Today is a good day. No, we didn't get pink yet, (the embassy appointment). No, we still don't know if Mike will graduate this semester, but its a good day. I feel like God has been trying to help me see that.
This year has been tough...a lot of waiting, a lot of late nights for Mike, a lot of disappointment and missed expectations, but we've had a lot of good days too. And I don't think I've been fully appreciating that.
I made a decision yesterday about the adoption. Most of the time when I think about all of our milestones, I am keenly aware of how long everything has taken, and how much LONGER everything has taken for us than many others in this process. But yesterday it hit me....that God has gotten us through every one of these steps. We're done with those steps....God got us through....they didn't happen in the timing I would have liked or expected, but they DID happen. We got the referral of a beautiful little boy, we got the dna, we got pa, we got in and out of pgn...God truly has answered our prayers.
And about the Phd too....we still don't know exactly when Mike will graduate, but he DID write his dissertation, he DID get a great job, he IS working on his defense presentation. God has answered our prayers!
So I decided yesterday that no matter when Kaden comes home, I need to trust my God. I was hoping I would get the call yesterday or today. I will be sad if I have to wait another week or two or three.....but I know that God WILL bring him home. I need to let go of all the timing that I WANT and trust Him. There's no doubt that Kaden is our son and will be coming home. God has answered every prayer and He is watching over our son right now.
Its such a "pat" thing to say sometimes....trust in God's timing....God's timing is perfect. I admit, most of the time that is not a comforting thought to me and it doesn't lessen my pain or anxiety. But for today, that is what I'm clinging too. God has proven himself faithful over and over....and how weak is my faith that everytime the timing is not what I want, I question Him and His goodness? Who am I?
So, today is a good day. The sun is shining, the sky is blue. I have a good job, my husband has a good job. We are both in good health. Mike has finished writing his dissertation. And we have a son....a wonderful son in Guatemala who will be home with us in God's perfect timing.
Today is a good day. :-)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The shower, the drought, and the Phd
The Shower!!Finally, I have some pictures to share from our shower. My office threw us a baby shower a couple weeks ago, and BOY did they ever shower us with gifts!
Our friends Amy and Evelyn did a great job (pictured on the right), the food was delicious, the games were fun, and our baby registry is now largely fulfilled! :)
I accidentally unwrapped the jogging stroller hood before knowing we would also be unwrapping the jogging stroller. Oops!! :-)
Mike did a great job explaining the engineering aspects of the bathtub baby seat!!
The Drought!
Most of my life I have lived with a "drought" through at least parts of the long, hot summer in Atlanta. But this is the worst I've ever experienced....reports of potential water rationing, fighting over whether to cut back on water released from Lake Lanier (because if we don't we'll run out, but if we do cut back, it will endanger water life further down stream, etc...). Wow, I've been praying for rain some lately but we really REALLY need it now! Mike has offered to only take a shower once every 3 days but I'm not sure I'm willing to make that sacrifice QUITE yet. So please pray for rain in the South. We really, REALLY need it!
The PhD!
This whole year has been quite the roller coaster of ups and downs. I look back and see things I hope I never have to go through again, but I also see amazing ways that God has, and continues to provide for us. The latest with Mike's Phd is:
-He turned in his final copy to his advisor on Tuesday
-He found a replacement committee member for the one that can't serve on it.
-He hand delivered lovely, color, bound copies of his 156 page dissertation to the committee members yesterday.
Now we just need to pray and pray and pray that he passes! His defense date is set for November 7th at noon. Civilians :) are welcome to attend the presentation part which will last about 40 minutes or so. If anyone is interested to sit in on one of the geekiest presentations of your life, let me know and I'll give you more details. :)
One last item....we are still waiting to hear about when to pick Kaden up, but I think we are very likely to hear something in the next week. SO, I want to put in a plug for the airport. If anyone is in the Atlanta area and would like to meet us upon arrival, we would LOVE to see you!! Whatever day we come, the flight will arrive at 6:30 PM, then we have to go through customs, so I'm guessing we will be at baggage claim by about 7. My current guess is the first full week of November, but of course, I'll let you know when I know for sure. (I'll go out to the roof and yell for all to hear, in fact! :) )
Friday, October 12, 2007
2nd DNA!!
