[cwg]

If you know of anyone who has been there, we would love to learn more about it. But we have also been told that we could go to Quito, Cuenca, or Guayaquil.

Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil are where the three regional family courts are located, so no matter where your child is born, you will have to visit a court in one of those cities to do the paperwork.

Also, all families have to go to Guayaquil at least for a short time to get the U.S. visa for the child processed before returning to the U.S.

Good luck on your adoption, and keep us posted!

[futuredad0412]

Any more recent experience with Ecuador?
We are looking at Holt International currently.
thanks

[SDadoption]

Hi,

I am trying to find a good reliable contact in Ecuador that would be able to help me with adoptions in Ecuador. I don't really want to go through a state side agency if I don't have to. If I could just go through an attorney or an orphanage already established there that would be great. Does anyone know of a way that I could get that kind of information?

Anything you can share would be much appreciated.

Thank-you
Sdadoption

[jaclynsmommy]

It is totally illegal to do an adoption through Ecuador without using an approved agency.
Noreen

[SDadoption]

Hi,

I wanted to clarify what I meant by not using an agency to adopt through Ecuador. What I meant is that I would like to go through a licensed agency in Ecuador but not necessarily a stateside agency. Do you know if this is possible? I know that in some countries there are orphanages that are licensed to do adoptions anywhere in the world and you don't have to go through another agency that is in your home country.

Does that make sense?

Take cAre

SDadoption

[jaclynsmommy]

Hi I understand what you are saying. I don't know where you live but I live in the United States in NY, we were told to make the adoption legal you must use a licensced agency in the states to do an adoption in Ecuador. I am one of the moderators of a great group for people who want to adopt from Ecuador if you are interested come and join us @
Ecuador-Adopt@yahoogroups.com[/email]
We have families from the united states, Denmark & more so please feel free to come join us.
Noreen

[SDadoption]

Thank-you. I wanted to make sure. I am just doing research on all aspects of adoption.

Thanks for the invite. If I decide to go with Ecuador I will definitely come and visit your group.

Sdadoption

[BELONGTOGOD]

We are working with Villa Hope as well. We have sent our homestudy to FANN to see if they will work with us being that we already have 3 children. We are keeping everything crossed in hopes that we will be moving forward in the near future.

I will keep you posted! Chante'

[sarah_m]

Hi McDonalds,

I saw your post and wanted to reply since we live in Salt Lake City, and we are also thinking about adopting from Ecuador with Children's House. How has your experience been with them so far? How long have you waited? How did you decide on Ecuador and Children's House? Do you know of any adoptive parent support groups in SLC?

Thanks,
Sarah M.

Originally posted by mcdonaldjs
Hi again,

We are adopting through Children's House International in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have requested either an ecuadorian or african-ecuadorian child, so we have been told we may be going to the Esmeraldas region. If you know of anyone who has been there, we would love to learn more about it. But we have also been told that we could go to Quito, Cuenca, or Guayaquil.

[livelifewell]

My son was in an orphanage in Cuenca.He was adopted by an American family but when they returned to the states, they had personal problems and had to give him up for adoption. We where the first people they called(The social worker)because they knew we didn't have the funds, as of yet, and to make a long story short, we became parentsWe missed out on visiting Ecuador but when our son is of age, we plan to travel there and have all of us experience the visitWe went through Alliance for Children in Massachusetts and they were great!.....Betty

[beach4me]

Hi Betty,

How you came to adopt your son is very interesting! We are in the process of adopting from Ecuador as well. There is a very active Yahoo group. Ecuador-Adopt. It is consists of individuals who have and are adopting from Ecuador. You might find it of interest.

Chante'

[livelifewell]

Thanks, I'll look into it..Betty

[mcdonaldjs]

Hi Sarah M.

I'm so sorry I didn't see your post earlier. I've joined the yahoo group--ecuador-adopt, and haven't checked back here for too long.

Are you still considering adopting from Ecuador? If you are still looking into it, let me know. Also I highly recommend that you check out the site at yahoo. There are members from many different agencies and combined we have a wealth of experience and information about adopting from Ecuador.

Take Care!

[livelifewell]

Sarah, I am visiting Salt Lake City in August for a Business Convention.Anything interesting to see there?I am in walking distance of the Convention Center. I'll be there August 4th-8th.My son is from Ecuador and though I didn't go, I have pictures sent to me from the couple that brought my son home.If I knew I could meet you there, I could share what I do know...Betty

[daveindy]

True story about missionaries and orphans.

My favorite Christmas was in Cuenca Ecuador, 1984. I was the District Leader for a group of missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We were part of the Ecuador-Guayaquil mission.

I grew up in an agnostic household, joined the church at age 24, and was 27 at the time, in Cuenca.

Having grown up as, more or less, a non-believer, I was rather down on meaningless traditions, commercialism, and the modern mix of paganism that seemed to have crept into holidays celebrating supposedly holy events.

This was only my 3rd Christmas in the church and I wanted to do something with meaning instead of just decorating a pagan-like tree, exchanging presents, and gorging on food.

Perhaps I thought of James 1: 27,
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

I found out there was a Catholic orphanage in Cuenca, and asked the other missionaries if they'd like to do something at the orphanage. They said yes, so my companion and I went there, knocked on the front door, and asked if we could visit their children on Christmas day, show a filmstrip, sing, and maybe play games.

I told the nuns who answered the door that we were "missionaries from the U.S." I did not specifically say "Mormon" or "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", but I assumed they read our name tags.

They went back in, and in a few minutes came back to the door and said "sure".

At the appointed time on Christmas day, us 8 gringos went to the orphanage, and introduced ourselves.
We showed the filmstrip (this was before the days of VHS and VCR's)
"Leon's Truck", which was about taking care of your body to make it last, like taking care of a truck, a "Word of Wisdom" thing. We sang a little. We played. We handed out candy.

I did notice that the nuns brought to the activity room only the kids who were old enough to play with adults or big kids. I imagined they had toddlers or infants that they hadn't brought out.

I noticed that the kids were much better behaved than the street urchins of the same ages, and of course cleaner and better dressed.

I had an idea of asking to see the infants, (what orphanage wouldn't have infants?), but I didn't want to impose any more on the nuns' hospitality.

I also thought about how Jesus blessed little children, and wondered if we should offer to bless the children (and the infants) but I had been taught not to solicit blessings. I didn't know at the time that such "rules of thumb" are always susceptible to be overridden by the higher law "except when the Spirit tells you otherwise."

Anyway, we left with lots of warm fuzzies that made the Christmas dinner that the sisters prepared taste much better. And I didn't feel so guilty about being a "rich" gringo in a poor country.

It's still my favorite Christmas.

-Dave Appel
Indianapolis.