinics and prices for the services. 5. There are instructions for scheduling an immegrant visa interview and an application for a visa.

The funniest part of the packet is a chirpy memo from the Adopted Children Immegrant Visa Unit which starts like this:

"We hope the following information will help smooth your visit to this city and to our Consulate General. Enclosed you will find all the forms necessary to file the immegrant visa petition (not true actually, per #2 above) and apply for the immegrant visa on behalf of the child you are to adopt."

Is that last bit a command or should they maybe have said "you will soon be adopting"... ah semantics.

Interesting to note, we can pay the $335 visa fee with our Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner's Club or Discover card but we cannot take any cameras or recording devices to our oath-taking ceremony due to security concerns.

The letter also contains our Case Number - or my case number, according to the letter. Sorry, Jon. This girl, apparently, is mine in the eyes of the Men in Black at the Department of Homeland Security. If we find her a sister, maybe we should list your name first so she can be yours .


C