watching and waiting

Switzerland's Helviet agency has posted that the 2nd child referred to them under Vietnam's new "regular" program is home.

Denmark's Danadopt agency reports that it has received an official referral from Hoa Binh for a family in round 1, although it seems that they had an unofficial match for a while (or at least this is what I can get out of the Danish-English translation).

In Canada, there seem to be two families with my agency who are travelling soon to meet their children. There is another TDH family who just brought home their twin baby girls. I was happy to read that their immigration paperwork was expedited so they can get the medical care they need in Canada right away.

Since November is Adoption Month, I spent some time last night looking for youtube videos on adoption that I could share with you. Given my waiting status, I couldn't watch the happy forever family videos; just the ones speaking to the absurdity of what is going on all over the world to keep all the other orphans from families who just want to love them. 

This is Dear Panama. That was actually the first country I signed up for almost six years ago. I quickly switched to Ecuador after finding the Panama yahoo adoption group, where I was told that the program was not working, and that there hadn't been a referral for years (small details that the agency had failed to mention while my big fat cheques were in the mail). Little did I know that it didn't matter which country I picked, because Imagine/St. Anne was going to steal my family and my money so they could buy horses, diamonds, a Lexus and a trip to Disneyworld. Nonetheless, it is still a sight to see all these children looking through the barred windows and doors of institutions while many families would fly to the moon and back for the chance to love them.

This is an interview with Craig Juntunen, adoptive father of three kids from Haiti, visionary and founder of www.bothendsburning.org, which produced the documentary Stuck, on the broken international adoption system, which I would really like to watch but can't find anywhere.

And since we all need another song to keep us going, here's Unstoppable by Rascal Flatts. The video is the 2010 Olympic version, which is a bit different from the original lyrics, but both will inspire. I've had some really dark days in the past year or so, when I felt like I couldn't keep fighting for this adoption. This song is one of the things that got me through. Keep on believing, don't give in, and press Repeat as many times as you need!



Unstoppable

So, so you made a lot of mistakes
Walked down the road a little sideways
Cracked a brick when you hit the wall
Yeah, you've had a pocketful of regrets
Pulled you down faster than a sunset
Hey, it happens to us all
When the cold, hard rain just won't quit
And you can't see your way out of it

You find your faith that's been lost and shaken
You take back what's been taken
Get on your knees and dig down deep
You can do what you think is impossible
Keep on believing, don't give in
It'll come and make you whole again
It always will, it always does
Love is unstoppable

Love, it can weather any storm
Bring you back to being born, again
Oh, it's the helping hand
When you need it most
The lightouse shining on the coast
That never goes dim
When your heart is full of doubt
And you think that there's no way out

You find your faith that's been lost and shaken
You take back what's been taken
Get on your knees and dig down deep
You can do what you think is impossible
Keep on believing, don't give in
It'll come and make you whole again
It always will, it always does
Love is unstoppable

It's unstoppable

Like a river keeps on rollin'
Like a north wind blowin'
Don't it feel good knowin'
Yeah--

You find your faith that's been lost and shaken
You take back what's been taken
Get on your knees and dig down deep
You can do what you think is impossible
Keep on believing, don't give in
It'll come and make you whole again
It always will, it always does
Love is unstoppable

Love is unstoppable
So, so you made a lot of mistakes
Walked down the road a little sideways
But love, love is unstoppable