Pray for Guatemala

No news for us. I did, however, receive an e-mail from some friends of ours who are in the process of adopting from Guatemala. I copied an article they have posted on their blog to share with those who may not know about the situation in Guatemala. Please pray for these families, as this is so heart-wrenching. Our friends have finally been cleared to adopt their daughter (they've been in the final stages since Dec 6) and hope to bring her home by August, her first birthday. Praise God -- we are so excited for you, Dan and Amy.

If you would like to help our agency and their orphanage, which is one of the private orphanages this article refers to as being phased out, please follow the link to their website and click on the Unite Campaign Guatemala.



Adoption Policy Delivers Heartache to Moms

Thursday, June 19, 2008 Last updated: Thursday June 19, 2008, EDT 6:37 AMBY JUAN CARLOS LLORCATHE ASSOCIATED PRESSGUATEMALA CITY —

The 24-year-old Guatemalan mother had already given up her baby once. Now, months later, the baby girl was back in her lap, smiling and playing with her mother's fingers.And Karen Donis had to make the decision all over again.The heart-wrenching process is part of a new Guatemalan government effort to ensure that mothers really wanted to give their babies up — and that children weren't bought or even stolen to be adopted to U.S. couples.Sitting on a plastic chair in a neon-lit room cuddling her 8-month-old daughter, Donis ached to keep the child. But she knew she could never give her the life she deserved."I have turned the problem inside out, and I can't, I can't," said Donis, tears falling onto the girl. "I thought about keeping the baby, but I can't."

Once just steps away from joining new families as U.S. citizens, the child is one of 2,286 Guatemalan babies now stuck in limbo, facing uncertain futures as Guatemala reviews every pending case.One by one, women were called into a large room to prove they gave birth to the babies and swear they were not sold or stolen. Then, they were asked to make what for many had been the most difficult decision of their lives — again.

Almost all insisted on remaining anonymous, fearing public scorn. But Donis agreed to let an Associated Press reporter attend her interview, giving a rare glimpse into the heart-wrenching government review process.The old system was ridden with conflicts of interest, false paperwork and illegal payments, but it quickly delivered babies to U.S. homes, and birth mothers could console themselves that their babies would have abundant opportunities for a better life. Now, most of these women don't even have that: Babies whose adoptions have been annulled will likely spend years in government-run orphanages before they can be adopted under the new rules.

Of the 2,286 pending cases, authorities have reviewed about 750, annulled 26 adoptions and are pressing criminal charges in nine against birth mothers, lawyers and civil registrars who allegedly forged documents, attorney general's spokesman Jorge Meng said Monday.Four birth mothers have decided to take their babies back, but even those cases must be cleared first, Meng said.Meng suspects only a fraction of the fraud cases have been uncovered so far, since the easiest ones were reviewed first — those involving birth mothers who agreed to come in. Hundreds of other mothers have simply disappeared, and authorities suspect the people involved are laying low to avoid being charged with crimes.

Guatemalan adoptions used to be so quick and hassle-free that the nation of 13 million became the world's second-largest source of babies to U.S. couples, a $100-million-a-year industry managed nearly entirely by lawyers with almost no government oversight. But since the government took over in January, not one new adoption has begun, while all pending cases are being reviewed by the Attorney General's Office and a newly created National Adoptions Council.The new law is Guatemala's attempt to comply with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoptions, a treaty designed to prevent trafficking in humans. The U.S. Embassy lobbied in support of the new law, arguing that Guatemala and other countries with foreign adoptions need to ensure babies weren't being exploited.

Donis told the interviewers her baby's father took off as soon as he found out about the pregnancy, and that she is the only breadwinner for her three other children and two underage siblings. She has an on-and-off job giving out free food samples at supermarkets. "I have no help," she said. Then, her lawyer was asked to leave the room, and she was given one last chance to change her mind.After almost 25,000 adoptions over the past 18 years, this is the first time mothers have been required to legally relinquish their children in front of a government official. Before, U.S. and Guatemalan authorities simply accepted a sworn statement provided by the same lawyer who handled the adoption.

Of 66 women called in each day, only half show up."I had three appointments today; only one could make it because roads were closed on account of the heavy rains and I have yet to find one of the mothers," said Rosa Maria Vides, a lawyer who fears her adoption cases won't move forward.Babies whose birth mothers don't appear are declared abandoned by a judge and placed in government-run orphanages while their cases start all over again. The new process could take years, and the U.S. couples involved, many of whom have already spent as much as $30,000 and bonded with the babies under the old system, have no guarantee of getting the same child.

