What a day. To sum it up, the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion in Rwanda released its official statement today stating that they were suspending all new adoptions effective August 31st. They are processing any dossiers they have already received and are allowing any dossier waiting at the Rwandan embassy in D.C. up until today to be included. Again, our dossier was due to arrive at the Rwandan embassy next Monday. Two business days have separated us from our Rwandan adoption.

We were so close I could taste it.

As reality has set in today, I have cried and questioned and cried some more. It’s as if I am grieving an unfulfilled dream. I had fantasized about our time in Rwanda and meeting our Wyatt for the first time at the House of Hope orphanage. As we look ahead to most likely adopting from Ethiopia now, I am utterly overwhelmed with how bittersweet this all is. God may have closed the door to Rwanda, but He is allowing us the opportunity to fall in love with another country and its children. Right now, though, I am allowing myself to feel and to grieve. Barring any miraculous changes in the next few days, I hope to report next week that I have picked myself back up and have jumped head first into the brand new stack of paperwork that awaits me.

As I let go of our Rwandan adoption, I must continue to remind myself that God has designed a child to be ours. We might not know where you are right now, Wyatt, but boy, we are coming!

8 Comments on update

  1. Catherine I am so sorry. I think we are all in shock at the moment. Our dossier will be finished at the Embassy on Monday but I am not counting on anything until it is in Rwanda- the rumors flying around are saying all different things.
    I am hoping for you that your adoption path will be made clear soon and that you will look back on this and think 'ahh…that's why it happened.' I am hanging onto the fact that what is meant to be will be for all of us:)

  2. Catherine I am so sorry. I think we are all in shock at the moment. Our dossier will be finished at the Embassy on Monday but I am not counting on anything until it is in Rwanda- the rumors flying around are saying all different things.
    I am hoping for you that your adoption path will be made clear soon and that you will look back on this and think 'ahh…that's why it happened.' I am hanging onto the fact that what is meant to be will be for all of us:)

  3. Oh, Catherine, I am so sorry. As soon as I heard the news about Rwanda earlier, I googled and found your blog to find out if it affected you guys. I cannot imagine how hard this must be, especially since you were so close to the cutoff. If you and Matt decide to move forward with adopting from Ethiopia, I would be glad to help you with the paperwork or answer any questions since we just finished our dossier back in April. Praying for you–

  4. Oh, Catherine, I am so sorry. As soon as I heard the news about Rwanda earlier, I googled and found your blog to find out if it affected you guys. I cannot imagine how hard this must be, especially since you were so close to the cutoff. If you and Matt decide to move forward with adopting from Ethiopia, I would be glad to help you with the paperwork or answer any questions since we just finished our dossier back in April. Praying for you–

  5. I'm sure you've been keeping up with the updates on the yahoo board, but it looks like you may still be OK if you can get your dossier submitted to the Embassy on Monday.

  6. I'm sure you've been keeping up with the updates on the yahoo board, but it looks like you may still be OK if you can get your dossier submitted to the Embassy on Monday.

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