Prayer Request

We have a prayer request for a missionary family that goes to our church here in Bolivia. For those of you who have heard the story of the long process our family has gone through to adopt Gracie, you understand how frustrating the adoption system here is and how it really doesn't make sense at times with the bribery and all of the meaningless paperwork and people you have to go through. We have had Gracie for six years and she still hasn't been officially adopted.

The Summerfields are a family here in Bolivia that have two adopted children in high school. They were adopted from Peru. For the past six months this family has been acting as a foster family for a one year old Bolivian boy named Angelito. The Summerfields want to adopt Angelito but they are over the legal age to adopt. There is a law down here that states that if a child has been with a family for more than two years, they cannot be taken away. The child is legally yours after two years and the Summerfields have been hoping that this is what would happen.

He has only been with them six months and he is already a part of the family. He is an enormous ball of energy, running around at church and all the school events like basketball games and school plays. Braeden and i went over to babysit one night and he is certainly a handful trying to keep him away from the stairs and out of the garbage cans. But he is the sweetest little boy, always smiling, never cranky and definitely not shy with anyone.

A few weeks ago the Summerfields were told that there is a Bolivian family who would like to adopt Angelito. if all of the court hearings go through, he will be leaving in July. Because it is a Bolivian family, the process will be much easier and there is a greater chance that the adoption will go through. it has been very frustrating to us to understand why the government would let a child be taken away from a family who desperately wants to adopt him when there are thousands and thousands who are in state run orphanages not being taken care of by a loving family. Mrs. Summerfield has called him her baby since she first got him and as Braeden and i get ready to have our very first in a few months, i can't imagine being told that your child is going to be taken away. Through all of this the Summerfields have been so grateful to God for the time that they have been able to spend with Angelito and are always saying that it is in God's hands whether he goes or stays. Please pray for this family, that there will be a miracle and Angelito will be able to stay with the Summerfields, or if not, that their healing will be quick and there will be understanding that God is in every part of his life.