OK PEOPLE...

Here we are with less than a week to go!! We've been waiting for months to hear some good news! We have not heard anything official but there have been rumors of progress.

The site visit for accreditation was changed to March 31 and April 1. Our agencies COA mentor told them last week that they are pre-approved based on their self study and will be completely approved about a week after the site visit. It's down to the wire. Our agency has to be accredited in order to proceed with adoptions in Guat. With any luck, sometime next week we may actually hear some news!! It's been a long wait and yet the "real wait" hasn't even started.

For those of you who are following this process here is a tenative list of what's to come:
~Register with the new Central Authority in Washington DC
~Central Authority approval
~Dossier sent to Guatemala
~Referral-a picture and medical records of an available infant
~Acceptance of referral-we have 10 days to decide
~DNA ordered (of child and mother) and counseling for the birth mother. At this time she will sign papers relinquishing her child.
~DNA completed and authorized
~Submitted to Family Court
~Pre-Approval through the US Embassy
~Enter PGN-papers signed by 3 reviewers
Somewhere in the middle of all this we will be required to take a visit trip. We will have temporary custody of Mari for about a day. We will then be interviewed by a Social Worker to make sure we truly want to be her parents. And yes we have to leave her and come back home.
~Exit PGN
~2nd DNA Authorization-permission to take DNA sample-this is called being ORANGE
~2nd DNA Taken
~Results sent to Embassy
~Birth Certificate and Passport acquired- at this point all paperwork will say Wolfanger
~I-72 Request for Photocopy of Marissa's Passport and Birth certificate
~After all of this...we will get our E-PINK -this is our embassy appointment and pick-up date. It will be sent directly to our email address. No waiting for snail mail.

So, as you can see the "real waiting" is still ahead of us. The only good thing is there should be progress.

Trust in the Lord and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him. (Psalm 37:3-5, 7a)