An Ethiopian Adoption

My friend Angela just returned from Ethiopia with her two new little ones. Addie is 3, and Tony is 2. So cute! You can read their story at Hopefully and Anxiously Expecting.

Praying for a Family in Need

I discovered an amazing Christian family's blog this weekend. The family just returned from China with their newly adopted little girl. Susannah has special needs, most notably a heart defect, that has turned out to be much more severe than expected. She is fighting for her life, and so far is quite unhappy to be with these strange people in a strange land. Please pray for this family. They need a miracle.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Our rough month continues to be rough, but nothing compared to this family's trials. My Mom needed minor surgery again this morning to repair a bone issue from her first surgery. It is over with now, and she should be feeling better soon. Luby, our cat is sick, and to top it off we had a major disappointment yesterday, and then another one. We can't share about it now, but we are discouraged.

Yet, I have been learning through the Bible study at my church, how to listen to the Lord's voice. I am enjoying spending more intimate time with Him, but still awaiting some guidance and answers. This disapointment may have been part of God's leading, but we are not sure, and are asking for confirmation.

*New I 171H

We received our updated I -171H form in the mail today from getting re fingerprinted last week.

*One Step

Our agency sent out an update this week stating that Vietnam has named a head neogtiator - a first step in signing a new MOU. Vietnam has also requested that both governments now begin negotiations toward a the end of establishing a new MOU. So, that's progress, and good news to us.

Last week in Hanoi there was a meeting between the Ministry of Justice, DIA, Provincial Justice officials, MOLISA and directors of the orphanages that are approved to participate in inter-country adoption to discuss possible changes to international adoption procedures in the nation. The following changes were proposed:
The following list is a direct quotation from our agency's email:

1. The DIA would act as a functional central adoption authority.
2. That licensed adoption agencies would not have direct contact with orphanage directors for placement of children.
3. Allocation or referrals of children would be handled by an “adoption committee” which would consist of team members from MOJ, MOLISA, Foreign Affairs or other governmental agencies. This would be done within the central adoption authority.
4. That charitable donations for the care of children in the orphanages would be strictly handled by a committee within the central adoption authority. All funds would be deposited with the central adoption authority and they would disperse the funds to the MOLISA office responsible for the orphanage receiving the donations. The orphanage will be required to file a detailed description of how the funds were allocated.
5. There will be a reduction in the number of adoption agencies licensed in Vietnam. The exact number has not been determined but is reasonably believed to be reduced from 43 to 15.
6. That Vietnam will initiate legislation to implement the Hague Treaty.

It all sounds good to me, except number 5. Does that mean if our agency is not one of the 15, we are out of luck? Another something to pray about.

There has been no decision by the DIA (of Vietnam) yet as to weather or not our dossiers will be returned or stay on file in country.

ABC Africa

I checked out the "documentary" film ABC Africa from the library and we watched it last night. It claims to be a documentary, but it feels more like unedited vacation/mission trip footage. An Iranian director traveled to Kampala Uganda in 2001 to film the AIDS orphans and an organization funded by the US government to aid the suffering Ugandans. I probably could have learned a lot more from the video, but the footage was great. They showed real life pictures and children living in poverty.

The Iranian group stumbled upon a couple from Austria adopting a toddler aged girl, and followed them for some time.

The most heart-breaking footage was of an AIDS hospital, where there was a room full of children - most of them toddlers. A woman nursed her dying child, another child - just skin and bones- cried and cried a raspy cry. I am sure he was in so much pain. Then there is a scene of a dead child wrapped in a blanket being tied to the back rack of a bicycle to be taken to whereever it is they take all these dead children.

The children I saw in those rooms are probably all dead now. It was filmed before ARV's reached Africa. Those children were hopeless. I can't imagine.

I think I would completely LOSE IT if I were in that situation, holding your innocent dying child, not understanding the disease, and having no hope for healing. Not being able to comfort them in their pain.

Lord, I praise You - You are victorious over death. Thank you for taking them from their misery and drying their tears. Please help us comfort and save those who are sick now or will be sick. Please stop this terrible disease!

I've got to do something!

