6 Years.

Today is the 6 year mark of when we began Olivia's adoption. 

Wow.

There will be a court hearing this Friday, March 1st on our case and we will be attending. It was exactly one year ago we attended the last hearing. We have a new judge and we're praying that he/she will allow us to proceed with our adoption and also that the hearing will take place, period. We would appreciate you joining us in prayer.

The hearing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Friday morning, (12:00 noon EST).

Thanks again to everyone for your prayers and support. We'll update when we can.

Tomorrow's Hearing Has Been Postponed.

We found out about 7:00 p.m. that tomorrow's hearing has once again been canceled. Certain necessary parties are too busy to attend.

We now wait for a reschedule date.

Court Hearing Tomorrow, January 11th

Tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. (CT, 12:00 p.m. ET) there will be a hearing on our case. Unfortunately, we are not able to be there.

A new judge assigned to our case, will be presiding over the hearing.

We would appreciate your prayers.

Specifically, that God would continue to protect and guard Olivia's heart and mind. 

That the hearing will actually take place and that the judge and all the officials in charge would have compassion for her and make decisions in her best interest (preferably that she would be able to come home to us soon). 

Finally, that this would be a definitive hearing that would allow our adoption process to move forward.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and support. I will post again when I get news of the hearing's outcome.

Happy 7th Birthday to Our Sweet Olivia! ¡Feliz cumpleaños!

                  Picture from her 4th birthday in 2009, the only one we were able to spend with her.

                        

Today is Olivia's 7th birthday. We miss her very much and wish we could be celebrating with her today.

As for our case, we have found out that there will be a hearing with a new judge on January 11, 2013. Since the most recent DNA test done to determine whether the Guatemalan family in question, is biologically related to her, came back with an "inconclusive" result this past June, we're not sure whether the new judge will want to do another one or not. It's been 2 1/2 years since the first test was done and we're still no closer to an answer.

There has been some positive movement with many of the remaining transition cases in Guatemala and a few children have come home in the past few months! That's definitely an answer to prayer!

We continue to be prayerful and faithful that God will bring all the remaining children home to their waiting families very soon. We want this birthday to be her last without us.

¡Feliz cumpleaños Olivia! ♥ ♥ ♥

No Hearing Monday.

Monday's hearing will not be happening. We don't know when there might be another one scheduled, but I'll post again when we know something.

Please continue to pray for Olivia and all the remaining children and their parents. Things for all of us are pretty tough right now.

Thank you.

Hearing 2 Weeks from Today

There will be another hearing on our case on Monday, September 3rd, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. CT.

We are asking for your prayers. This hearing may be the one that potentially decides Olivia's future. Please pray for her. For continued strength and protection of her heart, mind and emotions. Pray for us. For wisdom, strength and peace. Also pray for the authorities making decisions that their hearts would be softened and they would put Olivia's best interest first.

...behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.  ~Revelation 3:8

Thank you and God bless.

Our Olivia & 350+ Children Need Your Help on Tuesday 7/10/12

Dear Family & Friends,

Last week we, (the parents waiting for their children to come home from Guatemala) delivered a letter to Secretary of State Clinton asking for her help in bringing our kids home. (Visit our group's blog to see the letter and find out more about our fight -- http://bit.ly/Hillaryhelpus ). Please join us by contacting the Secretary on behalf of our children and ask for her support. She has side-stepped this issue in the past but now it has gone on too long and she can't ignore it anymore. Take a look at the 8 second video below the letter on the link above and you'll see what this is doing to our kids, to our families.  PLEASE help us.  You can do so by picking up your phone on Tuesday, July 10th.

Call Secretary Clinton's office at (202)-647-5291 and use this script below (or something similar):

I am an adoptive parent (friend of/grandparent) to a child who is still waiting in Guatemala for 5+ years. A letter was delivered last week to Secretary Clinton asking for her involvement in ending this humanitarian disaster and bringing these kids safely home. The previous two Guatemalan administrations promised to resolve these cases but that was proven to be simply rhetoric followed by inaction. Four + years is long enough for these children to wait to have a family. This child is 6 1/2 years old, living in an orphanage while her room at home is empty.

I would like Secretary Clinton to please read this letter and take it seriously.  A simple adoption process has turned into a crisis as these children spend their formative years in institutions when a forever family waits for them.  I believe Secretary Clinton can help.  We need her. These children need her.

Also, if you could forward this email to your email contacts, Facebook friends, Twitter, blogs or any social media tonight and tomorrow, it would be greatly appreciated.

We're praying that Sec. Clinton will get the message tomorrow when her phone lines are flooded with people supporting our children.

Thank you so much!
God bless,
Sue & Bryan