Taking my hands off of the wheel...

So, here is the deal. It has been three years and counting since the first piece of paper was signed to embark on this international adoption journey. Granted, no one said it was going to be easy. Nor did they claim the process, timing or government regulations would make a whole lot of sense. I knew what might be in front of me. And I did it anyway knowing adoption was something I had thought about for the past 19 years.

During these past 1098 days (give or take a few), I have had the great pleasure of watching passports disappear, fingerprints being rejected, the beginning of a new I-800 process, the closure of China to singles (and to pretty much anyone who isn’t Snow White), Nepal opening, Nepal closing, a misplaced Visas 37 Cable, Nepal opening, China moving to a five-year wait list, our first ‘friends’ receiving matches for their daughters in Nepal, and then silence. Now it has basically come to a halt again. Several of the women I have met during this process are bowing out of Nepal altogether.

While it appears that a large group of files were matched after the initial 25 and are/were in the process of being mailed, the process has now stopped completely . No one is sure if it is for "technical problems" or for lack of a new Minister. Bottom line is that no adoptions can be completed without a Minister in place and no one is even clear if referrals can be issued without a Minister.

In case you aren’t getting Nepal breaking news alerts a la Michael Jackson, they are – and continue to be – in a bit of a political turmoil. Basically, the political upheaval among the Madhesi parties has delayed the naming of a new Minister for MOWC. They are facing more strikes, power outages and political unrest than the country has seen in quite a while.

Needless to say, getting away for the vacation in Mexico has really helped put this all is perspective. I am taking my hands off of the wheel on this one. If it is meant to be, it will happen. If it is not, it certainly won’t be from a lack of effort, care or desire. Some things have a funny way of appearing in – or disappearing from -- your life without any rhyme or reason.

Sawai Dev Ojha – Will it really happen?

Madhesi parties to send names by today http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=199914
Kamal Raj Sigdel

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas , June 19 - Top guns of the three Madhesi parties toiled dawn till dusk on Thursday to pick ministers to be inducted in the UML-led Cabinet, but failed to reach a decision. While Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) and Sadbhavana Party-Anandidevi (SP-A) narrowed down differences after hours of negotiations, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) appeared to be in complete disarray.

All three parties, however, said they would send their respective lists by Friday. For Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, who leads a splinter group of MJF, selecting his ministerial candidates appears to be a tough job for the simple reason: Most of his supporters are still volatile.

"There are chances that Gachhadar may lose his lawmakers if he fails to take a consensus decision and appease all aspirants," according to an MJF leader. Gachhadar appears to be in a critical state with his claim on MJF leadership at the Election Commission (EC) falling short by just two signatures of the party's Central Committee members. He has already submitted signatures of 16 of the 35 CC members at the EC.

In a meeting with his lawmakers, Gachhadar received more rebuff than support for his proposed list of ministers: Mrigendra Singh Yadav (Agriculture and Cooperatives), Sawai Dev Ojha (Women, Children and Social Welfare), Sarat Singh Bhandari (Tourism and Civil Aviation). Jitendra Dev, Asha Chaturvedi and Karima Begam were also figured in his list.

MJF has demanded five ministries and four state ministries. According to sources, Gachhadar is likely to offer one post to "newcomer" R.C. Yadav, who defected from Upendra Yadav's faction.

Internal differences notwithstan-ding, Gachhadar is all set to dispatch a final list of at least nine ministers to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal by Friday noon. "The Central Commi-ttee and Parliamentary Party of our faction have given me responsibility and I will deliver by tomorrow," Gachhadar told reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a marathon meeting of TMLP Central Committee and Parliamentary Party decided to authorise Chairman Mahantha Thakur to select the party's candidates. According to the party's senior advisor Dr. Brikesh Chandra Laal, TMLP lawmakers have urged the party chairman to consider two main criteria: inclusiveness in the team and capacity of the chosen leaders to push the Madhesi agenda in the Cabinet.

The Power of Video

How do you possibly explain something as complex as international adoption in a place as complicated as Nepal to a seven year old who is as confused as some adults about this convoluted process?

YouTube.

It sounds trite, right? I know. As corny as it may sound, it is also the one thing that has saved me from trying to explain something – and someplace – to an inquiring 1st grade mind.

So, in the middle of compiling the endless amounts of paperwork that makes up the THUD called the dossier, I discovered the power of storytelling through videos shot in Nepal orphanages. YouTube has an incredible number of videos that really tell the stories about life in the orphanages and life on the streets. They may not be easy to watch, but it is a glimpse into the reality we will face when we travel and return with our children to share with them their heritage through the years. I have captured a few of them in this post, but I encourage you to find some of your favorites and share them in the comments section.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW57KjSwE2k&feature=related

My daughter is learning how to read, but she hasn’t mastered the art of reading at the pace in which these words flash across the screen. She watched this video with me, but didn’t fully grasp the concept (and , for the record, I am just fine with that). This is a wonderful video if you can make it through the mid-way point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKuxtAw61nA&NR=1

When We Picked Him Up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERKXlCNytY0 is also a wonderful video capturing the 2007 adoption of Samuel from Kathmandu, Nepal through www.newbeginningsadoption.org

The old adage still holds true: a picture – or a video – is worth a thousand words.

U.S.A, Italy and now France!

U.S.A, Italy and now France! Apparently, three little girls were referred to their families in France late last week. We have been keeping one another up to date on the newest referrals and it appears that Nepal sent out another 20 referrals. We know the highest legal number is 25 and all of the children referred are little girls.

One of the agency reps informed their families that they can expect to travel to Nepal at the end of July or beginning of August (approximately 2 1/2 to 3 months from referral to travel time). The interesting news is that they (we) will need to plan to be in Nepal for 15 business days, so a total of 3 to 4 weeks in country. If this is true, it is going to be an interesting -- and complicated – travel situation.

Everyone keeps asking what you are expected to do in Kathmandu for that length of time. Apparently, once a person travels to pick up their child the following must be done: Collect adoption decree, visit your child's orphanage, apply for travel documents, visit the US embassy to make an appointment for the exit interview, get a final medical check-up, collect necessary documents (referral info) to translate for the embassy, submit documents to the embassy, participate in an exit interview with the embassy, pick up your child's visa and then … fly home. In this case, the travel time looks like about 36 hours. I can’t imagine anything more fun than traveling with an infant and a seven year old for a day and a half!

This should be an interesting week full of news for many waiting families.