i WOULD bless the rains down in africa

today it rained. hard, africa rain and our taxi driver said "this means God is good! he has not forgotten us!" life stops in town when it rains this hard. people stand under the edges of buildings and in the outdoor hallways at the hospital. the roads flood with brown water and the sound of the rain on the cement and tin roof is loud and rhythmic. i really do love it.

kenyan rain out the window of Sally Test

if at any time you can't find me, i'm probably at the Sally Test Center. i have come to find real happiness sitting on the mat with 4 little babies around me. they are just so beautiful and curious and kind. the one girl, abigail, who is stunted and 11 months old just calmly stares at you. she shares her toys and smiles all the time. and every time i sit with her i feel better. crazy that it takes helpless little children to put everything in perspective.

abigail

and so many of ya'll have said "bring home that little baby jolene" but the catch is the little baby does not have HIV, she is less than a month old, and is already moving to the orphanage tomorrow to begin the adoption process. she will be okay and have no memory of the two weeks she spent in the hospital. but it's the older babies and the ones with HIV that will be left behind.

as an American, adoption in Kenya is extremely difficult. I looked into it. (more so out of curiosity and future plans, i have no real plans to bring home a mini-human in my suitcase. this time, at least.) Kenyan courts are "not institutionally biased" against foreigners seeking adoption, but Kenyan law specifically states that an adoption order shouldn't be made for a sole male applicant or an applicant of a different race (!) because they view the welfare of the child as paramount. in addition, only residents of Kenya can place an adoption order and one must live in country for a minimum of six months to be considered a resident. then assuming the adoption order clears with the courts (which could take a long while) the adoptive parents must live with the child in Kenya for a minimum of three months so a representative from the adoption agency can visit and check-in about the well-being of the child. Assuming the adoptive parents are suitable, a U.S. visa can then be issued.

also, it is illegal to publish or advertise that a parent wants to give a child up for adoption, that a person wants to adopt a child or that a person (that is not an adoption society) is willing to make arrangements for the adoption of a child.

it is so difficult here because Kenya is one of 75 countries signed on to the Hague Adoption Convention of 2008. The convention ultimately aims to "provide a framework for member countries to work together to ensure that children are provided with permanent, loving homes, that take place in the best interests of a child, and that the abduction, sale or traffic of children is prevented." in theory, that sounds good.