Disappointment & Delay

We finally received news about our immigration approval via our congressman's office. They are going to sign off on our approval, but not until Saturday (26th). Then they have to send it to a visa processing center in New Hampshire, who will take a week to turn it around and send it to Guatemala.

So we have requested an appointment change for the week of August 11. Although we're relieved to finally hear something and this gives us more time to prepare for the trip, we'd much rather be rushing to pack so that we can hold our son!

Pray that immigration follows through on what they've promised. Pray that we can let go of the disappointment and resentment and focus instead on further preparations for Nathan's homecoming.

Frustration & Uncertainty

Today was a frustrating, exhausting day. We don't know if we'll be able to travel this weekend or not because someone in Memphis may be sitting on a document we need before we go.

Without going into all the details, basically, if we don't get a piece of paper in our mail tomorrow we will have to reschedule our trip about two weeks or more later than we had planned.

Please pray for Immigration to finish our paperwork soon, even if we still have to reschedule. Pray that we can endure the wait and the ups and downs, and let go of the resentment we feel toward this impersonal government agency that has been so slow. Pray that we can focus on the tasks of the moment tomorrow as we wait for news.

HOMECOMING!!

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12)

You may have noticed that, in Murfreesboro, if you keep driving long enough, the road you’re on will eventually change names. (Ex: Lebanon Pike/Memorial Blvd/Old Fort Pkwy/Franklin Road)

Similarly, the long road of our Adoption journey is about to change names to the journey of Parenthood. Yes, today we received the long-awaited “pink slip”—our appointment date at the U. S. Embassy in Guatemala to pick up Nathan Daniel’s visa so he can travel home with us.

Did you hear that? NATHAN DANIEL IS COMING HOME NEXT WEEK!!!

We will fly to Guatemala Saturday (or possibly this Friday) and meet him for the first time soon after we arrive at our hotel. Monday we will go to our embassy appointment, and on either Wednesday or Thursday we’ll fly home. Oh boy! We have a lot to do to get ready and not much time left!

Please pray for us as we pack and make travel arrangements. Pray that our immigration clearance comes THIS WEEK. We can’t travel without it, so we’re calling everyone we can to help speed it along. Finally and most importantly, pray for Nathan Daniel. He has been with his foster family for all of his 14 months, so this will be a hard transition for him. Pray that he senses how much we love him and learns quickly that he can trust us for all his needs. Give thanks also for his foster family who have taken such good care of him for us. Thank you for your faithful prayers!!

WOO HOO!!!

Quick update:

We have some pretty good news, but nothing definite yet. We know immigration is working on the approval of our extension, and they're looking at it favorable. But we still haven't received anything in the mail from them, so pray that they finish the process quickly. Things are also moving forward in Guatemala. Our agency told us to expect to get our travel date by next Wednesday (7/23) and it could be as soon as 5-10 days after that. So we should be travelling at least sometime in the next month! With that deadline approaching quickly, we're very excited but also very nervous as we make preparations. Please keep us in your prayers as we try to get the house ready to be invaded by an adventurous little boy and as we try to pack for the trip.

A Quick Review of the Past Month or So

We apologize to all three of our readers for taking so long to update the blog. We have a lot to catch you up on, and a lot of it is good news!

BIG Adoption Milestone
Nathan Daniel is “out of PGN,” which is adoption-speak for “yahoo! He’s officially our son”. This the most critical and final phase of a Guatemalan adoption, and everything is downhill from here. This is literally a goal we’ve been working toward for YEARS, so the most appropriate response would be “Praise God!” We expect to find out our travel date any day now.

Government Inefficiency – Oh Well, They’re Just People
Meanwhile, the US Immigration adoption office in Memphis sat on our request to extend our adoption approval (which would have expired in May) for 62 days until a staffer from our congressman’s office called them. When they finally looked at our request, they demanded several picky revisions. Grrr! Mark angry! Mark smash! But what do you expect from the government. They’re just people after all. Only God is truly reliable and faithful …”slow to anger, quick to love”.

Carlton News – The End of an Era
If you felt the earth’s foundations shake on Tuesday morning (7/1), the reason is Mark’s Dad’s retirement. Ever since the summer of 1968 – 40 years ago – Dr. Carlton has been teaching physics at MTSU, usually arriving there at 6am. So that’s why on July 1 the earth shifted off its axis a bit when he didn’t show up there like usual.

