Stiiiiiiiiill waiting for that travel date.

The director of the Minestry of Education in Anna's City, who is the one who needs to read our dossier and give us a date, is still out of the office, sick.  First we waited while she went on a three week vacation.  Then she was in the office for a few days and had to catch up with other things and couldn't get around to reading dossiers.   Then they had that meeting two weeks ago where they decided no more adoptions in 2010, and she's been out sick ever since.   Our coordinator says she's checking every day to see if she's back.  No luck yet.

 I have felt a lot of peace in the past few weeks and I know we will go when the time is right.  It's just really hard not knowing when. 

It sounds like she's in a great orphanage.  Thankfully, they didn't move her to an institution this past year when she aged out of the baby house.  So she's getting good care as far as orphanage life goes. But the hard part for me is knowing that she's getting older every day.  She's apparently not talking yet (except her "own" language that no one understands) and the orpanage doctor is optimistic that she will do great with speech therapy.  But the older she gets, the harder it will be for her to learn to talk.  I went to school in speech therapy, so it drives me bonkers when I think about this.   

This is the photo that is on the orphan database in Anna's country. It looks like it's a year or two old.  Just look at that sweet face.  It makes me so sad that she has spent all these five and a half years without a mom and dad.  She doesn't have any idea how special she is.  I wish someone could tell her we're coming.  I don't think they can until we are there, ready to come meet her.

We are praying every day that the director of the committee will get well very soon, return to work and take time to read our paperwork and meet with our coordinator.  And that her heart will be softened and will allow the special needs cases to go forward this year and not have to wait.  As time goes on, we are feeling Anna's absense more and more. Even the kids pray for her without our prompting.  (It's really cute.) 

She just needs to come home to her family.