Ministry Movement & Matching!

Good news! It sounds like another round of dossiers (125) have gone to the matching committee in Nepal. This means that 125 families will hopefully recieve a referral (match) for an orphan sometime soon. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out: how long it will take for this round to be matched, how long it will be until the families travel to meet their children, and when the next group will be matched. Remember, this is a new program as of January, and to our knowledge only a small handful of families have been matched so far. So this is all new territory. There is so much we don't know - and so much we will learn over the next few months from those ahead of us in the process. (Thanks in advance, you guys!)

In terms of our process, we won't be in this round of matches, but, it's possible we could be in the next. Of course that could be in a month - or in a year - no one knows. Some friends of ours are likely in this current group of 125 and could hear news any day...we're very excited for them!

Namaste for now.

Patience. It doesn't come naturally to me.

Nepal's new Prime Minister has been sworn into office. We don't know how this will affect the adoption process. We expect slowdowns, but things have been moving pretty slowly (at least it seems from a half a world away) anyway.

Since Nepal re-opened for adoptions in January of this year, it's our understanding that 3 children have been matched with families, although no one has actually traveled to Nepal. (Selfishly, and for the sake of the babies, children and other families we hope the momentum picks up soon!) We have to remember that not everyone moves at our "American" pace. (Hmmm...that "patience" thing seems to be a recurring theme in my life.)

So, we're (still) in a holding pattern. We're hesitant to set up the baby's room, talk about names or get too exited since things are so uncertain. Although I'd be lying if I said our hearts weren't already involved.

Namaste.

No New News

Nothing new to report as far as the adoption is concerned.

I'm traveling in Europe for work. It occurs to me that after the baby comes these trips will be different. It'll be harder to go overseas, I think.

So, we wait. The waiting now is much different than it was when we had work to do on the dossier. It's somehow heavier and bigger. I'm funneling my energies into some volunteer work for an organization that builds schools in remote areas of Nepal. (Stay tuned for more on that.)

Namaste for now.

Making an ass out of u and me

When we tell people we're adopting, 95% of the time we are met with genuine excitement. But there are other reactions, as well. So, to clear things up for the record:

1.) I'm/we're not infertile.
Most of the time, people automatically assume I'm infertile. There's a "you poor thing" look in their eyes for a fraction of a second. (They recover quickly, but I always catch it.) We're not adopting because either of us has any fertility challenges. Adoption is our choice. This is how Terry and I have chosen to start our family.

2.) We're the lucky ones.
People often say: "that is a lucky child". And early on, I probably agreed with that. In actuality though, it is Terry and me who are "lucky". To adopt a child from a different culture half-way around the world is an absolute privilege. And that's not lip service. We just hope we're worthy.

3.) International Adoption was not a runner-up.
We wanted to adopt internationally, it's not a second choice. Our reasons for adopting child who will be a different color, from a different culture, and with a different religious background are very personal, but I can say with absolute conviction, this is our path.

Namaste.

Referrals have begun!

Wonderful news! We have heard from a few people who have received referrals for their children from Nepal! Soon, we'll learn much more: how long it might be until our referral comes, best case? How long after referral until we can we travel? What will happen during the stay in Kathmandu? And on and on...

I can't even imagine the day when we go the the mailbox and there's a letter postmarked from Nepal! How will this unfold? So exciting!!

Namaste! And thank you, Ganesha!

Political goings-on half a world away.

It sounds like, that as of now, the matching process is continuing. This means that orphans are being matched with families despite the political upheaval in Nepal. We have yet to hear of any actual referrals - which is the notification the family receives with information about their child. And finally, we are hearing that when a new government is in place, the process could be interrupted and slowed down. All in all, many rumors, much speculation...I pass on only what I hear from our attorney in Nepal or directly from the Nepali press (below).

Nepalnews.com is reporting that an understanding has already been reached among parties to form a unity government under the leadership of CPN (UML) (Communist Party Nepal / Unified Marxist Leninist).

Stay tuned. Namaste.

Staying positive

Trying to stay positive here amidst unknown governmental changes in Nepal and their various ramifications. We learned today though that the ministry (of women and children) is still accepting new dossiers as usual, so political changes are not affecting that. I think that is a good sign. We'd like to think that the ministry would not be affected by such governmental shifts, but who knows. We expect some delays in the referral process at this point, but are hopeful these will be minimal. For the sake of the orphaned children, peace and stability in Nepal, and our own quest and the quests of our many friends in the same boat, we wish and pray for the best.

Namaste.

Nepali Prime Minister Resigns

Click here for the news from Nepal.

The Prime Minister of Nepal has resigned. We have no idea how / if this will affect the adoption process, the families, or most importantly - the children. At this point our agency is warning of a delay - but we don't know how long or short.

While I want to feel sad for us about the (potentially) longer wait for our child, I have decided to instead send my prayers and compassion to the orphans in Nepal who may now have to wait longer for a home, family, food and shelter. And - who knows - maybe somehow things will be better in the long-term due to changes that are happening now? We just don't know what we don't know.

"If we think of ourselves as very precious and absolute, our whole mental focus becomes very narrow and limited and even minor problems can seem unbearable... If we switch our mental attitude from concern for our own welfare to that of others, our mind automatically widens and our own problems appear much less important and easier to face." ~the Dalai Lama

Namaste.

Yak Stew in Golden!

Terry and I made a new discovery tonight! We went to eat dinner at a new restaurant here in Golden - the Sherpa House Restaurant and Cultural Center. A neighbor had mentioned the Sherpa House earlier in the day, and we're big fans of Indian/Nepalese food, so we headed over.

Well, it could not have been more delightful! Lhakpa Sherpa and his family opened the restaurant (Himalayan cuisine) about a month ago. They've decorated the place with artifacts and pictures from Nepal, and have even outfitted the front room to look like a typical Himalayan house. There's a Buddhist shrine room and a nice patio, as well.

Lhakpa and the others (all of whom were from Nepal, as well) were very friendly and our food was great. (I had Chicken Tikka Masala and Terry ordered the Yak stew...a little chewy but good.) We chatted a bit about the Nepalese community here in Golden, and even found a few people that we know in common! Lhakpa kindly offered to help however he could when we go to Nepal. We will frequent the Sherpa House, for sure.

Our circle expands and our community continues to grow. For that I am humbled and thankful. And I can't finish this post without mentioning that the first ten minutes we sat in the place I had tears streaming down my face. I can't explain why, but I know there are some of you who understand. Namaste.