I went and saw a lawyer last week to make sure I am on the right track to get my permanent residency. The lawyer told me about two paths to acquire permanent residency.
Pathway 1: Be employed or be a missionary in Guatemala for 2 years as a temporary resident. Then apply for permanent residency.
Pathway 2: Have an income of a $1,000 from the states per month and work at a ministry. When I have my paperwork ready, I can turn it in and be a resident as quickly as 4 months.
When the lawyer was telling me about the first option, my heart sank. I can't imagine not starting the adoption process for 2 more years. This brought up a lot of concerns about Miguel staying at the orphanage for longer. He already shows the common signs of living without a family.
Then she began sharing about choice number 2. I had already heard a lot about this option from other missionaries, but it didn't seem to work with my plans to adopt. The lawyer cleared that issue up. Both paths lead to permanent residency. The catch is that I have to show proof that I have an income from the states of $1,000 per month. Well, I don't have that kind of monthly support so my heart sank. Then she gave the following example: Let's say you have a house in the states and you rent it out. That is considered income that will satisfy this stipulation.
Wow....wait a minute. I looked at a friend that went to the lawyer with me and said, "This is how I'm going to do this." This is my loop whole inside of the loop whole! The last 8 months I have been wondering why I still have my house in the states. Why don't I just sale it? I now have an answer. My house is going to help me adopt. The Lord new what you was doing 5 years ago when I bought the house. Our God is so amazing to plant the seed in one season so we can reap the harvest when it is time. I now know what a victory in Jesus feels like!
This is one of the first steps in my journey in faith to adopt. I believe walking in faith is taking steps with the Lord by your side. Sometimes the Lord says yes and you to walk straight ahead, sometimes he asks you to stop walking and wait, and sometimes the Lord tells you to take a different path. This time the Lord gave me an open door to continue on in acquiring permanent residency.
The Lord has bombarded me with faith verses this morning as I read Proverbs 16.
Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:9 "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord."
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Monday, April 9, 2012
Pondering the Impossible
I haven't written in a while because frankly I don't know where to begin. My most urgent thoughts aren't about my current jobs here or how I can better serve the children. For the last month, I have been pondering how I can adopt a child from Guatemala.
When I came down here on my second trip to the orphanage a little boy made his way into my heart. As I held this screaming child that was always restless and never satisfied, I realized that he was trying to attach to me. You are allowed to think I'm weird, but I don't doubt what I felt that day. This is the type of bonding that happens between a mother and child in the early months of the child's life. To be honest, this child was a huge reason of why I moved to Guatemala.
After a year of preparing to come to Guatemala and being in the country for 8 months the issue of adopting this child has come up in my mind full force. The same week the children from UAE (story is below) left my care I discovered a loop hole in the adoption process.
Let me back up just a step to explain why I need a loop hole. First of all only Guatemalan's can adopt Guatemalan's. The other issue important to know is you canNOT adopt children that you work with in orphan care. Don't ask me the logic, but it is the law.
The loop whole I discovered was that if I become a permanent resident of Guatemala I can then adopt. I am a month and a half into researching how to do this but right now it seems it will be a lot of paperwork, time, headache, and money. After I become a permanent resident, I can start the adoption process which will be more paperwork, a home-study, more time, money, and more unforeseen events that will cause me to rely on the Lord. Lastly I will have to have my child legally adopted into the States which is more of the same stuff listed above. I said it was a loop hole not a short cut.
Since I have moved to CB, my prayer has been for this child to be adopted into a family. Of course, I want this little boy in my family, but I felt this was the way I should pray. Logically I know the odds of adopting this child are against me. Regardless, I plan to take this process step by step to follow what I feel is God's will. I am continuously praying for God to guide me and stop me when I step incorrectly. I believe God is faithful. This weekend I have been praying this verse over this situation "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." ~Revelations 3:8
When I came down here on my second trip to the orphanage a little boy made his way into my heart. As I held this screaming child that was always restless and never satisfied, I realized that he was trying to attach to me. You are allowed to think I'm weird, but I don't doubt what I felt that day. This is the type of bonding that happens between a mother and child in the early months of the child's life. To be honest, this child was a huge reason of why I moved to Guatemala.
After a year of preparing to come to Guatemala and being in the country for 8 months the issue of adopting this child has come up in my mind full force. The same week the children from UAE (story is below) left my care I discovered a loop hole in the adoption process.
Let me back up just a step to explain why I need a loop hole. First of all only Guatemalan's can adopt Guatemalan's. The other issue important to know is you canNOT adopt children that you work with in orphan care. Don't ask me the logic, but it is the law.
The loop whole I discovered was that if I become a permanent resident of Guatemala I can then adopt. I am a month and a half into researching how to do this but right now it seems it will be a lot of paperwork, time, headache, and money. After I become a permanent resident, I can start the adoption process which will be more paperwork, a home-study, more time, money, and more unforeseen events that will cause me to rely on the Lord. Lastly I will have to have my child legally adopted into the States which is more of the same stuff listed above. I said it was a loop hole not a short cut.
Since I have moved to CB, my prayer has been for this child to be adopted into a family. Of course, I want this little boy in my family, but I felt this was the way I should pray. Logically I know the odds of adopting this child are against me. Regardless, I plan to take this process step by step to follow what I feel is God's will. I am continuously praying for God to guide me and stop me when I step incorrectly. I believe God is faithful. This weekend I have been praying this verse over this situation "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." ~Revelations 3:8
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