Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Peanut

Tonight, seven young women sat around my living room, dining on pita chips and warm chocolate chip cookies, as we shared excitedly about our weeks.  Finally, I told them that I asked to have small group at my house because I was too overwhelmed to pick an orphan off of Reece's Rainbow on my own.  I was overwhelmed knowing that while one sweet face would be chosen, the others would not be.  While one will have a chance for a home, the others face being sent to an institution.  One could have a mama to rock them to sleep, while the others rock themselves to sleep (very common in orphanages).

We decided to go to God in that moment.  We retreated to Him who loves these precious children when their parents have forsaken them.  We asked God to lead us to someone in need, someone in desperate need.  We prayed that we could honor them, and humbly serve this child.  First, we knew that we wouldn't pick a baby this time.  We also decided that we would pick a boy, because less orphaned boys end up finding families.  So, we clicked on "waiting children" and went to "Most at Risk, ages 3-5." Our faces began glowing by the light of the computer as we slowly began scrolling through the precious faces staring out at us, pleading for parents.  We couldn't pass one face without wishing we could chose them to love on, "ooo's" and "ahhs" filled my living room.   Hillary was secretary, and we wrote down our initial names, just shouting them out--14 of them!  Sweet boys, and a couple girls just because of how precious they were!  We swooned over each face, discussed our favorites, until I finally had to say, "We each need to pick one, write their name down, then draw them all out!"

The hearts of the girls in my small group are very beautiful.  The boy I wanted wasn't picked.  I like Sterling, because, well, he is really cute.  I quickly wrote down Sterling's name, tossed it into the pot, then in that moment went to go finish the cookies.  It must have been God's timing because I wasn't there for those few minutes to champion Sterling, while my girls discussed one other boy before writing his name down.  They like him for two reasons; 1.  He wasn't as cute, and 2. He has $0 in his adoption fund.

$0!!!!  $0 for his entire life. 

A note in red under his picture says, "URGENT NEED!  HE WILL BE TRANSFERRED SOON IF HE IS NOT ADOPTED!"

We printed out his picture, and prayed for him, for God to wrap his arms around him, to comfort him in his crib, to whisper to him that he is loved and cherished, and that we will work very hard for his mommy and daddy to come rescue him soon.  To help him grow and be healthy.

We are hitting the schools selling candy for him tomorrow.  Will you please join with us in prayer for him.  His name is Jacob and his life is in the balance.  He has a small window of time to be rescued.  Please pray for a family to adopt him.  Please my for my small group to be resourceful and find ways to fill his fund, please pray we encounter generous hearts.  Please pray for his health, physical and emotional.

I can't wait to show his picture to you!  I now think he IS the cutest!  I think he is precious!  Such a tiny little peanut.   Any family would be blessed beyond belief to have this little on at the breakfast table, to have splashing at bathtime, or saying nightly prayers with.

We love you dearly Jacob, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You deserve love.

Our fear is that we won't be able to think of enough ideas to fundraise for little Jacob, that we won't be able to fill his fund enough to be adopted before he is transferred!  If you have ANY ideas, any at all, please share them!  Right now--we are selling airheads!  I mean, we'll pretty much do anything.  If you want to donate directly, visit www.reecesrainbow.org, and in the donation note, write: Jacob # 840

Friday, February 19, 2010

the boy and me

Braden and I on one of our trips to the "buttercup tree" on a nature walk.

Photo by Patrick Martin

Thursday, February 18, 2010

One less...

There is one less orphan in the world...

There is one less child on the Waiting Childrens list on Reece's Rainbow

One less baby needing to rock herself to sleep each night...

On less baby forgotten in her crib.

Anna was adopted today.

"Anna has beaten extraordinary odds - she has been adopted - the funds raised (and of course prayers) of several people she will never meet helped her find her way to a forever family. Kids with special needs VERY rarely get adopted - it is nothing short of a miracle "

-My friend Kate, orphan advocate and adoption facilitator

Oh sweet girl...






This very day, Anna's forever family commited to her.  Because of God.  Because six HIGH SCHOOL girls let God work through them.  They gave up their time with friends, tv time, activities and held garage sales, and collected money from anyone who would listen.  They listened to Him, became the light of the world to stand up for one little orphan.  Our memory verse before the week before we found Reeces Rainbow:

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.



  Andrea Roberts, the director of Reeces Rainbow wrote me an email thanking us for our efforts, and said our fundrasing and prayers worked!!  She even asked us to chose another child.  What an honor!

p.s.  People magazine is doing a segment on Andrea Roberts in the newest issue coming out Feb.19th!  Pick up a copy and look for her in their 'heros' section!!

Sooo....

We're celebrating! 
Celebrating life,
celebrating God's goodness,
celebrating new beginnings for one little baby.  One of God's most precious daughters, even when her country thinks otherwise. 

Please praise the Lord, He is so good.  And pray for Anna and her new family as they begin the adoption journey.


We love you Baby Anna, you are precious in His sight, and ours.

 
  
  
 
"I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these you did for me"
Matthew 25:35-40




Monday, February 15, 2010

Anna

First I want to start by thanking everyone that opened up their hearts to me and are praying for me. I'm only 18 months old and in an eastern European orphanage, and I can hardly believe how many people’s lives I have already touched. 2 months ago I was unwanted, unloved, undesired, and considered disposable…

But the truth is, I am God’s masterpiece- fearfully and wonderfully made! He knitted me together in my birth mother’s womb, and in His book were written.  And now, by the grace of God, there are many people who think that my life is valuable.  I have girls in my life that are more of a mommy to me than I have ever experienced before.  Hillary, Natalie, Kelly, Mandy and Tori pray for me, work hard to save money for me and tell others about me.  How lucky and I?!  They love me, they think I'm special.  Now I am just waiting for my mommy and daddy to come pick me up and take me home.  I'm somebody's baby girl.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Something horribly sad, then happy

Ok, so the first thing I have to show you is the reason why we are scrambling to find money for baby Anna.  If she does not get adopted by age 4, she will be sent here, were she has an 80% chance of not surviving her first year.  PLEASE WATCH, Goodmorning America was lucky to capture these shots, because it's usually illegal.



No one would want their child to go to this horrible place.  So, now for the good news!  Although we are far from our $5,000 goal for baby Anna's adoption fund, we just sent some money today totaling $412!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HURRAY!  Don't worry baby girl, we'll keep working and praying for a mommy and daddy to come rescue you soon!

We've already started to refill our collection:

 

If you're reading this and would be willing to make a donation, please let me know, or visit 
www.reecesrainbow.org and donate to her from there!  

To Donate:
www.reecesrainbow.org
-click Waiting Children
-click Children with Downsydrom, 0-2
-click Donate
-In the note say, (You can just copy and paste :)

Donation for Anna 2, in orphanage (9)

(There's a couple Annas, so be sure to say Anna 2, orphanage (9)  :)

Thanks, I appreciate you reading this :)

Love,
Amy