REFERRAL!

Finally, we have official word from Peru that the match has been made! The adoption "department" SNA meets every month or so to process applications. This month, they announced the meeting would be either the 25th, 26th, or both. They did not meet on the 25th, so it took until this afternoon to see the results on their website. If you go here, and scroll to the very bottom of the pdf file, that's our kids!

Of course, the most common question now is, "When do you leave?" Well, how about two months from now? Seriously, some documents have to be sent from Peru to our agency and then we have to apply for the final immigration approval. This used to take about a month, but lately has been taking up to two months. You're not allowed to go to Peru until that approval is done. We knew this next wait was coming. In the meantime, the personnel at the orphanage will be preparing the children for adoption: explaining how families are supposed to work, helping them learn a little more English, and talking to them about the separation and loss they will feel along with the happy emotions of joining their new parents.

Let's take the median: six weeks from now would be early June. We would fly down, complete the adoption in Peru in a couple of weeks, and then wait a couple more weeks (depending on holidays, availability of doctors, etc.) to get all the medical checks, forms filed, and other stuff to get the children's US passports.

Could we be there by the youngest's birthday in early June?

Could we be back before the middle one's birthday in early July, or Andrew's birthday in mid-July?

Will we still be in Peru when our church team arrives in Lima on their way to work at the orphanage again this summer? That's in late July.

Or will it take until the oldest's birthday, in early August, for us to be all together back home?

In any case, it will be a memorable summer.