We have been working on gathering the paperwork we will need from Peru for the Guatemalan residency process. I have done so much research because I kept receiving contradictory information. With the help of good friends (Thanks, Andrew, Brent, and Orlando!), I figured stuff out.
One issue was that we could not start the process too earlier because Guatemala will accept only documents that are fewer than six months from issue date. I knew I did not want to be doing this stuff in July just before we leave, so I tried to arrange that we would be able to get the documents the very end of May or beginning of June.
I praise the Lord that we now have all the documents in hand! Steph took the Peruvian children to do some of it with Zemmi or Gabriela while I stayed home with the rest. Since Steph is the mom, she can quite easily get the children’s documents; it would have been a bit more friction for me to have done it. I’m grateful Steph was willing to do that and even enjoyed the excursions to the city. She is more adventurous than I can be at times.
The only thing we lack is to get all the documents apostilled, which is an official physical seal from the Peruvian government that shows that all the official documents with official seals we have are officially sealed to say that they are all official and sealed. You know, as you do. It’s something that Guatemala (and other countries) require. I don’t confess to understand it.
Over the past seven years and all the reams of paperwork we’ve had to do, I have come to less and less understand and appreciate the paperwork that declares who my family and I are officially—sealed and delivered.
Juan David 