Climbing This Steep Mountain

International adoption is a lot like climbing a very steep mountain.  You know the mountain is huge and will take a while to get to the top but since you know what glorious view awaits you, you choose to start climbing anyway.  It's rough at first, especially if you've never done this before but you learn quickly to take it easy and work hard.  Once you start getting a feel for the climb you become more confident and before you know it you are making headway, gaining ground and getting closer.  Just as you start getting excited at the thought of being closer than ever and you are almost done,  your foot slips, what you thought would be a great help in your climb ended up being an unstable rock and it gives way.  Before you know it, you've fallen back, lose momentum and several feet.  Discouraged and bruised, still thinking of that glorious view, you get back up and start again.  You experience the same feelings of discouragement and excitement, slip and fall over and over, and it feels as if you'll never make it.  You are exhausted, battered and still determined.  You can't help but feel discouraged and even lonely at times.  You get back up and keep trying, keep pressing on.  Just when you think you are going to fall, there, right before you, are some stable places to firmly plant your feet and you gain momentum and get further than you have before, thankful for the help.