A Prayer for Vietnam

Our update from our agency today did bring good news of a 13 month old girl and an 8 year old boy! I am thrilled for the families. Our update also made mention of the continued tension between USCIS and Vietnam. The Vietnam orphanages are reluctant to continue giving referrals to the US because the US is being demanding in it's requirements for orphan placement. This really saddens my heart today because there are so many families wanting children, and so many children needing families. Vietnam prefers working with the countries who are not making so many demands on them. Who can blame them really? I just pray with my whole heart that the US will come to some type of agreement soon so that we all know what we are facing. It is not that the US is not getting any referrals, they are just becoming fewer and farer between. Which in turn, is tremendously increasing our wait time for our referral. I am really setting my heart to not have a referral until sometime this fall and if it occurs sooner than that then it will be by pure grace of God. I am not losing hope, only feeling saddened that the US government officials seem to not have much regard for the waiting families, both that are waiting for travel and referrals. Don't they know how much we want our children? I just don't understand why there has not been some kind of announcement as to what the intentions are from both sides.

I am still holding true to God's promises for me. He does have a plan for me and I know that Kaylee waits for us in Vietnam. She will be the most precious, cherished thing in the whole world to me. She will be the child for whom I have prayed for so long. I know there is a reason that God is chosing to wait longer than we are wishing to wait, and I have to keep my faith strong that we will come full circle in this journey. The ever-constant "Have you heard anything about the baby?" questions are wearing me so thin. I just poise and smile and say that we are still waiting. That we are one of the top 10 families waiting for a referral right now and she will be here before we know it. And then, I come home and break down in tears for her because I don't understand why we are having to wait for so long. I get on my knees and pray to God that He give me a sign that she is coming, I cry to Him and ask Him to forgive me for my failures. I tell Him that I trust Him to bring Kaylee to us. Sometimes the wait is simply hard and I break down in tears and sob for my daughter, and then there are days that I am at perfect peace in this process. That I believe in Him, that He didn't bring us this far to leave us. I know that I can lay this burden at His feet and He will provide. It is just frustating, and human nature allows us to be frustrated even though our faith is rock-solid strong. We were supposed to have our referral by now, if you count the waiting months. When we went on the waiting list, the wait was projected at 15-18 months. We have now been waiting for 20 months, just for our referral, and it has been 25 months since we started the whole process. Oh me, I don't mean to bring anyone down. And I am confident in the future. I simply am just having a down day.

Most Gracious Father in Heaven,
I know that you hear our prayers. Please Lord, reach down and place Your hand on the minds and hearts of the government officials that hold the outcome of this process in their hands. Please help them see that these children need home and these families need resolutions. I know that You already know the outcome, Father, but You call on us to put our faith in You and petition You our prayers so that we can see Your mighty hand at work. Please Lord, soften Vietnam's heart to continue to refer babies to the waiting families here in the United States. So many hearts full of love for these children who we don't even know yet. Your hand, Lord, calms the raging ocean and puts each individual star in the sky. You create these babies, You have already planned their future, You have already hand-picked each baby for each family. Please, Lord, allow these adoptions to continue. Please send our children home. We are petitioning You with our hearts to calm the raging waters and bring us some sunshine soon. Thank you for listening to our prayer. Grant us patience to wait for You to act.
Amen