Friday Five Dollar Challenge!

I'm challenging at least 5 people to donate $5 to Nikita's fund today. A Matching fund is in place that will match all donations made today.
(Up to $250 will be matched).
I still have a ways to go to meet my goal, but I still have faith that it can be done. You don't have to be rich or powerful to be a hero. Every little bit helps bring Nikita to a family. Let's see what we can do!

Just a reminder that the ornaments for gifts of at least $35 deadline is the 15th of December, just ONE WEEK LEFT to get one of these! The Angel Tree runs through to the 31st of December so even if you've missed the deadline for the ornaments, you can still help the waiting Angels meet their goal of $1000 per child and for at least 30 of them to find their forever families!

Any Ideas?

So, I'm starting to realize that maybe marketing wasn't my calling. It's either that, or my ChipIn is broken....

That being the case, I'm looking for some creative minds to help me out. Does anyone have any good fundraising ideas, or ideas for the blog? Anyone? If not, I'll continue with my regularly scheduled pleading. But if anyone has anything brilliant, I'd love to hear it!

Nadya Needs a Loving Family

There is a wonderful lady named Milena who desparately wants to find a family for a little girl named Nadya. I wanted to share her blog with you in hopes that I can help make that happen. You can visit her here.

I know there has to be a family for her somewhere. If we keep getting the word out maybe we can find them.

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Nadya needs a family! This beautiful little girl is not living the life she should be. :( Nadya has brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. Caretakers describe her as a really nice girl, has good, adequate reaction when people are talking to her, she is friendly, she speaks, she walks independently. She is also potty trained. Her medical records indicate mental retardation, but there is no specific diagnosis or cause for this cognitive delay. It could be totally institutional, or she could have some level of FAS. She does not have any other noted health complications. She is a beautiful flower ready to blossom in a loving family environment.

Nadya's biological mother died in February 2005, and the biological father was never known. She is legally available for adoption NOW. Nadya is already living in an institution, so we need a family for her right away!

UPDATE: God has been watching Nadya. She was recently transferred out of the institution into a wonderful facility, where they teach these children, work with them, and they appear very well cared for. The difference in the few girls who were transferred OUT of the institution is incredible! Please give these girls a second chance for a loving family!
Please contact Andrea for more information

Raffle!!!

So, I decided to do a raffle! The prizes will be the book Adopted For Life, and a $10 gift certificate to Chick-fil-A. For anyone who donates at least $5 they will get one entry, anyone who donates $20 or more will receive 2 entries, and for donations of $35 or more, 3 entries. Since the Christmas Angel Tree runs through December 31, I will do the drawing the first week of January. I will post the winner here and contact him or her about getting the prizes. Good luck!

AT SIGNIFICANT RISK

Every so often until we reach December 31st I thought I'd highlight some of the other children currently waiting for homes on Reece's Rainbow. As you look through the children's descriptions you will see that some have the words Significant Risk in red listed next to them. These children are the ones who are in immediate danger of being transferred to an institution soon. Sometimes once they are transferred they can never be adopted again, so are destined to spend the rest of their lives in these places. Sometimes they can be adopted out from them but the mental damage is such that every effort is made to see that they are adopted before that happens. So, I thought I'd like to introduce some of these kids to you and also some of them who are currently in a mental institution somewhere waiting for someone to get them out. I realize that there is not only significant risk for the children, but also for the rest of us if we let our hearts be opened to them and their plight, but I for one think that's a risk I'm willing to take.

So, I would like to first introduce you to one little girl who is on my heart, little Vera. I was actually thinking long and hard about bringing her into my family myself but then learned that it wasn't an option anyway. Apparently Vera's country would rather she spend her life in a mental institution than with me, isn't that a slap in the face. Seriously though, her country doesn't allow single adopters, so on to plan B. If we aren't to be her family, maybe I can find those who are. You can read about Vera below. I do hope that she can find her family for Christmas. Also another lady has been blogging and fundraising for her, you can read here.

Vera (19)
Girl, Born April 8, 2005
SIGNIFICANT RISK, PLEASE ADOPT ME SOON!

Vera is a darling, energetic and happy little girl. She has mild CP and is able to walk on her own. She is very capable and smart. She is already 4 and needs a family quickly!

UPDATE: Infantile cerebral paralysis, double hip dysplasia, systemic violation of the speech (middle level) She is very friendly and smiley girl. She eats herself, can walk holding somebody`s hand. After spending some time with her you start understanding Vera`s speech. According to caregivers words she is very prospective girl, she only needs individual support and treatment.
*** Vera is facing the mental institution soon, please someone give her the life she deserves! ***

Please contact Andrea for more information

I have $1171 in my grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!

This is Benjamin. He is 7 years old. He has Down syndrome and was in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. He was in need of an adoptive family. He still has the need for an adoptive family, but no longer has the chance for one.

