A Great Responsibility

I recently came across a discussion on an adoption message board about some families staying in Ethiopia after their court appointment and not returning to the US until they had finished their embassy appointment. We thought this could be a good option so I asked our agency about it. Our case worker said that our agency does not allow this. She said there would be so many Americans in the country for long stays that it would draw too much attention to international adoption and could put the whole program in danger. When she explained this it made perfect sense to me.

Lately I have found myself thinking about the Ethiopian people and how some of them must feel about these adoptions. We, as adoptive parents, have a great responsibility to these people. They are entrusting us with their children. We must always take care to honor their culture and show them respect. We should always remember that our actions as individuals can have a great impact on future adoptions.

I want to remind myself of this responsibility every time I get frustrated at the long wait or the amount of paperwork and I want to hold this responsibility in my heart so that I keep it with me when we eventually travel to Ethiopia.