Author: qosqo1

While we are stuck in Lima we decided to get some dental work done.  It was actually a pleasant experience.  It was the girls first time at the dentist and they were excited!  We each got a checkup and cleaning for the cost of a co-pay in the U.S.

We are on the road!  Right now we are in Lima.  Our adventure started on Monday when we flew to Lima that night we took the bus to Huanuco, Peru (9 hour ride).

As soon as we arrived in Huanuco on Tuesday morning we got cleaned up and took a colectivo (cheap taxi) to Acomayo (where the girls are from). Below is a picture of the girls with there biological mom (Tania), sister (Meyli), brother(Jhon Pierro).

In Acomayo we got the girls new birth certificates.  At first we had a problem because in the adoption papers Rebecca’s name was spelled with 1 “c” instead of 2 and it seemed like they weren’t going to do the certificates.  Praise the Lord in the end they did do them and even gave us a $60.00 discount on all the paperwork!

After celebrating a little with Tania and her kids we made our way back to Huanuco and pretty much slept.  The next morning (Wednesday) we got on the bus for another 9 hour ride to Lima.  Today we went first thing to get the girls’ passports.  We had some trouble because on the adoption papers my name is “Jason Scott Reinhardt” but on my passport and carnet it is “Jason S. Reinhardt”.  We ended up getting both passports in Rebecca’s name. Praise the Lord they let us do that!  Now we just have a coupe more steps for the visa work.

Praise the Lord that He has gone before us this whole way working everything out!  Thank you all for your prayers!

Today Cusco and the rest of Peru celebrated Corpus Cristi.  To Cusqueños it is one of the most important traditions and religious festivals of the year;  to me it is one of the most confusing traditions.  It is a festival that supposedly honors Christ but it ends up honoring all the other saints that they bring in the processions.  Here is a short article to kind of explain Corpus Cristi taken from here:

The celebration of Corpus Christi used to be celebrated in the whole country, but the Fiesta is most impressive in Cusco. Fifteen saints and virgins, organized in several processions, arrive from different places to the cathedral of Cusco where to came to “greet” the body of Christ, sixty days after Eastern Sunday. During the day you can hear the sounds of the María Angola, the biggest Church Bell of Peru, built during XVI century by Diego Arias de la Cerda. The night before the main day twelve tipical dishes are prepared and consumed, including cuy chiriuchu), beer, chichi (tipical local beer) and bread.

The procession on the main day takes places at around 11:00am. The Plaza de Armas will be crowded with people that came to see the saints. After the procession, the saints go back to the cathedral and the representatives of the local communities come together and discuss local problems.

After seven days (el octavo), the saints participate in the procession again before going back to their places where they will remain for the rest of the year. Corpus Christi is a very colourful and traditional ceremony. For the foreign visitors an excellent opportunity to taste Peruvian traditional culture real close.

This afternoon we had our last official kids club and youth group.  I say “official” because we would still like to get the groups together as time provides when we are in town.  We knew May was probably going to be our last month as the adoption process was winding down.  It was a sad day and a fun day all wrapped into a few hours.  As you say goodbye to children and young teens that you’ve worked with for 3 years you wonder if they’ll still  be around when you get back.  You wonder if you’ll ever see them again or if they even care that you’re leaving.  One thing we don’t wonder about is the fact that we taught them who Jesus is. We taught them that Jesus is the only way to heaven and that Jesus loves them.  We thank God for the blessing and privilege it has been to work with each of them.  So, this afternoon we had a blast!  We sang, played games, ate hot dogs, chips and ice cream, and just enjoyed being together one last time.

This is a picture of the little piece of paper that we’ve been waiting for the last few months!  This means that the adoption is over!  We are officially Natali and Neomi’s parents and they are officially ours!  It was kind of anticlimactic getting this little piece of paper.  The girls have been with us for so long I guess we just take it for granted that they are ours, only now it’s official!  Praise the Lord!

We need you all to pray for us now because we have to get new birth certificates which means we have to travel to Huanuco again.  The one problem is that the little town where the girls are from is out of registry books and until they get them in we can’t get birth certificates which holds us up on getting to the U.S.  God is good though and He will work it all out!