Fortunately, the Seattle Carltons—Mark’s brother & family—were passing through town for one night, the same night as Dad’s retirement party. So we got to visit with them, and our nephew Aiden got to meet our nephew Micah.
Anyway, we’re proud of the God-honoring legacy Dad created at MTSU and excited for how God will use him during his (semi) retirement. (Yeah, he wrote a proposal for his part-time dream-job, leaving out all the things he didn’t want to do, and it was approved.)

Incoming! Incoming!
Very soon a little 13-14 month-old boy will be arriving at (crashing into) our house, and we’re trying to batten down the hatches, etc. to get ready. He has a bed. His room has been painted. His closet has been cleaned out of his parents stuff. (Well, Daddy’s guitars are still stuffed in the corner, but …) Janet’s friends are hosting a shower for her this weekend, so hopefully he’ll have some clothes to wear. So, maybe it’ll work.

Seriously, please pray for us as we make practical preparations. And pray that our Heavenly Father would help us all out with the big transition that’s about to come with Nathan Daniel making the transition into our family. We’ll try to keep you posted as things develop over the next few weeks.It’s worth saying again: Praise God for his faithfulness to bring us to this point, to satisfy the deep longing we’ve had for a child. It has been a long process, but he has carried us through it “through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:19). So join us in giving Him thanks and trusting Him for His continuous supply of grace.

And we can't post without including a few pictures of Micah. . .

Feliz Cumpleanos (Happy Birthday), Nathan Daniel!

A few days ago our son Nathan Daniel had his first birthday. Happy Birthday, Little Buddy!

A few weeks ago we sent him a care package, hopefully in time for his birthday. It included a few outfits, a card (en espanol), and a Winnie the Pooh bear.

Recently someone from our agency visited some of the children in Guatemala, including Nathan. They took some great pictures. He seems very happy and more handsome than ever. In some of the pics you can seem him walking with assistance. We figure he'll be running and bouncing off the walls soon. Hopefully, he'll be home before he reaches full speed!

The report from our agency also talked about his sleeping and eating habits. He's not sleeping all the way through the night yet, but he likes to eat fruits, vegetables, etc. His favorite food? Eggs and black beans.

In a very real sense, we have been ready to hold him in our arms for three years, but now we're finally starting to get his room ready. We came up with a design and picked out colors for what used to be four drab walls. Now he's got stripes! Uncle Nathan (with a little help) painted it for us this week. He still has some touching up to do, but it already looks great. It's a relief to see it coming together. We will post some pictures of his room soon.

Please pray that Nathan's court case will move quickly through the last stages of the process.

Friend-Filled Weekend

Who needs a vacation? We do! We do!

This Memorial Day weekend the Carltons and the Robisons decided to get away from the Boro and headed west to see some wonderful friends in North Mississippi (near Tupelo) and Jackson, Tenn. Our best friends live in Pratt, MS--Ed & Carolyn Earnest and their 18 month old daughter Anden--and they were happy to host us in their home all weekend. Then on Monday we spent the day with Nathan's best friend Mitch in Jackson, along with his fiancee Emmalee. Aside from the encouragement of hanging out with dear friends, some highlights of the weekend included...

Micah visited his first National Park, the Natchez Trace Parkway. This is the easiest way to get to the Earnest's house, and Micah handled the trip very well.

On Saturday we slept in, then the boys went to see the new Indiana Jones movie while the girls (and Micah) went shopping. That evening Ed grilled out--chicken, burgers, etc.--and some of their local friends joined us for the meal, followed by a lengthy game of Apples to Apples.

Sunday we visited East Booneville Baptist where Ed serves as minister to students, then drove to nearby Guntown, Miss. to eat at Los Toros Mexican restaurant. (One of the best things about Mississippi is all the fun place names: Tishomingo, Saltillo, Mantachie, Iuka, Guntown, Plantersville, and many more.) The rest of the day was spent resting!

Anden LOVED Micah. She is a good little girl and is at a fun stage of life. Everything she says is cute. She pronounces "baby" like "bah-bihs". She also likes to give everyone high-fives and "taters" (where you bump fists together). If she gave taters to one person, she had to do it to everyone in the room, including Micah. It is very cute! She was a good helper too, always trying to bring us Micah's blanket & burp cloths, etc.

On Monday we drove up to Jackson, TN after passing through Corinth, Miss., where we spent plenty of money at Austin Shoes.

In Jackson we met Mitch & Emmalee for lunch, followed by some electronic quality time. We played Rock Band and Wii tennis & bowling. Then we went out for steaks before driving back to the Boro.

Dr. Mitchell B. Willoughby

Obviously, we were a bit tired, but also rejuvenated by having a break from the routine. Spending time with friends like the Earnest's & Willoughby's is always good for the soul.