Email Update (1) - 01/07/14

Even though the blog is currently private and we are communicating with our "followers" via email, I wanted to post the updates that we send out here so that, in the end, we have everything in one spot.

Hi Friends,

Thank you for your interest in journeying with us to bring Halle Yenenesh home.  I wanted to send an initial email to those who have asked me to add you to our group distribution, just to catch you up on things.  

My hope was to password protect the blog so that I could continue to update there and simply give you a password to use when visiting the blog; however, I really should have investigated further because though that seems like a great idea, Blogger doesn't give me the option of password protection.  I may need to change my blog host and I'll check into that but, in the meantime, I will send all updates via email.

As most of you know, we accepted the referral for Yenenesh in July of 2013.  At that time, we could/should have been given a court date relatively quickly, except that we were caught up in the rainy season court closure.  Because of this, our Preliminary Hearing (PH) was delayed until October 22nd.  Once again, following the PH, we could/should have been given a court date relatively quickly (4 other families with the same PH were given court dates that very next week) as, following the PH, we needed only one letter from the Federal MOWCYA (Ministry of Women's, Children & Youth Affairs) office to make us court date eligible.  As our file sat at the Federal level waiting for that letter, officials conducted an investigation that resulted in a new process.  What was determined was that cases coming through Regional MOWCYA had to be signed off on by the director of that office only (our case had cleared Regional MOWCYA but needed to go BACK there for this new signature).  So....our paperwork traveled from the Federal level back to the Regional level.  And sat.  What we learned next is that, in order for the Regional MOWCYA Director to sign off on our case, she needs information that was previously provided on a NEW FORM....from the LOCAL level.  So now our paperwork has gone BACK to the local level.  Confusing, I know but, basically, this is where we are:

To get a court date, we need a letter from Federal MOWCYA

To get the letter from Federal MOWCYA, we need a signature from Regional MOWCYA

To get the signature from Regional MOWCYA, we need a new form completed by the Local authorities.

Thankfully, we did learn that the new form is just that....a new form.  It's not a new form for a new or different investigation; it's simply previously discovered information placed on a newly adopted form. 

Our specific prayer requests at this time are:

• For Yenenesh's heart.  She knows about us and knows that we are supposed to be coming.  This wait is hard for us; I can't imagine how it feels to be her.  We are sending her letters through our agency this week and have confirmed that our in-country agency representative is doing his best to keep her informed.
• Swift processing of the items above.
• I (Kelley) have the flu; started Tamiflu yesterday.  Just want to get well quickly, before we get the call to travel.
• Our next step after court is to clear Embassy which we have been told will take approximately 3 months (this is when we will bring her home).  Yenenesh's birthday is April 19th and even though none of this is predictable (obviously), we are praying at this point that we pass court on or before January 19th so that we have a better chance of getting her home by her 7th birthday.