Please Pray
**Update: Thank you to all of you who have commented on this post, sharing your prayers and own experiences with this sort of thing. It's so sad that so many adoptive families can relate to the things that are going on with past and presant LVI families. Please continue to pray for widsom for all involved as things continue to unfoled over the next several weeks/months.**
Please pray for all families associated with Life's Vision International--either formally or currently. Another rash of injustices have been passed down to some families. Those that are just starting the process, or are somewhere in the middle of the process, are probably very scared as they try to weigh their options. Do you stay with an agency that has proven not to be ethical and try to "stick it out" to get your kid home (referred or not) or do you potentially lose thousands of dollars and months of time in the adoption process by leaving said agency and going elsewhere to adopt your child?
Everybody mixed up with LVI has such difficult responsibilities. Those of us who were the "first" families and have endured the most wrongs have to figure out how to advocate for our children while battling with someone who wishes to hold them hostage and in her control (I don't use the term hostage lightly).
Families with referrals but no complete adoption, or adoptions that are stalled, have to decide whether to go it on their own and possibly lose their referral, or stay with an agency they have no faith in, and possibly lose their referral.
Families just starting out, who might be collecting the dossier or just waiting for referral have already lost lots of money, having a sunnier outlook that families further through the process, and have to decide whether these vocal and unhappy families are telling truth or lies, and if they think their experience could mirror ours as time goes on.
Of course I know that there are some happy families sprinkled among the carnage. But they are too few and too far between.
Tonight I just hurt. Tonight, what should have been a JOYOUS day for two of my friends was turned into sorrow, frustration, and fear because of more control tactics by LVI. I am sad for my friends. I am ANGRY for them, for my own family, and for all of the families who might be hurt like this in the future.
Please pray for LVI families--all of them.
Thanks,
Anita
9 comments:
Anita - reading your post tonight brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for your prayers - and having everyone else pray too. It's been a terrible day for us. We were so excited to hear that the passports were done, but then to be let down again by LVI trying to hold our passports hostage - as you would say. We'll get our kids home -- i'm fighting this one all the way.
Anita,
I have been following yours and several other stories as it's all been unfolding from the beginning. I am so sorry and will absolutely pray for the families and the children.
dawnz
Oh my goodness! I am appalled at what is happening with this "agency". I am so sorry for all involved and will definately pray right now.
Anita,
This post touched a very familiar painful spot in my heart. We too signed on with an unethical agency. (not the same one) What was supposed to be a very happy time in our life has turned to the toughest. We have experienced the pain of a lost referral who was never really being held for us at all. On top of that we traveled so far from home and were treated very poorly by the people who were supposed to be there to help us. Others using that agency were charged extra for certain criteria... younger children, caucasian children, a certain region... and ended up getting none of those things.
I know the struggle that these people most now go through in their hearts and minds. Due to the fact that we could not just "say goodbye" to thousands of dollars we had to stick it out with the unethical agency we had signed on with. We suffered heartache after heartache because we had to stay with them. Lie after lie and broken promise after broken promise we stuck it through. Now in the end we ARE getting our son. He will be home this week. This is of course after being forced to stay in Kazakhstan longer than we needed to because they too held on to our son's passport in order to charge us more money for staying longer.
We are overjoyed at having our son finally come home. We say that he was worth everything we went through, and he most certainly was. BUT... we never should have had to go through all that we did. Our story of our journey to him is not the happy tale that most adoptive parents get to share with their child.
So, to any of the families caught in the middle of this, trying to make a decision. I say, if you can afford to at all... get out. Find an agency who will care about you and do what is best for the children!!!
sorry to post anonymous but until our son is in our home, they have us afraid to speak out. we have been "warned" by them not to.
Oh no!
I am praying Anita for you and for all the families waiting. What is going on, email me! Are they holding passports?
PRAYING that the right thing happen fast and that the mess can be over with.
Blessings,
S
I am so sorry, and am praying for all the families and especially the children involved.
Anita,
I just got caught up on the forum...I cannot believe how this is going! I am definitely praying for the LVI families...I so wanted this program to become a great program (as I know all the LVI families did). I am just SO thankful that we followed our gut and did not sign with LVI...We fell in love with Ghana, but didn't feel right about LVI...and now I know why. I'm praying for all the LVI families...and for all the children!
((HUGS))) to you Anita and EVERY one involved. After being away for the weekend - And thinking of you constantly (we were staying at an African Themed Resort) - I am so sad to come home and read this.
Hang in there. Everything happens for a reason. We just don't know what or why right now. L, G
I am so sorry Anita. I'm not sure what is going on, but it doesn't sound good :-(
If only the children were the #1 priority for all involved....it would cure so many of these ills.
Best,
Jennifer
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