You have got to be kidding me

So, once again, I am behind . . .

Here's where we will start:

A few hours after my last post,
and after forwarding the notification from USCIS to our attorney in Haiti,
I received word from him that there is a misspelling on Dimitry's birth certificate, thereby causing our file to be pulled from the president's desk, where it was awaiting dispensation.

But do not fret. 

They will "correct the issue and expedite (our) file across the president's desk."
Wow. They will EXPEDITE it.
Thank goodness, because I was a little concerned.

Is that laughter I hear??

Never mind that I had been hearing for two weeks in January from multiple families who entered IBESR on the same date as we did who exited WITH presidential dispensation.
Despite my usual glass is 1/2 empty personality, I was certain we were out of IBESR too. Yahoo (right?)

Yeah, right.

OMG.
Are you kidding me?!?!

So instead of hearing that we are headed for MOI, we are idling in neutral again.
Unbelievable.

I couldn't even have 24 hours of happiness and joy regarding our adoption process.
After months and months of no communication,
the only good news I've received was quickly followed by gloom and doom.
Unbelievable.
Oh, I already said that? Well, you should've heard what I saying (through massive sobbing) that night at home.

The attorney did reassure me (ahem) that we should still be able to keep our appointment at the embassy.

Wow.
Inflated, then deflated, just as quickly.

hee hee

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT CONFIRMATION

Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative – Form I-600

Name of Prospective Petitioner:         Dena Kay EDMUNDS

Name of Spouse, if Married:              Eric Alan EDMUNDS

Case type:                                           Adoption

The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) Field Office in Haiti has scheduled you to file form I-600 “ Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative” at the following time:

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 7:30 a.m.

More red tape

Pardon me while I mount my soap box . . . 

Missouri bill cuts incentives for out-of-state adoption

Feb 5, 2013, 7:42am CST

Kansas City Business Journal

A bill that passed the Missouri Senate could take away tax breaks given to parents who adopt children from other states or countries, The Independence Examiner reports.

Currently, adoptive parents can get $2 million in incentives for in-state adoptions and another $2 million for out-of-state adoptions. The bill would give tax breaks only to those who adopt Missouri children.

Sen. Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, who wrote the bill, said that 10,000 to 11,000 children in Missouri are in need of adoption, the report says.

Wow

(and by that I mean Are you kidding me???)

Why don't they just print this:

As if the cost of adopting isn't cost-prohibitive enough, to add to the global orphan crisis, we have decided that only orphans in our state should receive forever families . . . or at least, first. 

Ya see, here is my perspective -- 

If each Christian, or person for that matter, cared enough and had the resources to adopt, there would be no orphans.

If we all played the lottery and won, every one could do it, over and over again. 

In reality though, it just isn't that simple. 

The process is arduous, costly, takes years to complete, and frankly, isn't all that easy.

Is it worth it? Undoubtedly

Should everyone adopt? Absolutely not

But why in the world would you remove incentives to adopt for anyone capable, willing and approved to do so? It shouldn't matter if the child being adopted comes from Missouri, Kansas, Texas, China, Taiwan or Timbuktu. If you are an advocate of adoption and the creation of forever families, whether you work in social services, politics, medicine or the church, why wouldn't you advocate for adoption, period? 

I'm not a politician. 

I am not in charge of balancing any budget but my own (thank Heavens!)

I am a fan of families. 

I do care about orphans. 

I do think that every child deserves a home.

In case there is any doubt, I also think this is a big mistake.

Not from the perspective of those rallying for Missouri's children without families, I'm sure, but generally speaking, for humanity, as a whole.

Breaks my heart that in this world of consumerism and red tape, another barrier or limitation is put in the path of forever family creation.