Liliane's Passport

We are traveling today to Rwamagana to once again make an attempt to secure Liliane’s passport. We met her mom, who now has another baby in tow, at the proper government office. This is the fourth trip to various cities to try to secure her passport. Her mom is waiting in the building and comes out to meet us after John, one of our staff at Urukundo, calls her. We enter the building only to find that their is a note on the door that the person we need to see has gone for the day. There is a note that we can travel to the next town, we have spent two hours on the road and the next town is another 30 minutes.

We have now arrived in the next town and asked for directions to the proper building. The trouble all started because the government is fearful that we are going to sell Liliane once we get her out of the country. The genocide in 1994 that killed almost a million Rwandese is still fresh in everyone’s mind. The government is very leery of adoption or anything that allows it’s citizen’s the opportunity to leave Rwanda.

So as I type we are waiting to be seen at some government agency. We wait with a long line of other people. Already we had to leave to get a form to fill out. They asked us to walk through a field to a print shop to get the form. Everything seems to take extra long here. Whether it is because the person you want to see is gone or because the line is long.

It was interesting to watch Liliane (in eighth grade) and her mom interact. At first it looked like there was no relationship. I have no idea at this point what their history is other than the fact that Liliane was “given up” to live at Urukundo. As we traveled to our present location I saw smiles and laughter as they chatted in the back seat of our Toyota Corolla. I asked Liliane is she had a good relationship with her mom. She said “yes” but I wonder if she really understood my question.

It is getting hot and uncomfortable so I have moved back to the car. The simple wood bench is full in side the door where everyone is waiting their turn. Liliane is outside the building waiting patiently. She would love to travel to America with Arlene this summer. Arlene plans on being in the U.S. from June 24th to October 11th. She would like Liliane to spend time with her sponsor parents and go to school for 4 weeks as well as travel with her to her speaking engagements. So far Arlene has speaking gigs in Pennsylvania, Toronto, California, Arizona and Texas. She wants to share the stories of Urukundo and share the hope that Urukundo brings to the community.

Wednesday Liliane got word that her passport has been approved. She will now apply for her visa to visit America. Time is getting tight!