The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword; The Parent Is Mightier Than the Board?

Okay, I've been in class all morning trying to teach 18 year olds that writing skills are important. They don't believe me. And then I come home and see that we have passed 15,000! HA! I win this round college freshman!

I have to echo what Dave said in his earlier post. Each and everyone one of you have made an impact on the numbers, and we are grateful to you all.

Fact:
October 2nd we had 4700 signatures.
Today we have over 15,000.
Okay, I teach English not math, but that's a heck of a lot of signatures in like, what, 10, 11 days?
Wow.

Dave and I got to see some new arrivals from China yesterday, and earlier last week I got to meet a new arrival from Russia. I'll tell you all, I would work day and night on 100 petitions after that. Each child I met was so precious, beautiful, and captivating. What miracles they are, and what they have been through. The child from Russia lived in a hospital for (I believe the mommy said) almost a year because there was "no room at the inn" in any of the orphanages. Some of the children came from institutions, some from foster care, and some had SNs beyond those of being an orphan, and everyone was an amazing little survior, thriving and smiling and adapting to a family so quickly and easily. All is right with the world at those moments. Children are supposed to grow in families.

A lot of times, when you're in the process, you're doing what you need to do, and what you have to do, and you jump through the hoops thinking, "Yes, ghost child out there somewhere, I would jump through a million hoops for you," but you do it without really knowing for sure. You trust yourself and try to find the motivation inside for each hurtle. Sometimes, I think, we all have moments were we are just, tired, would you say that is how to describe it?

Well, when I saw all those children this past week they were all so very real and wonderful that I knew suddenly for certain that there wasn't a hoop in existence that I wouldn't jump through for Sophie.

Yes, I would jump through any darn hoop they can throw at me for Sophie, and I know you would too.

Here's hoping that we don't have to. Here's hoping that USCIS hears our voices, and feels our love for these little souls out there waiting for someone to call their own. And here's hoping that they let compassion rule the day and help the process along rather than slowing it down, or stopping it completely.

And if they do hear us, it will be because of each name on the petition, and each question on the blog, and each posting you put on a group, and each email you sent to your friends, your congress, etc., and because of each time one of you worked the JCICS plan, and for each time you encouraged someone waiting for their child, and finally it will be because of the effort of each individual one of you.
xx~
Di & Dave too