More Changes and Prayer Needed!

"As I've mentioned in previous posts, the Guatemalan Congress voted to require Hague compliance for all international adoptions effective January 1, 2008. Our original concern (back in September 07) of whether or not our case would be allowed to finish under the effective law at the time we started the process was alleviated when an appropriate grandfather clause was approved by the Guatemalan Congress December 21st.

However, Hague compliance in Guatemala requires that all cases, even those protected by the grandfather clause, be registered with the Central Authority on Adoptions within 30 days of January 1, 2008. While this doesn't sound like a difficult or unreasonable requirement, THERE IS NO CENTRAL AUTHORITY ON ADOPTIONS. Cases are now required to register with an entity that does not exist. It has not yet been created. PGN, the current approval authority of adoptions has stopped processing cases until they are registered with the Central Authority. The Joint Council on International Children's Services posted this statement today":

January 4, 2008
Joint Council can confirm that PGN is no longer processing adoption cases with the exception of those that have already been approved. All other aspects of adoption processing have been stopped.
This is a result of the new adoption law requiring the registration of cases with the Central Authority prior to cases being reinitiated. Joint Council continues to advocate for a position solution to the situation.

We are blessed to say that we are now 7 weeks in PGN and Praise God....NO PREVIEWS! It is our understanding that all adoptions PGN approved with no previews will not be required to register with this yet to be "Central Authority". We believe with all our heart, soul and minds that God has answered our prayers and Bella is PGN Approved today. But we ask for your continued prayer and support, not only for us, but for the 1000's of families stuck in this situation. Although the changes being made in Guatemala are for the best in the long run, it is hard on those of us that are going through the transition. As you know, it has been almost daily changes since we received our referral of Bella in September.

Your prayers are felt and we remain strong in the one who promised to "finish the good work He has started".