Travel update!

We finally got our adoption decree from the Burundi courts today! This is a huge step!

Most families that we have talked to were able to travel right after they got the decree. Typically, they take three to four weeks to process and actually get you the decree, so it is usually pre-dated by 3-4 weeks. There is supposed to technically be a 30 day waiting period from decree to travel, but by the time people get their decree that period is pretty much up and they're ready to go once they get their visas. Our case seems to be unique in that we received the decree today, and it is dated today. Sort of a bummer, because now we have to wait to travel until AFTER the wait period. We knew that we would need 2-3 weeks to get our visas anyways, so this really only adds a few weeks to the wait time. It is frustrating, but still a huge step. Right now we have tentative travel date!!

We are hoping to travel May 15 to pick up our boy! Woo hoo!! We will be in Burundi about a week, and then travel to Nairobi to the US Embassy for the medical appointments and check out process. Most likely we won't get back to Austin until June 1. Memorial Day will happen when we are in Kenya which means the embassy will be closed...so it just changes things by a few days.

There is still a chance that this might change by a few days here or there, but it is looking pretty realistic!

Thanks so much for your continued prayers and support.

Our adoption fundraiser link is:

adopttogether.org/baucherfamily

Thanks to those of who have so generously donated...and thanks for your continued support on this long but beautiful journey. We cannot WAIT to have our boy, Kenny, home!

Much Love,

The Bauchers

Update on Kenny

Hey Family and Friends. We've had a lot of people asking about when we will be able to go get Kenny...and unfortunately we still don't have an answer. We do know that his case is with the courts in Burundi and that his case is assigned to the slow judge. Which is a huge bummer. Our understanding was that there is a court date, a thirty day wait period, and then we will have the final adoption decree which we need to get our visas, and we can go as soon as we have those. We've had some relatively unclear communication that they are "waiting for the judge to sign decree" which makes me think maybe the court date has happened....but we're not sure about the 30 day wait period. We're hoping we are in that time period now, but really have no idea. Communication is inconsistent and vague...and from the other families we've talked to there hasn't really been any specific pattern of how these things happen....

The good news is there have been three families who we've spoken with who have traveled to get their kids in the last month. They've visited the school that Kenny is going to and said it is amazing. They teachers speak in English all of the time and are great with the kids. I am happy to know that while we wait for him to come home, he's at least in a good school environment!

There is a family that lives just a few miles from us that is also adopting a 5 year old boy who is in the same orphanage and class at school as Kenny. They are there picking him up NOW and were able to deliver a little care package to Kenny. We sent him a photo book with pictures of Brian and I and the kids along with a few videos, and some beyblades of course at Colton's request.

While we are very anxious to get him home, we continue to pray for his health and safety.

Hopefully we will be updating you all soon that we are getting ready to travel.

Thank you for all of your prayers, love, and support!

Peace,

Kristen