Did you think the first DNA was good enough? Ha!! The good news is that I don't think they've instituted a 3rd DNA test yet :-\....surely Kaden will be home before then!!
As you know, we turned ORANGE on Tuesday. We just received an update that the 2nd DNA test should happen today. Next they send off the data/specimen to a lab in the U.S. That should take a week or so, then they send the results back to the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala. After that, we should get our final appointment!!!
I hope you won't be too jealous but it looks like my dad will be going to Guatemala too!!! He has excitedly volunteered to go with me if Mike can't make it. Yes, that's what I said, it looks like Mike may not be going for the pick up trip. :( :( Maybe the rest of you had already this figured out, but Mike has SO much to do to get his Phd finished that we just don't see any way that he can go down before he's turned in the final product (11/14/07). And I am very hopeful that we'll have our appointment in the next few weeks!!! :-) :-D
On that note, please pray for Mike. He's doing well but he has to send his dissertation to the committee for review soon, then he'll be doing an oral defense around the first week of November. He hasn't been getting a lot of sleep, plus he's working full time now, but somehow he still has a smile on his face. :)
Kaden, we're coming to get you soon!!! We can't wait to hold you in our arms forever! Speaking of Kaden, we received a medical update yesterday. He is now crawling and has dropped a few ounces. I am actually relieved that he's not over 20 lbs yet...not sure my back is prepared for that! He currently weights 19 lbs 8 oz and is about 28 inches long.
Oh and last but certainly not least, some coworkers threw a baby shower for Mike and me this week! We were overwhelmed with the gifts and enjoyed the party immensely. :-) We now have a brand new jogging stroller! We also have a bumbo! (You'll have to come for a visit if you want to know what a bumbo is. ;) )
I'll post some pictures of the shower this weekend.
Love to you all! Thanks for your prayers!
Susan and Mike and Kaden.
As you know, we turned ORANGE on Tuesday. We just received an update that the 2nd DNA test should happen today. Next they send off the data/specimen to a lab in the U.S. That should take a week or so, then they send the results back to the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala. After that, we should get our final appointment!!!
I hope you won't be too jealous but it looks like my dad will be going to Guatemala too!!! He has excitedly volunteered to go with me if Mike can't make it. Yes, that's what I said, it looks like Mike may not be going for the pick up trip. :( :( Maybe the rest of you had already this figured out, but Mike has SO much to do to get his Phd finished that we just don't see any way that he can go down before he's turned in the final product (11/14/07). And I am very hopeful that we'll have our appointment in the next few weeks!!! :-) :-D
On that note, please pray for Mike. He's doing well but he has to send his dissertation to the committee for review soon, then he'll be doing an oral defense around the first week of November. He hasn't been getting a lot of sleep, plus he's working full time now, but somehow he still has a smile on his face. :)
Kaden, we're coming to get you soon!!! We can't wait to hold you in our arms forever! Speaking of Kaden, we received a medical update yesterday. He is now crawling and has dropped a few ounces. I am actually relieved that he's not over 20 lbs yet...not sure my back is prepared for that! He currently weights 19 lbs 8 oz and is about 28 inches long.
Oh and last but certainly not least, some coworkers threw a baby shower for Mike and me this week! We were overwhelmed with the gifts and enjoyed the party immensely. :-) We now have a brand new jogging stroller! We also have a bumbo! (You'll have to come for a visit if you want to know what a bumbo is. ;) )
I'll post some pictures of the shower this weekend.
Love to you all! Thanks for your prayers!
Susan and Mike and Kaden.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Call to Action...
If you are able tomorrow, would you please consider contacting your local and federal legislators? Recently the Guatemala government made some announcements about becoming "Hague compliant" (The Hague treaty is an international treaty that the U.S. and other countries are requiring compliance to with regard to how adoptions are processed.) The jury is "still out" on how good this treaty is...it seems okay but I haven't studied it thoroughly. What is NOT okay is that the Guatemala government is up to their old tactics....threatening to shut down ALL adoptions no matter where they are in the process, kids will be pulled out of foster care, newly born babies will have no place to go, etc...There are currently about 5000 legal, ethical, good adoptions in process in Guatemala, just like ours!
