What did you get for Christmas that you love

[PJMcK]

47. An appointment at the Panamanian Tribunal

On Christmas Eve, our lawyer’s paralegal texted us that she had secured an appointment for us at the national Elections Tribunal to secure our cedulas which is an official ID card. These appointments are very difficult to come by and the earliest we expected one was March or April. Although we will not be eligible to vote in Panama, it is the highest form of ID here that even supersedes our U.S. passports. The appointment was last Monday and we will receive the cards this week.

This is the final and most important step for us to complete giving us full right and authority to stay in this beautiful country. Previously, we got our drivers licenses and Pensionado Visa cards. With all of these documents secured, our one-year journey to create an escape plan is now in place. Recent events have shown that our premonitions about the direction of the U.S. appear to becoming true. Very sad and disappointing.