For those who read this blog, I again apologize for such huge gaps between blogs. What has happened since my last entry? To sum it up: A lot. Since the last time I blogged Emma entered and exited Family Court and on Thursday (12/21) we received Embassy P.A. (Pre-Approval). You must think that we are very excited. We are. We will hopefully be entering PGN (Procuraduria General de la Nacion) sometime in January and then the next big wait will proceed which could be about 6 to 8 weeks…typically (and hopefully). We have seen it go much longer but I won’t go into that. Each case is different and we hope and pray that ours will go smoothly. We are trying to get everything in order in preparation for Emma’s homecoming. There is much to do and less and less time to do it. Tera’s family is helping out in many areas which is huge in helping us get ready. I think that things are going really well but all of it seems a bit overwhelming. I just wish that there were 48 hours in a day and I didn’t need any sleep… at least for this part of the process. I know we will get it all done soon enough. In other Emma related news: On January 12th Tera and I will be heading down to Guatemala for our second visit trip. We will staying till the following Wednesday. We are thrilled to go and we are eager to see how much Emma has developed. We have seen pictures (some of these can be seen at Tera’s “Guatemama” blog). We can see that she has physically changed like all babies do but we are excited to interact with her and her personality and developmental changes. When we made our first visit she was just three weeks old. She spent most of her time sleeping which was no surprise and fine by us because it gave Tera and I plenty of “let‘s hold Emma and hug her all of the time“ time.. I assume that this next trip will be more “interactive” which will be awesome experience as well. The sad part of the this trip is that this is only a visit trip which means that we will have to go through the process of handing Emma back to the foster family at the end of the visit. I imagine that this will be more difficult to go through than the first time since we have fallen that much more in love with this little Emma. There is hope because it might be our last visit trip and the next time we see her will hopefully be the trip that we bring her back home with us. So when we get home from this next visit trip we will be going full bore on the Emma projects and preparations.
We do have some prayer requests. I have not talked to Tera about how far into detail I should go so I will paint with a broad brush hoping that I will not be too vague.
PGN (Procuraduria General de la Nacion).
This is the final step of the adoption process that we will hopefully be entering into soon. This is also where pretty much anything can happen. When I say anything I mean anything, the good and bad and the ugly. Our case will be looked at by officials in Guatemala with a microscopic nuclear powered fine tooth comb made of a material unknown to man. This is where the rubber hits the road and all of our hard work is put to the test. Every document and piece of information is poured over and if anything is amiss then we get what is called a KO or “Kick Out“. The document is then fixed and we start over from the beginning of the PGN portion of the process. This happens all the time and it happens more often than not.
Please pray that this is smooth sailing. This part is often seen as problematic. Pray that the Lord shows us grace , mercy and favor.
Logistics and Timing.
Things are moving quickly. This is a good problem but a problem nonetheless. Finances are always important too. We have much work to do in a short amount if time. Timing is of an essence.
Patience and Trust.
The adoption process is touchy from start to finish. When Tera and I first looked into adoption it seemed so overwhelming. I must admit that some parts do appear overwhelming at times and sometimes almost impossible, especially when your in the midst of it . The process isn’t just the agency and the adoptive parents getting together and hammering out few papers and writing out a check or two. The process is laborious and requires organizational skills to keep everything in order and on schedule (thanks Tera). So many people are involved in every facet of the adoption. People you wouldn’t even think of can have such an impact on the direction and speed the adoption can go. Doctors, Notaries, clerks and officers and officials in other states or even countries that we may never meet can cause things to go one way or another. What does this all mean? We need to trust and be ever patient trusting in the Lord that He will meet our needs. From start to finish this is all up to the Lord. No matter how many people are involved in this adoption be it 5 or 5,000 He is still in charge. He moves things, situations and people in the ways that He desires. Tera and I have seen things during this process that blow our minds. Many times God has orchestrated things to work out just when we thought there was no way to get over whatever bump in the road that we were confronting. I confess that we did fret and shed some tears. But God heard our prayers and He did what He does best. I am so glad that it is not up to me to make things work. Please pray that we will continue to trust and obey and gain tons of patience during our time in PGN.
