Uncertainty Will Certainly Happen

We were still waiting for our I600A approval from the US Citizen and Immigration (CIS) allowing us to bring our child into the US after our Rwanda adoption. It has been 2.5 months (an unusually long wait). I finally got a status update from CIS and they need an official copy of a form they only received a copy of... which typically only needs the copy form but CIS has changed their approval process and so things are changing and what was isn't what necessarily what is.... However, it doesn't really matter at this point because bigger changes are happening...

I wish my big news was just the apparent stack up of dossiers in Rwanda. However, we received "unofficial" news that Rwanda is planning to switch their adoption process from non-Hague to Hague. They may temporarily not be accepting dossiers after August 31, 2010 until this transition is complete. If this happens then all the "new" adoptions would have to be Hague compliant. So what does that mean for us? I don't know!?! We were only steps away from sending off our dossier. It's almost complete and authenticated- accept for the CIS approval we were waiting for. And unfortunately for us, our CIS approval was the 1600A form which is for non-Hague countries. We would need to start our CIS approval with a 1800A for Hague countries. Which means more paperwork, time and money (we would have to pay for the new approval, our fees don't transfer or anything totally cool like that!).

That's it!!! That's all the news there is!!! I have a choice at this point... I can worry and stress and be upset or I can trust God has a plan. Not only a plan for me but a plan for Rwanda. This is bigger than me... as the first line in the book Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren reminds me "It's not about you." If God wanted us to get in before the Aug. 31st deadline He certainly could have arranged that. We have had many, many delays along the way. Honestly, I believe this is part of His plan. I don't know why, it doesn't necessarily feel good and wonderful-lol!- but it is what it is and I have to trust God and His Plan (not the idea of my own plan). He cares and understands more about the global orphan situation than I ever can comprehend. Becoming a Hague country for adoptions is a GOOD thing! The Hague Convention protects the children most of all. And with Rwanda being relatively new to adoption it's a good thing they are implementing this process so early in the game (so to speak). It means their orphans will be less vulnerable to being sold, exploited or trafficked. Is it inconvenient for me- yes, but is it the best thing in the bigger picture- yes.

Sure the news is upsetting. It means we have to wait for more information... we don't know how long we will have to wait for more information... or what that information will mean to us and our adoption. I can let my mind wonder to all the "what ifs" and "then whats" and plan solutions and possible answers in my head but truly it's all in vain because one thing I have learned over and over in this adoption process is that uncertainty will certainly happen- I can count on that! Hopefully, more official news will come out next Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 and I can then begin to figure out what this all means to me personally.