Here We Go Again

You think you see the light at the end of the adoption paper chase tunnel, when WHAM! It's just another train that hits you.

I just opened a fat, yellow envelope from our adoption agency in Columbus that did our homestudy for Jean Paul and the update for James. Since our last homestudy update was October 2005, it's expired, and now we have to start all over with a new homestudy.

It's discouraging to flip through all these forms we have to fill out, tests we'll have to have done. These aren't all just single sheets of paper; there are multiple papers stapled together in this stack.

And then there are the fees. The homestudy fee is big enough, but most of these papers will have their own fees attached.

Vent, vent, vent. Argh... (insert expletive here.)

We've been waiting a long time to get James. I'm sure some people wonder if we're really going to get him at all. The answer is, "Yes." But when will we get him? Sometime in 2009. I can at least be positive on that.

There are many reasons why adoptions are now taking so long in Haiti. Our agency in Haiti, New Life Link, is working hard and doing all they can to get adoptions processed. Things have changed in Haiti in the last three years, however, things beyond their control.

Steps that used to take days or weeks are now taking months. For example, when we were adopting Jean Paul, we had him within seven months of sending our dossier (paperwork) down. It's going on three years since we sent our dossier for James. Our seven year old child is now a nine year old. His tenth birthday is February 5.

This is just one of the challenges you have to face when you adopt. I am temporarily discouraged, but it won't last. Now, I better dig out a pencil and get started...