Praying for Congo

So, a lot has happened in the last month regarding us adoptive parents reaching out to our local officials concerning adoptions in DRC.

In this post, I detailed what we had done in just over a week's time.

• We have gotten a lot of attention all the way up to the Department of State.

• A congressional letter was sent out directly to the president and prime minister of DRC that had 171 signatures on it from senators and congressmen.

• The Department of State responded to our plea for an action plan while the DRC delegation was to be in the country, and they set up meetings for the Congolese officials to meet adopted children that were already home with their families.

That delegation trip was canceled last minute, and the Congolese never came.

• Now, our Secretary of State, John Kerry is making a trip to Congo!

The Congolese respect John Kerry and we are praying that the trip will be beneficial for all involved.

But we are receiving blow after blow.

One second we are encouraged, the next we're scared.

One minute we're excited, and the next we are discouraged yet again.

Well, there is a new update on the Dept. of State adoption site and you can read it here.

People are fleeing with their children.
Illegaly.

We all might have opinions as to why DRC hasn't lifted this ban on exit letters, but we have to understand that their claims are real.

People are breaking the law, smuggling children out of the country, and not respecting the laws of their children's home land.

Do I want our son home?  YES!

But we have to do this the right way in order to pave the way for the children behind us to come home swiftly and safely as well.

But here is another concern:

DRC is now concerned with the size of our families before adoption.

Their law DOES state that children shouldn't be adopted to families with more than 2 children already at home. 

HOWEVER, their court system is given discretion in this regard.  Judges have the authority to decide whether families can provide for their adopted children with more at home.

This WAS the case anyway, and we are now concerned that it will change.

No family can "hide" the fact that they have more than 2 children at home.  You have to have a current home study in order to get your judgement, and the home study lists the members of the family in detail.

The fact is, this issue has not been a problem before, we were assured that it shouldn't be a problem by more than one adoption facilitator...and now DRC is implying that it might be a problem now.

Please pray for this situation.

Reading things like this makes my mind drift to possibilities that are too difficult to imagine...it makes me think that we just might not ever bring Tobias home.

However, my husband responds to me with this text message:

"We will wait and see.  We have done our best.  He knows and will rescue as He sees fit.  And we will not quit.  I love you, you are a mommy who loves her children from afar."

I'm so thankful for such words of wisdom.

So it's true....we don't know if or when we WILL ever bring Tobi home.

But we won't quit trying to!

So continue to pray for us, for Tobias, for the other hundreds of children that are stuck and waiting for their parents to bring them home...not to mention the MILLIONS that don't even have parents yet.

And something to think about is the longer children wait in orphanages, the longer other children wait on the streets.  If our kids aren't leaving those orphanages to come home to us, then there is no room for the others that have no place to lay their head at night.

Also pray for John Kerry's trip to DRC.  We're praying that there will be mutual respect between their President and our Secretary of State and that a beneficial outcome with soon be communicated to us!

We in no way want to shed a negative light on Congo.  It is where our son was given life.  They clearly can back up their claims of wrongdoing on adoptive parents' part.  

However, I am praying that they will see the dire state the children are in because of the exit letter suspension.

With so much uncertainty, I will rest in this:

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33