No, we don't really have any news. However, we've been hearing from a couple different sources, that families who don't need to have dispensation, could get IBESR approval in as little as 6 weeks to 2 months. Yikes! That one was awesome to hear, but also threw us for a loop!
When we first heard this, it was information from the IBESR director, stating that she wants to have approvals done in 2 months. That'd be awesome - but sounded kind of like a pie-in-the-sky compared to having been in IBESR for 11 months for Elijah & Josephine's adoption! Then I heard from other adopting families that they know of families that didn't need dispensations (which we don't either) were out in 6-8 weeks. I'm still having a hard time believeing it, but God's bigger than this, and will receive all the glory should we get some awesome news soon!
We went in to IBESR around February 7th. Six weeks would have put us at this week! Two months puts us at April 7th! Our agency wants us to try to travel as soon as possible after we get out of IBESR, so as not to hold up the adoption process. Of course, we do as well! However, we do have three little but very important obligations we have to make plans for, as well as two full-time jobs to give a little bit of notice to before we're gone and completely unavailable for a whole week. We have started contacting people and making indefinite plans and indefinite contingency plans, so that hopefully we'll be able to travel within a couple weeks of when we're notified of IBESR approval.
Also, around the time we started hearing of the 6-week to 2-month timeframe, we also read blogs regarding some needs at James' orphanage (see here, and clarifications here and here). They are struggling financially with general fund expenses. The general fund is what they use to buy formula, diapers, water, pay nannies' and drivers' salaries, etc. They are asking for prayers that God would lead donors to GLA, for financial donations and donations of goods.
So, combining the need, and our trip that possibly could come up in the next couple months, our thought was to spread the news, and collect donations for us to pack our extra suitcases with. On previous trips, we've had to pack clothing, food, and diapers for Elijah & Josephine, as they stayed with us at the hotel, in addition to donations for the orphanage. On this trip, James will not be staying with us, and we won't be responsible for his care, so we're hoping to use our extra space to help out GLA. But we need your help, and we want to give others the opportunity to bless GLA as well.
So, go here to see a list of needs that GLA has. We'd like to start collecting some of these items to take with us. I talked with Tom, and he said that the highest priority need right now is probably soy formula, and formula made specially for premies. Likely we won't be able to fill our bags with just formula, due to weight restrictions, so we'd also like to collect diapers as well. We'll collect as much as we can, and when it comes time to fill our bags, if we don't have enough room for it all, we'll find a way to get it to Colorado for the container shipment later this spring or summer.
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