Merry Christmas Sarah!

You just turned 3 months old and you are spending your first Christmas away from us. The sadness in my heart overwhelms me. I will not be able to give you a single gift. I will not be able to celebrate Christmas knowing my whole family is around me because my little Sarah will not be here. Although you are so tiny and do not comprehend these things, I know.... and I cannot help but grieve the loss of missing even a single day of your life. So my Sweetheart, here is the only gift I can give you this year...... a song that I feel like was written from my heart. May God carry my love for you this Christmas from my heart to yours.

I love you, Mommy

Sarah Needs YOUR Help!!!

We are asking anyone and everyone who is praying for our little girl's adoption to help us advocate on her behalf to the US Embassy. We received a phone call from our case worker last night informing us that due to an overload of adoption cases at the Embassy, they are only allowing 20 attorneys per day to present 1 adoption case. Our attorney has tried several times since November to present our case and has consistently been turned away. There are literally hundreds of attorneys that wait outside in line overnight at the Embassy EVERY day!!....just trying to get in!!

Here's what YOU can do to help:
Please copy and paste the below message(or you can write your own message) and e-mail it to the US Embassy in Guatemala City at adoptguatemala@state.gov . If you would like to do even more you contact your state senators : ) Thank you for helping us!!!

To Whom It May Concern:
We are (your name) from (city and state). We are friends of David and Marianne Gross, who are adopting a little girl from Eagles Nest Children's Home. Their attorney, Pedro Gonzalo Cabrera, has tried several times since November to present a request for DNA authorization to the Embassy but has been turned away consistently due to the decreased quota for cases allowed per day.

PLEASE HELP this little girl and their family! We are well aware of the effects of long term institutionalization on children no matter how wonderful the institution. Please assist this family out of concern for the best interest of their child so that they might bring home their little girl as swiftly as possible!

Thank you!
Sincerely,
(your name)

I LOVE News : )

My little men getting into the Christmas spirit with their adorable gingerbread houses(with the assistance of my dear friend Gayle, THANK YOU Gayle!!)

It may sound crazy but whether good or bad I LOVE hearing news from our caseworker : ) There can be WEEKS between updates and hearing nothing can just drive you insane. The saying goes....no news is good news but the truth is I just want to hear SOMETHING so that I can be reassured that our case has not been forgotten. I suppose bedrest only increases that desire : )

Well, we did hear news last night and it was good. According to our agency, we definitely have been grandfathered in....even without the DNA. All we needed was our power of attorney to be considered a pending adoption. PRAISE GOD!!! She also told me that we would most likely get our DNA request presented again on Monday along with another family that has had rejection problems....please pray for the Lord's will to be done.

I have been doing my own inductive Bible study on the book of Ephesians and have been trying to grasp the fullness of the promises we have "in Christ". I've already spent a couple of hours on the first chapter and feel as though I need to stay there even longer. Eph.1:3 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places IN CHRIST..." We have every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies...for those who are in Christ....WOW! So, I can be patient between hearing news updates and I can have faith when circumstances don't look promising because I am in Christ! There is nothing that brings me greater joy, more comforting peace or deeper love for my Savior than the Word. I pray you will each find time today to pursue the ONE relationship that never fails, never rejects and never ends. love, Marianne

So Spoiled!!

Would you just look at how cute this child is??!! Her HAIR!!....sticking straight up in the back...I LOVE it! The only thing that grieves me is that I don't know whether her disposition matches her outer sweetness....we pray it does and that her heart will be soft and ready for the love of Christ to fill her life. Christmas will be difficult emotionally this year, wanting so badly to share the most PRECIOUS gift of our Saviour with Sarah home ...WITH us.

Her health report said "she is healthy and a very happy baby". Weighing in at a whopping 9lbs. 12oz., measuring 21 1/2 inches long. We are SO spoiled at Eagles' Nest! Let me assure you that any other international adoption would not include monthly photos and possibly no health updates. We are so grateful that the missionaries at EN take the time to spoil and encourage their adoptive families with such special pictures : ) Please pray with me for the Lord to bless the Boggs family and the other folks at EN as they continue to minister to HIS children!

More Pictures!

My heart melts and breaks every time I look at these pictures of our sweet Sarah.....I'd give anything to just touch her face, look in her eyes or have her tiny little fingers wrap around mine. Someday, someday.......A dear friend of mine and fellow guatemama just got back from visiting her little girl at Eagles' Nest. We are so grateful for her kindness in taking pictures of Sarah and all the other babies for other mommies : ) Thank you Deidre.....what a beautiful present you gave me this week!

Adoption update..........We have already had a few setbacks in our adoption so far....the most recent being rejected by the US embassy to be authorized for DNA. Just for a petty reason but we hope to be re-presented by the end of this week. Please pray for no more glitches in paperwork as this DNA authorization is VERY important. We should know something next week. Please also pray for the future of Guatemala adoptions.....so many children will suffer if the wrong legislation is passed.....unfortunately, it seems as though the US is "strong-arming" the congressmen in Guate to vote the way the US DOS wants them to...pretty disappointing. Praise God we have a Father more powerful and with a stronger arm than all the governments of the world together! We choose to trust in HIM!

As far as my pregnancy goes, went to the dr. today. I set myself up for disappointment. I really thought I would be able to resume a few activities in the next week. But because most babies born before 28 wks. don't do very well, he wants me to remain on full bed rest till Christmas(I turn 28wks on Christmas day). At that point, he may allow me to do a few things but he promised I would be able to do whatever I want when I get to 34 wks. One day at a time. Dave and I were laughing in the office because we read in a pamphlet that one way to avoid preterm labor is to stay stress free. We found that pretty funny considering we're in the middle of an adoption and in the middle of a high risk pregnancy......seems next to impossible to be free of stress to me : ) Ah, but there is NOTHING too difficult for the Lord!!

Thank you all for your continued prayers, comments on our blog, e-mails and phone calls! It is beautiful to watch the Lord minister through His people! To my blogging buddies....I'm unable to leave comments because of the block on the computer i'm using but please know I'm praying for all of you and reading up on your adoptions daily.....May He bring all of our Eagle's Nest babies home soon!!

love to you all,
Marianne