Transition....Oh it hurts!

I am reading book titled "Possessing your Inheritance". In the chapter I read this evening, it talked about Transition times in our life. The author described transition to labor and delivery of a child. And oh how I remember that! There is a stage during the birthing process that is the most intense and painful....generally, its around dialation of 6-10. It was about this time with my third that I remember thinking...."I cant do this" and "I am never doing this again". But the one thing that kept me going was the hope of the child that would be the reward, so endurance set in.

It is often described that during this "transition phase" of birthing, a woman feels exhausted emotional, vulnerable, overwhelmed and at "the end of the rope". In addition, there is frustration, feelings of discouragement, irritability and restlessness. Many lose it during this time, and that's exactly where I am this evening.

I never anticipated that we would be waiting 3 weeks for a birth certificate. Bella will be 6 months old in 10 days....and by the miracle of God, she still could be. However, the average time from BC to Pick Up trip is 4 weeks. Transition......

A play ground for Satan, and sadly, one I have given in to at moments. It's a perfect time for the enemy to "hit God's people with great force because he knows its a time when we feel weak and vulnerable. However, its but a moment....and most importantly, its only a feeling and a lie.

According to the author, there are 3 important facts regarding Transition:

1. There is an ending! God does not leave us and He will not leave us any longer than necessary. This is temporary. God has "bountiful seasons ahead for those who will seek Him. "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for which the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Phil 3:13,14 A new season is just ahead!

2. Confusion is Normal! Our carnal mind is trying to work against God. (Rom 8:7). Our minds "are in opposition of God's mind". We then begin to wonder if God is really there. The question "why" comes in to play and we begin to meditate on the lies of the enemy rather than on the promises of God. Regardless of how we feel, what are emotions are doing or the anxiety we may be experiencing, we can and must remain in peace...knowing that God knows where He wants to lead us. Confusion is normal, but we must work past it....God's promises, not the enemy's lies.

3. There is a NEW Beginning! Oh can I have an AMEN to that one. It's that time when grace sets in and restoration and refreshment begins. Hope is the light, its time to PUSH!

PUSH!!! That moment when the tranisition is over and the Doctor is yelling push, and with all that you are, you let go of every fear, worry, anxiousness and discomfort because the urge to push becomes stronger than the urge of discomfort. And then, woosh! In a split second, its over, and the child you labored for and anticipated for is laid on your chest. Perfection! And its in that very moment, God erases the pain. This is the part that amazes me to this day, God erases the pain.

I remember that labor was difficult, but I could never explain to anyone what it physically felt like. It's gone, the memory of the pain is gone. And I know that this pain of longing to be reunited with our daughter will be a erased from my memory. Now that is a miracle.

Again, sharing my heart here, because although my ultimate goal is lto ive my life for the Lord, I still struggle and have down days, because I'm human. Yet His "mercy's are new every morning". So I will go to bed tonight with His Word on my heart, in my mind and OUT of my mouth. And the morning brings hope and a promise from my heavenly Father....that all is well.

Molly the Bear

Meet Molly! On Wednesday, Dave, the boys and I headed to "Build a Bear". My friend Sue is a member of a church that has a Mission Team traveling to Guatemala Saturday and will be visiting our orphanage on Sunday. A member of that mission team offered to take something to our Bella Girl....so we decided on a stuffed animal from Build a Bear. Now I had my heart set on a Pink and White Bunny, but this is what the Boys picked out and they named her "Molly". We put a recorded chip in her hand paw with a saying from each one of our voices. We are so incredibly greatfull to Laura (lady in the photo) for taking this very loved bear to our Bella next week. I cant even begin to tell you how comforting it is to know that someone is loving on our daughter and bringing a piece of us to her. Any time she wants to hear our voices, all she has to do is press the paw. This sweet bear has 5 hearts in it, one from each of us.

Please pray for this Mission Team, you can visit this womans blog at http://www.xanga.com/richandlaura
They have very specific prayers that they are requesting.

