Waiting...

The months of April and May 2008 we spent waiting on the Guatemalan government. In January 2008 the newly elected president of Guatemala, Alvaro Colom, took office. In late March 2008 President Colom moved to replace the existing Attorney General with his own selection. The Attorney General is in charge of the Procuradoria General de la Nacion (PGN). All grandfathered adoptions, including ours, are processed through the PGN. When the new Attorney General, Baudilio Portillo Merlos, assumed the position the PGN process was re-organized to include a controversial second interview of the birth mother. The reason it was viewed as controversial is that it was more like an interrogation than an interview.

As a result of the controversy, we were urged by our adoption agency to write our US Congressmen and Senators in order to put pressure on the government of Guatemala to proceed with reasonable and timely processing of all grandfathered cases. Many of us sent letters and thanks to Linda Malone, several from our church (www.gwcbs.com) did the same.

We wondered if our prayers were being heard. Nicole found peace in Psalm 17:6, "I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer." We were once again reminded that we can not put our faith in another person, but God alone who is more than enough. The truth that there is something bigger going on here was also evident during this period. We knew that our faith was being tested and we were up for it. Our friends were very supportive of us during this period including our Life Group at Gateway Church.

By early June the PGN began to release cases and our agency began to process ours by conducting our first DNA test.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning. --Unknown Psalmist