Update

Hello, we hope everyone has been doing well....not just well but great! Thanks again for the many prayers during this process, thank you thank you thank you. Maria has been welcomed into the family (and the family of faith) with wide open arms and she is a very happy little girl. She is loving having a mommy and a daddy and sisters to play with and sometimes argue with a little bit(isn't that what sisters do occasionally?) She has done so much and everything is a first for her, she went to the Roanoke Star (which she loved to see up close) she went to see her first ballgame (the Avalanche).....of course she was more impressed with the "all you can eat burgers and peanuts". She went camping with her sisters this weekend at the Peaks of Otter and had a blast, especially going up to the top. Her daddy makes sure she has a Mango when we go to the grocery. We are sure there will be more hurdles ahead but right now we are doing great. More to follow including some pictures.

Family Photo!

Our first family photo with Maria turned out pretty good considering it was about 100 degrees and the bugs were eating us! Yes, we left the tropics and came home to Virginia to find that it is hotter here than it was there! Maria is a little confused about that! We had a great first day together as a family today. Maria is one of the crew now! She had a blast with her sisters and was very helpful with them. We went to the icecream parlor this afternoon (Maria had Mango, of course) and ate dinner at Logan's to celebrate. Maria liked the steak, baked potato, and salad with honey mustard - all firsts for her - and all off Mama's plate - just like her sisters! Everything tastes better if it is on Mama's plate! Then we went up to the Roanoke star, to properly introduce Maria to her new home. She had a great time! We stayed till they turned the star on - 9:00 - and she really loved it! We'll try to get some more pictures posted really soon!

We're home!

Well the Skinner crew is home - all of us together at last! Maria is so happy! She had a great evening with her sisters and new friends and family! We had a great welcome home at the airport, which really meant a lot to Maria (and her parents)! Then we all came back to the house for pizza and cake. There were streamers, balloons, and gifts - all to make Maria feel like part of the family - and now she is! Thanks everybody! And a special thanks to Grandmom and Papa Jim for taking such good care of our girls for us! Maria was right at home tonight. It was so wonderful to see all our girls together when Daddy read their Bible story before bed. (We have a book that has the English and Spanish). Then to see all the bunk beds full - we've waited to see that for a long time! We are exhausted, broke, and happier than we can express! God answered many prayers! Thanks again for all the prayers and support - we love you all! We'll post some pictures tomorrow of the days events!

The whole Skinner crew

We leave tommorow (Sat 6/7) at 7:30 a.m.

Sorry we are placing this post so late, we have good news.....Maria got her Visa today.....God willing we are coming back to Roanoke tommorow. Wow this has been quite a journey, we can't wait to share the finer details with all our friends and relatives when we see you. Maria is so excited she says she is ready to meet all her relatives and her amigos she remembers from the Dale Ridge mission trips.
We were on edge all morning as we had an "interview" with Immigration about Maria's visa applicatioin scheduled for around 1pm....would there be some little fine detail that we had forgotten to submit? or are our pictures the right size?....do we have everything signed?, will there be someone there that just doesn't care if it gets finished today?.....etc etc....we just had to take a breather and lay it before God......the process couldn't have gone smoother we were the only ones dealing with a Visa this afternoon and they had plenty of time and willingness to get it done. As much as we deeply and I mean really deeply wanted to come home we can see that God knew what was best. We really needed a little more time for bonding and working out some discipline issues with Maria....He knew far better than we did as far as what would be best. Besides this, we befriended a taxi driver.....invited him to church (which he says is something he has not been involved with in a long long time and now says he would like to meet with the brethren again), we gave him our Spanish/English Bible, another driver a week early was taught about the gospel while we visited Maria's house parents.....so its really really awesome to see how God can work in so many different ways. Sena and I both really realized today, just why we had to wait 2 and a half years.....it took time to get all the people in the right places in Panama to make this happen. The Judge over Marias case noted that Maria had been lost in the system and she should have been placed in a family evironment over 4 years ago.....she even told us that maybe this is God's way of taking care of a great injustice and of giving Maria what she needs. I am still in awe that this phase of things is finished.
We thank God for his answer to our prayers over the past 2 years......Hannah, Adele, and Lilly thanks for your nightly prayers about this....God said YES! You get to meet your new sister tommorow! Thank you Lord for your answer. We thank you Lord for loving us and for giving up your own child on a cross. We thank all our family and friends who have helped in so many ways and we thank you for all the prayers....which I fully believe have kept our spirits up. God bless you all We love you and we can't wait to see you real soon!