We are also asking for prayers for our friends Amy and Matt. They will be traveling to Guatemala with this Mission Team as well to have time with their daughter who was diagnosed with a fatal brain birth defect. We Praise God for His perfect provision for this family, and ask that God keeps them safe in His arms and that they fully receive His peace and hope in their visit trip.

Blessings!

PLEASE PRAY WITH US!

Today, our Agency's Guatemalan Director is traveling to Guatemala to bring what we believe will be resolution to the Mixco Civil Registry! We are asking you to please pray these prayers with us over the next week. Jesus said "That when two or more are gathered in my name, I am there". Thank you for being with us in prayer and for lifting Ashley up!

Prayer for Ashley

Dear Lord, we thank you for our servant Ashley, Ambassador for our children and our families, the one whom you called, appointed and anointed to the ministry of advocating for our children and families. In the name of Jesus, we believe her to mantled in Your precious blood and protected from every evil. We claim Your promise to give words of wisdom to Ashley and a presence of peace and goodwill that her adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute (Luke 21:15) Strengthen Ashley to comprehend that as she stands, she manifests the fullness of God in that we stand with her (Eph 3), she is not alone, as we are one in the Lord, therefore, a complete and full army stands with her. May the belt of truth hold our armor in place, our shields held high and no fiery dart will injure our defense. Our offensive weapon, your WORD, is wielded with the power, cutting to the core of any stronghold or argument. And all of us, one in Christ, are seated in the heavenlies, far above any other power, with Jesus, whose name is above every other name. The mighty name of Jesus trumps every stronghold, breaking in to its knees, defeating and despoiling it. (Col) Show us the Glory God! Let us all remember that as we bear His death in ourselves, we also bear His resurrection, and therefore, have VICTORY! We thank you that Ashley is blessed as she walks in to Mixco CR and Blessed as she comes out. All praise to You our Mighty God, our JUSTICE, our Stronghold, our Fortress and our Shield. AMEN (Yes!)

Prayer for Mixco CR

Lord, that we may truly be your children, we will be imitators of you.(Mat 5:45) We have been redeemed at a tremendous cost, therefore, we put no hope or trust in Human Beings. (Eph 5:1) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood….but of powers and principalities. Lord we forgive them….for they know not what they do. In obedience to your call to love and forgive, we ask for you unmerited favor, provision and blessing upon all Mixco CR and Minors Court employees. May you quiet their fears and make a way for their economic security. May you soften their hearts to the heart of innocent children and families, may their minds be bound to Yours Lord Jesus, and may every employee have a heart for you, adoption, our children and our families. In the mighty name of Jesus, we confess that You are LORD over Mixco Civil Registry and Minors Court, and our children’s adoption process, and birth certificates! We praise you Lord and we thank you that your answer to all your Promises is…..YES! (Amen)

Prayer for Strong Hold over Mixco CR and Minors Court

Gracious Father, for the sake of Your most holy name, everything you have is ours. You have given us in Christ, every spiritual blessing for the purpose of the coming of your kingdom (on earth as it is in heaven). We have been given the authority over ALL the power of the enemy. Our weapons, faith, love, the Name, the Blood, and the Word are mighty for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. O Praise you Lord, In the name of Jesus, that is above every name, I wield the sword of the Spirit that is sharper than any other and penetrates to the core. In the mighty name of Jesus, the enemies power at Mixco Civil Registry and Minors Court in Guatemala is BROKEN! In the sovereign name of Jesus, the stronghold of corruption is overthrown, destroyed and led away in public triumph, defeated, despoiled and captive to the obedience of Christ to the glory of God the Father. Praise you Jesus, bless your most holy name, You are a glorious Lord, may men see and acknowledge your glory. Thank you that our faith overcomes the world. Thank you that you are a REWARDER of those who BELIEVE. I praise you most wonderful Lord, in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Josh 10:12-14, Eph 10:20, Eph 2:6-23, 2 Cor 10:4, Kj 10:19, Heb 4:12, 1Jn 5:4,

