the journey so far....

We began this journey September 2016. As we finished our home study, our adoption agency staff on the ground in Vietnam, began working with the Vietnamese government on some preliminary steps to find a child that would be the right for a match for our family, and us for the child. In June 2017, Vietnam sent a letter to our adoption agency. They were looking for an international family for a baby girl born March 6th. They were formally asking if Sunrise knew of a family. We quickly accepted the soft proposal and the next steps of the process began a few months later, in September, when she turned 6 months old as required by law. The social welfare center where the baby is residing, prepared the babies dossier (package of information about the baby), worked with the local police to conduct an investigation to ensure they knew all of the details regarding the baby and the options for her future. Statements were taken and a report was written. All of the paperwork, was sent to the local Justice Department in the Province the baby is in. After a delay as someone that needed to sign or review or something was not in the office, they ultimately determined that the paperwork was not complete and sent it back to the Social Welfare Center to complete it. One more statement needed to be signed. This is where things have been stuck since November 2017. For the past number of months, the Social Welfare Center has been working with the person that needs to sign the statement to arrange for them to return to Lang Son and work the police to complete it. We have essentially been waiting in limbo- would that person sign or would the not, when would they sign etc etc.... today we learned that THE STATEMENT HAS FINALLY BEEN SIGNED The paperwork can begin moving again. The next steps will be: - the paperwork will be resubmitted to the Justice Department, they will (hopefully) determine that everything is in order) and send the paperwork to the Department of Adoptions in Hanoi, Vietnam. -The Department of Adoptions will review all of the paperwork and hopefully determine that the child suitable for international adoption and issue a letter (called an Article 16 letter) to our adoption agency stating that the Fur Family may adopt this child (depending upon similar consent from British Columbia and Canada) -Our adoption agency submits the paperwork to the Ministry of Justice in British Columbia who then provides a letter (called an Article 17 letter)stating consent. - The Article 17 letter is sent to the Department of Adoptions in Vietnam, the Department of Adoptions in Vietnam sends a letter to the Justice Department in Vietnam (in the Province the baby is in) asking them to arrange the adoption ceremony (called the Giving and Receiving Ceremony). - The Justice Department issues a letter to the Adoption agency. I understand that the child must be adopted within 60 days. I also think that travel is 3-6 weeks after the letter is received. Lots still to do....here`s hoping that the rest of the process is predictable and without incident. I am optimistic, that we can talk about When she will come home and not If. Waiting is hard, it is like part of your heart is on the other side of the world, but part of your heart that doesn`t really belong to you, but just maybe if you believe really hard it might one day. On one hand you want to look the other way, wait to give up your heart until you know it won`t be broken if the adoption does not go through, but on the other hand, you don`t want to miss one moment, one emotion of this incredible journey.