THINGS ARE GOING SO FAST!!!!!!!
We have been notified that the DNA testing will be done the first week in January. They have granted the birth mother a family court interview date for the same week because of her difficult circumstances. She lives far away in a village deeply effected by the mudslides. This is VERY quick!!!!! God has answered our prayers. We have seen ZERO delay because of the holidays. WOW WOW WOW WOW!
It looks like if things keep going this smoothly (and I am convinced they will) we should be submitted to final court in a month or so. This is AMAZING and truly a gift from God.
Final court can be crazy. It sometimes takes only 10 days. It sometimes takes months. We continue to trust God that He is in control of the timing.
As far as meeting the birth mother... Belanos does not recommend that we meet her at this time. Apparently at the family court interview they will ask whether she knows us. If she says yes it may make them suspicious of our relationship with her. They are very careful about fraud and payoffs. So they said they will talk to her about coming to meet us after final decree. We pray that she will meet with us.
At DNA testing Mirna will see her mother. If her mother will not keep contact with us then this will be the last time she will see her. I pray this is not the case. I can't imagine what this meeting will be like for them. I am so grateful that Mirna will have just spent a week with us. She will be able to tell her mother about us and that we are good to her. She will look healthy, well taken care of and I pray very happy. I pray this will give her mother some measure of peace in her decision. I cry whenever I think about it.
At this meeting they will test Mirna and the birth mother's DNA. They will take a picture of them together. They will let them visit a little bit. She will sign her rights away for the 2nd out of 4 times.
That same week she will have a family court interview. At this interview she will be advised of her rights and they will determine that she is making this decision of her own free will. She will be educated on what it means to sign away her rights. She will then sign away her rights for the 3rd out of 4 times.
From what I hear out of approx 50 birth mothers that our agency deals with in a year usually 3 will change their mind. 2 will change their minds very quickly before they sign away their rights for the second time. 1 out of 50 will do it later in the process. However it seems to be more rare for a birth mother to change her mind in the case of an older child because she has usually thought it through and knows she cannot provide for the child.
I keep hearing on the forums that things are going very quickly right now in Guatemala. Things that were taking 7 weeks last month are taking 2 weeks this month!!! Keep up the praying.
IT'S WORKING!!
So here is what I know about our trip and other stuff....
What will you do when you get there?
We depart at 9:30am on the 26th it's a three hour flight- I don't think there is a time change
We will get to Guatemala at about 12:30 in the afternoon on Mon the 26th
The Marriott provides transportation to the hotel about 5 minutes away
We call the interpreter/coordinator to let her know we are in and settled
She will bring Mirna and the foster mother at 3:00 pm and let us ask any questions etc..
How will you commnicate with Mirna?
We know a little bit of Spanish. Many of the staff members at the Marriott are bilingual and very willing to help. We will also hire an interpreter for an hour each day so we can discuss things that are more in depth or complicated.
Other stuff...
You don't to have electrical adapters for Guatemala. That's nice!!!
There is a big grocery/convenience store very near the hotel that is very safe and has most anything we might need.
There is a McDonald's right next to the Marriott. Ahhhh the taste of America if we get homesick.
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