[Jasiu]

Momraine, it looks like your process is also a 3-trip process! We are also hoping to shorten our second trip by making the first additional one.

We were told not to bring any gifts for our children at this time. The orphanage keeps all the toys together for all children to play. From the photographs we received and from what the caretakers communicated, the children at this orphanage do not lack nice clothes and toys. My wife's sister visited the orphanage and also got a sense that it is not a good idea to bring gifts for staff on the first trip. They seemed really careful and sensitive and did not want to appear to be taking bribes or gifts. However, we plan to take some American candy for all the children (there are about 80 children at this orphanage), which we were told was fine. We will definitely take some gifts for the staff at the end of the process and make a donation to the orphanage, when we go to pick the children up.

We were told that we may not interact with the children that much on the first trip. Apparently, other kids at the orphanage are very hard on children who are about to be adopted and they can get very mean by telling children that the adoptive parents will not come back for them in between trips. We are very hopeful that our process moves along and we can bring them home soon!