The adoptions council works out of borrowed space in a library, and there are only 13investigators to examine the thousands of cases. For now, most of the babies remain in private adoption agencies that are being phased out. A new government-run orphanage hasn't been finished.

Few U.S. couples can be seen at Guatemala City's Marriott Hotel, once known as "baby central" because it hosted so many adoptive parents. Those who still visit their would-be adoptive children are too scared to talk to reporters."Not only the Americans are scared. Birth mothers are concerned that their kids will end up in a government orphanage," said Alejandra Corzo, a lawyer for All God's Children International, a U.S.-based nonprofit that runs orphanages around the world. Corzo said she has 14 cases pending and none have been cleared.

The adoption of Donis' daughter was determined to be legitimate, but clearing the paperwork will take at least two more months before the child can join her adoptive family in New Hampshire. If any problems crop up, it could take up to a year.Handing over the girl once again, Donis said she wants her to have a better life in the U.S. — and wants to keep in touch with the American family. She hopes the baby grows up to be a doctor, she said — just like her adoptive father.

3 referrals

We got our biweekly update a little bit early today. There have been 3 referrals in the past 2 weeks: 1 infant girl, 1 infant boy, and 1 older boy. So I think that probably moves us up to number 4 on the infant boy list. So it really could be any day!!

I've uploaded some pictures from our beach vacation. While we were there, Matt and I were musing about how different our family will look the next time we go to the beach. Not just different from what we look like now, but also very different from the rest of the families that were staying in our condo complex. I don't know if it was just where we were staying, but there were only white families. Imagine how James will stand out....

6 referrals!

We got our bi-weekly update today, and there have been 6 referrals in the past 2 weeks. 3 girls, one infant boy, and 2 sets of siblings. We are only given our number on the waiting list at our monthly call, so I don't know if this changes our status or not. Regardless, we are excited that there is movement and that children are being placed with their forever families. It won't be long!!

Number 5

I got our monthly call tonight and we are now number 5 for an infant boy. One of the families ahead of us is actually waiting for a 1-3 year old, but they're on our list because a 12 month old could go either way. Although Julie (our case manager at AGCI) isn't sure exactly how long it will be until our referral, she agreed when I said "maybe 4-6 weeks?" With the courts in Ethiopia closing in August and September, she really doesn't think it's very likely that we'll bring James home before October. Even families that are getting referrals now are being told that their paperwork could get held up in the court vacation.

So now I guess we need to pray that we won't be in Ethiopia when baby Eggers is making his or her debut into this world. I'd hate it for Mom if she had to be in Cincinnati with our kids waiting for one new grandchild to come home from Ethiopia while another new grandchild was being born in Memphis! God will work it all out; I am truly confident that His timing is perfect!

9 referrals!!

We got our bi-weekly update on Friday, and there were 9 referrals made in the past 2 weeks: 3 girls, 4 boys, and 2 sets of siblings. 2 of the boy referrals were waiting children, so I don't know if the families who adopted them were ahead of us on the list. I've e-mailed our case manager to find out if we're now number 6 or number 4. Either way, we're moving on up!! Can't wait to meet you, James!

Disney pics

Just wanted to add a few of our Disney pics. The whole time we were there we talked about how great it will be to come back when James is old enough to enjoy it!

Still number 8

Hopefully we will learn today at the bi-weekly update that we have moved up on the list, but as of right now things have not changed in 2 months!! 2 weeks ago when I read the update, tears filled my eyes. I am so ready to know my son and have a mental image of him. I'm ready to start washing baby clothes and picking out what to take to Ethiopia for him. I'm ready to buy his special "coming home" outfit!
Yet, at the same time, we have 3 vacations planned this summer that I'm REALLY looking forward to and don't want to miss (even to go to Ethiopia). So I know the Lord's timing is perfect and we will receive our referral and travel in His time. And for one of the only times in my life, I think I'm actually content in that.

I have a great big PRAISE!! Drew has finally accepted that he is going to be a big brother, and I think he will be great! Last week, I bought both of the kids little black baby dolls (Grace Caroline calls hers her Ethiopian baby). Drew has not let that baby out of his sight since I gave it to him. He hugs and kisses that baby just like Matt and I hug and kiss him (frequently and with much emotion)! I'll try to get a picture of him with baby and put it on here.
Drew has also had a new little boy join his class who is only 1 year old and has had a hard time adjusting. Drew has offered many hugs and pats on the back to little Ry, and even wants to help feed Ry his bottle. So Drew is finally ready to play the part of big brother!

Hopefully I'll have more news about the wait soon!