We’ve just been on the GLA website and saw an encouraging update. Apparently there was a meeting last Thursday (4/3) that included the Minister of the Interior, the Director of Immigration, and all the orphanage directors in the country. It is the MoI that approves passports, and they have been taking a very long time this past year. Currently they stand at around three months, and this is good compared to the time they have been taking.
The Minister was questioned by one of the other officials regarding why passports are taking so long. He responded that he was not aware of the problem and agreed that there was no reason for the delay. At the passport stage, there is no reason to re-evaluate all the papers. They should simply be signed, as at that point the adoption is already legally complete. The attorney for the MoI was told that unless there are problems with the paperwork, passports are to be approved within one month of going into MoI. It was agreed upon.
Also – developments on the grant front: We were contacted this week by the Gift of Adoption Fund, and were told that they have tentatively planned to bring our application before the grant committee in the month of April! Getting this grant would be a huge blessing! We’re also considering a “baby bottle drive” as a way to raise funds. There are orphanages that need cleft palette bottles, and we are considering buying a box, placing the bottles in various locations so people can fill them with change for Jude’s adoption, then sterilizing the bottles and donating those an orphanage that needs them. Let us know if you think this is a good idea – post a comment; we’d love to hear feedback ahead of time.
Please join us in prayer for the following:
- That MoI would abide by their commitment (this means Jude’s passport could be done by the end of April instead of the end of June!)
- That we would be awarded a Gift of Adoption Fund grant in the month of April
If MoI abides by their commitment and Visa applications also get a bit quicker, it is possible that God could work to have us travel at the very end of May or very early June. As always, we hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Adoption is a moving target!
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