Specifically regarding our adoption ---we should be fine. We are finished with any Guatemalan requirements at this point, just waiting for the final U.S. pieces, (although I will only really feel relieved once we're home with our boy. :) ). Even so, there are SO many families we know that are absolutely at risk. So we're asking you to speak out with us.
If you have time tomorrow or the next day, please consider letting your voice be heard. More details are below, including templates you can use for emailing, writing, or calling your congressmen. Above all, PLEASE PRAY for these children.
Sorry for the long post, but everything you need to know is below.
Joint Council Update (http://www.jcics.org/)
Program International Relations Initiative
Date September 28, 2007
Regarding Guatemala A Call to Action - REVISED
Guatemala 5000 An Overview
1. September 27th - Joint Council will provide a detailed Call to Action Plan to all Member Organizations.
2. October 1st - Member Organizations will provide the Call to Action to adoptive families.
3. October 1st to 9th -Joint Council will educate members of Congress, DOS and UNICEF on the issues. a. Joint Council will submit to Congress and UNICEF letters requesting their immediate involvement in the positive resolution of this pending crisis.
4. October 9th, 10th & 11th - Adoptive families will contact via phone/fax, Congress and UNICEF requesting that each sign the letter provided by Joint Council, forward the letter to President Berger and lend their considerable weight and influence to this effort. a. Adoptive families will participate in an email petition sponsored by Joint Council
5. October 12th to December 31st - Joint Council will monitor the response of Congress and UNICEF and issue a second Call to Action if needed.
Guatemala 5000 - Additional Joint Council Actions
1. On September 28 Joint Council will issue a letter to Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State requesting her personal and immediate involvement and to lend the full weight and influence of the U.S. government in positively resolving this pending crisis.
2. On September 28 Joint Council will issue a letter to President Berger detailing our concerns and requesting, at a minimum, the inclusion of a ‘grandfather clause which would allow all adoptions in process on January 1 2008 to be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.
3. On September 28 Joint Council will issue letters to Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF and Manuel Manrique, Executive Director of UNICEF Guatemala requesting, based on UNICEFs stated support of intercountry adoption, their immediate assistance in ensuring that all adoptions be processed to completion under the existing notorial law.
4. On September 28 Joint Council will post on its website our statement and detailed Call to Action.
5. On October 1 Joint Council will initiate an email petition in support of Intercountry Adoption.
6. On October 9 Joint Council, in conjunction with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, will issue a series of letters to the 187 members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. We are asking all members of the U.S. Congress to forward to President Berger the CCAI sponsored letter. We are also asking all members of the U.S. Congress to forward to UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman and UNICEF Guatemala Executive Director Manuel Manrique the Joint Council sponsored letter.
7. Joint Council will continue to advocate for a rollback of the date The Hague Convention goes into force in Guatemala.
8. Joint Council joined forces with the National Council for Adoption and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute as part of our efforts. Both have agreed to publish a joint statement and to assist in garnering the support of the U.S. Congress.
Guatemala 5000 - A Call to Action Details
Following is a detailed Call to Action which we encourage all Member Organizations to distribute to their adoptive families. Joint Council successfully utilized this strategy with the Casa Quivira families and Haiti families in effecting action and a change in policy. We remain confident that we can, at a minimum, secure a grandfather clause in Guatemalan adoption policy.
GUATEMALA 5000
Dear Friends,
Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to suspend all intercountry adoption with American families on January 1 2008. The Joint Council on International Children’s Services strongly opposes such a suspension and asks for your support in their efforts to ensure that all children retain the right to permanency through Intercountry Adoption.
President Bergers plans also call for the suspension of adoptions currently in-process. Such a suspension would be extremely detrimental to the children referred to adoptive parents. If President Bergers plan is actually implemented, up to 5,000 will unnecessarily remain in foster care or orphanages indefinitely.
