The Last File has been release from RENAP!

Today has been a little tense to say the least. I phoned RENAP around 11:30 GT time and the file had not been retrieved. I phoned our coordinator and she told me that both of my attorneys were set to be there by 2:30 and that I should phone back around 3:30. RENAP closes at 4 pm each day. I ended up phoning at 3:55 pm GT time and my attorney was standing in front of Gabby to get the file right then. Talk about a heart stopper! It was like I was standing there watching it all happen. Too Cool!

I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to have the file released today. He is so good to us. Now, hopefully the fast stuff.

I did find out today that the girls are not being fostered by the same gal anymore. I guess it was too difficult for an elderly woman to manage two almost two year olds. The new foster's name is Karina. She cares for McKelle. Cindy said the girls had not seen one another for a couple of months now. I knew that it was strange that there were no pictures of them sent where they were together. Well soon they will be together for a very long time. :)

The Latest

We know that McCaule's BC was approved by Renap last Friday for sure. What we haven't been able to find out whether it was definitely picked up by the attorney. Only the attorney may obtain the file. Central RENAP told me yesterday the file had not been picked up, but he was looking at a computer screen which is not always updated; that is why we are waiting for confirmation from our Guatemalan coordinator. The wonderful news is that it was approved.

If it was not retrieved last week, we have to wait until Friday of this week, so a week of getting Visa, DNA would have been lost. In times like these, one has to rest in the sovereignty of God.

update 3/26/09: Our attorney did try to pick up the file last Friday but RENAP would not give it to her. They gave her other files, just not ours. I phoned today and they told me to tell my attorney to come pick up the file tomorrow (Friday). I will likely phone them tomorrow to make sure the file was retrieved. Gabby had the file in her hand today when I spoke with her, so I know for sure it was not given to the attorney.

File Resubmitted!!!

McCaule's file was picked up on Tuesday, the 17th, corrections made and resubmitted. They can be fast in Latin America sometimes :) I spoke with Gabby at RENAP this morning and she said the file should be ready with an approval this Friday, the 20th. The excitement is building...

Thank you all for your prayers. This has definitely been a life changing event, more spiritually than physically at this point... and all for the good. God's timing is perfect and the best, no question about it. Sometimes takes the heart a while to catch up with the head knowledge. :)

One OUT One to Go...

Found out today than McKelle's BC was approved by Central RENAP and will now go to MIXCO to have the BC printed. McCaule's BC may have an error that needs to be fixed, but our coordinator in Guatemala didn't know for sure and will contact us tomorrow after conferring with our attorney. If it indeed has an error, they are usually easily fixed and then will quickly be out. Coban is a much easier municipality to work with than MIXCO.

Very Good News that some activity is happening!

update: McCaule's does indeed have an error... some paperwork missing. It should be an easy fix. Hopefully, the file can be picked up today and then resubmitted tomorrow.

Good Weekend Report

This from our coordinator in GT:

Both files are at Central Renap.

We had trouble with Mixco but Aida (our attorney) and the chief of CENTRAL RENAP made it possible to have the file of McKelle at CENTRAL RENAP.

Otto(the attorney who does our leg work) is friend of the person in charge to authorized this files, and he said to prioritize them to have them ready in just a few days.

We are truly excited to see how the Lord is moving on our behalf. Please pray for those families still hung up in the process.

Made it On the RENAP Site

I periodically check to see if the girls names are in the data bank at RENAP. Today, McKelle's name was listed. That means her file has been registered and ready to be picked up and a new certificate issued in our name. The date received was last Thursday. This is good news indeed. Now, it we can just get McCaule's done this week. This is getting exciting now.

RENAP News

Today I spoke with Luis at GT RENAP to check on the status of the girls' BC approvals. He had some encouraging news: McKelle's BC should be ready to exit by next Friday, the 27th and McCaule's could possibly be ready by the same time. Once they are approved by RENAP in GT then they have to travel back to the municipality where the girls were born and they print the birth certificates with our last name on them. Luis told me to have a nice weekend before the call ended. What a nice fellow.

I hope the information was correct. He was accessing the computer and before, the girls' files could not be found.

Planning Ahead

We recently discovered that RENAP is requiring notarized copies of Prospective Adoptive Parent's passports before issuing the birth certificates. It's an ever changing world.

One of our little girl's bc definitely goes through RENAP since she is from Coban. The other baby girl's bc is from Mixco which will begin being a part of RENAP in September. As a time saver, we are sending copies ahead of time. Hopefully, this will cut some of the time off receiving their bc's. RENAP has been particularly slow recently sometimes taking 7 weeks to issue.

These are truly lessons in patience that we are learning. I cannot say it's been easy, but it has been fruitful spiritually.

No news yet from PGN...but hey, it's only been 4 days since resubmission. :)