So Close We Can Taste It

We learned this week that 1 referral came into Lifelink on January 31.  We are so excited to share this makes us #2 and that much closer to our little one!  Our agency is still at zero referrals for February which gives us (and our #1 family) high hopes that maybe we’ll see a couple this month yet.  

This January referral came by personal delivery by Dr. Kim of Eastern Social Welfare Society...wished she could have stuffed a few more into her carry on bag : )  She was in the States to visit with our Program Director of which we anxiously await an update from this meeting.  Half of our families are waiting to learn more about Exit Permits (EPs) and when they might start getting processed this year - usually starts in Jan and we're already into Feb.  Once they start, families will receive notice about 4 weeks later that it's time to travel and pick up their little ones.  EPs typically go through in batches throughout the year so we have families traveling most months.  

Because all of the EPs for 2011 were exhausted by September, none of our families have travelled since October : (  Our families that are very anxious for EPs to start flowing received their referrals back in November 2010...so yes they are ready!!!  We are all very interested to learn what the quota for EPs will be this year and how many of our 20 waiting families will get to travel during 2012.     

The other half of our families, us included, are interested to learn more about expected reductions in referrals for  2012.  We've been told that referrals will be decreased by 10% this year so a few less will be coming through as compared to the 23 received in 2011.  This is occurring due to the S Korea government wishing to exit the international adoption arena as well as trying to catch up on this back log of kiddos waiting to travel.  All comes back to the all mighty quota of EPs.  

So lots of slow downs occurring right now due to S Korea government.  Overall, families are waiting 14 months to referral and 14-16 months to travel.  I was just saying how funny it is that we get so excited to end our first wait (receive a referral) to just start a second one (travel call).  My good friend Amy had a great comment to that "Each wait is one step closer to no more waiting."  Thanks Amy, so true!  My other good friend Julie is also in the adoption process and recently posted a wonderful comment on her blog about a reading she offered during a holiday service, it happen to be about waiting. "Instead of waiting, what if we began a journey of hope."  Julie commented, "I liked that thought. Waiting is inactive and passive. A journey is taking part and moving forward with hope in what lies ahead."  So very true!  I know I use the word 'wait' a lot, but it truly is a journey for us and we're loving every minute of it!

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. - G Anderson