Well, we've officially hit the one-year mark for our China wait. If things go well, we will wait about four more years. If things go wrong, our agency will go out of business (a real possibility for Children's Hope). If things go worser (my new favorite bad word), the economy will completely collapse and we will not be able to afford adoption. Suddenly, the idea of waiting four more years is not such a terrible thing!
We should hear from our agency soon on whether or not they receive Hague accreditation. This is their third try. They have asked us to pray for them (on several occasions). They have closed all of their branches (including their Cleveland office), and they have reassigned new coordinators to us three times. As I said on the other blog, they have asked all of their waiting parents to refrain from any "complaining" while visiting the website and/or the Children's Hope Yahoo group. The worser news is that once you are LID, you cannot switch agencies without starting all over. So, we're kind of stuck with CHI. Let us pray.
Sometimes it seems that there is nothing positive to say about adoption. But then I remind myself of the OUTCOME (as rare and fleeting as it may be). The OUTCOME is that a child needing a family is matched with people who need a child. The outcome is that a child with no mommy, daddy, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, or cousin, suddenly has all of the above. The outcome is that a child who might never read a bedtime story or hear a lullaby can now look forward to a chidhood filled with reading and singing. The outcome is that a baby with a lifetime of hunger will find herself in a new lifetime of fulfillment.
This outcome does happen -- every day. Forever families are being created right this moment. I know that these families probably waited a very long time, just like me and Stan. Waiting is just part of the game. So, we will wait. One year down, and many moons to go!
