Happy Birthday to Our Precious Juliana Grace!!!

Never did we dream that we wouldn't have our sweet girl home for her 3rd birthday.

When we realized we wouldn't have her home for her birthday - never did we dream she wouldn't be in our arms for her birthday.  We were confident we would travel to Colombia before her birthday.

Well, here it is November 13th - our sweet little one's 3rd birthday - we do not have Juliana Grace home and she won't be in our arms today.  The truth is that we don't know when we'll finally meet her or be able to bring her home.

And yet, there is grace - AMAZING GRACE!

These past few weeks have been filled with so many twists and turns - ups and downs.  Quite honestly, we are dizzy and disoriented from the roller coaster ride.

Last week our  immigration paperwork had been completely approved, it seemed likely we would receive our Article 5 from the US Embassy and it appeared the Judicial Strike in Colombia was ending - just in the nick of time!  We scurried around getting apostilles in Montgomery and rushing to Atlanta to get our Colombian visas at the consulate, all the while trying to secure flights to Medellín.  It seemed that God was orchestrating every detail - it was truly miraculous the way all the obstacles were falling away!  We were ecstatic and so grateful that we would at long last be traveling to bring our baby girl home.

Then Thursday afternoon we were contacted by our agency.  They informed us that the strike was definitely NOT over in Colombia and the US Embassy had made the decision to not issue any Article 5 letters (the last document we need before travel) until the strike was completely over.  Mind you, on Thursday alone we had heard that "YES" it was over then "NO" it's not at least 3 times! 

Our agency decided Thursday that we will not be traveling to Colombia this year.  We were heart broken - yet there is GRACE!

Just yesterday - another twist! We were told that the US Embassy will be issuing our Article 5 letter this week.  What does that mean?  Could we travel?  Is there time?  Again, the answer comes, "NO."  It's just too risky.  One of us is good with risk - the other, not so much!  "I don't want to limit God!" "What if God really wants to show off?"  "We will give Him all the glory!"  "We will have such a testimony to share!"  These are a few of my rationalizations.

And yet my wise husband knows we should WAIT.  I've grown so tired of that word!

Is there grace?  YES!

Even if the strike ends definitively this week, the courts will close again on December 14th for the holidays.  They do not reopen until January 14th, 2013.  In addition, due to the length of the strike, it is expected that there will be quite a backlog of cases and that adoption cases will not have priority.  All of these factors make it very risky for us to travel to Colombia and be able to complete our adoption this year.  If we traveled and could not complete the legal process before December 14th, we would be stuck in Colombia until after January 14th.  While we would have our Gracey with us during that whole time and spending the holidays in Colombia would be great fun, we would be separated as a family and would incur many expenses that we just cannot afford.

So, we will not travel to Colombia this year.  We do not know when we will go exactly.  Where is the grace?

It has been 17 months since we first saw our little love's face.  Seventeen months since this momma knew I was looking at my baby girl.  Seventeen months since God whispered into my heart that there was grace for one more and that she was His gift of grace to us!  Yes, that's right, an abandoned orphan with Down syndrome - His grace, His gift to us?  YES!!!

This journey has not been easy.  Yet there is grace! So much GRACE!

We are so blessed that our Gracey was allowed to remain in her foster home for the duration of her adoption.  So many precious ones just like Gracey wait while tied to their cribs, sitting in their own waste with little to eat or drink.  Their frail bodies wasting away.  Please pray for the forgotten ones.  The ones no one has chosen.  His grace is for them too!

We greatly appreciate those who have prayed for us and loved us so well in this journey.  Please continue to pray that God will make His way clear to us and will grant us peace in the waiting.