Greg and Sena

US Embassy - Round 1

We went to the US Embassy this morning at 8:00 to deliver our I600 (permission to bring an orphan into the US, basically), and to get our appointment to come back and apply for Maria's Visa (not a credit card!). We also had to get the form we needed to get her medical exam (also for the Visa) as well. Fortunately I had sent an e-mail to a really nice lady at the Embassy who works with Immagration on approving the children for admission into the US (must prove the child is an orphan, adoption legal, etc), part of the I600 process. She called us while we were on the way over this morning and gave us some instructions so we could get as much done today as possible, including Maria's medical exam. Well our friend that works window number 5, had other plans. She didn't share our goals for the day. So we left the Embassy briefly so we could make some phone calls (no cell phones allowed inside), regroup, and try again. Well our phone calls (SOS), and prayers worked! We got everything we needed today, and were able to get the medical exam, including vaccinations (ouch!) done, and have our Visa interview appointment for Friday. We are praying we'll get her Visa Friday - there are no guarantees. So please pray - we want to come home!!!!!!! We miss our other girls!!!!!!! Maria has been really happy this afternoon - even after the awful shots (4) - she seems to know that we are really her parents and she is really going to Virginia! She was telling us at lunch how she was going to hug each of her three sisters and "mi amigo Chris's" two girls at the airport! (Our dear friend Chris went to Panama just over a year ago and met Maria, and his girls are best buddies with our girls.) Maria has looked at the pictures of them all seeing us off at the airport many many times! We are so excited to have things (Lord willing) coming to completion. Maria is such a gift, and will bring so much joy into all our lives. We are so thankful and feel so blessed to be her parents! Thanks again for all the prayers and support! We love you all!

Sena, Greg, and Maria

Maria has a passport!

Our pretty Panamanian Princess!



Maria found another mango tree!



View from our hotel room balcony - BIG ship




Well, today didn't go as we had planned. We were supposed to go to the Embassy to start Maria's Visa process today, but hit a speed bump. The computers were down Monday in Santiago, so they couldn't get the necessary information into the system for us to get her new birth certificate. They didn't get it all entered until 10 am today (Tuesday) so we were not able to the passport office until almost noon - so it took ALL afternoon. But Maria has a passport now! With her new name - she is really proud that she has a passport like ours now! She also has a birth certificate listing us as her parents! Of course she'll get another one in the states when we re-adopt there, but this one is pretty cool to see! It's all been a long time coming. We plan to be at the Embassy when they open in the morning (Lord willing), and hopefully will get her medical exam tomorrow as well. Then pray we can get her Visa by Friday (pray hard!). We've been told it shouldn't be a problem, but we've been told so many things............we'll have to put it in God's hands. Maria is doing great. We're working through some behavior issues such as manners and appropriate social behavior. She doesn't like waiting in line (for example). I handed her a wet wipe in TGI Fridays tonight (hey Rick and Michelle, guess where we're staying now!) and she wiped her hands......then her face, arms, legs, and feet.........we had to try and explain that she only needed to wipe her hands - she looked so puzzled - she likes to be clean, and didn't see the problem. She doesn't always want to listen to our instructions when there are other people around - she ignores us - so we had to ban her from the pool tomorrow. She seemed to get the picture and has promised to obey so she can play in the pool on Thursday. She loves to give hugs and kisses now, and talks about her sisters all the time - when it is just us she talks constantly! She is still very quiet with others around. She seems to have difficulty hearing people on the telephone, so we're going to have her hearing checked. She is excited about the plane ride and meeting all her new family and friends! We've been looking at pictures on the computer. She got almost angry at us tonight - she saw a picture of my Daddy (who passed away 2 weeks before we left for Panama). She was determined that he had come to the children's home and visited her in December. We told her that it must have been a man that looked like Papaw - but she was determined that is was him! We just let it go. It makes me sad that she never got to meet her Papaw, so if she believes she did, then so be it! We post an update about our Embassy adventure tomorrow. We love you all!

