Gotta Love Red Tape!

In nine days total, we were in Asuncion six of those days. We ALMOST have our residency paperwork turned in, but we've hit a couple of snags. The Immigration Department accepted us under the condition that the two lacking papers are turned in within ten days from this past Tuesday. So we're scrambling to get those done and approved by the appropriate governmental agencies. Both are really becoming difficult, though, so please cover us in prayer. We've already had to pay the $800 to Immigrations (a portion of the total cost), so we'd like for the paperwork to go through.

They want one of our papers to be stamped by the Vice Minister of Culto (Religion, basically), but that office is lacking some other papers that are out of our hands. The nice lady in that office advises me to INSIST that the persons who have this paper bring it in immediatly, but I can only do what I can do. Our document is "in waiting" until then. Did I mention that usually it takes 7 days to process once it's started? So we call and text (and beg and plead).

The second paper is a certificate of studies from the girls' former school, which needs to be a school registered in Paraguay. I guess you know that my girls have NEVER been to school. Mind you, we named our homeschool and have always been above the board legally, but the papers from the United States don't count here. The Minister of Education and Culture needs to have something in writing from a Paraguayan school, and then they'll began processing this document, hopefully within our 10-day deadline. Once it's processed, we can turn it in to Immigrations to satisfy them. I've been contacting private Christian schools because the public school route didn't work, but nothing's turned up yet.

I don't have to tell you that the 2-hour drive into Asuncion I practically know by heart now. Luckily, my man is a masterful driver and can operate the vehicle skillfully whether or not I'm sleeping on the passenger's side. That's usually what happens. Meanwhile, our normal lives are on a sort of stand-still while we work on this legal red tape.

We'd sure appreciate the prayers you'd send up on our behalf. If we can get these two papers processed and turned in, we're set for life. They granted us permanent residency (contingent on those two documents within 10 days), which means we won't have to keep renewing our Visas or come back and reapply, etc. We'd also have some of the benefits that come with "citizenship," the biggest of which I can think of is the ability to join the grocery store frequent-buyer clubs... Haha. :) Hope your week is free of red-tape and you're enjoying your citizenship, wherever it may be! (Check back tomorrow for some updates on what's been happening on the days we ARE home.)

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