Eph 6:11-18, Lk 15:31, Eph 1:3, Col 2:15

Be Still and Know

It's snowing AGAIN,it could be the boys 6th snow day tomorrow. As much as I am ready for summer, I love the glistening glitter of the snow when its only 16 degrees outside. The "crunch" of the snow rather than the "squish". I think of my sweet Bella girl who lives in "Eternal Spring" and wonder what she would think of this Winter Wonderland in her soon to be home town. The magic of snow....the wonder of it all. It really is pretty....however, I see myself at our family cottage laying on my beach chair with my siblings watching our children play in the sand and water, listening to Jimmy Buffet.....Ah, summer, LOVE IT!

One day closer to news of Bella's Birth Certificate. I know this to be true and I am speaking it right in to existence! I wanted to share something I read in a book I received from my Mother.

First, I encourage you to read 2 Chronicles 20. The story is about King Jehoshpahpt, he "sought the Lord for a strategy to defeat the enemies standing in the way of Judah's God given inheritance." He cried out to God and God answered him with these 5 instructions:

1. Let go of FEAR, its not your battle to win but The Lords.
2. Position yourself to meet the enemy head on
3. Stand still (Know that I AM) and see the salvation of God
4. Believe by faith that God would defeat the enemy
5. Believe the Word and the inheritance you have in His promises

So we know that "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God", but this definition of Faith really hit home for me. "Faith is that pause between knowing what God's plan is and seeing it actually take place". It's the pause.....that space in between seeing his Glory revealed.
I envision that moment that we see our daughter for the first time since we placed her back in the arms of her special Mother in September. And I realize that God has that day already perfectly designed. He knows the day, the time, the hour, the minute. He has it perfectly planned out for our delight, oh how magnificent it will be. He has every intention of that time being more amazing than we can ever think or dream of.

God loves to surprise us, what parent does not love to surprise their children? He loves to WOW his kids....I anticipate His Wow, and wonder...Will I fall to my knees? Will I burst out in tears, will I scream in delight? I don't know the physical response, but I can tell you one thing, I will PRAISE HIM! " For he has done this, and it is marvelous in our eye's".

I listen to many families in the adoption world, I read their posts on the Forum, their blogs, our phone conversations, and the one underlying factor in all of us is not the "fear" that our children will not come home, its the "fear" of the wait in getting them home. It's the physical time lapse that hurts adopting families the most. Our children are growing and we feel we are missing special moments, milestones. And although we are, we can take rest in knowing that through Him, we are together and no time will have lapsed. I know that through Him, our daughter knows us, she knows our voices, our touch, our smells. God can and will heal this time. He is bigger than time, my goodness, He created it! I also realize that God does not work in our earthly "physical" time, but in spiritual time. And in spiritual time, our prayers are all answered. This adoption is done, complete, final....and she is home. So I "speak as though it were", Bella is Home.

Take rest dear friend, God will "repair and replace the years the locust stole". And the glory of His plan will be more magnificent than you can ever imagine. Enjoy the journey....there is value in this waiting.

Blessings to all,

Snow Day #5!

I think that may boys may have been home at least 1 day every week since returning back to school after the holidays. We had snow day #5 today, its so cold the 8" of snow we received Sunday morning cant melt and roads are completely snow covered and iced. So here we are.....no school Thurs or Fri this week as the teachers have training. A slight disruption to my weekly schedule, but its up to me to receive the joy the Lord has already given me today.

Today marks 2 weeks of our Mixco Birth Certificate wait, so not worried, I know the Lord has this covered and that we already have it. We are just waiting on the manifestation of that BC.

Bella's Diaper Bag arrived today, ordered it from LL Bean...it's one of their boat bags, It's pink, black and white. It's the first thing I have ordered with her name on it and it's WONDERFUL!

Below is a picture I posted of the flowers my husband gave me when we received our PGN Approval! This is only the 4th time I have received a dozen roses from my hubby, I received the other 3 when giving birth to our 3 boys. This time, my roses are PINK!

