The news we never expected to hear...

Yesterday we received an e-mail from our adoption agency.  We were really hoping the next time we'd be hearing from them would be with the good news of the newest addition to our family.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.  My heart dropped to my stomach as I read the e-mail...

"We would like to update you regarding the status of Fundacion Los Pisingos in Bogota.  We have received a letter from the ICBF which states that Los Pisingos has not received their license extension after their license expired this month.  Thus, at this time, all children under the care and protection of Fundacion Los Pisingos have been transferred to the care of ICBF, along with each family’s dossier (which includes both waiting families and those already in a match with a specific child)."

Los Pisingos (the orphanage that we were hoping to adopt from) did not receive their re-accreditation from ICBF (the Colombian government agency that oversees adoptions.)  What this means is that Los Pisingos is no longer able to place children for adoption. 

We are shocked, saddened and heart-broken by this news.  Our dossier has spent the last year in Colombia.  It felt like we were getting so close to welcoming Baby Slom #3 home.  At this time, all the dossiers that were at Los Pisingos have been moved to ICBF.  The main problem with this is the very long back-log of dossiers that ICBF currently has.  As of the last ICBF waitlist update, they are currently placing children in families whose application was approved in February of 2008!!  Meaning there is a 4 1/2 year wait to receive a child through ICBF!

So then what?  That is the question.  There are basically 4 options:

1)  Move forward with ICBF, praying that they look at the date our application was accepted at Los Pisingos leaving us with a 3 1/2 year wait;

2) Change country programs and hopefully find one where things are moving more smoothly;

3) Pray that we can find another private orphanage in Colombia that will work with us (a difficult feat since the majority will only work with families with zero or one child in the home);

4) Switch to the Colombian Special Needs program.

We now have some very difficult decisions ahead of us and pray that God opens our eyes and ears so that we can follow the plan He has in place for us.

We know that everything happens for a reason and that some day we will look back at this moment with a sense of gratitude because we will be holding in our arms the child that was meant to be ours.