Happy Father’s Day

Father’s Day this year arrives with a bit more glamour and prestige than normal.  A few weeks ago Kayla and I finally received Cohen’s birth certificate listing the two of us as his legal “birth” parents, an event that has been long awaited.  I’ll get into the details later, but the process was nothing short of drawn out and archaic in nature.

Adding to that celebration, I “retrieved” my boys, Alec and Chandler, from the states last week.  In 4 days time I managed six flights and 5 layovers between Peru and California.  Departing before dawn last Monday morning, I arrived in San Francisco Tuesday around 9:30.  I met my parents and the boys at the airport, spent the evening with them in San Francisco, then the boys and I boarded a plane early Wednesday morning for our journey home.  Thursday morning we were back in Arequipa, safe and sound, though a bit worn from the journey.  Though much apprehension surrounded their return in only a few short days our family has retaken its shape- all due to the blessing s of God!!

Acting as the final ingredient of today’s festivities, we celebrated Alec’s 13^th birthday today!!  You can’t ask for much more on Father’s Day! 

The boys have grown a great deal over the past year.  While I saw them in September Kayla has not seen them since they left last July, almost a full year.  The reunion thus far has been nothing short of emotionally overwhelming in a most joyous way.  Cohen will not let them out of his sight and that has made their adjustment to their return that much easier. 

Alec said he thought Cohen would have forgotten them- boy was he wrong!!  Meghan is just as happy to see her brothers and have them around.  I’m sure it won’t last, but they’re all getting along better than they ever have, playing together, sharing, helping out.  Wait a minute- are these my kids? 

As the boys just finished their school year in the states we had not planned on forcing them to enter school here right away. We figured we would give them some time to readjust to the Peruvian scene, relax a bit, and get comfortable again.  Well, after just 4 days both boys say they are ready to get back into school.  Funny- I don’t ever remember having those feelings as a kid? They are going to “visit” their class tomorrow and will probably start full time next week.  I have a short trip to make this week and they want to go with me so there’s no reason for them to start before that. 

Back to Cohen and where we are in the adoption process.  Like I said, we received the actual birth certificate a few weeks ago, June 4^th to be exact.  As some of you may recall, I was made to return last November to appear before the judge one last time.  Prior to this I had been told my presence was no longer needed then suddenly I was told I had to be here.  After appearing before the judge I was again told I could return to the states to work as my part in the adoption process was done.  When Kayla and I went to pick up Cohen’s birth certificate we found out otherwise.

When I say “pick up” I say so because I thought that was what we were doing.  As it turns out, we were going to sign and fingerprint the birth certificate that was to be filled out in our presence.  When I say filled out that’s exactly what I mean- filled out by hand with a fountain pen on a paper bound in a ledger-style book.  Yes, the birth certificate was filled out by hand, and it wasn’t until we went to the office to get it that it became known that had I not been here my name would not have been on the certificate. 

While we didn’t know this when we made the decision for me to return to Peru it seems a bit of confirmation that it was the right thing to do.  After all, adding my name to the certificate would not have been an easy process as it is in the states.  Without being physically present there would have been no way of adding my name.  Guess I made the right decision, after all. 

Kayla had requested three copies, assuming they would resemble birth certificates from the states- a certificate printed on heavy paper, an embossed seal or gold sticker, and pre-printed signatures.  Instead what we got for the cost of our three copies were three photo copies on paper with an “official” watermark.  Still, it was all worth it. 

The next step is to have the birth certificate translated, along with the decree of adoption and the amendment that was added to correct the mistakes in the original.  We also need to get Cohen’s Peruvian passport but are told this is a simple process (we’ll see J) .  Once this is done I will head to Lima to present the papers to an agent at the U.S. Embassy.  If she approves of the papers she will then approve of the adoption.  Once done I will await an appointment with another individual in the embassy who will approve a visa for Cohen.   The Embassy says the visa will be issued in no more than 6 weeks, maybe sooner.  Again, we’ll see.  Upon receipt of the visa Cohen will be able to enter the U.S. and once upon U.S. soil he will automatically be a citizen of the United States of America!!  Of course, we have to get there first. 

In the meantime, Kayla continues to work at the school teaching various English and Christian education classes.  She is also teaching English 3 nights a week to adults.  I occupy my time gardening, running errands for my father-in-law, and acting as a housewife most of the time.  I am hoping we will get more interest in advanced English and conversational English classes for adults so I can begin teaching them but so far no luck. 

We want to continue our work in Ichupampa, the rural area in the Colca Valley and have also been asked to aid in a new work about 2 hours north of Arequipa.  However, without monetary support we are limited in how much we can do.  Gas is expensive here, and feeding a family of 6 on the road isn’t cheap, either.  We debate daily what our future holds, where God plans to take us.  Our hearts and souls rest in Peru while we see the needs of our own family not being met in areas such as a proper education for our children and decent medical care.  These things are available but, again, not without support from the outside world. 

We are working to support ourselves but the catch-22 is that if we are locked into “jobs” we cannot travel and provide for those who are most in need.  While far from giving up we are not clear on what we are to do once Cohen is able to leave the country.  There are good reasons to stay and good reasons to return to the U.S., as well as some bad ones on both sides.  God’s most recent message to me came this morning- “Don’t make any decisions, just wait.  Be patient and see what I have in store for you.”  He can be a bit ambiguous at times, you know . . . so we wait, not committing to anything one way or the other but simply doing what we can on a daily basis, not knowing where we will be tomorrow. 

Well, that’s life as it goes in my part of the world.  As you read this I hope you’ll keep us on your hearts.  Pray for us that we may have patience to wait for God’s timing, wisdom to know when that is, and understanding to hear Him clearly. 

Copy of the hand-written birth certificate

Receipt for a copy

Cohen in his 1st place costume.  The rules stated the costume must be made from recycled materials so went all out, using boullion cube and SlimFast containers and even "bio-fuel" as seen in the water bottle-tanks in the rear.