Lions and Tigers and Bears

Yesterday, after a long and stressful two weeks, I decided Koen and I needed to escape. We went to the zoo and had a great time. Koen was so well behaved (or course he was - he was getting what he wanted), and the weather was perfect. He particularly enjoyed the bears, butterflies, and flamingos.

Posing in front of an arctic wolf

Observing a monarch butterfly

Yesterday

Yesterday, all my troubles weren't so far away...

Mom's surgery went well yesterday. It went a little long but the doctor said he got a "wide margin," meaning they believe they got all the cancer out, plus some. However, he used the word "advanced" stage of cancer, even though last week it was "early" stage cancer. So, she will likely have to go through radiation. The doctor was also not able to spare a sensory nerve in her lip - but she should have motor control of it.

It's pretty scarry to have your mother go through all this, especially because she is single, and my sister is also sick. Please keep praying for her and all of us.

Fingerprinting was fun and exciting. (Did you note the sarcasm?). I don't know why we have to get re fingerprinted. It just made for a very long day because we were up early and had to drive 45 minutes to the USCIS. Glad it's over with.

Tomorrow marks 1 year since our immigration approval.

On a happy note, my friend Angela is in Ethiopia right now, picking up her little girl and boy. It's so fun to see the fruit of the wait. We're praying for a smooth transition, and safety.

Request

Just a quick prayer request for my mom (Carol) who is going in for surgery this afternoon to remove the quickly-growing spot of cancer on her gum. Please pray for peace and that the doctors would be able to remove all the cancer without harming the nerves in the area.

We also get refingerprinted this morning. Yipee!

Thanks so much!

*Some Hope to Cling To

I talked with our agency today, just clarifying more about the closure, and our options. I was pretty discouraged reading blogs of others and finding that most have dropped out of the Vietnam program, and that their agencies haven't been as positive as ours.

Our agency is encouraging families to start concurrent adoptions if they would like, but are not recommending dropping Vietnam. Only one family out of over 30 waiting families has dropped out. They do remain hopeful that adoptions will reopen soon, as Vietnam has taken significant steps and negotiations have begun. Our agency believes that as long as there are no unpredictable issues that arise, adoptions would likely begin again by the end of the year, or early 2009.

I can do that. I can wait an extra 6 months or so. One day at a time.

Some of our other options through our agency are going with China special needs (which we would be interested in), or Nepal. Nepal has been closed for some time and should reopen this month, but there are already many families waiting. If we were to do a concurrent adoption, we would not have to pay our agency fees again, but would need to pay any country specific fees. We would also need to do the paper chase again and submit a whole new dossier, with an updated home study. It would likely take several months to compile and then we would join a waiting list again, and be on two waiting lists at once. Since we want to adopt more than one down the road, this may be a good option for us, but we're not ready to make any decisions yet.

At the same time, our interest in Africa is growing. Our agency, however, does not have any programs in Africa, so we would be starting at ground zero and loose the money we've put into Vietnam (if it remains closed).

Lots of "ifs." We will keep praying.

Koen was a terror this evening, so it's hard to imagine having more than one tonight. But, maybe he's a terror because he needs a sibling to learn he's not the center of the universe.

*CLOSED

We have been dreading this day for a long time, but inevitably, it has arrived. The MOU expired today, meaning that adoptions between the US and Vietnam have ceased. We pray this is a short closure, but have no idea what to expect. Our agency seems more optimistic than others I have heard from. Do we move on? Today also marks 11 months since we were DTV. 11 months, and now our dossier is coming back to the US to sit here.

I think I'm mostly in denial, but now and then some self-pity sneaks in. I'm ready for my child to come home, but God must know better. I have to trust He has a better plan.

I have been praying for a referral by Christmas. That is highly unlikely now, but still possible. I'm not sure if I should keep praying and hoping for that or not. It would be too good to be true.

To add to the bad news, we found out my mom has a spot of cancer on her gums. She has had to wait a whole week since finding out before meeting with the surgeon, and in that time it has grown quite a bit. Please pray for healing, and peace.

My sister also hasn't been doing well. She has severe anorexia and has gone downhill in the last month. She's currently in the hospital, but should be released soon. Please pray for victory in her battle, and healing for her body.

Sorry to be such a downer. I hope you are having a better Labor day than we are.