This situation represents a pending crisis for the adoptive families who have lovingly chosen to provide permanency, safety and love to a child in need and most importantly a crisis for 5,000 children of Guatemala.
What can you do? Make six simple phone calls and one email.
1. Call your U.S. Senator.
- You can find your Senators phone numbers at http://www.senate.gov/
- Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
2. Call your second U.S. Senator.
3. Call your representative to the U.S. House of Representative.
- You can find your representative at http://www.house.gov/
- Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
4. Call or fax UNICEF Headquarter
- Ask to speak with Ann Veneman, Executive Director
- Their number is 212-326-7000
- Their fax number is 212-326-7758
5. Call or fax UNICEF Guatemala
- Ask to speak with Manuel Manrique
- Their number is 011-502-2327-6373
- Their fax number is 011-502-2327.6366
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
6. Send and email supporting Intercountry Adoption to guatemala5000@jcics.org
- Write briefly or at length
- Joint Council will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for Intercountry Adoption
When should you call? Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (October 9th, 10th 11th)
For maximum affect, we are asking you to make these calls within a 72 hour window!
What should you say or write to member of the U.S. Congress? Speak from your heart and give them the following information.
A· Inform them that you are calling regarding Guatemala 5000
B· Ask them to sign the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) sponsored letter to President Oscar Berger
C· Ask them to sign the Joint Council on International Children's Services sponsored letter to UNICEF
D· Inform them that the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008.
E· Inform them that President Berger's announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process.
F· Inform them that if children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care.
G· Ask that their office get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sample Statement
Hello,
We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. We, as your constituents, are asking that the Senator/Congressperson add their signature to two letters. First, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute sponsored letter to Guatemalan President Oscar Berger. Second, the Joint Council on International Childrens Services sponsored letter to UNICEF.
As you may be aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. Your office must get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sincerely,
What should you say or write to UNICEF? Speak from your heart and give them the following information.
A· Inform them that you are calling regarding the Guatemala 5000
B· Ask them to support the rights of children and lend their considerable influence to ensuring that intercountry adoptions currently in-process be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
C· Inform them that the Guatemalan government has announced that all adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008.
D· Inform them that President Bergers announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process.
E· Inform them that if children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care.
F· Ask them again for their support of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative.
Sample Statement
Hello,
We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As financial supporters of UNICEF (through our tax dollars), we are asking that UNICEF lends its support and considerable influence to the Guatemala 5000 initiative.
As you may be know, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. UNICEF must get involved and help ensure that all intercountry adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sincerely,
Can you explain the problem behind the pending crisis? Here is some additional information:
A· Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to effectively stop all adoptions into the United States including those children who have already been referred to adoptive parents
B· Over 5,000 children have been referred
C· The birthparents for these children have already relinquished their parental rights. As a result, they currently have no family and the Berger suspension will result in these children having no prospect for a permanent, safe and loving family
D· The government of Guatemala currently does not have the finances or facilities to even provide housing for these 5,000 children
E· The Berger plan is a crisis waiting to happen
What else can you do? In addition to your primary calls to U.S. Congress and UNICEF, you can call the following.
SOSEP (Guatemala)
Director Teresa EcheverrÃa de Bastarrechea
Office Phone- 011-502-2383-8400
Assistant Director- Edin Palma- Same office phone
Office Phone- 011-502-2383-8400
Jaime Tecu
Office Phone - 011-502-2239-0000 ext 2766
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
Guatemala Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister Gerth Rosenthal
Office Phone 011-502-2410-0000, 2410-0010
Vice Minister- Marta Altoaguirre
Office Phone 011-502-2410-0020
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
PGN (Guatemala)
Carlos Victor Hugo Barrios Barahona
Office Phone 011-502-2248-3200 Ext. 207/208
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
Procuraduria of Human Rights
Dr. Sergio Morales
Office Phone 011-502-2424-1717
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
Embassy of Guatemala in the U.S.
