news of the world

I've been looking around for news since my last post, and here's what I could find:

1) According to one the bloggers in my list on the right, the French agency Médecins du monde / MDM recently received two referrals from Vietnam's "regular" stream.

2)  The Danish agency Danadopt posted yesterday in Danish that they are still waiting to hear when they can send more dossiers to Vietnam, but they expect "host countries meeting in late November / early December" (google translation of the second part of the post).  I assume this refers to the Vietnamese DA, which would make sense given that I have read elsewhere about these new DA meetings in which decisions are made about distributing waiting dossiers and accepting new ones.

In related news, I was told by my agency that it could be a long time before round 2 (including my dossier) receives referrals...possibly towards mid-2013.  Danadopt seems to be expecting things to happen faster than my agency does.  If round 1 was sent to the DA about 6 months ago, and to date we only know of a dozen or so referrals, then it could take a number more months to complete round 1 referrals.  Let's say it takes 6 more months... that brings us to April 2013 for the beginning of round 2.  Let's say round 2 takes a year.... we're at April 2014 for the start of round 3.  So maybe my agency is being realistic.  Even if the DA accepts dossiers  for round 3 anytime soon, they could be sitting in a centralized pile for a long time.  It's better than sitting in Canada, where the families would have to keep updating their document$.  But honestly, the pace sucks (understatement of the year) for everyone involved, especially children growing older in orphanages while loving families wait desperately all over the world to give them a better life.
Of course anything can change, and I hope with all my heart that it does, but I wouldn't count on things speeding up, based on how things have gone since September 2010.  I think that families should be prepared (if not by the appropriate people, then by me) for alot more waiting.  Better to be prepared for the worst and then maybe pleasantly surprised by something better, than to have false expectations that don't come true.  Trust me on that one.

Until next time, here is the song that has taken me through the last few days, written by Jason Mraz and covered by two gorgeous and talented young girls.  For me, this is a love song about my daughter, so hearing it performed by little girls with big old souls (which is how I imagine my girl) and an acoustic guitar makes me tear up with all kinds of emotions.  I hope it gives you inspiration, because even though our skies are rough we have to keep looking up and send all our love to the other side of the planet, where things are much more rough.

I Won't Give Up

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No: I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not, and who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up, still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

-Jason Mraz