Adoption Update

For those of you we haven't spoken with lately, here's the latest!

-The Ethiopian courts are now requiring a death certificate for the parents of the children. It's not impossible to get, but much more difficult as you are supposed to have two pictures of the deceased person. Some of these children do not remember there parents. Therefore, the Ethiopian orphanage (not our agency) will try to find the people that dropped them off and get the necessary information from them. This of course takes time. In China's case it could be exceedingly difficult.
-The Ministry of Women's Affairs is now threatening to not give any more approval letters until all adoptive parents have caught up on their post placement reports. (You do four the first year and then one every year until they are 18).
-The US embassy is now investigating and/or requiring more information on 90% of all Ethiopian adoptions! While it used to be about four weeks from court to embassy appointment, it can now be much longer. One family that passed court in late Nov. still has not been invited for their embassy appointment!

To sum it all up: We have no idea when we'll be traveling and/or coming to the States. We are glad it does seem that it will not interfere with our upcoming India trip!