Another step closer

We began the RENAP/birth certificate process yesterday. This starts with having to go to Erick's birth town, about 2 hours away, getting documents signed, and returning them to Guate City. Too much time in the car for Erick, so I left him with our sitter and made the journey to Tiquisate. There really aren't many tourist hot-spots in Guatemala, but the countryside is beautiful and lush. Tiquisate is lower in altitude and down toward the south coast, so has a definite warmer, humid climate. Not much there to see, but I got a peek at the hospital where Erick was born. It was inside a guarded gate and I snapped a few shots, then was asked to leave. I can't imagine that I looked too threatening, but it's probably not too common for whities to be in town taking pictures. I was on the lookout for his birth mother and secretly wishing I'd see her, she'd be pregnant with a little girl, and stop to ask me if Erick needed a little sister. Selfish thought, I know :) Didn't happen anyway.

I may be holding down this fort by myself soon. Angie, Emily, and the other Whitworth family are all at about the same spot in the process and probably leaving in 2-3 weeks. Yeah!! (not that I want them gone, just want them all home!) Erick will wonder where all of his playmates went! My mom is coming Nov 4-18 to keep us company for awhile. That's all for today!

More Whitworths

Erick, his new cousin, Marilyn :), and Samuel

A new adoptive family of 4 from South Carolina moved into our house last weekend, which has added some excitement... and coziness! We have all met, had meals together, viewed many a Baby Einstein video together, but yesterday I about fell down the stairs when I overheard the mom on the phone, "hello, this is Mrs. Whitworth..." They're Whitworths, too! How random is that that they would be adopting here and living with us? There can't be too many baby Guatemalan Whitworths around. They're adopting 2 year-old Marilyn who is so incredibly sweet, calm, and quiet. Baby girls are SO different than boys!





We are officially out of PGN now. We said that two weeks ago, didn't we? There was a computer failure at PGN and they were finished w/ our case, but wouldn't allow any files to move in or out, so our file just sat there. Really? Is it rocket science to have an alternative method of logging files that come and go?? Could you just WRITE IT DOWN in the meantime and not keep people waiting unnecessarily? It was a hard last two weeks of waiting, not being able to comprehend a government agency being down that long. Living here, it's easy for fear to creep in and wonder if you are being told the truth or if you are being set up for a bribe, etc. Apparently it was the truth and lightening took out part of their computer system. They are slowly moving files through again. I have to remember I'm in a third world country.



Yesterday, before finding out we were released from PGN, I was feeling frustrated and "stuck" and talked to a good friend, Beth, who has been here over a year. She has a true servant's heart and alot of endurance. She reminded me that God's timing is perfect and not to focus on the end date of getting home, but to enjoy Christ daily in Antigua. It's things like this that I KNOW, but I drift away and get bogged down by the adoption process or being away from home. I'm trying!



A funny story--I share a bathroom upstairs with Angie and we've been fighting to keep our toilet unclogged for about two weeks now. I'm OH SO TIRED of walking outside and downstairs at 3am to use that bathroom! Today was the third time our plumber has been here and they finally unglued the toilet from the tile, set it outside, and got in there to do some really dirty work. A little yellow, plastic car was clogging it. Not sure if the culprit was Erick or Milo so we're splitting the plumber's bill :)



Emily had to go to Guat City this morning for some appointments and wasn't feeling well with a stomach bug. I went w/ her to help take care of Samuel and ended up getting sick, too, in a garage parking lot and then tonight at home. Our "new" toilet was fixed just in time! Amy, our new housemate, was feeling the same today. Must be a virus. Be glad you aren't a visitor here this week! Sorry if that's TMI...just part of our daily fun here in Antigua!

Strolling in the rain

Erick and Paulo getting to know each other

Caterin and Cindy Embrey on Cindy's "out of PGN" day

bubble fun at our house

Go Royals!

We had a great week with Pat here. Hopefully his next visit will be our pick-up trip for Erick and me! I think Erick is starting to wonder why his dad is here sometimes and on the computer screen sometimes (we skype every morning on the computer).


Todd and Nicole Harris are here this week visiting Paulo so we are getting to hang out with them. It's a tough job being their Antigua tour guide and taking them to all the good places to eat :) They are just a little behind us in the whole process, so hopefully will be home around the same time we are. It's great to think about Samuel, Paulo, Otoneil, Cindy, Caterin, and Erick all being in KC together!


We have been out of PGN for a week, but now are waiting on their computer system to be up and running again to be officially released. They have been down for a week! So different than being at home where tech support would have had things going again within 30 minutes! It's OK, we are getting good at waiting....and waiting. Our next step after PGN will be RENAP where they draft a new birth certificate for Erick.


We are still looking at probably 8 weeks at the earliest to be home so Thanksgiving isn't looking so good. All's not so bad, though, as I've found a "flyin' Mayan burrito" here with sweet potatoes in it. I'll just pretend it's sweet potato casserole :)


Isaiah 40:31 ...but those who hope (or wait) upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.

We're finally out of PGN!