Emma and her foster family
Please pray for Emma and her continuing growth and good health. Also keep the foster family in your prayers as well. They are very kind people and have been taking very good care of little Emma Grace. I am very appreciative of the foster family and their sacrifices that they are making to take care of Emma.
Things are moving forward and we hope they continue doing so. As I type this I was just informed of a bit of a bump in the road it has to do with a document that needs to be renewed from our home study agency. Pray this taken care of quickly and accurately as possible because this could slow the process down considerably.
I guess that’s all for now. Happy New Year.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
News...
The day after my last entry we received the authorization for the DNA test to proceed. Progress is good. Then a day or two later we received an update from the doctor and our agency about Emma. Included were over 20 pictures of her at the doctors office as well as news about her health. According to the doctor she is doing well and has gained a whopping 2 pounds since we last saw her. We have also recently received news that we have entered family court. All this news makes me excited and gives me a sense of forward motion. We are still planning for Tera to visit as soon as possible but with the Thanksgiving and Christmas upon us it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. We’ll see.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Ho Hum
Sigh…
I think I will just start to type for a while. Forgive me if it seems a bit "all over the place".
I am not used to writing these things. Things meaning blogs. Sharing thoughts with whoever is reading this seems strange to me. To make the time, sit down and “get in the mood” can be hard sometimes. Music seems to do the trick. Nothing upbeat. Something really mellow works well for me. Today’s selection is Windham Hill’s “A Winter’s Solstice”. I am not big on Windham Hill but I found this years ago when Tera and I first started dating. Something about this album really does it for me. It is obviously seasonal. In case anyone is looking for something to knock your socks off I would suggest Bryan Duncan’s “My Utmost for His Highest”. Again I am not huge on Bryan Duncan but this is such a great album I would recommend it to anyone.
Anyhoo…Enough with the small talk. Tera and I returned home on Monday night at almost midnight. We sat in separate sections on the plane as we were unable to get two seats together. The day was long and harder than expected. The plane ride home felt longer than it was. In our hearts we were very sad.
Monday morning was the day that Emma went back to her foster family. Need I say more? We had dreaded this day from the day we met Emma. Tera and I spent some quiet time with Emma praying for her, her birthmother and her foster family. We sat and held her till 9:55 then headed down to the lobby to meet with the foster family. A little after 10am the foster mom and her daughter showed up and I almost began to cry right there. We exchanged information and talked about Emma’s week with us and numerous other things. There was a lot talked about but I can’t seem to remember. It all seemed to be such a blur. When the time came for Emma to go back to the foster mom and Tera and I began to cry. We had become so endeared to Emma over the course of six days. It was hard. Three other couples were there doing the same thing and going through the same obstacle course of emotions. Even though we weren’t the only ones there it felt like we were the only ones around for miles. We said our goodbyes and made our way back to the lobby. Tera and I had a few hours to spare so we took a walk around the hotel and did some last minute shopping before checking out and heading to the airport. Like I said Tera and I were unable to sit together on the flight home. It was so hard. We were able to have dinner in Atlanta during our layover which was nice but we were doing what we could to bear our longing for little Emma. When we got home we relaxed for a short time before heading to bed.
Since then we have been busy doing the daily grind. Work, sleep, eat. Work, sleep, eat. Getting things done around the house and all kinds of other stuff. It seems all a bit circular but it does have a purpose. This I know. In the meantime we have some big projects to work on like getting the baby’s room done as well as the rooms downstairs done. Here in Minnesota we are heading into winter which means putting away all of the patio furniture, watering hoses, fishing boats and anything else that resembles summertime.
So when do are we going to see Emma again? As soon as possible. We are waiting for the DNA results to come back and if those come back as hoped for we will begin to make plans for another trip. I am not sure if I will be able to go on this trip though. Earlier this year I got a part time job at the airport to help take the edge off the of airline tickets. When I am able to use this benefit the savings are huge. But this does come with it’s disadvantages. The biggest is that when flying under these benefit’s a person can be bumped off of the flight by regular paying customers. With my schedule it is hard to have the flexibility of getting bumped and not making a flight. My full time job is giving me all the flexibility I can ask for but the airline job won’t. So I will have to schedule my trip to Guatemala around my off days. If I can’t make it then I would have to try the following week. This would all be solved if I made more money and paid like a regular paying customer which guarantees me a seat. But this is not the case so reality tells me that Tera will be going it alone to Guatemala on her next visit. Ideally I would like to go along but we can’t afford tickets for the both of us. Maybe next time ya know? I just don’t want too much time to slip by before seeing her again. Babies change so quickly when they are so young.
