Thursday, July 10, 2008

Has Everyone Lost Their Minds?

I think I'm going to have to go on adoption "hiatus". I truly do. The last few days have just wrecked heck on my nerves. We were supposed to find out this week if Ellie's case would be heard in court. If so, our 30 day wait would start and then, when complete, a final decree would be issued and ten days later we could pick her up. On Tuesday I was on pins and needles because court was likely to be Tuesday or Wednesday and they are a half a day ahead of us.

THEN we got an email stating the judge that would hear the case was ill and that the families slated to travel to pick up their kiddos would not be going as he had not signed some documents they needed to pick them up. The coordinator had asked if she could bring them by his house and was told no. No cases went to court and it would likely be next week.

THEN the next day (Wednesday), I heard from another source that he was not sick but on vacation and had not returned and would not return until the end of July and so there was no way we would return prior to early/middle September.

TODAY I have heard that the judge is "missing" and no one seems to know where he is and his wife won't tell either.

When I talked with Joyce at our agency today I was told that our file was with the coordinator who was taking it with the other files to be heard next week -- assuming the judge returns to work. She did not comment on whether he was sick, on vacation or missing. She could not confirm that we will or will not have court next week.

OK... so, I know this is a different culture and that people take vacations. I'm fine with that, but WHERE is the breakdown in information coming from? We are all adults -- can someone not just say, "Hey, he's ______ (fill in what ever is appropriate) and won't be back until ______. Your case is scheduled to be heard on ______." Seems simple, doesn't it? Oh well. There is absolutely nothing I can do about it except wait and pray really hard. I'd ask you to pray really hard as well. This judge's action is affecting the lives of 10 children who are stuck in an orphanage because he isn't back at work where folks thought he would be. And, while I hope he is ok and nothing has happened to him, I am a bit frustrated that no one can say what he's doing and when he will return to work. With this type of work policy, I think maybe I should go to work there.

So, yes, I'm whining, complaining and griping. I'm tired and probably should go to bed and let it all go. It's just hard knowing that she is there and we are here and that she needs to be here with us.

Maybe tomorrow will allow me to resume my positive thinking methods.

2 comments:

Suzanne said...

Ugh. I'm sorry, Maria. This situation sounds like what happened Bishkek earlier this year.

What I heard - and it's 4th hand, at best - is that the big "restructuring" that seemed to only be affecting Bishkek adoptions, is indeed, for the entire Kyrg IA program. So it could be that Tokmok is just now catching up to the situation that has been affecting Bishkek. The good news is that as of July 22, everyone should be in place in the newly restructured IA committee, and they should start processing the backlog of dossier and handing out court dates. How this affects Bishkek vs. Tokmok is a mystery to me (as is most of the process at this point). But it does start to make some sense out of things. I just hate that it means that any more families have to wait any longer to bring their kids home.

Keep strong. Our girls will be home with us. I know that.

-Suzanne

Mom to 2 Angels said...

The process can be so frustrating! I'll be praying that you get clearer answers in the next few weeks. I love the new pictures. I agree it looks like she has really filled in :) I just want to pinch those cheeks!