September 1st, 2008

September 1st is coming to an end. Today is a heartbreaking day for more than 1,700 families who were waiting for their family to be enriched through a Vietnamese adoption. Today the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Vietnam expired, and any family without a referral will no longer be able to complete an adoption (at least until a new memorandum is established, which could be a very long time).
This is the second time in the last few years that Vietnam and the U.S. have stopped adoptions. Until Vietnam is able to establish some safeguards against unethical practices adoptions will not resume.
Our hearts are broken for the hundreds, or perhaps thousands of babies and children who will be left in the orphanages while our countries try to reach a new agreement. The longer it takes to reach an agreement, the lower the chance that each of these children will ever have a family.
Please pray that God will have his hand on these children and on the families that want so badly to bring them home.