A couple of prayer requests before I wrap this up.
1. The DNA test and results.
The touchy issues with DNA is that when the tests are done the birth mother and child are brought together. It is at this point that the birth mother will sometimes change her mind about the adoption. If this were to happen it would be hard beyond words to deal with. But it is understandable trying to look at it through the eyes of the birth mother.
2. The Holidays.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up and we won’t be able to be with Emma during these times. Pray for patience on our part. It’s going be hard.
We are so thankful that the Lord provided us with the means to go and be with Emma in October. We are grateful for His mercy and grace throughout this process. We are floored to know that He has placed Emma in our lives and hope that we will be able to bring her into our family.
I also want to say thanks to all the families and individuals that we met while in Guatemala. It was so awesome to meet others going through some of the same things that we are. It really helped me connect the dots in some areas of the process that I have been struggling with. To speak (even if it was brief) was such an encouragement. We had dinner with some, breakfast with others. I was even able to shop a bit with some men who I met that same day. I hope that Tera and I see these people soon. I think I'll end it here for now.
Jason
I think I will just start to type for a while. Forgive me if it seems a bit "all over the place".
I am not used to writing these things. Things meaning blogs. Sharing thoughts with whoever is reading this seems strange to me. To make the time, sit down and “get in the mood” can be hard sometimes. Music seems to do the trick. Nothing upbeat. Something really mellow works well for me. Today’s selection is Windham Hill’s “A Winter’s Solstice”. I am not big on Windham Hill but I found this years ago when Tera and I first started dating. Something about this album really does it for me. It is obviously seasonal. In case anyone is looking for something to knock your socks off I would suggest Bryan Duncan’s “My Utmost for His Highest”. Again I am not huge on Bryan Duncan but this is such a great album I would recommend it to anyone.
Anyhoo…Enough with the small talk. Tera and I returned home on Monday night at almost midnight. We sat in separate sections on the plane as we were unable to get two seats together. The day was long and harder than expected. The plane ride home felt longer than it was. In our hearts we were very sad.
Monday morning was the day that Emma went back to her foster family. Need I say more? We had dreaded this day from the day we met Emma. Tera and I spent some quiet time with Emma praying for her, her birthmother and her foster family. We sat and held her till 9:55 then headed down to the lobby to meet with the foster family. A little after 10am the foster mom and her daughter showed up and I almost began to cry right there. We exchanged information and talked about Emma’s week with us and numerous other things. There was a lot talked about but I can’t seem to remember. It all seemed to be such a blur. When the time came for Emma to go back to the foster mom and Tera and I began to cry. We had become so endeared to Emma over the course of six days. It was hard. Three other couples were there doing the same thing and going through the same obstacle course of emotions. Even though we weren’t the only ones there it felt like we were the only ones around for miles. We said our goodbyes and made our way back to the lobby. Tera and I had a few hours to spare so we took a walk around the hotel and did some last minute shopping before checking out and heading to the airport. Like I said Tera and I were unable to sit together on the flight home. It was so hard. We were able to have dinner in Atlanta during our layover which was nice but we were doing what we could to bear our longing for little Emma. When we got home we relaxed for a short time before heading to bed.
Since then we have been busy doing the daily grind. Work, sleep, eat. Work, sleep, eat. Getting things done around the house and all kinds of other stuff. It seems all a bit circular but it does have a purpose. This I know. In the meantime we have some big projects to work on like getting the baby’s room done as well as the rooms downstairs done. Here in Minnesota we are heading into winter which means putting away all of the patio furniture, watering hoses, fishing boats and anything else that resembles summertime.
