Hope

I have been having such a hard time lately with all the uncertainties with Guatemalan adoptions. I think of myself as "strong", but this has really gotten me weak in the knees. I think I look fine on the outside, but on the inside I am a mess... just worried sick!

I choose to cling to the hope I have today. Psalm 31:7 says, "...You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul." I believe that God knows my heart and is acting on our behalf to help the innocent babies in Guatemala, like Bella.

We have written and called all of our local politicians. All of the responses have been wonderful. We found out last night that our Congressman wrote a personal letter to the US Dept. of State on our behalf. That was encouraging. Today I called UNICEF in Guatemala and New York and voiced my concerns about the importance of including a "grandfather" clause. They assured me that they are supportive and sent me an email to verify it. The Guatemalan Adoptions & DOS Accountability petition to President Bush, Congress and Department of State officials is now over 30,000. That is also encouraging. Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS) just came out with a new statement today, "10/5 - Joint Council is pleased to confirm that the Hague Permanent Bureau (HPB) has now joined with Joint Council, the U.S. Department of State and others in agreeing that transition cases should be allowed to proceed to completion without interruption. It is our understanding that the HPB has now conveyed their revised position to both the Berger administration and Guatemalan Congress." That's super good news!

So today I cling to the hope that the Lord has given me. I will close with this verse from Psalm 94:19, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul."