Saturday, June 22, 2013

Sometimes My Blood Boils

Adopting from U is hard.  The travel.  The process.  The weeks away from home.  There are twists and turns and roadblocks that take the breath away.

When families get to the last part - the final steps in the capital city - they are usually hanging on by a thread.  They have just been given custody of their child/children and they are just wanting to go home.  Their longing to touch down on American soil so that they can finally breath is at its peak.  Home is calling.  The children they left behind are at the end of their patience.  Their new treasure is scared and in desperate need of stability and security.  They are almost finished.  The final pieces no longer involve the U government.  All that is left is for the final papers from their country - the United States - to be stamped so that they can go home.

We know what it is like to get to that final stage.  Eight weeks in country over a three month timespan had us screaming in our hearts for home.  We arrived in the capital in a daze.  The separation from Ben and Elijah was killing us.  We were exhausted.  We wanted out.  We had made it through the gauntlet, we had Aaron and now it was time to go home.  We had 2 simple days left and we were going to be out of there.  The last piece was supposed to be easy.  Nothing was supposed to go wrong.  We arrived at the US Embassy without dread.  This was OUR Embassy.  Our safe place.  We were Americans and Americans take care of their own. 

They didn't have our documents.  What was supposed to be easy became a massive mountain.  I'll never forget standing there in our American Embassy in total shock and horror.  We couldn't leave.  Immigration had messed up.  We were stuck in the city. 

Our driver took us back to apartment and we stumbled inside.  We were alone and completely unbalanced.  Our facilitators could not help us because this was an American problem.  We were facing an unknown amount of days/weeks until the paperwork could be sorted out.  We got on the internet and began to scream.  Loudly.  We cried out to everyone on this side of the ocean who could help us.   We were fortunate.  Our screams were heard.  Numerous calls were made.  Our Congressman (who begged us to tell people to stop calling) was able to move a mountain and a week later we were holding our sons at the airport. 

Sometimes our government isn't the safe place.  Sometimes things get messed up.  And sometimes our government creates new rules that are just plain insane. 

For the Binkley family they are caught in the insane.  Our government has made a new rule that children of a certain age and a certain diagnosis have to have a TB test before they can leave the country. It takes 8 weeks for the test to be read.   EIGHT WEEKS to be cleared.


The Binkley family has finished adopting a beautiful older girl - Olga - and they can't leave the country.  They are being told they have to wait EIGHT WEEKS.

 
 
I'm sorry but that gets my blood boiling.  Our government is wrecking havoc on this family and this precious child.  And if the rules are not amended or reconsidered... then a whole host of other families are going to be similarly affected.  There are families waiting in the wings who are holding their breath and trying not to panic. 
 
We need to rise up in two ways.  We need to pray for those who are working around the clock to address the issues raised by the new rules.  We need to pray that hearts would be moved and mountains would crumble and rules would be changed.   I could say more but I won't.  This whole mess makes me angry.  Adoption is hard enough without roadblocks like this that make it even harder and more expensive. 
 
We also need to support the Binkleys.
 
FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

They are desperate. 
 
They do not have the finances for an eight week extended stay over there.
 
So CHURCH RISE UP. 
 
Dig deep.
 
GIVE to the Binkleys HERE.  Right now Michelle is with Olga but tomorrow Sam will be flying over and staying for the eight weeks.  He took a leave of absence from his work to be there for his daughter.  Michelle will be caring for the other children at home.   As you can imagine - Olga is frightened.  This is very very scary for her. She has just left everything she has ever known to go with this family she barely knows.  Please support this family.  Support Olga.  Sow into their adoption fund.  Get behind them.  They need us.
 
 
 
Come on church.  I am begging you. Pray and give.  Pray and give.
 
PLEASE!!!




15 comments:

  1. We were one of the first families under the new TB test when it started in April. You only stay an additional eight weeks if your test comes back positive for TB. The test only takes three days to read.

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  2. tina, the rule for a certain special need and over 10 years old is that you stay the eight weeks, even when the other tb tests all come back negative :(

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  3. Tina,

    Oh how I wish that were true. If a child is over age 10 they cannot leave until the 8 week culture is completed. We are desperate.

    Sam

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    1. Could you demand an x-ray to clear the child faster?

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  4. Oh, and the Johnson's from the Mulligan Stew hava a matching grant of 5000 and only a week to reach it! Please let people know, so they can help them too.

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  5. If it is like Russia, all the tests come back positive anyway because of the vaccine the kids receive.... Honestly, when I was in Russia I would have done just about anything to stay longer, but I know I'm an exception, I guess.

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  6. Do you have a link to the new regulation? I am surprised the US is not following the WHO recommendations for international Tb testing. Thankful our girl is without arms and couldn't get a skin test so a chest-xray was all that was needed!

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  7. This is absurd! Do a stinking chest x ray!

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    1. They can't. The rules changed. Children with HIV over 10 have to have this done. It is a new rule.

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    2. I have been following the Binkley's, praying for them and doing what I can do financially so I ask this to help me understand. I know that Michelle had no idea when she left on this last trip that it would be this long. How is it that the new rule took affect in April and yet they didn't know about this long wait? Something seems unfair here. And I will call Sen Burr and Rep Foxx tomorrow!

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    3. Lori - Everyone was blindsided. No one had any idea! Olga happened to be the first child with the diagnosis and age requirement that fit the protocol.

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  8. That's ridiculous. I'm so sorry about all of this.

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  9. She already had BOTH a TB skin test AND a chest x-ray....both of which came back clean. But because of her age (over 10) and the fact that she is HIV+, the CDC regulates she must also have the sputum test.

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