So when do are we going to see Emma again? As soon as possible. We are waiting for the DNA results to come back and if those come back as hoped for we will begin to make plans for another trip. I am not sure if I will be able to go on this trip though. Earlier this year I got a part time job at the airport to help take the edge off the of airline tickets. When I am able to use this benefit the savings are huge. But this does come with it’s disadvantages. The biggest is that when flying under these benefit’s a person can be bumped off of the flight by regular paying customers. With my schedule it is hard to have the flexibility of getting bumped and not making a flight. My full time job is giving me all the flexibility I can ask for but the airline job won’t. So I will have to schedule my trip to Guatemala around my off days. If I can’t make it then I would have to try the following week. This would all be solved if I made more money and paid like a regular paying customer which guarantees me a seat. But this is not the case so reality tells me that Tera will be going it alone to Guatemala on her next visit. Ideally I would like to go along but we can’t afford tickets for the both of us. Maybe next time ya know? I just don’t want too much time to slip by before seeing her again. Babies change so quickly when they are so young.
A couple of prayer requests before I wrap this up.
1. The DNA test and results.
The touchy issues with DNA is that when the tests are done the birth mother and child are brought together. It is at this point that the birth mother will sometimes change her mind about the adoption. If this were to happen it would be hard beyond words to deal with. But it is understandable trying to look at it through the eyes of the birth mother.
2. The Holidays.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up and we won’t be able to be with Emma during these times. Pray for patience on our part. It’s going be hard.
We are so thankful that the Lord provided us with the means to go and be with Emma in October. We are grateful for His mercy and grace throughout this process. We are floored to know that He has placed Emma in our lives and hope that we will be able to bring her into our family.
I also want to say thanks to all the families and individuals that we met while in Guatemala. It was so awesome to meet others going through some of the same things that we are. It really helped me connect the dots in some areas of the process that I have been struggling with. To speak (even if it was brief) was such an encouragement. We had dinner with some, breakfast with others. I was even able to shop a bit with some men who I met that same day. I hope that Tera and I see these people soon. I think I'll end it here for now.
Jason
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Dreading tomorrow
Emma goes back to her foster family tomorrow...It's sad. Really sad. For the past six days Tera and I have bonded with Emma and tomorrow it will have to cease for a time. It is hard for the both of us yet she has affected us in different ways too. Emma has done things to me and my heart that I can't even begin to explain if I had to. Tomorrow will be hard. Beyond hard.
I do want to say that we are so thankful for what the Lord has done. He has been ever faithful and graceful to us. We are so thankful that we were able to see her at such a young age. The longer visit makes it harder because so much more bonding can happen than if we were here for something like two days. I'll write more after we get back home.
Please pray that our process goes quickly so that someday soon we can be permanently reunited with little Emma.
J
I do want to say that we are so thankful for what the Lord has done. He has been ever faithful and graceful to us. We are so thankful that we were able to see her at such a young age. The longer visit makes it harder because so much more bonding can happen than if we were here for something like two days. I'll write more after we get back home.
Please pray that our process goes quickly so that someday soon we can be permanently reunited with little Emma.
J
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Greetings from Guatemala City
We are here. I have not posted because I have been staring at our little one so much. For the record we named her Emma Grace Esperanza Chavez. Emma and Grace are family names and Esperanza means "hope".
We arrived in Guatemala City on Tuesday safe and sound. We were met outside the airport by many beggars. I am not as used to this as Tera is. It's hard to see children live like that. On the way from the airport to the hotel I witnessed approximately four thousand traffic violations give or take a few. I don't think that I will ever rent a car here.
Tera and I were spent yet so excited to meet little Emma so we did the best we could to get some rest and to settle in for a weeks stay at the Westin in Guatemala City. The beds here are far beyond what I can explain. They are by far the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in.
Wednesday morning we got up and went to have breakfast. It was buffet style with so many things to choose from. I have officially named fried plantains as my "so very bad for me but I don't care" food of choice. The breakfast was so good but in the backs of our minds was the fact that we were about to meet the girl who would change our lives forever. We headed back up to our room and waited. Room service came to tidy up our room and the second they left and shut the door the phone rang. It was Marielena asking us to meet her in the lobby of the hotel. We quickly gathered our things and headed for the lobby. Once there Marielena led us to a small secluded room to meet little Emma (then Nurian Sochil). The foster mother was there with her daughter and Emma. The foster mother greeted us and immediately handed Emma to Tera. We were so overwhelmed by the situation that neither Tera or I spoke for a minute or so. We began to speak with the foster mother and her daughter about Emma and who they were as well. The foster mother and her daughter were so sweet and kind. We like them alot. They seem so concerned with Emma's well being. After some more conversation and picture taking we were allowed to leave so the three of us headed back upstairs to our room. Together we gave Emma her first bath, first bottle and first diaper change. A day of firsts. I loved it. Since then Emma has pretty much slept and eaten. Today she is a bit out of sorts but otherwise in great spirits. Here at the Westin we have met so many nice people visiting their babies as well. Last night we were able to have dinner with one of the moms and her little one which was really nice. It's really cool to interact with others going through the adoption process as well.
