http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_111802WABsistersreunite.1ce5a894.html
Sisters reunited after nearly a decade
11/18/2002
By ARTURO SANTIAGO / KING 5 News
SEATTLE - The flowers and the hand-painted poster didn't say anything of the anticipation, of the pounding inside Audrey Moreland's chest.
"My heart feels like it's outside of my body right now. I'd probably just let her know that I love her, and that I love her no matter what," she said Monday.
And then suddenly, nearly a decade of waiting was over.
Twenty-nine-year old Audrey Moreland and 19-year-old Jennifer Barboza are sisters, reunited Monday.
Together at last!
Nine years ago Audrey left Jennifer in Sacramento, Calif., and moved to Seattle to leave the Jehovah's Witnesses her family belongs to.
Because she did so, contact between Audrey and her family was forbidden.
"I can't even describe it. I think if you have been through a situation where you've lost everything that you've known, then maybe you'd understand," said Audrey.
"I was becoming a woman, high school, boyfriends, everything, and it just felt like my best friend should be there and she wasn't," she said.
Jennifer's heart ached to see her older sister. She knew her family and the Jehovah's Witnesses would not approve, but she's in the process of leaving the religion herself and she didn't want to miss out on this moment or to wait another nine years to see her sister again.
"Nope, no not again, that was too hard ... I don't want to do that again," said Jennifer.
This visit will be four days long. They'll go shopping, have a day at the spa, and then some sight seeing.
They say they'll be sisters, the way they're supposed to be.
"I haven't been this happy in nine years. I haven't been this happy," said Audrey.
The sisters are already planning another visit for next spring. They say that one will last an entire week.