Sena, Greg, and Maria

Homesick!

Today is Saturday and it is now day 14 of our adventure in Panama. We want to come home! We actually like Panama, but it isn't home, and all our girls aren't here. We couldn't call home this evening because our phones have a problem they were not able to resolve. Our alarm clock died as well, so maybe it was a power surge or something. They brought us a new clock, but we still have no phone service in the room. We can't call the States on the cell phone either. Frustrating!!!!!!! Maria has come along way - she is really affectionate with us now! She really is becoming a big Daddy's girl. I guess that's OK, she can join the club! Tonight she got out the glasses that they gave her through a program at her school - she doesn't wear them. She then got out her photo album we sent to her back in January. She showed us pictures of her sisters (Hannah and Adele) wearing their glasses, then put her glasses on. I don't think she ever wore them because the other kids didn't wear glasses. She is picking up some English. When she speaks in English we really notice her speech difficulties. She has been talking so much the last few days - usually when it is just us. We hope that Hannah will be an inspiration to Maria - that she will see that it is OK to speak even if your speech isn't perfect. We love her so much already! We just miss her sisters, and want to all be together. She is excited about going home on the airplane, though I'm sure she is nervous about starting a new life in a new place. Keep up the prayers! We're not out of Panama yet - we still have to get Maria's Visa (not for shopping) and that can be tricky! We love and miss you all,

Sena, Greg and Maria

More Pictures (Friday 5-30-08)

The Mira Flores locks raises or lowers the ships depending on which direction they are going - it is a very tight squeeze!



























A VERY tight squeeze!















Mama just saw the bill for lunch - that was quite a squeeze too!















Daddy's girl number 4!!!

Today in Panama

It's me again (Greg), Its been awhile since I've written, I'll try to keep from straying to far off subject. As Sena said last post we are just trying to keep some form of Sanity by trying to find things to do near the hotel (not much at all to do at the hotel or within 2 miles of it, the little swimming pool is just to small and you have to walk directly through the lobby to get to it so swimming hasn't been a good option here) as she said there is an extremely large mall here that has a huge kids area with bumper cars and Maria loves that so we tend to just hang out at the mall. Yesterday we saw the Mira Flores locks of the Panama Canal and that was pretty interesting.....trust me some of those big ships scrape the sides of the canal I heard it and saw it happening. Anyways Today we drove (with the assistance of our newfound English speaking Panamanian taxi driver Francisco) into the heart of Panama city and bought Maria something she will really need......her first plane ticket, a ticket that will take her to her forever home! God Willing (please pray hard on this one) she will get to use it next Saturday morning. That would put us in Roanoke at around 5 pm. Please pray that God allows us to come home together on this day!

Maria loves to play UNO, although she's little sneaky about it (really gotta watch her cards close if you know what I mean) but seriously, the game has actually turned out to be a really good way to encourage bonding between myself and Maria. Sena and I got our first good night kiss from our new daughter tonite and to be honest, it seemed that Maria really let down some walls today....I'm sure there are many more issues in the future but I think that seeing us buy her ticket today really made an impression on her that we aren't turning back.....everyday she shows us her airline bag that we bought down here...These past 12 days I've wondered and questioned if she would love me the way my other girls do but now I think I'm well on my way to having 4 daddy's girls ....just kidding Sena.
I (and Sena) miss Hannah, Adele and Lilly more than I ever imagined our could have dreamed of. In fact, out of all that has happened in this whole process being without them has without question been the hardest part. Have I said we love Panama but we want to be be home desperatly? we do!.. We want to say thank you.....thats all of you! everyone!......who have been praying, checking on the kids, helping out at our house, helping Betty and Jim.....keeping things churning at my office......you know who you are and we can't thank you enough. God bless you !

