Looking For a Relative in America

Changing Lives

In 1975 an American, arrived in Peru. He was born in Mississippi and was a little rough around the edges. He was discharge from the United States Air force in 1955 and had taken up a professional in petroleum and oil exploration. He decided to part from the United States and ended up working in the oil industry on the Bolivian Peruvian boarder.

He soon met a local Peruvian woman married and had a child and married.  She had two other children from a previous relationship that were legally adopted her husband. She received an American passport and traveled with her husband a few times to America. His dream was to bring his family to America. In 1981 after working in Southeastern Peru he left his family and went to work in Brazil and then to Africa. He did not return to Peru. In 1990 she received a letter from the US State Department notifying her that her husband had died. She was not surprised because he was a drinker and had lived a rather wild life.

She tried to bring her family to America because that was her husbands dream. But the US Government was not willing to let her come and told her  when she was 60 years old she could come as the widow and live in America. She died in 2004 and was not 60 years old. The dream was beginning to die. But the dream never died in his children of and they wanted to take advantage of their American citizenship. They contacted an attorney in the US who helped with the correct documents to start the process. It was learned that the only way to prove the connection is through DNA testing of a direct brother or sister of the father. He had one brother and one sister. The brother died in 1971 but the sister they believe is still alive. They had no idea where she might be or what her married name might be.

About 30 days ago one of the brothers started working for the Lima Temple Security and approached the Temple President and his wife about help in locating the sister. The temple president went with the brother to the US Embassy. They showed all the supporting documentation and the only thing missing to start the process of getting a passport to American is the DNA testing of the biological son and his aunt. This family had no idea how to start looking for her in the United States and neither did the temple president. The US Embassy closed the case. The search was at a dead end and the discouraging words from the American Embassy seemed to have ended the hope for the children.

Then the temple president mentioned the story to the some new temple workers from America.  Family information was provided to the temple workers and it only took them about 10 minutes to locate a relative in America.  Then it was  discovered that both ends of the family were church members.  Within 24 hours e-mails were exchanged and it was discovered that both ends of the family had been searching for each other.  But where is the aunt living in America and if the aunt were found would she do DNA Testing. We do not have an answer to these questions yet. The relatives in America are looking for the aunt.

The story has not ended, but some very kind words were expressed to the Missionary Couple about their part in what appeared to be a hopeless search.  One of the comments expressed was, “perhaps you were sent to Peru just to do this for us.”  Things are easy when you know how to do them and family history is no exception. 

We are fasting this Sunday that the aunt of this family can be found. Please as you pray Sunday please ask that the aunt be found. We are not providing names to keep this search private, but if you would pray for the aunt, Heavenly Father will hear your prayers.

May 20, 2013

We have found the woman we are looking for in America and she is willing to do the DNA testing. This is a happy time for this family in Peru.