The Phoenix Has Risen From The Ashes

If you had asked me ten weeks ago, on the day that Imagine Adoption declared bankruptcy, whether I thought that Geoff and I would ever be able to continue with our adoption plans, I would have tearfully and heart-brokenly said that our dream was finished.  It was a devastating time and one that I find I have had to partially block out of my heart because of the pain it brings back when I think about it.  Time hasn't yet eased the experience of that grief, despite my cautious optimism about the future.

And truly, there is now reason to be optimistic:  families galvanized; the trustee in bankruptcy was supportive; a restructuing plan was developed; the creditors voted overwhelmingly in favour of that plan; the court approved it....and today, October 01, 2009 the doors of Imagine Adoption are open once again.

Though the moments between July 13th and today have seemed to travel with excruciating lack of speed, in the broader perspective, ten weeks is not a lot of time to make happen what has happened.  It's frankly amazing.  Starting today... offices will be set up in new premises just down the street from where the old Imagine stood; utilities will be hooked up; staff will be hired (or re-hired), both here and in Ethiopia; various contracts will be resumed; and, most importantly from the perspective of waiting families, relationships with orphanages will begin to be re-established.  The orphanages have gone unpaid since prior to the date of bankruptcy and we have yet to receive confirmation that they are still prepared to work with Imagine.  These relationships will be the critical piece in determining how quickly referrals will start to happen again.  There are children waiting in those orphanages ready with their paperwork to move into Imagine's Transition Home...as long as the governing relationships can be preserved.

Despite the long to-do list of things that need to be checked off before we might ever receive a referral, I am so thankful that we are where we are at.  I shake my head in amazement to contrast the feelings associated with July 13 with those of today.  Miracles do happen.  Thank you God.