We haven’t posted in awhile because very little has changed in the past several months with respect to our adoption process. Riya’s children are still in the orphanage, and unfortunately are not yet available to be matched with us.
A few days ago, however, we did get some updated information from our adoption agency. We spoke with a staff member who recently returned from several weeks in India. During that time, she was able to visit the orphanage where Riya’s children are living. Since her visit was unrelated to our adoption case she was unable to see the children or inquire about them, but she did have positive things to report about the orphanage. She told us that the orphanage is in a good area of the city, is clean and secure, has a good caregiver to child ratio, and that she believes that Riya’s daughter (age 6) is attending school. This reassuring news is a relief for us to hear.
We also learned a bit more about Indian adoption procedures. Once the children are legally free for adoption, they first become available to be domestically adopted by an Indian family. If 90 days pass without being matched with a family in India, then they will become available to be adopted internationally. Our agency believes it is unlikely they will be adopted by an Indian family, but it is a possibility. We have no way of knowing when this 90-day window will begin nor any way of knowing the children’s status within this period of time, so we simply need to continue to wait.
In terms of Riya’s health, we recently received an update that it is continuing to decline. Riya has been unable to see her children since she surrendered her parental rights in order to choose adoption for them. We are praying that her health will not decline further during the adoption process in the hopes that she will have the opportunity to be briefly reunited with us and with her children in India after we’ve adopted them.
As we continue to prayerfully wait and hope, we also continue to find encouragement in the little things. A chance meeting with a local Indian family through a Craigslist purchase. A donation from someone we’ve never met. A thoughtful note from friends we’ve lost touch with over the years. Affirming recommendation letters (for lengthy grant applications!) from supportive friends and colleagues. An opportunity to get to know an Indian adoptee in our church community. Zinnia’s earnest prayers for “the girl and boy from India to join our family.” We can sense God’s presence on this journey through all of these things – and many more – and we are grateful for how many of you have played a part in walking alongside us.