Well, it is official

Well, I really wanted to post more fun pictures of our reunion last weekend (and I will do that) but I do feel like I have to post today's release from the US Embassy about adoptions in Vietnam. I will post a link to the entire release and you feel free to read it to understand better. Here is the part that made my stomach turn and makes me wonder when/if we will bring Malia home ~


Adopted Children Immigrant Visa Unit
Warning Concerning Adoptions in Vietnam
April 2008
The Department of State continues to urge prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers not to initiate new adoptions from Vietnam at this time. The 2005 Memorandum of Agreement, required by Vietnamese law to authorize adoptions between the United States and Vietnam, expires on September 1, 2008. In addition, recent field investigations have revealed incidents of serious adoption irregularities, including forged or altered documentation, mothers paid, coerced or tricked into releasing their children, and children offered for adoption without the knowledge or consent of their birth parents.
The United States is strongly committed to processing legitimate intercountry adoptions from Vietnam if possible. Our primary concern is to ensure that the children and families involved in the adoption process are protected from exploitation. The Government of Vietnam shares this concern. Both countries acknowledge that more needs to be done to address deficiencies in the current system.
On April 25, the Government of Vietnam announced that it will allow adoption to be completed in cases where prospective adoptive parents have been matched with a child and received an official referral prior to September 1, 2008. It further stated that in accordance with Vietnamese law, the DIA will suspend the acceptance of new dossiers on July 1, 2008. On September 1, 2008 any dossier that has not received a referral will be closed and returned to the Adoption Service Provider. In view of the processing time required in Vietnam from placement to the Giving and Receiving Ceremony, an adoption process begun now cannot be completed before the current Agreement expires.

Here are the links to both releases:

Warning concerning adoptions in Vietnam

Read this for the full story

Let me first say that I do want adoptions from Vietnam to be ethical. The mere thought of birthparents being tricked, paid off and deceived is appalling. The children and their first families deserve more than that. I do not want to ever question whether our daughter was truly an orphan.

We have waited for almost 18 months already and so the chances of a referral in the next four months doesn't seem very likely to me. We are waiting for some official word from our agency on where they think we stand. I have run through many emotions today and honestly, I don't know where I stand right now. I will keep you all posted of course and please keep us and other families in your prayers. Mostly, pray for the children who will be affected by this. Pray that Annslee has her little sister home soon as she is so excited and we are too.



After this type of post here is a reminder of how I keep smiling even on a day like today ~