Josh and Amanda Palmeri

Updates

• Update 16

  

  3 Months Home 🥰

  September 17, 2025

  Hello friends and family! It has been about three months since we returned home with Abijah, and she is doing so well! She has acclimated to so many new things—new culture, new climate, new people, new home, new lifestyle, etc. We are grateful beyond words for God's grace on her life and for the support of our family and friends. THANK YOU!

  Our flight home was an eventful one. On June 22, we began our journey home on a direct flight from Delhi to JFK. Due to a medical emergency of one of the passengers, our flight was diverted to Baku, Azerbaijan... where we sat on the runway for 7 hours! The adventure was not over yet! A slew of issues presented, including the flight crew not being able to take us all the way to New York because of time limits on their flight hours. At one point, about 5 hours into sitting on the tarmac, the best case scenario looked like we were going to fly back to Delhi! But that plan failed as well. By a miracle, we were finally able to take off for Heathrow, London, where we had a short layover and hopped the next available flight home. All the while, Abi was such a champion! She slept well and did so well on the flights home. We were so relieved to be back in New York, and it was such a sweet moment seeing our other two girls meet her back at our home that night for the very first time!

  After returning home, we began bonding as a family in those first few weeks, taking in all the new experiences, learning Abi's personality, adjusting to new routines and overcoming jet lag and some "Delhi Belly"! We were truly amazed and so happy to see how well she connected with Ellie and Lily very quickly. We made some special first family summer memories together during these first days, weeks and months.

  Abi is so sweet, spunky and full of personality. She is so bright and intelligent. And she is turning two this week, already! So wonderful to celebrate her birthday for the first time!

  Now, three months in, our family feels so complete. Like Abi was always meant to be here with us all along. She is sleeping well, eating well, playing, standing, and interacting all day long. She is a little social butterfly, too. She fits right into our family.

  Thank you all for your love and support!

• Update 15

  

  We're coming home! ✈️

  June 21, 2025

  We booked our flights home! We are very excited to return home and see the rest of our girls after two weeks. Thank you guys for your prayers!

• Update 14

  

  Visa Acquired!!! 🇺🇸

  June 20, 2025

  Our girl just got her US Visa!!

  This morning, we had our appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Delhi. We truly experienced favor! We were escorted to the front of every line. Our case was processed without any issues. It was an enjoyable experience. We answered the questions asked of us during the interview and we made our petition for the visa to be ready for pickup the same day if at all possible. The agents were very kind and stated that there was a lot to get to and they could not make any promises, and that the visa would likely be ready Monday at the earliest. That would mean we would need to wait another whole weekend before flying back home. They let us know that once it were ready, we would receive a phone call or an email informing us that we could pick it up.

  Well, we prayed that the Lord’s will would be done, and we prayed that the visa would be processed in a quick and timely fashion — that it would be ready the same day for pick up.

  We completed our visa appointment in under two hours! And we got back to the hotel around 10:30 AM. Abi was tired from getting up early this morning, so she took a nap and Amanda and I were resting when my phone rang. Called ID said “Washington DC”. I picked up, and sure enough, a representative from the U.S. Embassy told me that the visa was ready for pick up as soon as possible before 4 PM! What a miracle!

  My driver was still on the clock and so I was able to hop right into his car with my guide and head back to the Embassy. It was an effortless pick up. Once I saw Abi’s U.S. Visa and her certificate of adoption, I was overwhelmed with emotion! This was it — our last collection of documents, representing three years and nine months of waiting and work. Now, she is ours. She is coming home!!!

  I got back to our hotel room, celebrated with Amanda, and booked flights for our departure back home this weekend. We are thanking God for his hand on every step of this process! We praise Him!

  Packing tomorrow. Talk to you soon!

• Update 13

  

  The First Week Together 🥰

  June 19, 2025

  Thank you all so very much for your prayers! Today marks day 9 together with Abi. It’s hard to believe it has been over a week already since we first stepped into her orphanage and saw her and held her for the first time!

  In just nine days, her bubbly personality is bursting out. She is smiling, babbling, playing and sleeping so well. We are truly experiencing and witnessing the hand of God on her life in a powerful and beautiful way.

  We know that this is directly the effect of everyone’s prayers to our Faithful God. He is so good! Praise Jesus! We thank God for you all ❤️

  Now we have a couple days remaining to finish the formalities to obtain her visa and our exit permits. We love you all!

• Update 12

  

  A Special Father’s Day 🥰

  June 15, 2025

  This Father’s Day is special. Really, they all are. I get to be the dad of three beautiful girls. I am blessed!

  Each time I celebrate Father’s Day the first time after having another one of our kids, it is special. Father’s Day 2025 is special because we just welcomed Abijah Jasmine into our growing family. We love you, Abi! ❤️

  What a joy it is to be the father of each of my girls. To see them grow, learn, develop new interests and skills, learn to know God’s love for them. To laugh and to play. To re-learn the joy of being a child again. To direct and instruct. To be challenged in my role as I want to guide them in the right path.

  And now, I have another beautiful daughter to share life with. To teach and to love. To care for and to guide. What a privilege. I am blown away at the gift of being Abi’s daddy this Father’s Day. That God would choose me to be her Dad. What a wonder…

  This Father’s Day marks the start of us as a family of five. As a girl dad, I’m outnumbered (I was already — it’s me and the dog 😂). It starts the mark of a new season of learning so much about our newest addition. Her interests. Her personality. Her needs. Her fears. I get to love her and guide her and protect her, just as with all my beautiful daughters.

  Thank you Lord for the precious gift of being a father of these three girls. Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for me. Help me to be a reflection of your love for them. ❤️🙏🏼

  Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!

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