Journey to Geovany: Rumblings?

KISSES IN THE WIND (The Waiting Child's Lullabye)

I hold you in my heart and touch you in my dreams.

You are here each day with me, at least that's how it seems.

I know you wonder where we are... what's taking us so long.

But remember child, I love you so and God will keep you strong.

Now go outside and feel the breeze and let it touch your skin...

Because tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God hold you in His hand until we can be with you.

I promise you, my darling, we're doing all that we can do.

Very soon, you'll have a family for real, not just pretend.

But for tonight, just as always, I blow you kisses in the wind.

May God wrap you in His arms and hold you very tight.

And let the angels bring the kisses that I send to you each night.

Prayer Requests

Praises...we had an incredible visit with Geovany. We really saw that God had bonded our hearts across the miles. Geovany seemed to recognize that we were his family!!
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That God will comfort Geovany's heart. That Geovany will know we have not abandoned him and that we are coming to get him as quickly as we can.
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The investigator has agreed to release our case to a judge. Please pray that he follows through and does what he said he will do.
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A compassionate heart in the judge who is receiving our case. May she look at it quickly and sign it off.
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The agent who previously managed our case in PGN is no longer there. When our case returns to them, it will be given to a new case worker. Pray this case worker does not require endless new documents, but sees the child behind our case and approves it.
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For the orphanage workers caring for Geovany. That they will have compassion and relay God's grace and love to our son as they care for him.

Our Timeline

7/28/08 - Resubmitted to PGN!
7/28/08 - Kicked-Out of PGN
7/7/08 - Resubmitted to PGN!
6/27/08 - Kicked-Out of PGN due to birth certificate issue
6/9/08 - Orphanage Director interview completed
4/29/08 - Submitted to PGN Complete!
4/23/08 - PA received from the US Embassy
3/21/08 - Previo fixed- Document on it's way back to Guatemala
3/11/08 - Family Court previo
2/18/08 - Family Court interviews
1/22/08 - Submitted for visa pre-approval
12/17/07 - Signed POA in Guatemala
12/15/07 - Saw pictures and video

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Rumblings?

I've started this post in my head at least a dozen times today. One year ago today we flew home from Guatemala after signing a power of attorney in the lobby of the Raddison, promising to do whatever it would take to bring our son home. We wondered how we would tell our family. How would we tell our friends. What would people think? Would our case be allowed to continue? Could we get a dossier together in time? So many questions. Yet, in the midst of it all, we had a deep-seated peace, knowing that God was in it and if God is for us, who can be against us?

If you had asked me then where we'd be today, I would have told you, with all confidence, that we would be preparing a Christmas for five beautiful children. Never would I have guessed that we'd still be stuck in the system.

Rumblings...preparations...pieces beginning to fall into place...

We learned last night that the investigations division (Minor's Court) has agreed to release our case back to PGN without going through a judge. Good news. Wonderful news. A beacon of hope as we pass this anniversary day without Geovanny at home. Not the first thing we've seen in the last few days that makes us wonder if our forever reunion with our sweet boy could be closer than we've dared to hope.

What's next? We really don't know. While they've agreed to send our dossier back to PGN, we don't know when that will actually happen. For all we know (our attorney is on vacation this week) it could have happened already. We pray that it has. There's still the issue of the document in question. Will we face a kick-out to get it fixed? Maybe. Or maybe, somewhere along the line, the problem has been solved and when PGN gets it back, they'll approve our case and release us. It's almost too much to ask for, but we ask anyways. Trusting that God knows what's best. Hoping for another miracle. Dreaming of a day we don't have to say good-bye to our son.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, the gift of God's Son to us, my thoughts turn to Mary, the mother of Jesus. I think of how conflicted her heart must have been as she prepared to give birth to the Messiah, knowing that He would not be hers forever. Knowing He would be scoffed and rejected. I'm challenged by her courage and her strength and her desire to serve God no matter what. May I be as willing as she was to say "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true."

Blessings,