Long Road Ahead...

It's been a long time since I've written, and wanted to update everyone one what's been going on with our attempts to bring our daughter, Mesti, home.

We decided first last summer (2010) that we would try to bring Mesti to America for a visit during her school break. We did the research and got all the paperwork that was needed to have her come to visit us. We were hopeful that we could get her here as a visitor and then change the visa to a Student Visa, and have her stay here for school for the next 5 to 7 years.

So, we sent all the paperwork and money to Mesti and she made the appointment. She was able to get her appointment quickly and she went to the embassy in Addis Ababa. Renee was so nervous that she waited up all night to hear word from Mesti. Unfortunately, she was told that they didn't believe she needed to go to America, and to come back when you're in college.

This was a devastating blow, but we were determined to not let that be the last answer. So, we began getting the paperwork together to have her come over directly as a student. Renee got the approval from the private school that Henok attends, and all the other paperwork together, and we sent it all off to Mesti again. Again, she was able to get an appointment fairly quickly, and was called to the embassy in just a few weeks.

This time, both Renee and I waited up to hear the news from Mesti. To our great disappointment, she was denied the student visa. As usual, the phone connection was poor, but we could definitely hear the disappointment in Mesti's voice. She said that she thinks that they didn't have enough information to prove that we would be paying for everything, including school. So, Renee and I went back to the paperwork and made sure to include that info in the new documents.

When we sent Mesti the new documents to have her try again, she was very adamant that she didn't want to go back to the embassy and have to see their "angry eyes" again. We explained to her that the new papers would help the situation and should get us the visa as we requested. So, the appointment was made a third time.

During this time, Renee and I had sent a detailed letter to our Senators, House Representative, State Reps, and several other government officials hoping that someone would champion our cause to bring our daughter home to us. Sadly, one by one, we received letters saying that there was nothing that could be done since it was foreign immigration issue. My thought was that if it was important enough, someone would have made it a priority to get us some answers and results. No one would help us.

Shortly before Mesti's third embassy appointment, one of the family ministry leaders from our church became aware of our situation (I think from a letter that Renee sent to the church for prayer) and decided that he would contact Representative Chet Edwards office on our behalf. We actually started receiving phone calls from his office asking for more information about Mesti and her situation. The night before her embassy appointment, Rep. Edwards office faxed over a request for consideration asking to approve Mesti's student visa.

Mesti went to the third appointment and was again greeted by the same woman with "angry eyes", and was asked by her why she was wasting her time. She told her that she didn't need to go to America and had no chance to getting a visa of any kind at this point. So, at this point, we have exhausted our resources. We will have to wait until Mesti has completed school and have her try again then.

Because Rep. Edwards office was involved, we did at least this time, we received a formal explanation letter letting us know the reason for which she was denied the visa. They said that she was too much of a risk. Since she had no money, property, family, or anything else in Ethiopia to go back to, they were afraid that if she was given a visa, that she would never go back to Ethiopia and stay here in America illegally.

They told us that the person requesting the visa must be able to prove that they will come back, and no 3rd party guaranty would be allowed to make that promise. So, we are once again, left in pain with our daughter so far away from us.

At this point, we contact her several times a month by phone, and exchange packages whenever we can. We will revisit all of this visa stuff in a few years once she has finished school and is eligible for the DV Lottery, or the Student Visa.

Well, that's pretty much the update we have for now. Please continue to pray that Mesti will be safe and protected, that she will know that we are always thinking of her, and that we will be able to bring her home sometime soon...

Thanks,

In His Service...
Matthew

Where He leads, we will follow...

Hi everyone,

This blog was created in anticipation that we might be able to adopt a young girl named Mesti we met while we were in Ethiopia picking up Henok. She is very close to Henok and loves him like a brother. She is actually listed as his mother on his birth certificate because she was the one that took care of him at the orphanage since he arrived there at 18 months.

It's a long and somewhat difficult story, but the short version is that it looks like she's too old for formal adoption. Right now, we are investigating our options for bringing her Home on a student visa. Even if we only get to be with her for a short time, it's better than nothing. We've also heard that there might be a chance for some type of legal adoption at a later point in the US.

I will update as time goes on, but until then, please pray that God will help us find the path that he wants us to travel and also that he gives us the strength to endure it.

We hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In His Service,

Matthew