are we locked and loaded?

After sprinting up the wait list ladder from early May to late June, we have officially come to a steady halt. There has been no movement in almost two months. We still remain officially #16, and unofficially (we think) #10 with 6 families on hold in front of us. I'm not even sure how I feel about it....resigned, I suppose.

I do know that it has to be easier to wait for a child BEFORE the referral rather than the waiting after we've been matched and have seen his little face. Knowing this keeps things in perspective. I don't want to think about the waiting AFTER the referral. I know it will test me in ways beyond what I can imagine.

It's hard to get too discouraged when sweet Kysa fills our days, but honestly, after now being in this process for over a year it feels incredibly nebulous. Our friends and neighbors are having babies we imagined would be about the same age as our baby boy...but we're just not sure now. I've allowed myself to buy a few things for Mamoosh so that he stays REAL not just some fantasy. But I do find myself wondering sometimes if it will ever happen....

We did get a hint of good news this week in an email from our adoption coordinator. Here's the quick message:

Just wanted to let you know that your dossier was sent today to Ethiopia. Once it has arrived, it will be translated and wait to be matched with a referral.

I guess that means they're getting us locked and loaded.

Fredrik did ask our coordinator directly why there have been so few referrals and this is her answer:

The regional MOWA in one of the regions we work in has been slow to approve any paperwork as they just finished inspecting all the orphanages in that region. The regional MOWA closed many orphanages, none of which we worked with, so the MOWA is having to take care of relocating the children from those orphanages. Our staff reports to us that the regional MOWA is experiencing a ‘back-lash’ from all the changes that they are trying to implement. They feel it is temporary and should be resolved soon. We do work with another orphanage in a different region and are slowly giving out referrals from them (although mostly older children).

*MOWA is Ministry Of Women's Affairs

We're hoping that once MOWA gets the children from the closed care centers into their new care centers that the referrals will pick back up again.

Please keep all the children being shuffled around in your thoughts and prayers...they all deserve Forever Homes.

Namaste.
Allison