2220 R Street N.W.Washington, DC 20008
Office Phone 1-202-745-4952
Office Fax 1-202-745-1908
Website: www.guatemala-embassy.org/
Specifically regarding our adoption ---we should be fine. We are finished with any Guatemalan requirements at this point, just waiting for the final U.S. pieces, (although I will only really feel relieved once we're home with our boy. :) ). Even so, there are SO many families we know that are absolutely at risk. So we're asking you to speak out with us.
If you have time tomorrow or the next day, please consider letting your voice be heard. More details are below, including templates you can use for emailing, writing, or calling your congressmen. Above all, PLEASE PRAY for these children.
Sorry for the long post, but everything you need to know is below.
Joint Council Update (http://www.jcics.org/)
Program International Relations Initiative
Date September 28, 2007
Regarding Guatemala A Call to Action - REVISED
Guatemala 5000 An Overview
1. September 27th - Joint Council will provide a detailed Call to Action Plan to all Member Organizations.
2. October 1st - Member Organizations will provide the Call to Action to adoptive families.
3. October 1st to 9th -Joint Council will educate members of Congress, DOS and UNICEF on the issues. a. Joint Council will submit to Congress and UNICEF letters requesting their immediate involvement in the positive resolution of this pending crisis.
4. October 9th, 10th & 11th - Adoptive families will contact via phone/fax, Congress and UNICEF requesting that each sign the letter provided by Joint Council, forward the letter to President Berger and lend their considerable weight and influence to this effort. a. Adoptive families will participate in an email petition sponsored by Joint Council
5. October 12th to December 31st - Joint Council will monitor the response of Congress and UNICEF and issue a second Call to Action if needed.
Guatemala 5000 - Additional Joint Council Actions
1. On September 28 Joint Council will issue a letter to Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State requesting her personal and immediate involvement and to lend the full weight and influence of the U.S. government in positively resolving this pending crisis.
2. On September 28 Joint Council will issue a letter to President Berger detailing our concerns and requesting, at a minimum, the inclusion of a ‘grandfather clause which would allow all adoptions in process on January 1 2008 to be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.
3. On September 28 Joint Council will issue letters to Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF and Manuel Manrique, Executive Director of UNICEF Guatemala requesting, based on UNICEFs stated support of intercountry adoption, their immediate assistance in ensuring that all adoptions be processed to completion under the existing notorial law.
4. On September 28 Joint Council will post on its website our statement and detailed Call to Action.
5. On October 1 Joint Council will initiate an email petition in support of Intercountry Adoption.
6. On October 9 Joint Council, in conjunction with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, will issue a series of letters to the 187 members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. We are asking all members of the U.S. Congress to forward to President Berger the CCAI sponsored letter. We are also asking all members of the U.S. Congress to forward to UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman and UNICEF Guatemala Executive Director Manuel Manrique the Joint Council sponsored letter.
7. Joint Council will continue to advocate for a rollback of the date The Hague Convention goes into force in Guatemala.
8. Joint Council joined forces with the National Council for Adoption and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute as part of our efforts. Both have agreed to publish a joint statement and to assist in garnering the support of the U.S. Congress.
Guatemala 5000 - A Call to Action Details
Following is a detailed Call to Action which we encourage all Member Organizations to distribute to their adoptive families. Joint Council successfully utilized this strategy with the Casa Quivira families and Haiti families in effecting action and a change in policy. We remain confident that we can, at a minimum, secure a grandfather clause in Guatemalan adoption policy.
GUATEMALA 5000
Dear Friends,
Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to suspend all intercountry adoption with American families on January 1 2008. The Joint Council on International Children’s Services strongly opposes such a suspension and asks for your support in their efforts to ensure that all children retain the right to permanency through Intercountry Adoption.
President Bergers plans also call for the suspension of adoptions currently in-process. Such a suspension would be extremely detrimental to the children referred to adoptive parents. If President Bergers plan is actually implemented, up to 5,000 will unnecessarily remain in foster care or orphanages indefinitely.
This situation represents a pending crisis for the adoptive families who have lovingly chosen to provide permanency, safety and love to a child in need and most importantly a crisis for 5,000 children of Guatemala.
What can you do? Make six simple phone calls and one email.
