The Whacky World Of International Adoption

I got some surprising email news yesterday from Sarah. Although we are still in MOI, the girl's birthparent(s) have done the interview at the Embassy. It appears that all my requirements have been fulfilled for the I600 but I am not sure on this. I do need to know, as the deadline to extend my application is next Friday, and the only way to extend is to contact the USCIS in Haiti...


I was surprised because


a.) The parent(s) lives in Port Salut, which is at least 5 hours from PAP, and from what I understand there has been alot of hurricane damage to the roads. Under the best of circumstances, travel in Haiti is not that easy.


b.) I have friends much further along in the process that still do not have the birth parent interviews. It's frustrating and I feel bad for them, because it is holding up the end process.


I don't know if the girls parents are still together or not. I don't know if their father is still in the picture at all. I don't know how many other brothers and sisters they may have, if any. I do know they were and are loved. They have that foundation. I have long worried about them seeing their birth mother (Claudette) at this interview. I can't imagine the emotions, the confusion, the joy and the heartache and the leaving again. I do know that whatever the story, I am humbled by Claudette's strength and love.

This picture was part of a series that was taken by a French mom the first week the girls came to the *O*. It was buried in boatload of Snapfish albums and I did not see it until after I met the children and made the decision to adopt them. Her sad eyes shocked me profoundly when I first saw this. This was not a look I had seen on her during our first visit, or in other photos. Unfortunately I have to say I have seen it up close and in person since that time. It is the look of abandonment and the pain that accompanies. The first trip, when I left, she was just mad. The second trip, it was "I can't believe you are leaving me here" and crying. The 3rd time, it was this same stonefaced pain with tears, only more so. There cannot be a 4th time.

And so....I thank God, Marie, Claudette and whoever else was involved for making the interview happen. That is one big obstacle out of the way. These kids need to come home.