Two Steps Backward, One Step Forward

Two weeks ago, we got an email late Friday night from our caseworker.  I had already gone to bed and didn't get it until the morning.  It was the start of the weekend and I wasn't expecting any new news, and unfortunately this was bad news.  Even though we thought we already had our ARC approval, it turns out we didn't.  There was a miscommunication and the ARC committee decided they needed for Anjali to have a new physical exam before they would issue it.  I was devastated by this email.  It's one thing to be waiting endlessly for news, it's a whole other thing to get news that you are two steps behind where you thought you were in the process.  7 months and no ARC...unbelievable.  My caseworker said it was time to let Ms. Gandhi know,  Maneka Gandhi is the minister of women and children and she is very concerned about cleaning up the slow adoption process.  Our story is turning out to be a model example of all that is wrong with the system.

The following week Anjali got a new physical exam.  On a positive note, it was quite detailed and nice to get new information on her and know she is healthy and growing.  Our caseworker wrote a letter to Ms. Gandhi.  Then, of course came the mad rush to get documents signed, notarized and apostilled.  I immediately emailed back the signed medical report, but my caseworker got word that we would need to get the notarized copies to them.  A pricey fedex package was sent out on Friday to get them the notarized documents as soon as possible.  Saturday morning brought more bad news.  A massive 7.9 earthquake (bhukamp in Hindi) hit Nepal.  Bihar was also hit with an earthquake and dealing with aftershocks.  I was able to get a hold of Anjali's former nurse.  She called the orphanage and found out that everything was okay there, but described the aftershocks as horrible due to their intensity and frequency.  I was relieved that everything was okay at the orphanage, but knew that this was all certain to cause delays.  First sign of delays came on Monday when my caseworker discovered that Fed Ex packages were taking a week to arrive in Bihar which meant that SARA would not receive the notarized document until the following Monday.  I had no hope of news this week, but then...

Wednesday was my mother and Adam's birthday.  I had a busy morning and wasn't expecting any news at all when I got a text from Adam stating, "I got an ARC approval for my birthday!".  I checked my email and indeed there it was...an email from my caseworker, with the ARC attached.  Hallellujah!!!  So now we are again waiting for NOC.  I am hopeful that now that Ms. Gandhi is aware of our case, we will get NOC quickly (maybe for mother's day?)...but I am careful these days about being optimistic.  We still have quite a ways to go...but I will take this unexpected piece of progress even if it is one step forward after taking two steps backward.