"Some people trust the power of chariots and horses, but we trust you, Lord God. Others will stumble and fall, but we will be strong and stand firm" Psalm 20:7-8

Calling Gail...auntie g!!!

Gail....I cant find you? I really want to touch base with you. Please email me at bringourbabieshome@gmail.com and let me know your blog and/or email or forum identification so that I can pm you. :) Thanks friend.

Tears of Mercy

Mercy? What is the definition of Mercy.....Websters Dictionary describes it as "Alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed". The bible's definition is "The aspect of God's love that causes Him to help the miserable due to circumstances out of their control".

On Wednesday, Feb. 6th we received an email from our agency regarding all families waiting for Mixco Birth Certificates. The facts of the circumstance were overwhelming for me....and a short time later, I found myself in a flood of tears over the reality of the situation.

On Jan. 28th, our adoption of Bella became legal and complete in the eye's of the Guatemalan Government. However, US policy is that the Guatemalan Government issues a new birth certificate for all adopted children with their adopted families last name. This 1 document is required by the US to bring our daughter home. It is not a Guatemalan requirement, but a US requirement. In other words, our daughter is legally ours, but our country will not allow us to bring her home with out this document, a Visa can not be issued under current law. Please note, I understand that this policy is in place for probably a very good reason, I just have no clue what that reason is.

For the last 4 months, one of several Civil Registries in Guatemala known as Mixco, has been with holding birth certificates for their own financial gain..as well as power. In the beginning, there was hope and belief that new management had taken over and all corrupt individuals were fired and replaced. They also made the announcement that they would need 30 business days to review files before issuing a birth certificate (this document is literally turned around in other civil registries with in 24hrs to 2 weeks). Sadly, it does not appear as though that is the case. In the words of our agency "the children are being held hostage". Our own agency currently has 36 families waiting for Birth Certificates, some since October of 2007 (4 months).

Now, here my heart.....these are only the facts! The truth is, God has shown me over the last year and half of this process that this is only the facts, not the truth! The truth is....He has promised in His Word that "He will bring to completion the good work He has begun". I choose to believe God. And although my physical body is crying tears of fear, dread and hopelessness, its not true...its simply just not true, and my spirit takes over and say's "I will not fear! He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. He has gone before me and paved the road smooth." My God has promised good for me and for all the innocent children who are at the mercy of a corrupt government. God is bigger!

I share this with you because although I consider myself a daughter of the King of Kings, I am still human, I still have a physical mind, and sometimes, that physical thought process tends to give satan more credit than he deserves for power he does NOT have. So I press in to the one of Hope, Mercy and Promise. I press in to my heavenly Father and "I consider not my body" and keep my eye's on Christ. I will not fear, I will not let the enemy steel my joy, I will stand in God's Army and I will fight for My God who brings all things good.

On Monday, we will have been in Civil Registry for 2 weeks. I choose (and I would like to iterate "choose" faith is absolutely a choice!) to believe that in the name of Jesus, today, we have our Mixco Birth Certificate with NO previews! I don't care what "man" says....I believe God! I am also a servant of my Heavenly Father as well as an heir, so with that being said, I am part of a movement that will be assisting our agency and others in bringing attention to this circumstance to our own government and the Guatemalan Government. We are unsure of all those steps yet...but we are seeking guidance and wisdom from Him who has all answers.

It has and always will be our will that this journey to our daughter Glorifies God, His will be done, More of you Lord.....None of Me.

Our agency's director will be traveling to Guatemala next week to advocate for all of our families and the children. I will be posting a prayer soon and I will be asking all who read this to pray that prayer with us. She will be advocating of course on our behalf, but her success will effect hundreds of children, not just the 36 from our agency. Please check back to see this prayer.

I end with this "All is well with my soul". This is but a time....it will pass.

Blessings to all of you.

I'm Tagged!

