My, Oh My, We're in MOI!

We entered into Ministry of Interior this past week- I think on Monday. So, what does that mean??

Well, in MOI they will apply for the boy's passports. In order for them to approve the application here is what is involved (thanks to Vera for the info I copied and pasted below):

1) The O-representative brings the child's file with the original Haitian documents (that includes birth certificate; archive paper - it is like a notary paper to authenticate the birth certificate; adoption documents, etc.) to the Immigration Office. The O-rep. is given a paper receipt that has a number on it = MOI number.

2) The file is taken to MOI and brought to the Office of "Unit Juritique" where two lawyers look over the paperwork to ensure that there are no errors.

3) The file is then taken to the office of Mr. Guerdy who conducts the "parent interview". This interview consists of him (or his secretaries) filling out a two-page form by looking over the adoption documents, i.e. birth parent's or parents' name, where they live, their id#, child's name, address, date of birth, etc. and then the information about the adoptive parent (parents), which includes address, id# (passport or state i.d.), birth date, place of work, work address, profession, telephone numbers (work and home).

4) Once Mr. Guerdy is done with the "interview" and has filled out the two page form, the form, the child's and the adoptive parent's (parents') passport photos are attached to the child's MOI file. Then, somebody else within that office, re-writes the form in nice penmanship and cuts & glues the passport photos on the interview form.

If there are no errors in the dossier the application can move along...if there are errors in any part of the dossier than they must be reconciled (this could cause major delays).

5) Once the file is finished with the interview, it gets sent to Mr. Guignard's office so that he can issue the letter to Immigration that a passport can be issued for the adopted child. The letter is composed on a computer word processing program. It is not a simple form letter as each letter has to be edited with the child's specific information. The letter has to be edited and printed out by a clerk or secretary. It is attached to the file for Mr. Guignard's signature.

For more info about all of the reasons for backlogs read here.

6) The letter is then sent with the approval to issue the passports.

Please pray for these two men and all the workers listed above. This whole step is taking on average 4 months right now (mainly due to backlogs) but has being improving over the past couple of weeks. Last year this process only took 4-6 weeks!! Crazy.

Once we receive their passports we can make our visa appointment and go down to bring home our sons!!

People keep asking me when I think they will come home and I have always said they would be home for Christmas. As you can see, this is impossible- Christmas is 24 days away. But have I stopped believing? Absolutely not!! (Although I have had brief moments of doubt usually shrouded as reason.) This past week at prayer service, two Scriptures were shared that the Holy Spirit quickened to my heart and strengthened my faith: when the Angel spoke with Mary about the immaculate conception and her old cousin Elizabeth being pregnant, he said, "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) In Matthew 21:21-22 Jesus replied to the marveling disciples, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Wow. Faith that receives and faith that removes. I truly believe that my Father is more than able to do what seems impossible to us. The odds are great here. My reason mocks me. My flesh doesn't want to put it all out here. But it is my honest prayer that He will be glorified in doing this very impossible thing...and yes, extremely bless His children in the process. My response to the Lord is Mary's, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be as you have said." And my cry to MOI (Mountain of Interior) is, "Go throw yourself into the sea!"

The Salvant7 at Ft. Jacques...don't make us use this thing!! ;)