Wednesday - downtime

Buenas noches from the Canal Zone. We're just trying to stay busy for the next 5-6 days, so we don't go crazy missing our other 3 girls. I read on-line last night about Steven Curtis Chapman (contempory christian music) losing his 5 year old daughter Maria (adopted from China) last week in a tragic accident. It was very hard knowing that just as we were getting our little Maria of the Angels, that family lost their little angel Maria Sue. I can't even imagine their pain, and don't ever want to...................it made me want to hug my girls and never let go, but I can only hug one of them right now. I have to trust in God to bring us all back together soon. Without our faith in God, I don't think we could have done any of this - I don't think I would have had the nerve to leave my children. I keep thinking of Jesus telling about the good shepherd. The good shepherd is willing to leave his 99 sheep to go after the 1 that is lost. I guess that takes a whole lot of faith. We are struggling with having left 3 to go after 1. Sorry for the babbling, but it helps to get feelings out, and it has been and emotional roller coaster this month.
Now, for the good news (always better to end with the good news!) Maria is blossoming! She is really something! She is a cardshark! Greg has been playing UNO with her. She beat him 3 times today! She has gotten more and more affectionate, and is accepting our authority well. She did so much more talking today! Before bed, she was pointing at things then repeating the English names back to me! She is learning fast - she is such a bright little girl! We are very honored to be her parents! Today, we went to the Mall - not much else to do on a rainy day - and when it rains in Panama during the rainy season, it really puts down the agua! The Mall is HUGE - it has a really nice movie theatre, so we watched a movie (Narnia). It also has a huge arcade with bumber cars, a small roller coaster, and a little train. Maria loves the bumper cars and roller coaster! There is also a mini-golf, bowling alley, large grocery store, and pharmacy.......not to mention a gazillion stores and several food courts. We will probably visit the Mira Flores Locks down the road tomorrow - has a museum for the Canal, etc. We forgot the camera today, so no pictures, sorry. Maybe tomorrow we can get some more on here. Thanks so much for all the wonderful, warm comments and welcomes for Maria! And as always, thanks for the prayers.....keep 'em coming! We love you all! P.S. Doug, you commented that you want to make a "lasting impression" when you meet Maria - that's fine, but we'll send all the bills from the counselor to you! (Just kidding, we love you and Maria will too!)

Greg, Sena, and Maria

It's official! Maria is a Tackett!

Yes it's true. Maria is officially our daughter! And yes, she is a Tackett! In Panama, the Mother's maiden name is part of your legal name and is listed last. So, Maria will be legally - Maria de los Angeles Skinner Tackett! As in the States, the Father's surname is normally used, but the Mother's maiden name is still technically part of your name. The Judge was really nice, and expressed her frustration that Maria hadn't been placed with a family sooner, especially since we've been trying since 2006. The Judge has no part or say in the adoption process until the very end. The whole thing is very political, and very frustrating. But for Maria, it is over. She has a family forever! We know the road ahead probably isn't going to be easy, but we will face it together as a family. We just want to be all together as a family now, today! But that isn't going to happen. The adoption decree takes 3 days (by law) to become official (in case anyone wants to raise any objection). That will be Friday, then on Monday the attorney has to go back to Santiago (hopefully without us) to finnish the process of changing her name, etc. Then on Tuesday, we will get her passport, submit everything to the Embassy, get her medical exam and Lord willing, only wait 2 days for them to get her Visa issued. So we're here another 9-10 days. We miss Hannah, Adele, and Lilly more than we can stand! But we will make it. We have a great deal of support and faith. Maria is doing great - she is so smart and funny! She is a handful - the good kind - and she is picking up some English. Oh an interesting note - we were cold all day today! It was raining and cool and the air conditioning was freezing us - imagine that - being cold this close to the equator! Actually, we've only had one really hot day - the rest have been humid, but cloudy with a breeze. Keep praying for us and all our girls!

Tomorrow's the big day!

Well we are off to Santiago (again) in the morning, early in the morning, for our adoption hearing. It's a 3 - 3 1/2 hour drive so we have to leave at 5:30 am. That's actually cutting it close, but these people drive crazy, so if we survive the trip, we should be on time for our 9:00 appointment! Knowbody seems to know what exactly we are doing, or what the process will be. It is sort of uncharted water. Well, like every other day, we'll just put it in God's hands. Don't look, just pray. And when you have no idea what they are saying to you, "just smile and nod"! Thankfully, we will have an interpreter with us. We will be coming back to Panama City tomorrow, Lord willing, with something declaring Maria our daughter forever! She has blossomed so much this week! She is so bright, mischevious, and loving! She is talking more, and picking up some English. We communicate fine, just not alway with spoken words. We'd probably all be better off if we let our hearts do the talking sometimes instead of our mouths! We had a great day today, we just want to be home with ALL our girls! Every day brings us a little closer to that goal. Thank you all for the prayers, they are working - keep it up! We love you all!

