More Confusion

Our next snafu happened toward the end of the month when we rejoiced at finding out that we had exited MOI!!! We were informed on April 21 while I was in Haiti visiting the boys and riding more awesome tile on the front porch with V, that we had received MOI approval and that we were being submitted for passports that day! Though I was on day four of perhaps the worst stomach virus known to man, so innocently delivered by my beautiful little package of love, V; I wanted to celebrate and every bit of me was happy to know that the boys really might have a chance at experiencing the late August summer sports and art camps that I built up the courage to sign them up for. That was a rough trip. I shared an apartment with my friend, and now new family member Kelly and my two nieces and nephews. We fell ill the second day we were there and the kids proceeded to spend the week going all Lord of the Flies on copious amounts of sugar while Kelly and I laid in a ying yang pattern on beds and took turns rushing to the bathroom. Kelly proved that one is capable of carrying a purple melamine bowl like a purse for three days. Truth. Though we would have been happy for someone to shoot us and put us out of our misery, it was a fantastic trip that solidified some pretty awesome bonds our kids have. 

Shortly after returning from the April bonding trip to Haiti, we found out that our files were not submitted for passports as we were told they would be.   There were two documents missing. One from each of their files would have to be obtained before we would be submitted for passports. And since those files were not obtained in time, our files were held once again while the passport office was renovated. We were told that we would have to wait for submission when the office re-opened. The office was reportedly closed for five days. However, upon multiple requests per week for an update on whether our files were ready for submission to passports, we were told that the passport office remained closed. I repeatedly sighted examples to both of our agency that the passport office was in fact re-opened five days after it was closed. I provided several examples of families who had emerged from MOI a full month after we had who received passports in ten days – all while the passport office was reportedly closed. And yet our files continued to sit with no movement. Then one day all of a sudden our orphanage confirmed that the passport office was indeed open but that our files had significant errors and they wouldn’t be submitted for passports until the errors were corrected and our files were re-submitted to MOI for additional approval.