We had a great day yesterday as we are now "out" of PGN! So in the eyes of the Guatemalan government Erick is officially our son. Lee Anne and Erick should be coming home in the next 8-10 weeks! Hopefully sooner!

I'll put some pics on in the next few days. Gotta run now....

Bimonthly update :)

pre-haircut: my punk rock baby

post-haircut: much more boring, but needed!

locals packing the streets for Independence Day parade

runners carrying the torch

It's been a little slow here the past few weeks so not much news to share. We did check out some parades for Guatemalan Independence Day last weekend. Mostly highschool bands playing and flags flying. The Guatemalans were out in full force! There were several groups of runners carrying a torch around town, kind of like the Olympic torch runners on a smaller scale. Needsless to say, many firecrackers during the day and night. It's amazing how our kids are used to that now and can sleep through the loudest fireworks, yet wake up at the creak of a door!



I'm excited to have outings this week: tomorrow I go back to PGN to find out where our case is and try to shed a tear or two in front of them, Thursday Emily and I go to Chichicastenengo to go back to the big outdoor market and to check out this mission/orphanage, and best of all Pat comes on Friday!!



The Embrey family, comes on Sunday for their pick-up trip for Cindy, who just turned 11. They are also adopting her sister Caterin, 8, and hope to plea their case while here to get Caterin home as soon as possible. PGN seems to be softening a bit and will hopefully see the need for the girls to be together.



Emily has been here 6 months and I've been here just shy of 8 months. We are so ready to come home to be with family and friends. I was listening to an old Chris Tomlin song yesterday with the lyric "time is in His hands." It's hard to be away, but our families have been blessed to have this time with the boys. We will look back on this journey and realize what a short time it really was.

The 3 men in our house snacking on pineapple cores--a favorite

Hey everyone! Sometimes it seems there can be a fine line between wanting to sharing a story and sounding self-righteous. I certainly hope I didn't sound self-righteous in the last post like I was looking for a pat on the back or "way to go." I do think it's important to encourage one another by sharing how or when God moves us. Lisa commented on my blog that if we would all focus on helping one person for awhile instead of feeling overwhelmed with need that we see, what a difference we could each make in peoples' lives.



Emily had an idea to make "homeless bags" of like granola bars, fruit, and a few coins to keep in our strollers for when we are out and about. It will be fun to put those together.



It's another beautiful day in Antigua-- ~78 and sunny with a chance of rain this afternoon. That's the forecast for most months of the year!

God has really laid someone on my heart these past few weeks. He's a homeless guy who I frequently see walking around town or sitting on a bench in one of the parks. I think he has cerebral palsy, he has a large scar across his face, and walks hunched over with a limp. He is someone who definitely be considered "the least of these" by many people.



A few weeks ago, Pat and I took some lunch and clothes to him and tried to ask a few questions. We got his shoe size and think he was saying his name is Rolando. We were wondering how often he gets called by his name or when the last time was. He took one of the shirts we brought out of the bag, took his shirt off, and walked over to the trash and threw it away. Our hearts just broke. He is physically challenged, but at least on some level, mentally alert. I am sure he was aware that he had been wearing a soiled, smelly shirt for quite some time with no means to wash or replace it. The pants he was wearing barely had a backside to them.


I found some leather boots in his size and took them to him last week. I had a feeling he would have trouble getting them on and he did. There was a moment of thinking, "ok, I'm being stared at by alot of Guatemalans now, but I can't just leave him to figure the shoes out." So I parked Erick in the stroller and helped Rolando get his filthy, sockless feet into the boots, praying the whole time that they would fit and be comfortable. I saw him again today and he still had the boots on. In our limited ability to converse, he said they were good.


Every day we see people in Antigua sitting on the sidewalks holding bowls out and asking for money. It's hard to know who to help, how much, how often. There are elderly Guatemalan women, men with physical handicaps, and several young women with a baby or child sitting beside them. The babies and children are so quiet and still. I imagine that's a learned behavior from unmet need, that if they cry they either get in trouble or get no response at all. That's how they grow up--sitting beside their mom on a sidewalk all day in the exhaust, dust, noise, and sun.

One of my prayers since I've been here is to find out where I can serve or who I can love on like Jesus would do. I think I'm being asked to spend time with Rolando for now and to continue to help others where I can. It's a good feeling to have that nod from the Lord and to be given a nudge from the holy spirit to MOVE.


On the adoption front, we had a kick-out from PGN for only about a week and a half for a numerical error on some paperwork. We are back in PGN now, and hopefully are all clear. We've been told we should exit PGN in the next week or so and be able to move on to getting Erick a new birth certificate. Timewise I'm still hopeful for Thanksgiving, but won't be surprised if we have to eat turkey in Antigua.

Have I mentioned how much I love Erick?? He's such a delight. He's learned to yell, "MA MA!" loudly and frequently. He gives the best smacking kisses on the cheek. And he's all boy. The other day he picked up a live bee, pulled it in half, and proudly brought it to me. We are having alot of fun and can't wait to be home with Dad!

Thanks again to all of you for your prayer and encouragement! Lee Anne