Consulate Day

I'm often asked why the adoption trip takes 11-14 days in country.  Good question!  The short answer is, you guessed it, bureaucracy.   A quick google search gave me several definitions of bureaucracy, but this one sums it up perfectly.

bu·reauc·ra·cy

• excessively complicated administrative procedure, seen as characteristic of bureaucracy.

  "the unnecessary bureaucracy in local government"

  synonyms:

  red tape, officialdom, paperwork

And, add to that the fact that TWO governments are trying to work together to make something happen, and yeah....you get the idea.   So basically, we complete 1-2 hours of paperwork or procedures each day, and then we spend the next 10-12 hours watching Netflix, playing endless games of War and Go Fish, or sightseeing.

But today, we crossed the finish line of The Great Adoption Race of paperwork and procedure: United States Consulate Day!  This is the day we hand over the culmination of the week's work of documentation, take the oath of citizenship on behalf of our child, and receive his visa to travel HOME to the United States.  Can I get a Hallelujah?!

We arrived early to the consulate, cleared security, and headed to the Adoption Unit.  The first sign read, "Please take a number and be seated."  Oh boy....flashbacks of waiting for hours at the DMV to renew my license came flooding in, but thankully, this visit didn't take long.  :).

When our number was called, we made our way to the window and handed over a giant envelope of documentation.  The clerk reviewed our paperwork, asked a few questions about Zeke's special need, and then took our oath on behalf of Zeke.  Easy peasy!

So, Zeke will travel home on a Chinese passport with a visa to enter the US.   At our first port of entry (San Fransisco), we will hand the immigration officer his adoption decree along with a few other items, and Ezekiel Mufung Williams will become a United States citizen.  That will make all the bureaucracy so worth it!

We made it!

A few pics from Consulate Day: