Sunday, January 15, 2012

Ecuador Day 39

Thursday Jan. 12th
7:30 Priscila came to pick us up and we were ready to go! Upon arriving at the civil registration we saw a VERY full parking lot and a TON of people waiting to go in the doors...Priscila just bypassed the long lines and told me to sit down...she went to get a number and we actually got 7! Thank you Lord as even with seven, it was still going to be atleast an hour wait. We finally got called up, then we had to do the upstairs downstairs path about 10 times and then finally got called to get her picture taken. We got her picture taken and when they tried to capture her fingerprints electronically it wasn't working. They had me wash her hands and try again...two men came over with magnifying glasses and looked at her fingerprints....turns out I guess our daughter doesn't really have fingerprints...what?! So they tried to ink all of her fingers to see if one could show up that way...and no such luck either. So they looked at her original Ecuadorian ID and saw that it was pretty much just a smudge then as well...so they just picked a finger and inked it onto paper that way and scanned it into the computer system..so. very. odd. Only my child! HA!

With her cedula we could now leave that dreaded building and go to the passport office...it was now almost 2:00..we walked into this office and they asked for the entire adoption file, which Priscila didn't have with her...so thankfully her wonderful husband came to the rescue with the file. We got approval to get the passport and it was a very quick process...I'd say less than 30 minutes we had her Ecuadorian passport in hand. Praise God! All three things were finally in our possision to head to Guayaquil for the exit interview and visa!

Santiago and Priscila drove us to our apartment and I gave them most of the toys we had either brought with us or purchased while here as the kids needed those books and playdough, etc..more than this kid did...We went into the court yard and took a picture of all of us and said goodbye...It's amazing how you become attached to someone when you spend so much important time with them and rely on them for so much. Priscila and Santiago had recently had a msicarriage..they were considering adopting as well...so many things that the Lord allowed for Priscilla and I to become friends. Thankful for facebook as I'm sure we'll stay in contact. Both Priscila and I shared a tearful goodbye and Adriana gave great big hugs to both Santiago and Priscila. So thankful for that family.

After they left, I got Adriana down for a late nap and called to see if John and Carmen wanted to go to dinner. John took us to this nice restaurant at a hostel he had stayed at when he first came to Ecuador. John told us he would take us to the airport the next morning so he could see us off. John has also been very insistent that we stay in touch and I'm sure we will...John and Zac had a lot of good conversations and I know they've already been emailing.
While we were at dinner, Santiago called to let us know our in country rep, Maria Jose was in Cuenca and was coming to our apartment..so we rushed home.

I got Adriana to bed and asleep...finally....and went to packing up as much as I could before I myself was too tired. Maria Jose still hadn't showed up so I thought I'd head to bed...right about the time I got my pajamas on the phone rings...so I let Maria Jose and the other person that was with her (a social worker from the Quito INFA office) came up to the apartment. Xavier, our apartment manager came up to help translate....

Maria Jose explained that she was in Cuenca for a meeting with INFA tomorrow and then would be back in Quito and was going to take Adriana and I to Adri's doctors appointment for her visa first thing monday morning....she also said she would take us to get Adriana's visa photo's taken. Then she went on to explain, that before we could go to Guayaquil we had to get this letter from INFA....of course...and since she was in Cuenca Friday, she couldn't get the letter until at the earliest Monday...so we're praying we get that letter on MOnday so we can go to Guayaquil on Tuesday and prayerfully fly out on Wednesday. She explained that she wasn't sure we'd be able to leave on Wednesday....seriously woman...so we are all asking for prayers that we get the letter Monday, go to Guayaquil Tuesday and leave on Wednesday. We do need the salida from our judge which is approval to leave..but from what Priscila told me, our judge was getting that written on Friday so Maria Jose should already have that....we'll pray.

I went to bed trying not to be discouraged and looking forward to the weekend ahead.

4 comments:

orphans4me said...

Wow, I was just over at the RR site and saw that you guys are in country. I know nothing about adoption from Ecuador. We adopted twice from Ukraine and once from Bulgaria. It sounds like you are almost at the end of this part of the journey. I hope you are either home or heading home soon. Love, Joy McClain, RR

Simply, Sarah said...

I hope you're home and settled back in now.
Congratulations on the addition of Adriana to your family!

Reading Widely said...

Hello from Reece's Rainbow! How are things going for you guys? And have you joined our After the Rainbow group yet? If not, please email me and I'll get you connected. Adoption is an amazing thing but it also brings its challenges! Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who has "been there". Please feel free to email me if you ever have questions or just need to talk.

~Rachel Whitmire
Post-Adoption Care Coordinator
Reece's Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry
www.reecesrainbow.org
Rachel@reecesrainbow.org

Nate said...

I just came over from RR also- but it's been a long time, so I'm hoping you're happily settled in! I just wanted to say hi- we are adopting Laurel from Eastern Europe, and when I searched our name you showed up, too- you must be related to my husband's family!!! And, I spent time in Ecuador on a missions trip and was planning on becoming a missionary nurse and going back there (but God had other plans...). God bless you!!!

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