Good morning!

We are rested and well fed...the hotel food is amazing! The coffee or cafe con leche is the best! Both of our ninitas enjoyed cafe as well. Cintia dipped her watermelon & pineapple in it. She loved it!

We will wait to hear from our attorneys to know how the next few days will progress. Originally, today was to be spent signing in at the embassy. Now it is no longer required. They have simplified the process knowing that the visa card left at the airport shows we boarded the plane and her passport stamped by Guatemala immigration once we landed show that she arrived at the border. That is proof enough.

We feel well armed and relaxed knowing that God has this all taken care of. While working on Perspectives homework (a mission's class we are taking at church through AMG) this morning, we read William Carey's "Enquiry" which was a pamplet he wrote which helped begin the Protestant mission movement just over 200 years ago. His motto really hit home for us. "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God." Knowing that God placed Cintia with us and knowing that He fully intends for us to be her family, we started this fight knowing that only He could join her legally with our family. Though it seems impossible under the current situation in Guatemalan adoptions...though it seems to be risking Cintia's life and well being to bring her back and "turn her over"...we know that we are walking into the court room armed for battle and that the Creator of the universe can surely win this battle. I will admit, however, when I we had landing in Guatemala yesterday and we were walking towards immigration to have our passports stamped showing we are here and that she is back, my thoughts went quickly to plan B (which by the way I know to be my plan.... not God's otherwise we would be in another country by now). That plan has gone through my mind in more scenarios than you can imagine. This scenario played like this. "Okay...it's done. She is here. The US goverment will be happy. The Guatemalan government will be too but unfortunately now know that she is here. However, I do have her passport. There are open borders with 3 or 4 other countries in Central Amerca. We could just move on with her to one of the others and chances are no one would come looking for her or us for that matter." Then I snapped out of it. We know after months and months of praying and seeking God on this situation that we have to let Him do this His way...and this is the way He has guided.

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given unto you." God will be victorious. He will win this battle for Cintia...in His perfect timing. As someone told us before and we have learned through this process, God is always on time....never late but rarely early. We pray for a simple victory in this but we have not been promised one. This may just be a new beginning for a long fight in our journey to Cintia. If that is the case, we can't wait to see what adventure God has in store for our family during the process. We sure would love a quick victory though and are praying that it is quick and mighty...purely miraculous no doubt but wouldn't it be amazing!

I want to update about Jose and his reunion with his family. I know that many of you have prayed for him and have financially given to make his miracle a reality. It is very humbling for us to have shared time with this young Mayan family. I will share it in a seperate post later today or tomorrow. Please pray for Jose and his family today...they are on a chicken bus traveling 9 hours back to their village. We miss Jose already! Pray for the Smiths who have poured their lives into him for 13 months...I know they miss him beyond words. I told Kenny that I felt like we just sent a piece of our family away....but thankfully, Jose carries a piece of all of our hearts with him as well as a family and God who will love and protect him.

Blessings to all!
April