The Numbers

It is referral time again for China. It has only been a few weeks since the last batch which is tending to be a trend for December 2 referral batches. Although it does not make up for all the small batches this year or the fact that they have only sent out referrals 10 times in the last 12 months. Every year when we think it could not possibly get slower it does.

So here are the facts: We have 387 days between our LID and the LID that just got referrals. China has averaged 3.4 LIDs per month in 2009, the total average per month since we have been waiting is 5.0 LIDs.

What does that mean for our China referral, I have no idea. I could be several years before we get a referral or it could happen more quickly. We really have no idea. We are going to stick with the non-special-needs (NSN) program until we get home from Burundi and have adjusted to life with a toddler, then we will re-evaluate the situation and see where we are in the process. Until then we are holding steady in the NSN line and waiting.

As for Burundi, no news is no news still. We are waiting for something but I am not sure what. We have asked repeatedly for updated pictures but nothing for the last 2 months. We are currently at day number 275 since our referral. I really hope that we don't start marking this wait in years as well. It is disheartening to put it mildly. Some days I just through my hands in the air and say I give up and other days I am fighting mad at the fact that this process is so slow. I am boycotting our agency until the new year but they can expect my call on the 4th trying to find out what the heck is going on. We need to get our paperwork updated and I am really not looking forward to spending about $1000 more dollars to the US government with no expectations of using it. So it will be interesting to find out if anything happens in the next few weeks.