Peter's update

Here is the message we received from Peter today:
"Yesterday we received a message from the court that we needed to first go and pay money we were supposed to pay before we take the papers, unknowingly, we had not paid it. I did pay the money and it is now all right but they gave us appointment of next Monday and hopefully, we will get the paper (Act of Adoption).
I went to the orphanage and JP is doing well, I just entered in their rooms and I found him with about 50 kids, the same age in their small beds, joking with toys. As I picked him greeting him, he did not want to let me go, he just hold on me, amazing!"

I read Peter's words and rejoice that JP seems to have bonded with Peter which makes me relieved to think that he will be able to bond with us too, and at the same time I tear up with a longing to hold my boy. I am so grateful for Peter to show love and affection to JP until we can be there in person to snuggle him ourselves. One of the sisters informed Peter that after we receive the court documents we will be able to begin the passport process.

File submitted!

Our file was accepted at the courts today and Peter was told to come back Friday.

Court update

Today Peter and the lawyer went to the courts but it did not go as hoped. The man who receives documents was involved in a meeting and it took a long time. They waited for him but he did not come because the meeting was being held in "upcountry". They will try again tomorrow and see if he will be there. They were not able to leave the file with anyone else, only this one person is able to receive the documents! They also found out that they must first get the adoption papers from the courts before the passport can be done. They were told to expect 3 weeks from when the court papers are completed.

To the courts!

Peter went to the courts only to find out that he can not stand in for us even though he has power of attorney. They require that either we be there ourselves or we hire a lawyer. Peter immediately called one of his friends from church who is a lawyer and asked him to help...he said YES!! They will go on Monday to the courts to submit the adoptions papers. Peter was told that it will take 3-4 days to get the papers back and then he needs to bring them to the Minister's office to obtain a travel document for JP which he said would take another 3-4 days. I can't believe how close we are to getting our little man. Somewhere along the way we need to get JP a passport so that he can leave Rwanda...and I have no idea how long that will take but I am believing that God is paving the way for that to happen quickly too!

TB...negative!

Wow, Peter told us that he had to wait about 6 hours at the hospital where they could do the TB test. There is only one person qualified to run this test at the hospital and that person was, of course, out in the field and they were not sure when she would be back! Peter decided he would wait! He said, "JP was doing well. It was not difficult for me to keep him for such a long period you know he is very kind, he did not shout or cry, you know the sisters had given me a bag in which there was milk for JP so I could just give him, people were just wondering how JP is so kind!"

The test came back negative so JP is the picture of health! We also were surprised to hear how God has gone before us today! Peter learned that he needed to get some papers notarized before they would be accepted at the courts. He also heard that the office requires you to show up very early in the morning...by 7:00. He was unable to get there that early as he had to stop somewhere else to pay a tax on the documents...anyway...he arrived at the office to get the documents notarized and the receptionist said that he would need to come back next week....that the papers need to be dropped off on Monday morning ...early...and then it would take 7 days for them to be signed and ready. He asked the woman if she would please accept them today and not only did she say yes, but she brought them over to the notary who was signing the documents dropped off last Monday and she put it in the pile! So not only did she accept them but she got it signed the same day!!!! This just doesn't happen in Rwanda! This is a miracle! So Peter will go to the courts tomorrow to make an appointemnt to make the adoption complete and legal. This probably saved us weeks! YIPPEE...travel in September is looking more promising!

To the Sector!

Yeah...we are moving along to the next phase of the adoption process. Peter went yesterday to make an appointment at the sector. They gave him a form to fill out and he brought it back today and set the appointment for Thursday. Upon signing some papers there he was able to receive the police report regarding J.P. In an effort to protect his privacy I will share only that he was accepted at the Home of Hope orphanage on September 12, 2006 and at the time looked to be about 1 month old. He will fit right in with our family since we are loaded with August birthdays! So he is about 1 year old. To be honest there is not much more to be told, there will be many questions without answers for my little man as he learns about his first months before he was with us. Peter is hoping to be able to take J.P. for the tuberculosis test tomorrow.

An unexpected blessing!

Peter explained to us that when he went to pay for the medical tests he was told that the price would be $136 since they could not do the tuberculosis test. As he was about to pay, the owner of the lab came and in Peter's words, "behold he is my friend!" He was one of Peter's best customers 5 years ago when he used to sell clothing. They had not seen each other for many years. The man looked at the receipt and ordered that Peter should only pay 1/3 of the money and that he would personally cover the rest! He told his workers, " I like this man, he has been giving me nice clothes for several years, let him pay 1/3." Wow...God sure works in mysterious ways on our behalf to keep the costs down on this adoption!

Peter's email...a MUST read!

You really have to read Peter's words to appreciate how blessed we are
Peter writes:
"JP is doing well. The sister ordered that they give him to me while I was taking him for tests. I went alone just with him and the driver. They had given me a bag that had milk in it and some biscuits. the sisters were telling me I will be giving him anytime he would want it. but J.P. was very quiet and did not cry while on the way going and even when they were taking blood he cried once and kept silence. He is such a person who does not want to shout according to how I saw him. Amazingly, he could smile with me and none of the people who saw me did not think that the child was mine! They all just wondered where we had left his mom. When I told my wife that she was very sorry that she had not gone with me! The first time I saw him, he was not as happy as he was today. Again, he is like becoming a muzungu(whiteman). He is very brown and if you look at him, he seems to be blessed! I mean, he has annointing of God on his face and many people admired him."

Testing...done...almost!

Peter went to the orphanage yesterday but was not able to talk to the Mother Superior, but he was able to get J.P. and take him for the medical tests. They did all the tests onthe list except for one because the machine for that test was broken so he will have to bring JP somewhere else to test for tuberculosis. He also was able to receive the original approval letter from the minister and brought it to the orphanage and asked when he should plan to go to the Sector. the nuns told him that first they would need copies of our file. So Peter had to go back to the minister's office to get our file to make copies for himself, the orphanage and all the other offices! Peter will go tomorrow to leave a copy for the sister and hopefully next week she will write a letter of recommendation to bring to the other offices for completing the adoption. In the meantime Peter will try to find a place that can test for tuberculosis.

Happy Birthday to ME!

The best present I got today was an email from Peter that said he has the power of attorney letter in his hands and he will go to the orphanage tomorrow morning!

Yup...more of the "D" word...DELAY

I have been waiting to hear from Peter that he has received my power of attorney letter that I mailed a while ago because he cannot take J.P. from the orphanage for the medical tests until he has that paper in his hands to show the Mother Superior. He just informed me that the Pastor of his church who has the key to the PO Box is on vacation and forgot to leave the key with Peter. So the power of attorney letter is probably sitting in the PO Box but Peter will not be able to get it until the pastor returns home which should be on August 6th!