Levi Douglas Bradley: Pray for a good outcome today!

Our Adoption Story

Levi was born on April 21, 2007 in Chinautla, Guatemala, a small town known for pottery. He weighed 6.7 pounds and was 19.7 inches long. He was in private foster care in Guatemala City where he lived for 10 1/2 months with his foster mom, her son and daughter and Isaac, his foster brother. Throughout our difficult adoption journey, Isaac's mom, Nancy and I became very good friends. God placed our boys together and had the perfect plan in place long before we ever realized it. When I was undecided on an adoption agency, I joined an online forum where Nancy provided me with information about her agency and recommended them to us. We decided to sign with the same agency and I emailed Nancy back to let her know. Over a few months we emailed back and forth to learn we were both from TN and lived only 30 minutes apart... we thought wow, it's a small world. Little did we know a few months later we'd both get referrals, earlier than we expected, of 2 beautiful Guatemalan angels. When they turned 2 months old our agency called and decided it was time to tell us that they were in the same foster home together and had been since they were 1 day old. We were amazed they were together. Even more so, God amazed us once again when we learned shortly after that they were born on the same day and were from the same town... no longer a coincidence that was for sure. We were being told by the foster mom how attached they were and acted like brothers. But, Nancy and I got the chance in January '08 to go to visit them and see it for ourselves. It was an amazing time of bonding with our boys that we will never forget. After that trip it seemed when one of us would reach a roadblock in the crazy process of international adoption the other would be delayed with something else. We stayed right together until the very day we picked them both up. We had our US Embassy appts the same day and we flew home through Atlanta on the same flight on March 11, 2008 when they both entered the US as citizens! It was an awesome time for us in the Atlanta Airport when we rec'd the congrats they were official! We've made friends for life with Nancy, Eric, and with Isaac's extended families. We look forward to many years of watching them both grow up so close together. Over the past year, as we went through battle after battle to bring our boys home, Nancy and I both would never think of one without the other in our endless prayers to keep them safe, happy and healthy until they could be home with their forever families. We're finally parents and it's what we've both waited for, for so many years.. our families are finally complete!!!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Pray for a good outcome today!

Hey, finally they tell us Congress is holding a special session to vote on the final reading of the amended Ortega Law today. This vote will specify what they plan to do about the in process cases and letting us continue under the old law. Nancy and I are very concerned about what they will decide but, we also know God is in control of our cases and will see Levi and Isaac home soon. Nancy got good news yesterday that she is still on the 2nd reviewers desk. Although she would have liked to hear that she was awaiting final sign off, she is still in PGN so..that is promising for her. She is bringing Isaac home soon and should be in her last days in PGN. She has survived 6 weeks of an average 8 week stay in PGN as of tomorrow (Wednesday). I tried to call but, late in the afternoon and they just hang up on you at that point in the day. I may try back today if I can get the chance at work to make the call. It makes you so nervous everytime just waiting to hear where they say you are. Will post an update when we know more. They have postponed this week after week so, hopefully today they'll come to some agreement in the best interest of the Guatemalan children currently already assigned to families like our own. Lord, help us to hang on just a little while longer. - Tracy (aka Levi's mommy)