You see, in many areas of Eastern Europe, kids with disabilities that age out of the baby house are transfered to mental institutions. Many of these institutions block adoptions, and a child has no way out. They are left to die, and many of them will meet that fate quickly. These institutions are not looking to save lives, but to be a holding place for those that are so forgotten that no one will ever know of their passing, let alone care! Now, some may say "Life is so unfair, why would God let this happen to an innocent child?"... Be careful if you ask this question of God for He may very well say "Why did you?". What prevented someone from coming for Benjamin? Time? Money? Room? His disability? The paperwork involved? The baring of ones life to social workers and various agencies? The risk of heartache? The risk of standing out, of being different? Do you really think these things are BIG problems for God? This childs light has been dimmed, so much so that most, if not all of us will soon forget that he even existed. That is a true tragedy. A child, so precious, so dear to Jesus, so much a part of WHO God is... and we just let him linger and die alone! Like an animal that has become too prevalent, and whose numbers must be thinned, many view this little brown haired beauty as a worthless commodity that has no value. He is just a nuisance that stands in the way of something greater. The lottery of survival of the fittest in the world of an orphan is ugly, brutal, and an everyday reality. And little Benjamin lost the lottery... tough draw kid. :( God is a specific God, and Benjamin was created with love, care, and intricate detail. HOW DARE THAT THE WORLD REJECT THIS PRECIOUS GIFT GOD SO FREELY BLESSED US WITH! HOW DARE WE!!! Did he ever know his mamas loving embrace? Did he ever hear a lullaby as he drifted off to sleep? Was he ever held when he was scared or sick? Was there ever anyone who gave one little smile or felt one tiny sense of pleasure when he accomplished something for the first time? Was he ever held in the arms of one whose heart was singing praises of thankfulness to God for just being able to hold him close? The reality is most likely no to all of these questions. NO! NO? How can a child be born and never know any of these things???? How can we care so little? HOW? Did you know that despite being full of children a number of orphanages are eerily silent? How long does it take for the heart of an innocent child to finally realize that know one cares so they stop crying? stop playing? stop laughing? My heart is sad. Is it wrong to hope he dies quickly and painlessly so that he will know these things, wonderful and loving things in heaven? That he will be perfect? That he will never know loneliness or fear or suffering again? I think it is wrong, it shows a lack of faith and trust in God. Or maybe... in some circumstances and just for a while, it is okay....I will be praying for you little Benjamin. Praying that your Saviors arms rock you to sleep tonight. That he is in your dreams, showing you his love. And that human arms are sent your way and are able to hold you close praising God for your life!

This was written by another family adopting two little ones from Eastern Europe. You should really check out their blog! http://trustedwithmuch.blogspot.com/

You Have to Read This! (Crazy Love)

I found a story on another blog I read that is just amazing. Here I have been worying about raising $1000 by Christmas and then I read something like this and I have to say that's nothing. This is a story about a remarkable little girl who had hope and blind faith. It also proves that nothing is impossible if you believe. You can read their blog here. It's such a miracle!

Reece's Rainbow

I thought I should explain a little more about Reece's Rainbow and what an amazing organization it is, and why I'm honored to do anything to help its agenda. It was founded by Andrea Roberts who in 2002 had a little boy with Down syndrome named Reece. In 2004 Reece's Rainbow began as an outreach program serving new families with babies with Down syndrome at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. The nurse who attended Andrea post-partum with Reece called her one day and asked if she could use Reece's name for her hospital service project. She asked if Andrea would come talk to new families and share what she had learned with them before they were discharged from the hospital.

In 2006, the program expanded to include promoting the international adoption of children with Down syndrome. By raising money to offer adoption grants on waiting children, Reece's Rainbow is able to give adoptive families the extra financial help they need to bring a child with Down syndrome home from a miserable existence in overseas orphanages. These children are viewed as outcasts with no ability to learn or be functional members of society. They languish in mental institutions, hidden away from the world in shame. Even if you are not able to adopt a child at this time, you truly can change the course of a child's life by helping adoptive families afford the costs of international adoption.


During the months of November and December all of the waiting children with Down syndrome are listed on the Christmas Angel Tree, you can view the kids here. I was matched with sweet Nikita to be his Christmas Warrior, to spread the word, to let people know that he exists and to find him a family of his own. I also have a goal of raising $1000 toward his adoption fund by the end of December. So, I have a lot of work to do.

Also, I have to mention, even though Reece's Rainbow focuses on children with Down syndrome, it was hard for them to ignore the other waiting boys and girls they came across. You can find a listing of children with other special needs here. All these kids are real, they all need homes, they all need love, they're simply kids.

Reece's Rainbow has only been around a few years but already many families have been made. If you're like me and would like to follow some of these families on their adoption journeys you can go here and read through their blogs. Come see some of the colors of Reece's Rainbow!

Thank you again for thinking of these little ones.

I need a family, do you need a son?

This is my first blog, first post, all on behalf of a little boy named Nikita. I have the opportunity to help a wonderful organization named Reece's Rainbow advocate for this little boy, pray for him, help raise money for his adoption fund, and hopefully, ultimately find him a family to call his own. This blog is for the sole purpose of doing that. If you are reading this let me thank you in advance for your compassion for this little boy and others like him. My heart breaks for these children. I know it sometimes seems like it would be easier to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that some unhappy circumstances do not exist, but it does not make it any less true. These children will still be even if we choose not to think about them. So, I think it is better to do what we can for them, although it may be little, and maybe it will even make a difference. If you can donate money on Nikita's behalf, thank you, every little bit will help him find a family to spend next Christmas with, instead of being on this Angel tree. If you can spread the word about him and about Reeces's Rainbow to others, thank you again. And, if you can pray for him, that is free, but could do the most to help change his circumstances. After all that, I would like to introduce you to little Nikita. He was born with Down syndrome. He is in an orphanage in Eastern Europe, and you can tell by looking at him that he needs to be in a family, not there. If you choose to donate to his adoption fund, please reference his name in the comments if you pay online, or on your check. You will need to include the full name of Nikita R Region 13.
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NIKITA R REGION 13
№ mp1w Nikita R.
Brothers and sisters no
Date of Birth: May 25, 2007
Gender: Male
Eyes: Gray
Hair: light brown
Nature: Quiet
Nikita is a HEALTHY 2 year old boy who is waiting for his family. He has an extra pinky finger on his right hand, and some minor strabismus, but he is doing well. He is learning to walk and get around, and will really benefit from having a family full of siblings to chase after and model! He understands what he is asked and responds appropriately. Speech coming along. FULL MEDICAL INFO AVAILABLE! Contact Andrea for more information