Meeting Shanti

Meeting Shanti:

Shanti is now 16 months old. We have waited 4 months for our final approval, and now finally get to meet her. I know you all are waiting too, so here she is, sweet adorable Shanti



When we first walked in the orphanage a 40 something women in a pink sari, was holding the cutest little girl with dark curly hair and the longest eyelashes you’ve ever seen. Was this her? The woman talked to her and said mama then something in hindi and pointed at me again and said mama. I was afraid to believe it. This beautiful little girl is to be our little girl. Shanti.

Our first meeting was good. Shanti held tight to the orphanage director (the lady in the pink sari) and slowly got too the point where she would make eye contact with me and let me touch her. She seems healthy, well cared for, developmentally on track, and very attached to the orphanage director. At 16 months, most children who are well attached have pretty strong “stranger anxiety”. So I was happy to see that she didn’t want anything to do with me or J, and clung to the orphanage director for comfort. We stayed for about an hour talking with the director, making plans, and playing games with Shanti while she sat on the director’s lap. The cutest little boys (each about 4 years old) kept peeking into the room at the funny strangers in their house, smiling shyly then hiding again. It makes me so sad to think that they too need parents.

The plan as best I understand it at this time is this:
We visit Shanti in the orphanage until next Thursday (so about 1 week), then go to the ministry to file paperwork to give us custody of Shanti. She will then leave the orphanage and be with us at our hotel (although she may be able to visit with us at our hotel before Thursday – not entirely clear about that yet). Once we have custody, the ministry has to issue the paperwork, and Nepali travel documents must be issued (not a passport). These must be translated into English, an appointment for the embassy interview made, and Shanti must be examined by an embassy doctor. Visa photos must be taken, and finally the embassy interview will be done. After that, assuming approval by the US embassy, we wait 1-2 business days for the US visa for Shanti to be issued (still not clear if it is an IR3 or IR4, but I think it is likely it’ll be an IR3 from my understanding of the process) Then we can get on the plane back to the US. The big unknowns in all of this is how long will it take the ministry to issue the final paperwork, and get nepali travel documents, and will all of the paperwork be what the US embassy requires or will they need other documents.

We will visit her again later today. I can’t wait.