I keep seeing these fun things on my forum friends blogs ,and today, one of them tagged me. I love it because its given me the opportunity to learn more about my friends.

So here's the deal:

There are 5 rules to being tagged:

1. Link the person who sent this and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit your site.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself.

4. Tag 7 random people, at the end of end of your post... link their blogs.

5. Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


I've been tagged by http://theshrumfamilyadventures.blogspot.com/ I think the Mom is cuter than the kids. :)

7 weird facts about me:

1. I am the oldest of 6 children, 4 of which are brothers.

2. I have a very strong sense of smell. Believe me, you want me with you when your house hunting, I will know the second we walk in the door if there have ever been any animals, water damage, smoke or fire!

3. I have NEVER passed gas (that's my story and I am sticking to it, my boys just cant understand this, Princess quit a lot!)

4. I love my Diet Coke first thing in the morning, not coffee.

5. I met my husband Senior Year in High School Religion class! 16 years strong!

6. I am the girliest girl you could ever meet but I love CAMPING in our Pop Up Camper. I do not worry about my hair or make up, but I still wear my Pink.

7. I get out of bed at least 10 times at night when attempting sleep because I think of things I need to do the next day or forgot to do today. My husband is finally used to it and almost always falls asleep by the 3rd jump out.

Ok, here are my 7 Random People I am tagging:

http://amandaanded.blogspot.com/
http://adoptbellagrace.blogspot.com/
http://prayingisabellahome.blogspot.com/
http://richteradoptionjourney.blogspot.com/
http://ferrickfamilypromise.blogspot.com/

That's it, all my other blogging buddies have been tagged.

Thanks MaryAnn, this was fun!

Susie

Why Pray?

I received an email recently from a forum friend, "Why Pray"?

Let me preface this by stating "Adoption is not for the faint hearted" (Sue H). In no way did I anticipate that the statement would ring so true. I remember thinking that she was probably right....but how can you possibly understand till you go through it? In all my life experiences, not one of them required more faith than this journey of adoption.

International Adoption requires you to work with not just one government, our own, the US, but also a Third World Country. We knew right away we have two choices, trust God or trust your self. So what does that mean? You can trust God for all His promises and enjoy the journey, or you can listen to the lies of the enemy "who comes to steal, kill and destroy" and be stressed out, bitter, angry, worried and fearful.

For those of us who choose Christianity, we tend to use "prayer" as our way to communicate with God. Jesus told us to "ask and you shall receive". So why is it that there are those who struggle? Whose journey's to us seem less than perfect. Who seem to hit road blocks at every corner they turn. Why hasn't God answered their prayers? Does He not hear them, have they not prayed enough?

The truth is, God has heard their prayers, He hears and answers everyone of our prayers. All you have to do is go to His Word "And whatever you ask for in prayer, have FAITH, BELIEVE, and you will receive". Matt 21:22 So what is faith, "faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God". What tends to happen to most Christians along the way is that we forget the "Believe" part. It's easy to hear the Word or look up scriptures, but its a whole other thing to believe it. But you see, that's they key to Faith, that's the key to receiving. We have to learn to Believe God at His Word. That's what it means to be under the new covenant, that's what Jesus want to the cross for. "I came so that you may have life". God cant break His covenant with His people, it discredits Him.

But take warning, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:7-9. "The thief comes only to kill, steal and destroy:. John 10:10 Our enemy is not God, the day we asked in prayer, He gave it to us....but the enemy came in with, doubt, worry, fear and fills our minds with lies, and what do we do? We mediate on His lies and as a result, believe him. This is what it means to transform minds, to wield the sword of the spirit...that is Spiritual War Fare.

So what do you do? I dont know Spiritual Warfare, I dont understand it. Let me give you the cleanest scripture version I have found regarding this " 10Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. 12We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm. 14Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God's justice protect you like armor. 15Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. 16Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Let God's saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God's message that comes from the Spirit." Eph 6:10-17(Contemporary English Version).

