Latest Adoption Scoop

Sorry it has taken me so long to update on today's happenings. We've had a packed day of crazy. (Is there any other kind?)

Brad and Daniel arrived at Renap to find that our paralegal had just met with the register of the court. The good news: they would issue the birth certificate at the local Renap instead of us having to next go to the central Renap. This is huge because it saves us at least a week in the process.

The bad news: she said the birth certificate wouldn't be ready till next Monday (meaning no chance to be home by Christmas). The paralegal talked with her further and somehow convinced her to get it done by Friday. This wasn't much help because there still wouldn't be time to get Daniel's passport, submit final docs to the USE and get a Visa appointment before the holiday.

So Brad asked if he and Daniel could talk with her. He was warned that if he pushed too hard, she might go back to having it done Monday. Our precious driver, Victor, helped translate. They explained the situation, how badly Daniel wanted to be home by Christmas and how badly his new family aches to have him home, . . . I'm sure my boys gave their very best sad faces. Well, praise God, something must have softened her heart (or perhaps she was ready to have them out of her office) and she agreed to have it done by Wednesday morning. Whooo hooooo!!!! Although this is great news, I'm afraid to believe it until that birth certificate is in Brad's hands.

The next problem was that we needed to get Daniel's passport before submitting our final docs to the USE. We needed to submit these by this Thursday because they don't accept them on Fridays and we've been told that the USE will be taking all next week off. (We still can't find anyone who will confirm their holiday schedule.) But another answer to prayer was that our attorney was able to get an exception with Immigration to allow us to get the passport at noon (they usually only do it first thing in the morning).

So . . . IF we can get the new birth certificate Wednesday morning, the passport Wednesday afternoon, everything translated and to the USE by Thursday morning, THEN we have a very good chance that Brad and Daniel can do their Visa appointments with the State Department Monday and Wednesday (we've been told they will be open next week and pray that it's true), AND there are still two seats left on already very booked flights, they can be home by Christmas Eve.

Praise God, WE'RE STILL IN THE GAME!!! Please keep the prayers coming. If this adoption has shown us anything, things can change minute to minute. Please also pray for other adopting families in the process. We have several dear friends also adopting from Guatemala, two who are also trying to come home by Christmas. One is Daniel's best friend Alex. And there are others who aren't as far in the process who will have to spend Christmas away from family and friends because they are fostering their boys in Guatemala. There is one family who is at great risk of losing the little boy they are adopting . . . a long heartbreaking story. They have also been doing this 2 1/2 years and love their son dearly. Please keep the Montes family in your prayers.

Thanks so much for your continued prayer support. We believe that prayer can move mountains and we certainly witnessed some biggies move today!

So Very Grateful,
Kathie