Feeling Hopeful (An Update...sorta)

December was the last time we received any news about our adoption case.  December 3^rd our dossier (our adoption file) was logged in to IBESR to begin the review process.  Remember, that is Haiti’s department of Social Services.  We and our agency were hopeful that the review would go relatively quickly—hopeful that Eric and I would travel to our crèche to meet our future son for the first time before the end of Winter.  It was not to be.  With new adoption procedures going into effect, Haiti joining the Hague convention, and several Haitian holidays along the way, the review process seems to have really slowed down.

I have to be honest and say that this period of waiting has gotten quite difficult for me.  Since early December, when W received our care package, saw our faces in the photos and heard our voices in the Hallmark book, this adoption became so REAL.  Suddenly there was a concrete connection between our future son and us.  I feel like he is part of our family already.  I think about him so frequently.  When I’m shopping for the family—I wonder if W would like this cereal, or this toy, or this game.  I think about him as we eat around the table and as we do family activities.  It feels like he should be there.  And of course, we pray for him every day, throughout the day.  The girls have the sweetest prayers for him and this process each night!  Some days I have cried; other days I have wanted to stay under the covers and not leave the house.  It hurts that a member of my family is growing up in another country, far from me. 

The good news is...I am SO encouraged and glad to report...our adoption agency representative is in Haiti, right now!  She is scheduled to meet with the directors of all 4 crèches our agency works with in Haiti.  When she is at W’s crèche, she will be getting an update on the status of our adoption process.  We are hoping and praying there will be some concrete information for us in this meeting.  It would be wonderful to know exactly at what stage of the process we are in. 

Our agency rep will also be meeting with someone at IBESR to discuss how the new procedures and the Hague policies will affect her adoption cases in progress.  This is very good.  Eric and I are praying that the meeting will happen (seriously praying), and that she will be given accurate and complete answers to all of her questions.  The Haiti adoption program is so in flux right now, disseminated information about the process to seems to change almost weekly, sometime daily! 

Our family is praying very intentionally each day for our rep’s time in Haiti.  We are praying for her safety, for her to connect with all the people she hopes/needs to see, for her to receive all the information she needs and then some…for her week in Haiti to be very fruitful!  Friends, will you join us in praying?  She returns Tuesday, so please pray with us over the next few days. 

This whole process is soooo difficult for the waiting children. These precious kids should not have to needlessly wait for a family.  Officials in the U.S. and Haiti involved with adoptions should be working hardest on these cases, trying to unite kids with families!  Unfortunately the World’s values are not the same as our Heavenly Father’s values.  Orphans are typically not high on the priority list of governments, politicians and bureaucrats.  Orphans are very high on God’s list of priorities!

So let us fight

Let us advocate

Let us pray for these precious children to be united with loving forever families!
----> Sooner rather than later <----