What is your strength? God's Promises. Where do you find those, in His Word! What is the Armor of God? His Word. What does it mean to stand? That even when every arrow is thrown your way, you say "NO! I will not fear, He who is in me is GREATER than he who is in the World" You use every scripture God has given you and you list them off....and then comes the hard part, you have to believe it. You see, its a choice. Choose God and live a life of peace, joy and abundance. Or choose the enemy and his lies and be angry, bitter, fearful, worried and stressed.

So what happens when things don't go our way. Why didnt God step in? Why is this happening to those who are trying to be a faithful steward? My dear friends, its not God....its the enemy. B Its how you respond that makes all the difference. God "turns all things too good for those who love and serve the Lord". You see God will use times of difficulty to "Get Us". He wants us! He does not allow bad things to happen to us, but He will use those circumstances in the hope that we will PRESS IN to Him! "Trust on, Rely on" him.

Let me tell you friend, there is so much joy to be had in this journey. It's not easy, there are really hard days, there are days that I don't even feel like getting out of bed. But I choose God! "I do not consider my body" like Abraham....but I press in to the Lord and I speak His Word and I believe it to be true. I praise Him for the journey. And I would do this all over again to have what I have in the Lord today. I will never be the same again.

Why Pray? So that you can "come to know the hope to which you have been called too and the glorious riches in the Saints! So that you can know God....its worth everything!

Removal of Photos

Just wanted to let everyone know that our agency informed us that as part of our contract we are not allowed to post pictures of our daughter until she is home....so to honor our contract, I removed all photos. So sad about this, but it wont be long now and her photos will be back up again!

Officially, Undeniably OURS!

We received word yesterday that our birth Mother signed the final declaration making Bella our legal daughter. Although this comes as a huge relief, it brought sadness as well. It could not have been easy to walk in to our orphanage and relinquish all rights to her daughter, but her heart is bigger, she wants a better life for her child....a life she has no way of giving her. We will forever keep this birth Mother in our hearts and prayers.

We were also registered with Mixco Civil Registry yesterday for Bella's new birth certificate that will change her last name to ours, it is step 8 of 10 in the process. In the average normal time ranges, we could expect to travel in 6 weeks or less to pick her up....and although their have been issues with this civil registry in releasing Birth Certificates, we believe God! And we know that "He has gone before us and paved the road smooth". We "will not fear" and we anticipate her homecoming very soon and on His perfectly appointed day. After we receive her Birth Certificate, 2nd DNA will be ordered and taken, the results are sent to the US Embassy in Guatemala and upon them receiving the results, they will issue us what's called a "Pink Slip" with a Visa Apt. That's when we get to book airline tickets to go and bring this baby girl HOME!!!

We are so blessed and favored by our Lord, we pray daily that our journey of adoption glorify's Him! Please speak life with us in that "Bella has her new Mixco Birth Certificate today with no Previews in the name of Jesus!"

Blessings to All

Prayer and Blessing for Mixco CR

Just asking all of you to continue praying for the loosing and casting down of corruption in Mixco Civil Regsitry, but also to add to your prayers blessings and provision to all workers in the Mixco Civil Registry and Minors Court. Most likely, the reason for the corruption is FEAR! With adoptions in Guatemala being on hold till US and Guat are Hague compliant, these workers are more likely than not being tainted with Devils lies that they will not be able to provide for their families. This is not God's will for them. Jesus told us to forgive others and bless them. So we "forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do". May you dear Lord bless these officials with prosperity and provision, and your Truths.

Praise God! We are PGN Approved!

I sit here at my computer posting in utter awe at God's perfect plan and answered prayer. Today, we received the official news that Bella is legally ours. We spent 10 weeks in the Guatemalan Courts called PGN, and not only did we receive it in record time, but we also had no kick outs or previews. Today we celebrate God's unmerited favor and grace, we are so blessed....

