Many weeks have passed now with no updates really until today. Still the case has not progressed any further but a change has been made in hopes that things may start moving again. The local pastor from the orphanage was supposed to travel to the kids' hometown of Masisi about 30 miles away to obtain appropriate documentation on their legal orphan status. As expected, communication across country and trying to get the pastor to either understand what he is supposed to do to advance the legal process or just getting him to do it some time in the next 10 years (jk) has brought the case to a halt. So, today we heard that our attorney is sending his assistant, Jerome, to Goma and Masisi to begin working on the paperwork himself. We see this as a positive and hopeful step! He is planning to travel next week if all goes according to plan. Please pray for his safety as this is a difficult travel situation and that he has success finding all that he needs and working with the local government.
Whatever happens with this next step will really shed light on whether or not this case is able to move forward. Once we get the appropriate documentation that the children are in fact legal orphans - which from what we understand, they know exactly what happened and why they are orphans but it all must and should be carefully documented - then they can move on to applying for the first adoption judgement. This will begin the court process. Please pray that if these are the children God intends for us that there will be some breakthrough with this visit and that something get moving and completed. Thanks for all your support and prayers as we continue to wait. It has now been over a year since we started the process and 6 months since we were matched with N and A. All the US side of things has been complete for months but on the Congolese side we have a long way to go. We have settled again in trusting that God's plan is best and His timing is perfect.
