Answer to Prayer?

I have a very smart friend who once told me that change is not always bad.

(That sounds a bit "duh" when I write it, but hear me out.)

A while back (and a few lot of blog posts ago), the IBESR gained a new director. The aforementioned friend eased my mind regarding this change by saying the change of personnel may be a blessing in disguise. Not only did the new director really get paperwork flowing across the desk tops in Haiti, but she has also been working with administrators to make adoption in Haiti more streamlined.
So, of course, his perspective was spot on (like that? a bit British, huh?)

Well, now there are more changes.
Today, the director of All Blessings International posted that the IBESR has issued a statement regarding the new adoption laws that will likely go into effect this time next month.

My initial response was mixed.
A mixture of nausea, anxiety, relief and hope, to be exact.

Here's a few of the major points, in a nut shell:

• Independent adoptions will no longer be allowed; all adoptions must be coordinated through a licensed, IBESR approved agency (a list of approved agencies to follow . . . hopefully sooner rather than later)
• Before any proceedings begin, a child must be found eligible to be adopted by the IBESR
• A priority list for eligible adoptees was given (orphan, physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, abandoned child, child relinquished by parents for adoption . . . )

A. We have been trying to adopt independently, meaning that we have not been associated with an agency (because Fondwa is remote and religiously run), but gathered our own paperwork and hired an attorney (endorsed by the U.S. State Department) to submit the dossier and do the legal work.

B. Both of our boys were essentially abandoned (or relinquished to the nuns for care, indefinitely), although we were able to obtain official relinquishment from one boy's father during our last trip.

While we have not been successful in getting our documentation submitted, or obtaining any kind of abandonment status, or making any progress at all, with the exception of our last little adventure before the judge, I am hopeful that this law change will give us the backing we need to move on. Perhaps, with the new laws supporting us, we can find an agency to work with us and continue our adoption journey with Dimmy. As stagnant as our relationship has been, this may be our opportunity to move past an attorney-client relationship and onto a better situation where progress will be made.

My only fear is the funds.
                  go figure

We're already 7K deep in legal representation and an additional 4-5K in education, home study and dossier creation, translation, and legalization, USCIS processing and fingerprinting, and other various things.
We have a small bit saved (for what was supposed to be the second half of our attorney's fees, covering passport processing for both boys), but the thought of starting over with an agency is frightening.

On the bright side, our part of the dossier is already complete and shouldn't need to be reworked as we already have USCIS approval.

but it's still nerve wracking

Wow.
I never imagined it would go this way.
Then again, what part of international adoption is truly predictable?!