Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, Gloria!

Our adoption process began (again) when we received a call on December 3, 2007, from our agency director asking if we were sitting down. Her next question was unexpected, but also exciting. She told us that our adopted son's birth mother had just had a baby girl and did we want to "try" to adopt her. Try was a big word since both US and Guatemala governments were in the process of shutting down all adoptions in Guatemala, and even if we said "yes" immediately, there were no guarantees that we would be able to adopt this beautiful baby girl. We prayed about it and of course said YES, we would like to add this biological sibling to our family of seven. The blessing of Joe having four siblings and now adding his biological sister is truly a blessing for all of us.

Her given name is Gloria Esmeralda which is the reason for "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, Gloria!"(by my good friend Francine). So now the amazing race began to get all the paperwork in order and registered before the closing of adoptions, which by the way was in exactly 27 days! She had to be registered with the existing Guatemalan government by December 31. By the grace of God and He putting wonderful people into our paths, the paperwork needed for the registration was completed in record time! It truly was a miracle to get everything completed so quickly and all the hard work from so many amazing people, we are so grateful.