Pictures - Monday (continued)

One of the ships we saw on the Canal - in the mornings they go from the Pacific to the Atlantic and in the afternoon, they go from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The larger container ships we've seen have been heading to the Pacific late in the day.


The monkeys come down to the boat to get pieces of banana! They are very polite and sweet! I want my brother Doug to know that they didn't throw any "poo" at us!















There is a family of 7 white faced capuchin monkeys on the island. Some monkeys were stranded here years ago when they flooded the valley for the Canal. The monkeys can't swim. They told us that they climb down to a low branch and stick their tails in the water and lick it off when they are thirsty, because of the crocodiles! Did I tell you that our boat was only about 18 inches out of the water! We saw a bunch of baby crocodiles, but no Mama - they told us to watch for bubbles in the water, because they don't usually stray too far from their babies!
















This sign was in a little zoo in the park - a very sad little zoo. I loved the sign. Notice the chunk out of the hand! "Muerto" means dead. I'm not sure what "Muerden" means, but this sign was in the Anteaters' cage"
















We ate at a great little Italian place at the Mall for lunch - Maria really likes Pizza!

Pictures - Monday - the Canal and Monkey Island

Photo taken from the Gamboa Resort. This is a huge national park.

Maria in the truck that took us to the boat.















Our boat. It's a bit small compared to the other ships on the Canal! Once loaded and out in the Canal, the boat was only about 18 inches up out of the water! It was a fun ride! Maria loved it!
















The Titan Crane - it's been here since WWII! It looks like a dinosaur!





















Going up the Canal reminded us of Jackson County, Tennessee - going up the Cumberland River (accept for the occasional palm tree, crocodiles, monkeys, and sloths!)

Video - Baseball

On Sunday, we took a few gifts for the kids. We gave them some baseballs, mitts, and a bat that came with a batting glove. They ran right out to play baseball. They especially loved the batting glove! The video quality isn't great, but you can get the idea!

Pictures - Sunday - Visit to the children's home

Maria's home for the past 4 - 5 years.













The Iglesia de Cristo





















Maria got to visit and give out some presents.
















Girl talk!












Maria's amigas (they were her roommates). Maria took this photo. You have to wipe the camera lens often or it fogs up in the humidity!

Pictures - Saturday - the Canal Zone

The Holiday Inn Canal View (at the City of Knowledge)











Former U.S. military base housing (all around the hotel).


















A ship on the canal (across the road) - the lady in the picture is waiting for a bus.










This ship is up by the lock (it is amazing how huge some of the ships are and how much cargo is on them!)


















Bathing Beauty
What a beautiful sonrisa (smile)!

Greetings from the Canal Zone!

Friday night we came back to Panama City and stayed in a hotel we didn't like, so on Saturday we moved to the Holiday Inn (new) on the Panama Canal. It is sitting in the middle of what used to be U.S. military base housing (Clayton - we're not sure if that was Army or Navy). They have been slowly turning the abandoned military bases into housing and businesses. Much of the area is just empty buildings (base housing, PX, Officer's Clubs, guard houses, etc). We can see the canal from the front of the hotel - right across the road (our room is in the back - bummer). It is really neat to watch the ships come into the lock and be lowered then sent on their way. It takes a really long time. I wonder if this area is Maria's new Zonian cousin Tom's former hangout? (For anyone who doesn't know, my brother Don's, daughter Angela's, husband Tom grew up in the Canal Zone.) Anyway, today (Sunday) we went to Casa Hogar (the children's home), for church services at the Iglesia de Cristo and to visit. We had a great day. Maria was happy to see everyone, and so were we! We have been made to feel very welcome, and appreciate the hospitality so much. We are so thankful that Maria has recieved such loving care! And Sister Sarah, you've been such a help, and such an angel - thank you! Tomorrow (Monday) we are going to Gamboa (a national park, zoo). We going on some kind of Monkey Island adventure. Maria is very excited!

