When you tell folks that you're adopting your first child, most people respond by telling you to cherish your time together while you can because "you'll never be able to get this time back". So that's just what Bret and I did last weekend. We went to Chicago to visit our Aunt Vivi and take in some sights around the city.
The day started out great. When we arrived in Chi-town we ate at one of Bret's favorite restaurants (PotBelly's) and then headed over to the Shedd Aquarium (my first aquarium visit, YEAH!). The whole time we were walking through the aquarium I was focused on all the children just as much as I was on the amazing aquatic life ... it made me sad to see all the families with their beautiful children but I just kept reminding myself that our little girl would be here soon and that one day we would bring her here and that this aching feeling in my heart would soon be a distant memory.
As we left the Aquarium and headed to meet Vivi and some friends for dinner I checked my email on my iPhone (as I obsessively do every Friday, anxiously awaiting our weekly update from our adoption agency). As soon as I read our weekly update, I quickly wished that I hadn't. I froze. The news that I read was nothing that I had expected ... the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) who oversees adoptions in Ethiopia would be cutting back the number of adoptions it processes to 5 per day starting March 10, 2010. I felt my heart break!
No other news was known at that time and we were left to wonder about the details, until the next update from our adoption agency. That update came this Tuesday and confirmed that the new process was still scheduled to go into effect this week. The update also elaborated on how they think the new cut-backs will affect our adoption process. Referrals will still be given out as normal (MOWA is not in charge of referrals)but what will be affected the most is the amount of time it takes families to pass court ... MOWA is responsible for checking (and double-checking) the adoptive parents paperwork as well as the adoptive child's paperwork.
According to our adoption agency MOWA processes paperwork for 50 adoption cases a day and this will now be reduced to 5 adoption cases a day. Because of this, our agency believes that the wait time between our court date and our embassy appointment is what will be affected the most (could be up to a year between court and embassy) ... meaning that our adoption process just got a whole lot longer. Everyone is on their knees praying and hoping that this is a temporary change but no one knows for sure.
We really haven't known how to react to the news, so we've been holding off telling our family and friends. After much thought and consideration we've decided that not sharing the news is a selfish thing to do, because orphans in Ethiopia need your prayers; families adopting from Ethiopia need your prayers; MOWA and the Ethiopian Government need your prayers; and to be honest we really need your prayers!
In addition to praying, one of the most important ways you can help us is by signing the petition listed below. I spoke with our adoption counselor today and she said that the 11,000 signatures that were collected in 24 hours were presented to the decision makers in Ethiopia today. So, you can see that your signatures really do make a difference and hopefully will help MOWA change their minds and reverse their decision ...
Joint Council: Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian Children
Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on!
Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Please send us up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ministry to know about your child – we’ll compile the information and send a book to the Ministry of Woman’s Affairs. Send your photos and stories to advocate@jointcouncil.orgby Sunday, March 12, 2011 to be included. Please note that sending photos and stories gives Joint Council unrestricted right to use the information you provide.
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. Our journey just got longer but we are not giving up!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
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My favorite quote lately is "Don't panic, PRAY!", and that's what we're doing! We were seriously minutes away from signing our application check to our agency when we heard this....so now we wait and pray with you.
ReplyDeleteAww your blog made me cry! Keep your head up and remember what I told you that you are going to have a beautiful little girl when this is over. I am so sad about this news. The memories are still so fresh looking around at families and wanting what they have and wondering when it will happen and if it will even happen. I know that God is in control and ya'll are going to make wonderful parents and I can't wait to celebrate that day with ya'll. God Bless you and I love you 2. Message me or call me anytime.
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