Some of you may have received this as an email earlier this week. However, I have realized that it has gone into several people's spam box, so here it is again:
Guess what?!?
It is with great excitement that I write to you today! The past few weeks since being out of PGN have been really hard for me. You'd think it would get easier...but it only gets harder. So, after many tears and prayers this past week(month, year)....a BIG prayer was answered. Our church family contacted us Saturday (yesterady) morning about supporting us financially for the next several weeks!! This will allow me to GO to Guatemala and stay with Karla until the end of this process. This will allow us to not be so burdened by the cost of the rest of this journey. This will allow me to do all the remaining steps of the process with Karla, without having to wait for someone to be able to make a phone call for us or our attorney to decide when he wants to do things. The only thing I cannot do is get the birth certificate. So we are still waiting on that....we hope to hear about the status of it on Monday. Then we'll book my flight.
I'm still in shock but SO excited. My baby will be in my arms FOREVER in less than 1 1/2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I won't miss another birthday or holiday with her!
Jason is going to stay here so he can continue to go to work to support his girls. He will fly down at the very end of the process for the Embassy appointment and our family trip HOME! Our church family has assured me that they will look after Jason while I am gone and his parents assured me of the same thing.
The other awesome part is that our "ideal" transition plan would be a gradual one for Karla. I never thought this would be possible. She is almost 2 years old now and we know this will be hard on her. Our church's help will allow us to make a gradual transition!! I am working on the details but I hope to have Karla at the hotel with me during the day and then take her back to her foster family in the evening and over night for several days before she is with me full time. It has been 5 months since I have seen her so she'll have to get to know me again. Diana, who was here at our house Tuesday, is a driver in Guatemala! That is her job. It has slowed down almost to a halt because new adoptions aren't allowed and most adoptions are completed. So, Diana can transport Karla and myself!! This will benefit Diana as well as me and Karla.
The other awesome thing is that Carey has been wanting to return to Guatemala to visit the friends she made there when she stayed there for 9 months last year. So, she and her 2 year old daughter, are going to fly down with me. I won't be alone. They will stay with me for a week. I've been to the Westin before but I've never had to go buy diapers, etc. or pay for things in quetzales because Jason always did that. So I can do a trial run with someone who has done it before on her own!
Many prayers have been answered by this. I will get to be with Karla, something my heart has ached for for almost 2 years. We will have the opportunity to have a slow transition between the foster family and me. I will be with Karla AND let me just say it one more time - I will be WITH KARLA!!!! I know it will be challenging too. It's always hard when you are in a foreign country where they speak another language. :) It'll also be hard for Jason, not being able to be with us. BUT we will get to call him or email him pictures everyday!! He'll get to hear Karla on the phone. Jason and I don't like to be apart - but we're doing it for our daughter!
So please say many prayers of thanks! I'll keep the details coming this week as I make them. I am going to (finally) start a blog and I'll get that going too so you don't have to get daily emails from me. :)
AHHHH!! I'm so excited!! :)
Love, Jennifer
The picture above is from last Tuesday (9-30-08) when Karla went to her doctor's appointment. She was 26.6lbs and healthy.
Guess what?!?
It is with great excitement that I write to you today! The past few weeks since being out of PGN have been really hard for me. You'd think it would get easier...but it only gets harder. So, after many tears and prayers this past week(month, year)....a BIG prayer was answered. Our church family contacted us Saturday (yesterady) morning about supporting us financially for the next several weeks!! This will allow me to GO to Guatemala and stay with Karla until the end of this process. This will allow us to not be so burdened by the cost of the rest of this journey. This will allow me to do all the remaining steps of the process with Karla, without having to wait for someone to be able to make a phone call for us or our attorney to decide when he wants to do things. The only thing I cannot do is get the birth certificate. So we are still waiting on that....we hope to hear about the status of it on Monday. Then we'll book my flight.
I'm still in shock but SO excited. My baby will be in my arms FOREVER in less than 1 1/2 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I won't miss another birthday or holiday with her!
Jason is going to stay here so he can continue to go to work to support his girls. He will fly down at the very end of the process for the Embassy appointment and our family trip HOME! Our church family has assured me that they will look after Jason while I am gone and his parents assured me of the same thing.
The other awesome part is that our "ideal" transition plan would be a gradual one for Karla. I never thought this would be possible. She is almost 2 years old now and we know this will be hard on her. Our church's help will allow us to make a gradual transition!! I am working on the details but I hope to have Karla at the hotel with me during the day and then take her back to her foster family in the evening and over night for several days before she is with me full time. It has been 5 months since I have seen her so she'll have to get to know me again. Diana, who was here at our house Tuesday, is a driver in Guatemala! That is her job. It has slowed down almost to a halt because new adoptions aren't allowed and most adoptions are completed. So, Diana can transport Karla and myself!! This will benefit Diana as well as me and Karla.
The other awesome thing is that Carey has been wanting to return to Guatemala to visit the friends she made there when she stayed there for 9 months last year. So, she and her 2 year old daughter, are going to fly down with me. I won't be alone. They will stay with me for a week. I've been to the Westin before but I've never had to go buy diapers, etc. or pay for things in quetzales because Jason always did that. So I can do a trial run with someone who has done it before on her own!
Many prayers have been answered by this. I will get to be with Karla, something my heart has ached for for almost 2 years. We will have the opportunity to have a slow transition between the foster family and me. I will be with Karla AND let me just say it one more time - I will be WITH KARLA!!!! I know it will be challenging too. It's always hard when you are in a foreign country where they speak another language. :) It'll also be hard for Jason, not being able to be with us. BUT we will get to call him or email him pictures everyday!! He'll get to hear Karla on the phone. Jason and I don't like to be apart - but we're doing it for our daughter!
So please say many prayers of thanks! I'll keep the details coming this week as I make them. I am going to (finally) start a blog and I'll get that going too so you don't have to get daily emails from me. :)
AHHHH!! I'm so excited!! :)
Love, Jennifer
The picture above is from last Tuesday (9-30-08) when Karla went to her doctor's appointment. She was 26.6lbs and healthy.
1 comment:
Mama Bear is coming! Mama Bear is coming. I think Karla is ready too!
Dad M
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