Friday - El Valle de Anton

This is a photo taken looking down into El Valle. It is on top of an extinct volcano (in the crater). It is cooler here, like Spring, and incredibly beautiful!







We ate lunch at a lovely little hotel (El Capitan).
As you can see, Pedro has become part of the family!





We love El Valle de Anton! Someday we hope to bring all our girls here!

Pictures - Playa Blanca (the beach)

We stayed Wednesday and Thursday nights at Playa Blanca Resort on the Pacific coast of Panama. This is a picture of our building.


Maria wouldn't go near the water Wednesday evening:(


But on Thursday, we couldn't get her out of the ocean! (The humidity kept fogging up our camera lens, so many of our beach photos are foggy).



She didn't like the pool at first either, but once we got her in............she had a blast!




Maria is quite the daredevil once she gets going! She loved jumping into the pool!

God is good!

So far, our trip to Panama to get our little girl has been nothing short of a miracle. Everything has gone so well. Everyday we get to see God working in our lives. Seeing Maria sleeping and cuddling "Rabito" is miracle enough, but prayers seem to be answered faster than we can pray them. We met a taxi driver at the mall last night. We just walked out the entrance door and he walked up. He is the one from Puerto Rico who speaks English (from earlier post). This evening we called him to take us back to the mall. We needed to buy gifts for the children's home for tomorrow's visit. We told him we were looking for some sports equipment (soccar balls, etc). He took us into the mall and showed us just the right place. And right next to the sports equipment and toys, was the school supplies - the other items we wanted. Then we splurged on a large pizza and pepsis ($5). We called hime when we were ready to go and he picked us up. Maria has a cold-sore-like place in the corner of her mouth that was starting to look bad. He took us to a supermarket with a "pharmacia". He asked the pharmacist what we needed to do for her. He said to give her vitamin C and gave us a prescription cream to put on it (we love la pharmacia!) The taxi driver has been a real "God send" - literally. We could not have prayed for someone more helpful. He takes what we pay him, says "thank you", then says "call me whenever you need me again, anytime". Right now it's late, I'm tired, and I can't even think of his name. But I'm thankful for him and thank and praise the God who gives us what (or who) we need before we even know to ask.
I think we are going to get him to take us down to the Causeway tomorrow (Sunday evening)- its at the mouth of the canal and has a stunning view of the Bridge of the Americas, and the ships lined up for the canal. We are trying to stay busy and trying to show Maria as much of her beautiful home country as we can. Otherwise, we'd just sit around and cry - we miss our three girls in Virginia more than we can stand sometimes. Thank you Betty and Jim for taking good care of them, and thank you Chris and April for your help! We'll post more pictures tomorrow.

Pictures - Wednesday Santiago

Mama and Maria in the Gazebo at the park in Santiago (another outing with the "ladies" to be observed).

While at the park, we ran into a girl who lived at Maria's orphanage for eleven years. She left after she turned 18. She was very sweet and happy to see Maria - it was mutual! Her little brother and the Social Worker are in the background.


The park in Santiago was very pretty. There are so many flowers in Panama - everything seems to bloom and if anything is still for awhile, something will grow on it!

Across the street from our hotel, the "Gran David" was this interesting building. Maria took the picture.



The Catholic Church in Santiago. Very typical style of the "Iglesias" in panama.

Pictures - Tuesday Santiago

Maria wanted her nails painted. She picked the color ("fiero" - fire) herself at the "Mashitazo".

Pedro, our driver. He has been great. I know he will be glad never to see our suitcases again! We stayed in 2 hotels in Santiago (we were there 2 nights)!


These are some nicer homes in Atalaya, just out of Santiago. We went there on one of our adventures with the Social Worker and Psychologist.



This is a museum they took us to while "observing" us with Maria. The local artwork was quite colorful - to say the least! There were many artifacts from the indiginous people of the area. Maria ran over and kicked a gourd used as a pot (probably a thousand years old) from one of the digs! It looked like a ball - fortunately it didn't break and everyone got a big laugh out of it! They were laughing and saying "futball, futball"! The people of Panama are very relaxed and endearing (except in their "caras")!