Journey of Faith:Our Little Guy From China

Adoption Notice

http://adoption. state.gov/ news/nepal. html

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular AffairsOffice of Children’s Issues

September 29, 2009
On January 1, 2009, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) announced procedures for processing adoptions pursuant to the Government of Nepal’s (GON) new “Terms and Conditions” for adoptions. The initial announcement stated that only 10 applications will be processed from each Embassy, Mission, or approved Agency in 2009. The GON provided copies of the new requirements, to all approved agencies. According to Nepali officials, the new requirements apply to all intercountry adoptions. There is NO provision to permit prospective adoptive families who had already begun an adoption to be “grandfathered” under the previous Nepali regulation. All but one of the prospective adoptive parents matched with children under the previous system relinquished the match so the children could be available for adoption under Nepal’s new Terms and Conditions. Some of these children have since been matched with new prospective adoptive parents.On September 2, 2009, the Nepali Prime Minister appointed a new minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare. This minister has authority to sign final adoption decrees. Since then, under its new “Terms and Conditions,” the GON has granted adoptions to U.S. families in four cases. As a result, these families have now approached the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu to complete their processing under U.S. law. The GON has also indicated that they will likely process several more adoption cases for U.S. families in October and that approximately two dozen additional case referrals have been sent to U.S. families. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu continues to meet with GON officials and is working with the Office of Children’s Issues to provide timely public updates. As part of required processing for orphan adoption cases, the Embassy conducts a thorough investigation of each case. Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that the investigation process may take several months, which could mean that prospective adoptive parents who travel to Nepal before the investigation is completed will need to spend a significant amount of time in country.

So it has been one week since I posted last! I really thought I would post more. I have been debating on whether to keep this blog more about our adoption news or to add day to day life stories/thoughts as we wait. I am still not sure…
This past weekend was a nice summer weekend. Tim went on a bike ride all day Saturday and I ventured out to stores to purchase items for travel from our long list. We went to church with my Grandma and took her to lunch. We loved it and I am sad to say I had not done that in awhile. We both love talking with her and learning from her. She is such strong Christian and she shows it. She walks the walk and talks the talk. I pray that I will be more like her.
When I posted last we were getting a lot of news about travel approvals and some referrals. Towards the end of last week we heard from a couple more families about referrals. They are still trickling in! We may not hear much news until Dashain is over. Here is a little bit about the Dashain festival:
“During the month of Kartik (late September and early October), the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood.”
Since this festival ends on October 3rd I think we will hear more good news in early October.
When I got home this evening there were a few posts on the Yahoo group about some referrals. We will take it—anything, any news! Yeah for those families that have received referrals!

These verse spoke to me today--
James 1:27
“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.”

When I read this verse I feel so happy that God had a plan all along. We are to be a visible picture to the world of what God is doing for us--we are His orphans! Bringing a child into our home will be glorifying Him.

Another little bit from "Hope for the Journey: an adoption companion" from Shaohannah's Hope (I love this two week devotional study. It is one of the best pieces of literature that I have received while on this journey. I read it every day!)--"Adoption is the visible gospel". Ponder that!

Although we went through some very sad times in the last years I have learned a lot about God, people, family and friends. I am a much stronger person because of all we went through. I know these past years of waiting will all make sense when we are holding our son!

On the NepalAdopt group there is word of more referrals! It seems like there is some sort of news every day! This is great, but I do have to remember that we requested a child from 0-18 months and there are not a lot of infants available. We shall continue to wait and all this news definitely helps while waiting.

From ekantipur: http://www.kantipur%20online.com/%20news/news-%20detail.php?

Kathmandu, September 15 - The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) has handed over seven children to their foreign adoptive parents, after a gap of one and half years. Three Nepali orphans were handed over to American adoptive parents, another three children to French parents and one to British parents, all of whom have been residing in the country. The seven Nepali children were officially adopted after the government approved their documents regarding inter-country adoption. Officials at MWCSW stated on Monday that the six adoptive parents are planning to take their new children to their new homes at the earliest date possible. Only one child will remain in Nepal with her British parents, who are currently residing in the country. This is good news for both the parents and the children, who have been involved in the adoption process for the past seven months. The concerned authorities, including MWCSW, have also recently given the go ahead to the adoption documents belonging to another 14 children and the adopting parents. Officials stated that they have already informed Nepali representatives of the Nepal-based international adoption agencies about the approval. This means that other prospective parents can begin plans to return home, with their adopted children. Over 80 children, who have already gone through matching process, (in which prospective parents are paired with orphans) are awaiting the decision of the recommendation committee. The recommendation committee, comprises representatives from the ministries of home and law, as well as MWCSW, who will collectively make the final decision. The committee selects children in accordance with the adopting parents' preferences. The applications of over 300 prospective foreign parents for adoption are also simultaneously being examined MWCSW.The new adoption process was started in January after a gap of one-and-half- years. The ministry had put the process on hold owing to loopholes existing in the previous system. Earlier, prospective parents dealt directly with orphanages. As there was no fixed adoption fee, parents often ended up paying huge amounts of money for the adoption. Now, with the improved system, they deal with registered adoption agencies from their home country or Nepal-based embassies.

I saw this poem on someone's website and I just loved it!

Not flesh of my flesh
Nor bone of my bone,
But still miraculously
My own.
Never forget
For a single minute:
You didn't grow under my heart
But in it.

© Fleur Conkling Heyliger