This morning we signed our Power of Attorney and the now the Guatemalan side of the process is now underway! Praise the Lord.
So here I sit. It is raining outside and Tera is across the room feeding Emma. It seems so quiet in here even with the hustle and bustle of the city below. The world moves on as Tera and I fall in love with our dear Emma Grace.
If you want to see some pictures Tera has some posted on her blog. Just click on the "Guatemama" link to the right. I'll get that picture thing figured out one of these days.
Jason
We arrived in Guatemala City on Tuesday safe and sound. We were met outside the airport by many beggars. I am not as used to this as Tera is. It's hard to see children live like that. On the way from the airport to the hotel I witnessed approximately four thousand traffic violations give or take a few. I don't think that I will ever rent a car here.
Tera and I were spent yet so excited to meet little Emma so we did the best we could to get some rest and to settle in for a weeks stay at the Westin in Guatemala City. The beds here are far beyond what I can explain. They are by far the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in.
Wednesday morning we got up and went to have breakfast. It was buffet style with so many things to choose from. I have officially named fried plantains as my "so very bad for me but I don't care" food of choice. The breakfast was so good but in the backs of our minds was the fact that we were about to meet the girl who would change our lives forever. We headed back up to our room and waited. Room service came to tidy up our room and the second they left and shut the door the phone rang. It was Marielena asking us to meet her in the lobby of the hotel. We quickly gathered our things and headed for the lobby. Once there Marielena led us to a small secluded room to meet little Emma (then Nurian Sochil). The foster mother was there with her daughter and Emma. The foster mother greeted us and immediately handed Emma to Tera. We were so overwhelmed by the situation that neither Tera or I spoke for a minute or so. We began to speak with the foster mother and her daughter about Emma and who they were as well. The foster mother and her daughter were so sweet and kind. We like them alot. They seem so concerned with Emma's well being. After some more conversation and picture taking we were allowed to leave so the three of us headed back upstairs to our room. Together we gave Emma her first bath, first bottle and first diaper change. A day of firsts. I loved it. Since then Emma has pretty much slept and eaten. Today she is a bit out of sorts but otherwise in great spirits. Here at the Westin we have met so many nice people visiting their babies as well. Last night we were able to have dinner with one of the moms and her little one which was really nice. It's really cool to interact with others going through the adoption process as well.
This morning we signed our Power of Attorney and the now the Guatemalan side of the process is now underway! Praise the Lord.
So here I sit. It is raining outside and Tera is across the room feeding Emma. It seems so quiet in here even with the hustle and bustle of the city below. The world moves on as Tera and I fall in love with our dear Emma Grace.
If you want to see some pictures Tera has some posted on her blog. Just click on the "Guatemama" link to the right. I'll get that picture thing figured out one of these days.
Jason
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Gotta fly
I must admit that I have been very busy along with Tera preparing for our POA trip to Guatemala. I just wanted to quick drop a line to those who read this and to ask for your continuing prayer during our trip. Pray for the Lord's protection over all three of us during this time. We leave Tuesday morning and we are afraid, nervous, excited and every other emotion under sun. I will probably post when we return.
Thanks again.
Jason
Thanks again.
Jason
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
PRAISE GOD!!!
Tera and I went out yesterday to run some errands and get a bite to eat. When we got home I saw the machine had a new message on it. I pushed play and heard the saved messages one after another until the final message. It was the new one. The one that would change our lives forever. Our agency called informing us that we had received our referral. A little baby girl born October 4th. The agency informed us that we would be receiving more information along with pictures. Tera and I looked at each other and began to cry. What else could we do? We had waited 10 years for this. We ran to the living room and told Jimmy (her brother) and he was very excited and happy for us. We quickly ran to our computers and began checking our emails. Feverishly hitting Send/Receive over and over again until the information began to roll in. First the health information and other vitals and finally the pictures. I cannot express the feelings that well up inside me when I see her face. She is so very, very beautiful to me. I miss her already.
