How much longer?

The questions used to be: when are you getting married? when are you having kids? how many kids will you be adopting? when will you be able to go to Peru to pick up the kids?

Now the question is: how much longer before you can go home?

I don't know the answer. I keep guessing and, basically, doing a poor job of it. We had a big delay and then a small miracle. As I explain it - people get confused and still don't understand where we are in the process. To tell you the truth, I barely understand myself. Our delay was a second request for more information. Our small miracle was the intial approval (from Peru) to adopt 5 siblings between the ages of 3 and 11. The next delay was that they didn't just go ahead and name the specific 5 on the approval. So, we have to wait for the official assignment and this week (Mon-Wed) all government offices are closed to celebrate Dia de Patriats, which celebrates their independence from Spain. Hopefully by the end of the week, we'll get our official assignment - and we can file our last document with the US Immigration office, which asks for the immigration of these specific children.

I hope and pray that Joel is able to travel to Peru at least by the last week of August - and then we'll be home 5 weeks later. Yet, again, another guess.

Quinceanero de Rocio

Last year, I was able to be a part of the 15th birthday celebration of Yessenia, who had been adopted to the United States in 2006. She came back to the orphanage to celebrate this important birthday in the Peruvian culture. This time, I was able to be here for the 15th birthday of Rocio, who still calls Hogar de Esperanza her home. Rocio stole my heart 3 years ago by singing to me each night that I spent at the orphanage and, now, we are celebrating her transition from a girl into a young woman. Her party was a collaboration of the staff, volunteers, and visitors - and celebrated with all the children at the orphanage.

Growth

Apart from our wonderful adoption - it is a pure pleasure to be at the orphanage. One of the wonderful blessings is to see all of the fruit of the countless hours of labor by the staff and volunteers over the past few years. I have been spending some time talking to different staff, children and volunteers and hearing about their experiences at the orphanage - the blessings and the challenges. I spent some time walking through the facility and observing all the physical changes that I've seen happen since my first visit in 2006 and contemplating all of the programs and organizational changes I've been able to be a part of. It is a wonderful feeling to take it all in. When the work gets tough or overwhelming and I think of all the things I still want to see happen - taking time to reflect on what God's already done is a huge encouragement and gift.

Pictured - kids from the orphanage on their way to school.

Back at the Orphanage

At this point, I can't write too many details - so the updates will be lacking a bit. However, I can say that I arrived at the orphanage the first day of July. Visiting with the new volunteers, laughing with the staff and hugging all the children has been wonderful - feels like home. I hugged a few very special children - who waited up for me the night I arrived. It was so hard to say goodnight and go to our separate rooms.

There's been another back up with the adoption process. Peru's official government office that handles adoptions has a new director and new staff. They have asked for, yet, another document. Our social worker and agency is working hard to get the document prepared and send it through the tedious legalization process. This just means another 2 week delay... and more waiting. Even though I am here, the waiting is still hard. Now we want Joel here and we want the process to go quickly so the children can start school on time. Every step is one step closer, but somehow it still feels a million steps away.