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As October closed with all of the drama that seemed to be filling all of the months we had endured so far, we realized we had yet another problem on our hands. Kristina was quickly approaching her 6th month in the country without leaving. After 3 months she had to renew her stamp of approval in her passport at the office of Immigration in Guatemala City. She would have to visit there soon in order to renew it once again.
At the same time, I had finally been asked if I would take the position of youth pastor at the church in North Carolina. For weeks on end I had met with parents, teenagers, deacons, and pastors in what was a continual interview process. They were finally ready to bring me before the church and vote on me. It felt weird going through all of this without Kristina there.
The day came for Kristina to visit the immigration office. With Mia on her hip, she took the required documents down with the fee and presented them at the window. The woman took them and disappeared from sight for a moment or two. When she returned, she calmly told Kristina that her stay would not be renewed and she would have to leave Guatemala for at least a day. For a second Kristina stared at her with a blank expression as the impact of those words had not yet sunk in. Mia was not allowed to leave the country, Kristina was not allowed to leave Mia, and Kristina was no longer allowed to stay in the country. Determined that this was not going to happen, Kristina explained her situation as a court appointed foster parent. The appeal made no difference to the lady behind the counter whatsoever. Her only encouraging words were that Kristina had to be out of the country for only 12-24 hours and she could return.
Kristina left the office dejected and almost laughing at the crazy turn this journey had taken once again. What would she do? How could she leave and Mia stay behind? Quickly she called me and we began to work out a plan. A close friend of ours was a pilot with Delta Airlines. Through him, they had been wonderful to us and they again were great. We arranged for Kristina’s flight home and her return after four days. Mia would stay with our friend’s family who she had grown to love.
For four bittersweet days, Kristina returned to the United States as a requirement to remain with Mia. Amazingly, this also fell on the weekend that I was brought before the church for them to vote on bringing me on as youth pastor. Kristina was able to see the house we would be moving into. At that time it was in relative disrepair and thus not much of an encouragement for her. Then almost as quickly as she had come, we rose early in the morning and kissed good-bye as the stars faded behind the Sun’s arrival. The excitement of seeing each other again never truly arrived as our hearts were both locked on a crib just outside of Guatemala City where our baby waited for her Mommy to return.
Kristina returned to the squealing glee of precious Mia. Little did she know that within days the light would begin to crack the darkness that had enveloped us for almost a year now.
The Mummau Series
1. Choosing To Adopt
2. Why International? Why Guatemala?
3. The Call From Guatemala
4. The Process Begins
5. A Prelude To Mia
6. How Can You “Choose” A Child – Leaving Others Behind?
7. Peer Into The Heart – Journal Entries
8. Meeting Maria – Finding Mia
9. Leaving Our Daughter…is that…no way!
10. Rivers of Waiting
11. Mistakes, Intentions, and Naivety – How Hope Began To Die
12. Alone in Guatemala and Waiting
13. Time Marches On – Goodbye Mia for Now
14. Joyful Gringos in Quetzaltenango
15. Mia Mia
16. Abuela Comes To The Rescue
17. Doctors, Couriers, and Delays
18. Even So, You Won’t Believe This
19. The Summer of Frustration Ends
20. Fall Approaches with Broken Hearts…Teeth
21. 1600 Miles from Tecpan (pt.1)
22. 1600 Miles from Tecpan (pt.2)
23. Kristina Comes Home
24. Mia’s First Steps
25. December’s Momentum
26. An Angel In The Embassy? I
27. An Angel in the Embassy? II
28. A Christmas to Remember…and Forget
29. Daddy’s 2nd Visit
30. Clash at The Embassy
31. We’re In The PGN! OK Let Us Out!
32. Accomodations
33. The Pencil – Never Give Up
34. Exiting the PGN…sort of
35. Exiting the PGN…yet again
36. Daddy Has Enough
37. The Countdown Begins
38. Easter Brings Hope
39. Sit With Me in San Cristobal
40. T-Minus a few things and counting
41. My New Favorite Color
42. Hope Becomes Reality-The Embassy Interview
43. Mia Mummau Goes Home
More blogs about Guatemala Adoption.