Our next step is that Birth Mom will sign off within the next 3 days and we will be registered with Mixco Civil Registry for her new birth certificate which will read her new given name! This Birth Certificate is a must in order for her Guatemala Passport and US Visa to be issued. At this time, the facts are that Mixco Civil Registry is corrupt and have been withholding Birth Certificates for 3.5 months now for the sake of extra $ which is not only unethical, but illegal. Generally speaking, Birth Certificates are issued in 2 weeks or less, the normal time frame from PGN approval to children coming home is 4-6 weeks, thus, this corruption is holding children from being united with their families. HOWEVER! These are only the facts, the truth is that God is bigger than all of this and His glory will be revealed. We ask that you join with us in prayer in the victory of casting down the corruption. Below is the prayer that several of us families are praying and believing God for. Like Abraham, we will not "consider our body" but stand firm in our faith.

But today, we Praise you Lord for what you have done and what you are doing. Thank you for "going before us and paving the road smooth". All the glory goes to you!

Prayer: Gracious Father, for the sake of Your most holy Name, everything You have is ours. You have given us, in Christ, every spiritual blessing for the purpose of the coming of Your Kingdom. We have been given authority over ALL the power of the enemy. Our weapons, faith/love, the Name, the Blood, and the Word, are mighty for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds. O Praise Him! In the Name of Jesus, that is above every name, I wield the sword of the Spirit that is sharper than any other and penetrates to the core. In the mighty Name of Jesus, the enemies' power at Mixco Civil Registry in Guatamala is broken. In the soverign Name of Jesus the stronghold of corruption is overthrown, destroyed and led away in public triumph, defeated, despoiled and captive to the obedience of Christ to the glory of God the Father. O praise you Jesus, Bless Your most Holy Name, You are glorious Lord, may men see and acknowledge your glory. Thank you that our faith overcomes the world. Thank you that You are a rewarder of those who believe. I praise you most wonderful LORD, in the Name of my precious Jesus, Amen

Josh 9:12-14, Eph 1:20, Eph 2:6-23, 2Cor 10:4,, Lk 10:19, Heb 4:12, 1Jn 5:4, Eph 6:11-18, Lk 15:31, Eph 1:3, Co 2:l5

Our response to Dateline

Many of you will have seen the segment on Guatemalan Adoptions Sunday evening on Dateline. I wanted to post my thoughts with you as well.

Although the segment did a fine job reporting some of the corruption that goes on in International Adoption, they failed to report the whole story, spending only 5 minutes of a 60 minute segment to report that the majority of adoptions are legal and ethical. They forgot to mention that 80% of Guatemala lives in severe poverty and that children used to roam the streets alone, trying to survive, before adoptions. They failed to interview hundreds of legal and moral private agency's, attorney's, facilitators, foster families, birth Mothers and adoptive families. I appreciate their good intension, for the most part they did a good thing, my frustration is that the media almost ALWAYS reports only one side of the story, and many times on speculation, instilling fear, doubt and worry to the general public.

Here's what I want you to know about Guatemala Adoptions through our experience:

YES! Corruption is real in Guatemala. Their are attorneys, facilitators, foster families, etc, that are using a system for their own financial gain. There are also employees within the Guat Government system using their power for their own financial gain....Dateline didn't investigate that, I certainly wish they did for those of us families now who are currently experiencing that form of corruption while in the process to bring our children home. However, the overall adoption program in Guatemala is GOOD! Thousands of children who would be roaming the streets of Guatemala, living in the dumps, dying on roads, are now home with Forever Families in many different parts of the world, the majority do come home to the US. Our daughter will be one of them.

Adoption? Why are we adopting? We have 3 biological boys, why not have your own? This is a question we here a lot, and it always shocks me. Yet I know that they have not had the same calling on their life that we have, God has not laid that on their heart, and so I say to myself "Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do".

In January of 2006, a seed was planted in my heart to adopt. I don't recall that moment when I thought about it, but I do recall the time spent on researching adoptions, countries, interviewing agencies, etc and the whole time thinking..."What are we doing? We have not done babies in 7 years, my boys are all in school now, I have time now to focus on my career, we can travel more, start over with a baby?" By May 2006, my husband and I attended an informational meeting with our now current adoption agency and on the way home in the car, we decided we were going to adopt a baby girl from Guatemala.

