Last few days in review

Where do I start??? Last week on Thursday (4/24) President Colom fired Attorney General Bardillo and subsequently Sr. Barrios was fired. Adoptions were shut down. Those people who had files on Barrios' desk for signature and those at the window for pickup were pulled. Nothing was happening. Anxiety and fear were running rampant amongst the chat forums etc. I did my best not to log on over the weekend. It's not as if I could do anything but speculate anyway. Instead I took my frustration out on a carpet cleaning maching. :-) And then my furnace went and died on Sunday. At least it's not -30 anymore....

I knew that Monday (4/28) was going to be a fairly stressful day as my brother Eric had surgery in the afternoon. Actually he called my folks as they were heading to the hospital and they were taking him in an hour ahead of schedule. In the meantime, I was made aware of a meeting that was called by the new Attorney General Sr. Merlos and Sra. Flory De Leon (replacing Barrios). All attorneys and notaries were invited to attend. The chatter was that the attorneys had to present their cases and explain why they should be allowed to proceed. PROCEED??? You've got to be kidding me. I thought I was going to lose it, puke, or just plain pass out. The meeting was to start at 9:00AM. I sat on pins and needles all day between waiting for news from Guatemala and the hospital. By about 2:30PM we heard that the meeting in Guatemala went well, but no real solid information. And then about 4:15PM I heard that Eric was in recovery and that the surgery went very well.

My friend Angie who is also adopting from Guatemala and has one child already from there spoke to her contacts and phoned me Tuesday morning. The meeting did go well. Cases that were awaiting signature or pickup should be processed out by the end of next week. The AG said that the rest of us have been in PGN too long already and it is his plan to get us processed out. They are establishing a system for processing/reviewing cases. (wow a real system??!!) I am very hopeful that I will be out of PGN in the next few weeks. I am hoping that this "cleaning house" by the Colom administration will also affect the CR's so that birth certificates will start rolling out. I really don't think I can take another 4 month wait for no viable reason other than to hold me up.

I guess that catches everyone up on the latest goings on in my world. I can't wait for the day when I don't have to post these kind of things and instead can post the cute little antics of Charli. someday soon.........

Positive Attitude

Saturday my friends and sister-in-law threw me an absolutley lovely baby shower. It was really nice to see so many people all at once. The love and support was amazing.

On the inside, my stomach was doing flips. I was scared to death all weekend that the news I had gotten from PGN about 3rd reviewer meant I was going to get another previo. I think I did a fairly good job of hiding this from everyone. (at least I hope I did)

I decided on Monday that I had to know. It was my birthday and I woke up telling myself I was going to get good news. I called PGN and was told first reviewer. Now, I don't know if that means I went backwards -- some others seem to have done this lately or if that's where I've been all along. Either way, I don't care. I'm still in PGN!!!!! Since it was my birthday, I had planned to take the afternoon off and do a little shopping. My mom came with me and it was a really good day.

I'm doing my best to stay positive. I will keep thinking that I am going to get good news and maybe just maybe I'll get the notice that I am OUT sooner rather than later.

No real news

After the bad week last week, I was really hoping to have some good news to post. Many of you have no idea of what I am referring to. Well, Eric was given some not good news from his doctor on Monday 4/8 and then my folks had to put the family dog down on Friday 4/11. So, I figured things couldn't get any worse and on Monday 4/14 I called PGN. Now I am totally confused. Remember I mentioned there has been a lot of misinformation lately. Maybe that's what this is. Or maybe it's bad news but I am hanging on to being cautiously optimistic. I was told by Cristina (the only English speaking person at PGN) that I was with the 3rd reviewer. This means that my file is awaiting a signature. Don't rush off and get too excited. Sr. Barrios signs off on the files if they get a previo/KO just as he does if the file is complete and OUT. It's for this reason I was hesitant to even post this news. I may not know for another week or two what's happening. -- stress is a wonderful thing :-)

Maybe next week I'll have some more solid news. But then again I may not.

sara

Just more waiting

As many of you know, I monitor a few websites and chat/forums groups. I feel pretty confident about my resubmit to PGN. But I haven't decided if I want to call down there again or not. I've seen quite a bit of misinformation coming out of there. (the person we all used to ask for, Laura, has left PGN for a new job) However, on the other hand, some of the information is very encouraging. I have seen a few people who were submitted/resubmitted the same week as me who are now with the second reviewer. We have to go through two reviewers and then our files are presented to Sr. Barrios for signature and this is when I get to shout, "I'm OUT!!!" I'd love to think I too am with the 2nd reviewer but who knows. Maybe I'll try to call this week.

Another thing I've seen and am looking for confirmation on is the recent firings of more employees of the CR at Mixco. This could be good and bad. Guatemala is trying to eliminate the coruption which is of course a very good thing. But if the CR is short staffed that may slow things down just as much as the corruption did. Supposedly the government is in the process of instituting a central agency to handle ALL birth certificates. It is referred to on all the sites I watch as RENAP. (I have no idea what this stands for or at least I can't remember right now.) But I do know that this would be great. I am hopeful that this may be more operational in the next few weeks and then Charlotte's BC can be done so much faster than the potential 8 week wait some have had.

Well, as I know more, I'll keep you posted. And if I do call PGN this week, I'll post that too.

Thanks for checking in with us.

Sara

PGN Again!!!!

I got an email earlier this afternoon from my agency and my facilitator, Tracey, that I am back in PGN!!!! This is great news. The headache I've been harboring for the last week or so seems to be a little better. :-)

I am hoping that my stay in court will be a short one. But then I have to deal with the Civil Registry (CR) of Mixco. They have been kind of tempermental lately. Some people have been very blessed in getting out in less than two weeks and I've seen where others have taken 8 weeks or more.

Once I clear PGN, I'll be putting out the all points bulletin for prayer requests so I clear the CR as fast as possible.

I can see the end of the journey but there's a thick dense fog I need to clear before I reach it. But today is a good day and we're moving along!!!

sara