visa update

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. The director of Acres of Hope, Patty Anglin, is now in Liberia and will be visiting with the consular from the US Embassy to talk to her about the visa situation. Please pray for God's favor with the authorities for Patty and AOH staff.

Here's the latest: Alma, the visa consular, is now requiring birth parents who have already relinquished their parental rights, to come in and meet with her. First of all it will be very "interesting" trying to find some of these parents. Many don't want to be found again. Can you imagine giving up your child and then a year later being told to come to Monrovia to meet with this US embassy worker, possibly your child and the adoptive parents to finalize the adoption of the children you relinquished?

This will slow down adoption very much. If the birth parent(s) can't be found--no visa will be issued and the child will be raised in the orphanage. It is back to square one for the birth parents if the children are returned to them--they can't provide for their needs and that is the reason they brought them to the orphanage, relinquished rights and wanted them to have a forever families.

What is Liberia going to do with all these children in orphanages? Support them? No! We as adoptive parents do. We will be spending thousands of dollars for adoption costs, orphan fees, adoption fees, airfare, paperwork--you name it! All because we have a heart to be a family to fatherless (abandoned, etc.)

Please be in prayer that God will change the direction adoptions are now going in Liberia. His will be done!