We were very careful in our choice of agencies as we were very well aware of the corruption in Guatemala, baby snatching, paying birth Mom's for their child, etc. and we wanted no part of that. That is directly from the pit of hell and we were not going to go down that road. Yes, we paid a higher price to make sure that did not happen, but its been worth every penny.

What many of you don't know about our agency is that they treat the whole scenario and person. They do not just care for orphans and uniting them with a forever family, but they also treat the Birth Mom. Our agency has a home specifically for the care of the Birth Mothers during their time of pregnancy. They give them a beautiful home with their own bed, feed them, provide for all their medical needs, provide them with counseling before and after the adoption, teach them skills so that they can find jobs when returning home, give them spiritual guidance and bible studies, they treat them with love, dignity and respect. What they do not do is "pay" these woman for their babies, the woman CHOOSE adoption for their child because they have no way to provide for them. All of these Mothers are single, some very young 12.13. 14 years of age. They do not have family support or even a job to care for themselves much less a child. The birth mothers of this program are allowed to choose the family for their child based on a photo album and birth mother letter the adoptive families prepare a head of time. They have a say in their child's life, they are empowered and ultimately at complete peace with their decision for their child.

We had the privilege of meeting our birth mother when visiting our daughter in September and it was absolutely the most humbling experience I have ever had. She is only 20, lives in poverish conditions and she told us that her family will not support her with this baby and that the Dad is only 18 and still lives with his parents. She was afraid and very sad. But by the end of the visit, one hour in length, we were laughing and looking at pictures together, sharing stories of our lives and what this little girl will receive in her life with us. In the end, I held our Birth Mother in my arms and we wept together. Easy....oh no, nothing about leaving this child in our arms was easy for her, but she's a Mother, and she wanted what's best for her daughter....and she just couldn't provide for it. Fortunately for our Birth Mother, our agency offers a program where we can send continuous updates, photos, letters, etc. to our birth mother through the agency. The birth Mother may return to the agency at any time to see if their has been any correspondence from the adoptive family and they will give those items to her. Of course we will be doing that at least once a year, hoping to do so twice. In addition, birth mothers of our agency also receive continuous counseling after the birth of their child and through out their lives should they need it. Our agency's programs also houses the Mothers after they deliver for up to 6 weeks after so that they can recover from the birth. This is one of the GOOD stories I wish dateline would have written on.

My husband, myself and my children can honestly say that we will NEVER be the same again after this experience. We have experienced the absolute center of God's heart. To hold a child in your arms that did not come from your physical womb and feel that same absolute unconditional love you have for your biological children is totally the love of God. I pray every day that God will give me the words to describe this experience, but I still struggle to find them, yet I am living it. And if you ever have the opportunity to talk with us, you will see it in our eye's, our body motions, our smiles. Although sweet Bella is still not physically home with us, she is very much a part of our lives.

We ask you to please pray for all the children and birth mothers of Guatemala. There are hundreds of children still stuck in a corrupted adoption system trying to get home to their forever families, these birth mothers have already re-relinquished their rights. There are also hundreds of babies being born every day, toddlers and young children who will be wandering the streets because their is no new system in place to take on these children. Guatemala does not have Government run programs to provide for the large number of orphaned children. US and Guatemala must become Hague compliant immediately, there are children at stake. We pray daily that the strong hold of corruption will be broken and that God will be victorious!

I posted a picture of one of the many bedrooms provided for the birth mothers of our agency. Every family has the opportunity of visiting this home when traveling to Guatemala to meet their child.

As always, thank you for checking in on us. God Bless!

4.5 month Update!!!

Our Bella girl is growing, but only in weight! We received our update today, she is now 15 lbs and 24" long. So she's my "little chunk"! Cant wait to kiss her cheeks. Everyday we get closer.