Everyone Please Get On Your Knees!

Another day at the house with the kids. We arrived a little later than yesterday and go there after study time so a little less disruptive. We spend only a couple hours because the following happened. Read on – it’s not good!

Everyone get on your knees again! We got the Visa 37 from the states and now another MAJOR hurdle. The consular “Alma” is not satisfied with the information the police officer has provided. She feels that he did not handle the situation correctly. She said that when he found Junior he should have taken Junior to the Ministry of Health (MOH) and then they would decide where the child should have gone. She said the police station had no record of Junior ever being reported as found or basically no official police report and she was unable to obtain records from the first orphanage (Tiny Town) where Junior was originally taken. Also, the police officer’s affidavit says that there were numerous attempts “in the media” to find the parents and there are no records to prove that.

After much negotiation Jessie convinced her that yes there had been a report that there were records and that in fact she had to give copies of them to the Ministry of Health before they completed their investigation. I also explained that it is the Ministry of Health that conducted the field report that gives the recommendation that the child be allowed for adoption to me and that while we can argue the officer should have done something different he did not, but that the Ministry of Health was satisfied with his actions and had written a notarized statement as such. Finally Alma said she would be very interested in seeing the documents from the police department and from Tiny Town. I hope they both can be found.

We left the Embassy went to the police station where Jessie verified they did have records (Alma was sending her guy to pick them up). I have no idea what they consist of and whether they will be enough to support everything the officer has said while satisfying her that Junior was not stolen from his parents.

Then, Jessie brought us back to the hotel so they could go to a place called Tiny Town where Junior was first taken by the police man (first I heard of this was today at the Embassy). I came back to the hotel and attempted to call Cheryl as the Embassy would not let us take a cell phone inside. The phones were down GREAT! So, I shot off an email and the Internet went down! Freaking out by now.

Finally, two hours later I got through to Cheryl she could not hear me but I got out of her that Jessie and Nadime were coming back to the hotel to tell me what was going on. When they arrived they told me they went to Tiny Town and the records are stored somewhere else, they went there and the woman was gone. They are going there first thing in the morning, then coming to get me to go back to the Embassy. They instructed me to pack and check out of the hotel, but at this point the last thing the woman said was that unless she got better records to prove the officer’s story she would NOT approve this adoption. Needless to say I am completely beside myself. Tomorrow I could be leaving Africa without Junior and with no hope of ever getting him.

I asked Jessie and Nadime if they thought it was going to work. They both said yes, but this lady is very tough! She scolded them for not making the officer take the child to the Ministry of Health and told them they should never again take a child under such circumstances. Telling them that they can not just take a child as officer had no rights to Junior. They told me later they have handled many adoptions this way. Jessie said there are at least three other kids that already live in America that were handled this exact way. They seem confident that the lady will accept the documents. I wish I had their confidence. If this fails it will be the first time Jessie has had to return a child to the orphanage and watch the parents leave. Lucky me! Additionally, Alma said Junior should be taken to the MOH and not be allowed to return to AFAA. So, not only will he be ripped from my arms, but those of everything he knows. I don’t know what to do. I don’t think I can do this much longer.