*Another Adoption Update

We have had a very full few days. Before I share all the wonderful things we heard about at the conference, I’ll share an adoption update.

After checking email several times a day for a week, we finally got a good explanation/response from our agency. It wasn’t that they weren’t trying to be timely, it’s that they were waiting on a JCICS conference call, and trying to get their facts straight.

Our agency said that the statements about Vietnam are not necessarily fact. There are many ifs in the process. If a new agreement is not resigned in the near future, Vietnam will stop taking dossiers on July 1st, and then if they are not near signing a new agreement when September 1st approaches, they will only process the adoptions of those who have referrals. It is good to hear those ifs. There is still some hope.

Here is another hopeful statement from our agency's update:"We all need to keep in mind that this is a very complex situation with various agendas existing among different parties.... While they may differ in their tactics and words used, all parties wish for adoptions to be done in an ethical, transparent and legal manner. So while it may appear through the AP reports that adoptions in Vietnam are at risk of stopping please know that all parties are willing to start the negotiations on the new agreement."

Our agency also believes that the Summary of Irregularities, is not the norm of Vietnamese adoptions. "This document has been criticized by most people familiar with adoptions in Vietnam, including representatives from other countries that adopt in Vietnam, as it presents a board picture of unethical conduct in Vietnam when, in fact, the alleged conduct is extremely limited to a few provinces and agencies." There are a few agencies, in a few provinces that are behaving questionably. The US Embassy discussed many bold generalities in the Summary and never stated any specific places, people or institutions. We have been told that the US Embassy has been asked to produce factual evidence, so that those at fault can be prosecuted and issues can be cleaned up.

Also, and perhaps most hopeful to us, is that Vietnam has stated they plan to become Hague approved in 2009. If and when they do, an agreement between the US and Vietnam is no longer needed! So, even if we can’t complete our adoption this year, we could potentially still adopt from Vietnam next year.

Some bad news is that Vietnam is giving less referrals to American agencies right now because of the issues. If they come so slowly, we are even less likely to receive a referral in time.

Keith and I have discussed this a little while we’ve been away. We don’t want to complete our adoption if we suspect our agency, their in country staff, the orphanage, officials, or anyone in the province of unethical behavior. It is our hope that the Embassy will release more specific information so that the adoptive parents and children can have peace about their own adoption histories. I don’t want my child learning some day, or even questioning some day weather her birth mother gave her up or not. I want her to know that her mom gave her up out of love, knowing that she wanted a better life for her daughter. (We heard a neat song by Nate Huss, an adoptee, about his birth mom)

At this conference we were wondering if the Lord would guide us in our adoption. Nothing became more clear, but we did become more aware of other options, and I think I am all the more open for special needs.