Tough Stuff

New travel warnings like this from the US State Department make me wonder if my agency will be able to get this adoption pilot program off the ground after all.  Shucks.  Oh, and I didn't include it all or even the part about terrorists from Somalia who have threatened to wage attacks there. 

*We cannot name the country on this blog to preserve the process for ourselves and others.

"Crime, often committed by groups of armed bandits or street children, poses the highest risk for foreign visitors to both (capital city) and (country) in general. Exchanges of gunfire and grenade attacks are common even in densely populated urban areas. U.S. citizens should stay indoors, in a ground floor interior room, if gunfire or explosions occur nearby. Common crimes include muggings, burglaries, robberies, and carjackings. Visitors should keep vehicle doors locked and windows up, and be careful when stopped in heavy traffic, due to the threat of robbery. The U.S. Embassy has received reports of armed criminals ambushing vehicles, particularly on the roads leading out of (capital city). The U.S. Embassy prohibits U.S. government personnel from walking on the streets after dark and from using local public transportation at any time. Due to a lack of resources, local authorities in any part of (country) are often unable to provide timely assistance during an emergency."

Does this scare me away?  No, not yet.  I trust my agency.  I know they will shut down the program if necessary.  I also know there are children in desperate need in this, the 2nd poorest country in the whole world.  People from my agency have traveled there safely and found it a lovely country, as long as you don't travel at night or go on the little back roads. 

We remain open to the process that is adoption, knowing that everything may change at any moment.  If we do have to change countries, we will.  

Our hearts are with the people, including the children, who live in hunger there and who have things to fear that we can't even imagine having to worry about.  We also remember that the vast majority of the people there are beautiful, wonderful people, full of a culture and a history that makes them proud to be who and where they are, and rightly so.