Are you F***ing kidding me????

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-4671111515252199"

     crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

Yep. I am ticked off. I have tried to contain my anger for this last week when the news came out. It's hard. Officially hosting has been off the table for quite some time. Unfortunately we did not get this news from the organization that brought me N and Y. I put the pieces together by reading information. According to Ukraine's Social Ministry, hosting has not been an option as long as Martial Law is in place. Basically, martial law is when the military and not civilians apply the law. Additionally, it means that males within a certain age range are not allowed to leave Ukraine and have to be available to fight if needed. 

Well, last week, Ukrainian Social Ministry made a public announcement. See this announcement below. I took a screen shot but the pic comes from this link https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/Intercountry-Adoption-News/-resumption-of-hosting-programs-in-ukraine.html#:~:text=On%20June%2011%2C%202022%2C%20the,abroad%20for%20health%20and%20recreation.

Basically, it is saying that Hosting programs can resume! YEAH! Right? Nope. Not so much. The highlighted section states that orphans are not ELIGIBLE to participate! WHAT?!? Are you kidding me? The children that would benefit the most from hosting are not ELIGIBLE. How frustrating is this? I cannot understand why the children with the greatest need would be ineligible to participate. Just another example where politics supersede the best interests of people, more importantly children. 

As a family, we have been struggling with when (not if) N and Y will return. Just last night, my oldest son, Hunter came into my bedroom and started crying because he missed them so much and wanted to know when they would return. The way that we get through this is to watch videos from when they were here. We smile and laugh and talk about them. We pray for their return. That is about the best we can do. 

I often struggle in silence. I think about the plans we had this summer together with them here - camping, soccer camps, water parks, farmer's markets and just hanging out. One business, that has been SO supportive, Industrial Dance Project in Crown Point (https://industrialdanceproject.com/ ) is having Parkour day and I had hoped and planned for Hunter, N and Y to attend! I even got T-shirts for all of them.... The day is this weekend. Sadly, they are not here. So I am left with T-shirts to remind myself of their absence.