Day 5: Goodbye

As our plane landed on the day we arrived and I looked at the breathtaking vista below, I told Gordon that I knew I already wanted to come back.

Thursday, our last day in Guatemala, I felt the same. Someday we will come back when every one is healthy and strong and visit this beautiful country and really get to know the people who make it so special.

We have made some lasting friendships here. Ironically they began as business relationships but now extend to true friendships.

Today was a day to thank these amazing people and to say goodbye.

A relaxing start to the day

For the first time since we arrived, we had no need to get up early. Ah, so civilized…
We all bathed, and got ready for breakfast. I think it was the first time that we were all clean at the same time. The lounge on our floor served a wonderful breakfast and that’s where we headed.

Miss Grace assembles her breakfast components

I had visions of a nice little family gathering at one of the beautifully laid out tables, but Gracie had other plans. She immediately settled herself in an armchair in front of a glass coffee table. She pulled out her sticker book and tucked into a chocolate croissant. The rest of us riff raff started out at a table but soon joined her on an nearby sofa.

Chocolate, the universal language of YUM!

Our first hello and goodbye to good friends was scheduled at 11:00 that morning. We were meeting with our attorney and the director of Adoption Supervisors. For those who don’t know, Adoption Supervisors is an independent organization that provides information and sometimes assistance in cases that are not being handled to the satisfaction of the families involved. As often as they can, they supervise cases without the knowledge of the official adoption agency.

I will write more someday about the details of our case, but for now suffice it to say that mistakes were made and no information was provided to us regarding the outcome of those mistakes. Into the midst of my fears and dwindling trust came our friends at Adoption Supervisors. Not only did they provide accurate and timely information but they did so with compassion. Now we were meeting these friends in person for the first time! We exchanged many hugs, talked about the future of adoptions in Guatemala and gave each other gifts from our countries. We promised to keep in touch and send pictures of our happy family.

Our next goodbye was with our new friend and driver, Edwin. True, he was taking us to the airport at 4:00 am the next morning, but since I planned on being comatose at that time, this afternoon was the last time for us to spend time as friends together. Because I hadn’t had any time to shop, Edwin took us to a nice, close, open air market where I went nuts on gifts and souvenirs. What a patient man! He directed us to shops with unique items. When I was loaded down with too many parcels, he would run them out to his car. The five of us enjoyed a wonderful meal at a nearby steak house. It was our first chance to sample some of the local cuisine. Danny was feeling much better and was really enjoying the tortillas!

The guys dig in

Yes, you can eat tortillas with 2.5 teeth

Full body smile!

At 3:00 we headed to the Embassy to pick up our Visa. All went smoothly and in no time we were headed back to our hotel with all the paperwork necessary to leave the country. Edwin commented that for the first time he could see that all the tension was out of my face! He also warned us: “DO NOT OPEN THE SEALED ENVELOPE!” The sealed envelope is the Pandora’s Box for adoptive families. The Embassy hands you a sealed envelope to be turned over at US Immigration. Many families wonder what’s in that envelope and some have given into temptation and opened it. Edwin knew such a family and warned that the punishment was a two week wait in-country while the paperwork was reassembled. So we followed orders.

Back at our hotel, we had one last appointment with a new friend. Danny’s pediatrician was stopping by for a last check-up to see if we were good to fly out the next day. One of my most gratifying moments of the trip was the look on the doctor’s face when Danny and I answered the door. His look was of relief and amazement in the transformation of our sweet boy. Before the doctor left, he told me that he felt adoption was a wonderful thing. He said that we were making a difference in a life, giving a life to someone who might otherwise have missed out. I was quick to tell him that the blessing worked both ways and that we were equally blessed to have Danny in our lives. We promised to send pictures to our new friend to show him Danny’s progress.

Danny's first doctor

Now there was nothing left to do but order room service and pack. The doctor had told us that Danny really needed to begin experiencing food since the feeding at the orphanage left little room for wallowing in food the way kids need to in order to learn to eat. So we turned Danny loose on the plain noodles much to Gracie’s delight.

Pasta is awesome

With the kids finally sleeping, Gordon and I packed until about 11:00. We set two alarms and for good measure I attempted to follow the Spanish automated menu instructions on our phone to place a wake-up call request.

After a wonderful day, we were ready to head home. Our last leg of the journey was set to begin in just four hours.

One of my favorite pictures of all time!