1. Call your U.S. Senator.
- You can find your Senators phone numbers at http://www.senate.gov/
- Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
2. Call your second U.S. Senator.
3. Call your representative to the U.S. House of Representative.
- You can find your representative at http://www.house.gov/
- Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
4. Call or fax UNICEF Headquarter
- Ask to speak with Ann Veneman, Executive Director
- Their number is 212-326-7000
- Their fax number is 212-326-7758
5. Call or fax UNICEF Guatemala
- Ask to speak with Manuel Manrique
- Their number is 011-502-2327-6373
- Their fax number is 011-502-2327.6366
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
6. Send and email supporting Intercountry Adoption to guatemala5000@jcics.org
- Write briefly or at length
- Joint Council will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for Intercountry Adoption
When should you call? Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (October 9th, 10th 11th)
For maximum affect, we are asking you to make these calls within a 72 hour window!
What should you say or write to member of the U.S. Congress? Speak from your heart and give them the following information.
A· Inform them that you are calling regarding Guatemala 5000
B· Ask them to sign the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) sponsored letter to President Oscar Berger
C· Ask them to sign the Joint Council on International Children's Services sponsored letter to UNICEF
D· Inform them that the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008.
E· Inform them that President Berger's announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process.
F· Inform them that if children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care.
G· Ask that their office get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sample Statement
Hello,
We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. We, as your constituents, are asking that the Senator/Congressperson add their signature to two letters. First, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute sponsored letter to Guatemalan President Oscar Berger. Second, the Joint Council on International Childrens Services sponsored letter to UNICEF.
As you may be aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. Your office must get involved and sign the sponsored letters to the President of Guatemala and UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sincerely,
What should you say or write to UNICEF? Speak from your heart and give them the following information.
A· Inform them that you are calling regarding the Guatemala 5000
B· Ask them to support the rights of children and lend their considerable influence to ensuring that intercountry adoptions currently in-process be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
C· Inform them that the Guatemalan government has announced that all adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008.
D· Inform them that President Bergers announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process.
E· Inform them that if children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care.
F· Ask them again for their support of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative.
Sample Statement
Hello,
We are calling/writing on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As financial supporters of UNICEF (through our tax dollars), we are asking that UNICEF lends its support and considerable influence to the Guatemala 5000 initiative.
As you may be know, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there will be no grandfathering of adoptions already in process. If children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. UNICEF must get involved and help ensure that all intercountry adoptions in-process as of January 1 2008 be allowed to process to completion under the existing notorial laws.
Sincerely,
Can you explain the problem behind the pending crisis? Here is some additional information:
A· Guatemalan President Oscar Berger has announced plans to effectively stop all adoptions into the United States including those children who have already been referred to adoptive parents
B· Over 5,000 children have been referred
C· The birthparents for these children have already relinquished their parental rights. As a result, they currently have no family and the Berger suspension will result in these children having no prospect for a permanent, safe and loving family
D· The government of Guatemala currently does not have the finances or facilities to even provide housing for these 5,000 children
E· The Berger plan is a crisis waiting to happen
What else can you do? In addition to your primary calls to U.S. Congress and UNICEF, you can call the following.
SOSEP (Guatemala)
Director Teresa EcheverrÃa de Bastarrechea
Office Phone- 011-502-2383-8400
Assistant Director- Edin Palma- Same office phone
Office Phone- 011-502-2383-8400
Jaime Tecu
Office Phone - 011-502-2239-0000 ext 2766
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
Guatemala Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister Gerth Rosenthal
Office Phone 011-502-2410-0000, 2410-0010
Vice Minister- Marta Altoaguirre
Office Phone 011-502-2410-0020
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
PGN (Guatemala)
Carlos Victor Hugo Barrios Barahona
Office Phone 011-502-2248-3200 Ext. 207/208
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
Procuraduria of Human Rights
Dr. Sergio Morales
Office Phone 011-502-2424-1717
Please note that calls and faxes to Guatemala are international calls
Embassy of Guatemala in the U.S.
2220 R Street N.W.Washington, DC 20008
Office Phone 1-202-745-4952
Office Fax 1-202-745-1908
Website: www.guatemala-embassy.org/
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