Good News

Over the past couple of weeks I have had a hard time answering the "How are things going with the adoption" question. There were several things that had changed my typical roll-with-the-flow attitude. All abandonment cases in the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city, had been stopped indefinitely. The specialist, from CHSFS, we have been working with (and used with Mehandis) was suddenly changed with the reason of lack of referrals as part of the explanation. In addition referrals and predicted "wait times" were getting fewer and longer. As a result my answer to "How are things going with the adoption" was getting longer and I wanted to discuss it with fewer people.

Last week one of the specialists from CHSFS sent out information as to why referrals were continuing to be slow. The information shared is as follows:

There are over 400 families waiting with CHSFS right now.
Children's paperwork prior to referral is taking longer.
Bethel orphanage is changing from MOLSA to MOWA.
More agencies working in ET, particularly in the south.
More international child welfare assistance (meaning more families assisted to stay intact).
Last summer there were only a handful of referrals, which slowed things down.
Large number of families submitted dossiers in July-Oct last year.
As a result, likely 16 months until referral for those whose dossier's were submitted from July-Oct of last year (ours was September 2 of last year)

Well, that was the news I knew last week. This week feels different due to it being kicked off with several referrals... including sets of siblings for those waiting about 15 months. I am happy to see the wheels moving again and now feel back myself as it comes to waiting. So things are good... that is the answer to "How the adoption is going". Still is complicated, as it always is, but my response is much more simple again.

My parents, who have been spending the last several weeks in Bloomington, shared their good news as well. My father's proton treatment for his cancer is going well. Only side effect thus far noted is a dry elbow ;) They are enjoying their time together and getting to know the area's churches, concerts and wineries! I am having fun sharing my simple, healthy recipes with my parents as they are looking for some new nutritious options. So happy that my dad is feeling well and that they are making the best of their new temporary summer home.

My mom is also an avid "Forum" follower and "List" tracker... so she was the one to let me know that we are now officially #51 on the unofficial waiting list. They researched facts on '51 and these are the year's events:

The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.
The new United Nations headquarters officially opens in New York City.
The comic strip Dennis the Menace appears in newspapers across the U.S. for the first time.
The King and I opens on Broadway and runs for 3 years.
Walt Disney's animated feature, Alice in Wonderland, is released
The Catcher in the Rye is first published
A blue sun is seen over Europe: the effect is due to ash coming from the Canadian forest fires 4 months previously.
I Love Lucy makes its début on CBS
CBS' Eye logo premieres on air.
Scrooge opens in England. Later that year it, opens in the United States under the title of Charles Dickens's original novel, A Christmas Carol.
Direct dial coast-to-coast telephone service begins in the United States.
1st woman (Florence Chadwick) swum across the English Channel in each direction.
Stockholm, Sweden – An 18-year-old sailor is fined for kissing in public. The court calls his actions “obnoxious behavior repulsive to the public morals.”
Dad & I were born – along with Robin Williams, Phil Collins, Jane Seymour, Sally Ride, Kurt Russell, Tommy Hilfilger and Dale Earnhardt.