A New Phase of Waiting Begins

A few days of relief then anticipation all over again…

So Friday we get the info that our paperwork is moving and it won’t be much longer. We all took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. It was so good to hear of movement, this was reason enough for us to rejoice. But now it’s Wednesday and I am already starting to become anxious for the next step. For the past two weeks I have been addicted to my phone and email. I knew something was going on, I could feel it in my bones. The only thing I knew to do was stay close to the phone and check email every half hour hoping for news. It really is an awful feeling to be so attached to these electronic devices. So after Fridays call it was nice to have a break from my addiction. I even left my phone at home on accident on Tuesday and did not have withdraws in fear of missing “the call”.

The words Julie, our CHI Colombia Program Director, spoke were “we hope to hear something very soon. Usually when Bogota requests paperwork they have children in mind for you.” This was very exciting, but after thinking about it. What does “very soon” mean? 2 weeks, 2 months? Some folks wait years which is why “very soon” is a vague yet exciting description…yikes.
I imagine by next Monday I will be addicted to my phone and email again.

In the meantime, I thought I would list a few tidbits about Bogota:

Bogotá is located in the centre of the country (8661 feet) above sea level. Located on a high plateau in the Andes mountains. The average temperature is 57°F. Dry and rainy seasons alternate throughout the year. The driest months are December, January, February and March; the rainiest are April, May, September, October and November.

In the 1990s, Bogotá was considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world. At one point it had a homicide rate of 80 per 100,000 people. Since then, however, Bogotá has gone to great lengths to change its crime rate and its image.

Colombia's flag was adopted in 1861. It is divided into three segments, the blue and the red together have the same width as the yellow one. Yellow represents the land, blue represents the ocean, and red represents the blood spilled by patriots.

6.5 million children (that’s 38.9% of all children in Colombia) live below the poverty level.

Only 60 of every 100 children who start primary school in Colombia make it all the way through to finish 8th grade.

Estimated numbers of street children in Colombia’s capital city of Bogota are up to 110,000.

On the street, many children turn to inhalants to dull their hunger pains and escape their world of desperate poverty.

Between 6,000 and 7,000 children in Colombia have been recruited by illegal armed groups to become child soldiers.

Ever wonder why we chose Colombia? Maybe the above stats have something to do with it.
Can’t wait to get the rest of my babies home!