What are we waiting for??????

We are now well over 2 years into this process of bringing Honour home. According to all estimates we are supposed to be nearing the finish line…again. We’ve thought this before. So much has happened within the US and Vietnam adoption program within the last 7-8 months. It has been such a rollercoaster ride. Only not as fun. In a process of what seems like a thousand baby steps toward our daughter, we are down to the last crucial few. And they seem to be taking the longest.

We are currently waiting for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in Vietnam to make their final determination on our I-600, “Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative.” This is the required step for all US citizens who want to adopt from Vietnam. The US reviews the petition and supporting evidence to determine whether a child qualifies as an orphan and can be issued a visa. Most determinations are supposed to be completed in 60 working days. We are now at 45 working days, which is what they say is the “current average processing time.”

We are also waiting on the last two steps on the Vietnam side of things. We recently received approval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) in our daughter’s province. (This step has taken 8 months). We are now waiting for them to send our paperwork to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and then on to the Peoples Committee for final approval to bring Honour home.

Meanwhile… we are watching our little girl grow up from a distance, and trying hard to be patient and to keep hope alive.

Anne Lamott writes in her book Traveling Mercies; "It's funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox, full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools — friendships, prayer, conscience, and honesty — and said, Do the best you can with these. They will have to do. And mostly, against all odds, they're enough."

So… no shiny tool of patience here. Just friends who care, and simple prayers that ache with longing. And for today…it is enough. Thanks for caring.

-Rob