A note of explanation to our friends

...-Good Morning Friends,
Many of you may remember one of our 2 lost referrals with our agency, Maria Fernanda, and how utterly heartbreaking the loss was for us. You may also know that we have never given up in finding her and her baby sister for the last year and a half, despite refusal from our agency to help. The agency told me in a phone call, "You need to forget about her, you will NEVER see Maria again!" Well, that was wrong! We now know that Maria was only on loan to our hearts, and that God would use our deep love for this child in an entirely different way than we ever thought possible. We thought we had located Maria last July, and with the help of our attorney there, had planned to re-start the adoption process for her in November. But, that did not happen and now it is clear to us why. We were able to be part of helping her mom find her and the baby she has NEVER even seen before!! It seems that Maria's mom has been tirelessly searching for her for as many months as we have been. I had the privilege of hearing the voice of this brave and courageous mother over the phone several weeks ago and believe me, there were no words, just sobs between us. As one mother to another, we didn't even need to talk, we just needed to let our hearts connect and work harder together to find the children we both loved. On Monday morning, a landmark decision was handed down by a wise and honorable judge in Guatemala City, and in a miracle, the girls were rightfully returned to their mother! You can read the articles of events and accounts in 'Mildred's Story', and see the beautiful photos of this family in the first few moments together in 18 months, just as they come out of the court room! I was also able to be on the phone as Mildred walked out with both her girls in arms for the very first time, and...believe me, it was a sound I will NEVER forget! Very happy tears, 2500 miles apart, but very happy! Please join me in prayers that this mom will be able to rebuild her relationship and trust with little Maria Fernanda and begin the nurturing of Ana Cristina that she was denied so many months ago. They have all suffered needlessly at the hands of those who chose a corrupt path to conduct the business of adoption. They now need time to heal and mend their hearts, and we hope they can do this in peace. Our hearts are also healing now and we are thankful for the chance to love this little girl so much, we know she was a gift to us for this time in her life, and we hope our actions and prayers have blessed her, her mom, and her baby sister.

We hope all of you are well.
take care,
Betsy