Our plan is to get to Guatemala for our first visit as soon as possible. Maybe leaving as early as Friday.
I have to go and will post some pictures as soon as I can figure out how to do so.
Thanks so much to all of you who have prayed for us through our wait. You know who you are.
You will hear from me soon.
Adios.
Our plan is to get to Guatemala for our first visit as soon as possible. Maybe leaving as early as Friday.
I have to go and will post some pictures as soon as I can figure out how to do so.
Thanks so much to all of you who have prayed for us through our wait. You know who you are.
You will hear from me soon.
Adios.
Friday, September 29, 2006
My how things change in one day.
Tera called me today to inform me that the executive order that was signed yesterday was no longer in effect. I am not sure what to say...it has been an emotional 24 hrs and my thoughts and emotions have been up, down and side to side. I am thankful things are back on track again and hopeful that we don't have to go through this again. What a nightmare.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
The long pause...
My wife informed me that there was some movement in Guatemala within the past few days which allegedly is not good news for us. While the details are still sketchy and not much is known it appears that the president of Guatemala may be putting all adoptions on hold or shutting them down indefinitely. The bottom line is this: The president of Guatemala signed an executive order concerning the adoptions within the country that would affect the entire process as of October 1, 206. The way he has gone about this is apparently illegal. A more detailed version of what is happening can be found at www.guatadopt.com
Within our agency there were some phone calls that were being made today to deal with the upcoming effects of this move my the Guatemalen president. Phone calls that we were hoping to be apart of. We did not recieve one of those calls.
This move by the president could mean a few different things for Tera and I:
1. The adoption laws could change and it would affect us in a big way or not.
2. The president could back-pedal and it might not be as big a deal.
3. Our adoption process for a girl from Guatemala would be done, period.
Of course there might be more scenarios out there but these are the ones that are evident to me at the moment.
So many things are at play here. I know that people are scrambling and calls are being made and we sit here motionless. The president of Guatemala is allegedly being motivated by the almighty dollar in an election year by organizations such as UNICEF to put adoptions on a shelf. Tera and I are sooooo close to possibly recieving a referral and here we sit.
I am not a father but I long to be one day soon. It destroys me inside to know that the worst case scenario could bring us to the end of the road in our adoption process and in turn could take away the opportunity for Tera and I to be parents.
The jury is still out and we don't know what this all means but I ask that for those who read my little blog to pray for Tera and I and the situation that is brewing in Guatemala. Please keep a place in your prayers for those other families that are in the same or similar situation like us. Pray that the Lord shows his favor on us and hears the cries of our hearts.
Thanks for reading and I will post again when I can.
Gracias
Within our agency there were some phone calls that were being made today to deal with the upcoming effects of this move my the Guatemalen president. Phone calls that we were hoping to be apart of. We did not recieve one of those calls.
This move by the president could mean a few different things for Tera and I:
1. The adoption laws could change and it would affect us in a big way or not.
2. The president could back-pedal and it might not be as big a deal.
3. Our adoption process for a girl from Guatemala would be done, period.
Of course there might be more scenarios out there but these are the ones that are evident to me at the moment.
So many things are at play here. I know that people are scrambling and calls are being made and we sit here motionless. The president of Guatemala is allegedly being motivated by the almighty dollar in an election year by organizations such as UNICEF to put adoptions on a shelf. Tera and I are sooooo close to possibly recieving a referral and here we sit.
I am not a father but I long to be one day soon. It destroys me inside to know that the worst case scenario could bring us to the end of the road in our adoption process and in turn could take away the opportunity for Tera and I to be parents.
The jury is still out and we don't know what this all means but I ask that for those who read my little blog to pray for Tera and I and the situation that is brewing in Guatemala. Please keep a place in your prayers for those other families that are in the same or similar situation like us. Pray that the Lord shows his favor on us and hears the cries of our hearts.
Thanks for reading and I will post again when I can.
Gracias
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