We got approval from USA!!!

I am so excited! Paul just went to the mailbox and came back with a letter from the United States Citizenship & Immigration Service. We are approved for: "one healthy male child between the ages of birth to twelve(12) months at time of referral. Minor medically correctable problems, prematurely or low birth weight may be acceptable on a case-by-case basis." This is an answer to a prayer I have been praying for multiple times each day.

What does that mean, you ask? This means that the US government will request that a DNA match be done on both Edison and his biological mother to make sure she is his mother. This is a scary time for adoptive parents because this also means that his bio mom will see him for the first time since he was born. I know she loves him and I can't imagine how hard that will be for her. I know that the process is very "mechanical". They will bring the mom in, sit her in a chair, bring Eddy in and sit him in her lap, snap their picture, swab the insides of both of their mouths and then take the baby away. Of course, if she wants to visit with him, they will let her do so. Paul and I will receive a copy of this picture when we go to pick him up. This will be the only picture we (and he) will have of his biological mom. Pray for his mother (Jemmy). I know she needs them!

On a happy note - I was able to meet our Guatemala attorney, Cinthya, yesterday. I also met our Notary, Arabella. Notaries are more prominent in Guatemala than they are in the states. Their notaries are "higher up" than attorneys. You can't just pay $20.00, swear you have never fought in a dual and have someone post a bond in your name like we can do over here. You actually go to law school and then have additional training and are appointed as a notary. Anyway, Cinthya and Arabella came to our adoption agency to sign Power of Attorney's for families that want to have their POA filed before the end of the year. On December 11th, the Guatemalan congress passed a law with a grandfather clause indicating that all adoptions with POAs filed before 12/30/2007 can proceed as is and will not have to start the process again to meet Hague Standards concerning International Adoption! That is wonderful news for our family, as ours was filed sometime in September.

While talking to Cinthya yesterday, she told me that Edison is a very sweet boy and always happy - she said he is giggling and smiling everytime she sees him. She also told me that his foster mother is a very special lady. Her name is Teresa. She is divorced and is the sole provider for her family. She works as a foster mom but also works with Cinthya's sister in a shoe store. I don't know how many children Teresa has - I was so excited to talk to Cinthya I forgot to ask. Cinthya said that Teresa loves Eddy very much and that it will be very hard on her when he has to leave but she understands that he is being adopted and knows he will be leaving. Next prayer request -please pray for Teresa because she has cared for Edison since he came home from the hospital. I can't imagine what she will feel - and I know Edison loves her too because she is all he has known. Children are resilient and I have faith we will all adjust very well.

Cinthya is also very excited for Paul and I and the girls to come to Guatemala in February. She is going to try to bring him to the house where we are staying when we arrive because she knows we will be so anxious to see him. I told her we planned to stay in a hotel the last part of the week so we could have him all to ourselves! She will help us make arrangements to get from the mission house. She said we were very close to Guatemala City and that will be good!

Great things are happening for us! God is so good ...