Improvement = Happy Dance

Fredrik's philosophy has been to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I married a smart man. Today hoping for the best paid off. Things are improving.

This was posted on our agency's news blog a couple days ago:

Good News out of Ethiopia!!

We have heard from our staff in Ethiopia this morning, and we understand that MoWA has agreed to process 20 cases a day rather than the 5 cases we had heard recently.

In addition to this good news, we understand that today MoWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs) wrote 25 letters which is an improvement from above. Things are looking up.

Happy Friday All.

Little Brown Sparrow/Game Changer

I sat down to write this post and said to Fredrik, "I don't know how to begin."

He responded, "I know, I thought about writing too but it's just too hard."

At that exact moment we heard a flutter at our front door. I thought someone had slipped us a flyer for discounted pizza, but when Fredrik opened the door he found a stunned little brown sparrow who had crashed into our door looking up at him. I took the little bird some water and cooked rice and tried to speak to him in a comforting voice. After a few minutes he flew from our porch to the hood of our car. I hope he makes it...

As I walked back to the computer, something about the timing of the bird crashing into our front door and our writing block/denial of our current situation struck me as poignant, and I began to cry. On this week of feeling dejected, disoriented and confused ourselves, the lesson we were given tonight: our help and a simple kind deed is always needed...even close to home.

This week it was confirmed that Ethiopia is reducing intercountry adoption by 90%. The government agency MOWA has decided to reduce the number of adoptions it processes daily from 40 a day to 5.

Yes, let that sink in.

We aren't sure if this is a permanent change, we can only hope and trust that it is not. We can only hope and trust that this decision is something that will ensure completely ethical adoptions across the board. We can only hope and trust that it's done with the best interest of Ethiopia's children. We can only hope and trust...

We understand that there has been no change at the speed of which referrals or matches are being made. So what does this mean for us with the current new ruling? We could still get matched to our little Mamoosh within the next 12-18 months, but then it could take years (possibly 4-5 at the rate of only 5 adoptions processed per day. Yes, we did the math) to get a court date for us to go to Ethiopia and get him. We are hoping and trusting that the ruling won't stick. We are hoping and trusting...

I can't mentally go to the place of being matched with our son, seeing his picture but not being able to bring him home for years. Okay, I've gone there...and it wasn't pretty.
But, we're still hoping and trusting...

We continue to wonder what is going to happen to Ethiopia's 5 million orphans who need homes right now, tonight. Who is giving them a bath, reading them a story, and tucking them safely in bed? Who is kissing them goodnight and loving them the way only parents can, the way EVERY child should be loved.

I understand the need to clean up adoption practices, and I want ALL adoptions to be completely ethical and utterly necessary, but how is slowing down the process after the kids have been matched to their prospective families going to help?

Fredrik and I fully believe that we are not the best option for our future son. Obviously, being with his birth parents or extended family in his birth country would be best, but we believe that we ARE the best alternative for some child, for our little Mamoosh. We want to get our hands on him and wrap our love around him as soon as possible. With the current change it could be years.

What can you do?

You can sign this petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html

And you can keep the 5 million children in Ethiopia who need families in your thoughts and prayers, as well as the people making tough decisions regarding the welfare of so many...

The Little Brown Sparrow (Excerpt)

One green April mornin', when I was a young boy
I lay by the window, a-watchin' the rain
And I wondered if ever the sun would come shinin'
So I could go somewhere to play

Then down from the sky flew a little brown sparrow
And he lit on the branch of an old willow tree
And he sit there, watchin', as I lay wond'rin'
Just the little brown sparrow and me

On a green April mornin', when I was a young boy
And little brown sparrows were free

Bill Fries/Chip Davis