This hasn't been the greatest of weeks, I must confess. Luckily it is almost over. Tuesday I took the day off from work so that I would be home for 1:00 for a teleconference from our agency. The agency wanted to get the couples together who are waiting to return to Yekaterinburg for their court dates and to bring home their children. Mike and I knew it would probably not be a grat phone call and we were right. The government agency that was taking care of the adoption court paperwork, the Ministry of Education I think, is no longer doing that. A different government agency is now in control and the paperwork is not being processed as quickly. Some of the paperwork is expiring before it can all be collected and turned in so they are having to redo much of it. This means that although referrals are coming somewhat quickly, the return trips and court dates are not. We were told to be ready for a wait of about 9-12 months inbetween both trips. So, our court date will not be until at least March, probably later. I am devestated. Don't they realize how terrible this wait is? Don't they realize how much more difficult the transition will be the longer the child waits in the orphanage? Unfortunately, I guess paperwork is more important than getting children to their families....
So, in the end, the holidays will not be good this year, I probably will be miserable, and there is nothing I or anyone else can do to quicken this process. We just have to wait. And wait. And wait.
YUCK!
Russia
We went to Yekaterinburg
5 comments:
Oh, Melissa. I am heartbroken for you. Of course you're devastated and enraged and confused and powerless. The holidays will be difficult, no doubt. I hope you and Mike are hanging in there. Know that we know this devastation and that we are praying for you.
Do take good care of yourself,
cm
Melissa, I am so sorry to hear this news. It is the same old story with Ekaterinburg - the phone calls regarding delays - there is always one reason or another. My wait between visits was 10 months for various reasons and I didn't think I would ever see the end but it did come. My only advise to you is to get busy with your life again if you can and don't sit around waiting for time to pass. In July, once I found out for sure I would hear nothing until September after already having waited 8 months, I was able to let go a little and get back to living my life. It was the everyday hope that was the most difficult for me. I know it's terrible because you are worried about little Colby but you know it will be a long wait so start living your life again and the time will come. Please hang in there and enjoy this time if you can find any way to do that. Once little Colby comes to be with you that will be the end of all the freedom you know now so go out and do stuff now and keep really busy. Sitting around waiting is too torturous. Hang in there - Colby will.
I am devasted for you all. I remember when Carla was waiting. That is when I found her blog. I think the wait between trips is much wors then the wait for a referral. I will keep checking in to see how everything is coming along.
My hopes of having a little one home for the holidays were dashed in September when I did not get a referral. I consider myself lucky that I will be able to work for the Christmas holiday this year.
I do not have any really good advice and I know that advice is probably not what you are looking for right now. So I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Please know that many of us are thinking about you and your little one.
Joy
Oh, Melissa -- I'm so sorry. On Friday, I learned from our agency that the judge is requesting verbiage changes to some paperwork (i.e. the petition to adopt, etc.) so already, we have to submit new p/w (only having submitted ours last week!).
Nothing has been mentioned yet from our agency about an extension of the wait time but upfront, they told us 3-8 months for the 2nd trip (so "8" has been my target in my brain, "3" in my heart...").
Knowing how long Lori waited (10 mos.), I thought I would be prepared. But how can anyone be prepared for such a wait??? We think of our little one every single day, every hour. So close in heart, so far away in body.
I'll let you know if I hear *anything* on this end from our agency but in the meantime, take care of yourselves, enjoy time as a "couple", and we'll pray Colby will be home sooner vs. later.
Hugs,
Laura
My daughter is from Ekat. I completely understand your frustration. It seems like there is always some kind of reorganization going on there. Hang in there. It is worth the wait
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