Little Lollie (and an introduction to advocating)

Laura Adoption, Angel Tree 2014, Cianciolo family, Family Warrior Program, Friends to Follow, General Writing, Searching for You, Vantrease family December 26, 2014 0 Comment

Advocates write, repost and share children for personal reasons. In the image that I’m beginning this post with is Greta who waited for many years, but has now been found by a wonderful family who is bringing home two other children from the same country and will travel soon for them. Advocates play a part in keeping the stories of children alive as they wait for family to find them. This is why hearts ready to pray are so needed, mouths ready to speak and just a team of individuals keeping chances alive while hope is still present for children all over the world who have stories have become to seem hopeless. The levels of medical need vary, the need for love is there and always someone whose heart reaches for that story wherever and whatever it may be. What story touches you? There are so many that it can become an overwhelming fog. Behind the sadness of children living without parents and some in quite poor health, there is the glimmering hope that they see redemption through adoption. Greta’s been seen, as have her future brother, Felix and baby Romeo who will be coming home soon too to this Texas family. If you want to learn more about the Barnett’s, please visit their family blog Obedient 2 His Command.

It’s that way across the boards of all interests. If you like fashions, it’s because someone in your life had a passion for fashion, if it’s business someone in your life also loved organization and had an entrepreneur spirit. Or perhaps they had the opposite and you’re determined to pursue what you believed was missing.

Families who adopt bring home special needs with a pretty amazing story of why that has become part of their personal journey. If you can find the right way to ask, please do, you’ll be the richer for it. I have loved getting to know the amazing stories and incredible testimonies of individuals and large family units too that go across the ocean as well as make a difference in their own communities helping children that society has deemed unworthy. While all of this goes on, there are some that do somehow go without much notice, last to be claimed despite lacking overwhelming extra needs. One of those children is Lollie from Latin America. I’ve picked her to be my Guardian Angel child.

First I want to explain the Guardian Angel project with Reece’s Rainbow, then detail a bit on why for me Lollie a child that stands out.

The Guardian Angel project. It’s quite simple. I’ve lost count how many children are listed on Reece’s Rainbow, to help bring attention to each individually we have two programs for waiting children. One is the Guardian Angel project, and the other is other is the Prayer Warriors program. When you go to Waiting Children they are divided into the categories of Other Angels, HIV+ and Down Syndrome. From there the categories are broken down by gender and age. The Other Angels and children who are HIV + are advocated for under the Guardian Angel project, while the children with Down Syndrome are under the Prayer Warrior program. Both have the same goal: Bring attention to the individual. Advocates are welcome to contact the agencies that the children are with, often learn about the countries that the children live in and if so inclined, organize fundraisers to grow the child’s potential financially of being adopted.

I’ve been Guardian Angel for Yana from Ch!na for two years, and she’s finally been claimed which brings me to move on to reaching out to another child. Today, pleased to announce that child will be Lollie, a child who has listed needs that sound like my own and has a donation total below $100, a far cry from her fully funded which will be around $25,000. She needs some attention!

After an adoption commitment is reached, a new advocating program is available, that one is called the Family Warrior program, for which I advocate for the Johnson family and the Vantrease family. I formerly was listed as Family Warrior with Cianciolo family, who brought home twin boys from Ukra!ne.

With the Prayer Warriors, I have baby Boyd who I blogged about here when my prayer warrior child was closed into her country by the ban against Russian to US adoption I asked for a random assignment for PW, and got Boyd. He’s a beautiful baby, so short of funds and full of potential when placed with the right family.

I’ve made these banners clickable, if you’re interested in any of the opportunities to speak out, or really just to make an extra moment in your day to think of an individual child learn more by reading further and sign up. It’s been worth my while and I bet you’d appreciate participating too.

I began this post saying that advocates have stories, just like adoptive families. Here’s mine for Lollie. Here blurb reads:

Lollie is learning how to sit; when you put her in a sitting position, she can now sit for several seconds. She has an epileptic syndrome and is on medication for seizures, but has not had any seizures since being admitted to our care. She has a vision impairment, but with glasses is able to see much more of her world. Lollie is nonverbal, but she will make contented noises to express herself.

Lollie was born May 2011, that’s my oldest daughter’s birth month, the year before my youngest daughter’s birth year. Lollie’s epilepsy sounds a bit like my sons. He struggles sometimes to connect with people, he’s verbal and doesn’t have vision problems, although he was shortly suspected of such but it was determined that blurred vision was a temporary side effect to medication that controls small seizures which effect his learning process. It’s these small life similarities that make one child stand out in the over 1000. Life doesn’t stand still, and that’s why advocates are needed. I want every child to have an advocate. You don’t have to be an extravert to be an advocate, you don’t have to have your own blog, or be on a huge social media outlet. You do have to believe that there’s hope and opportunity to grow, opportunity to be more than what you are now and have a place in your heart to remember and pray for a child You don’t have to adopt to make a difference.

2015 is right around the corner. Visit Reece’s Rainbow and find out how you can reach beyond yourself just a little to speak out in your way for a child available for international adoption. Visit Reecesrainbow.org and click the drop down bar, “How to Help”

We are winding down Angel Tree season, which is a not to be missed opportunity to help in the growing opportunity to bring a child closer to home. This has gotten so big over the past seven years. I also encourage you to visit, “Already Home”

Lollie doesn’t have a photo listed, but I’m going to find out if I can get it. And even if not, I wont let that deter me from fundraising and speaking for her even with what little information I have. She’s real as are her chances to go home.

Yana’s going to a family in Washington, the state where I live, which means I may have the opportunity to meet her, obviously depending on the wishes of her family who I have yet to be contacted by. She’s being brought home with a little boy from the same country.

http://reecesrainbow.org/72331/lollie

In this blog post I’ve brought attention to all the advocating programs that we have through Reece’s Rainbow. I want you to notice that I messed with the spelling of the children’s countries. It was probably pretty obvious what countries I was talking about still, and I suppose I meant it that way. The reason I have to do this is that part of advocating is respecting privacy and the agencies want that to include keeping private the children’s specific location.

For example, for my Angel Tree child’s introduction I would say that he’s from Eastern Europe rather than specifying what country in Eastern Europe. Those details can be given out by the agency when a seriously interested family places a formal inquire notice. Direct families interested in any of the children listed on Reece’s Rainbow to Debbie Hannon, RR’s New Family Liaison.

Why bother? We’ve got hungry kids who need homes here in America? Even if you’re convinced kids abroad are worth remembering and praying for and not just someone else problem, you’re going to meet that harsh throw back and it’s rough. If you care about anything, there’s someone there to say it’s not worth it. And another to help you along. Be part of a community of helpers, commit yourself to building someone’s opportunity to have a better life where they cannot help themselves.

Answers for Ashley

Laura General Writing, Obenauf family, Searching for You May 13, 2014 0 Comment

The satisfaction of an orphan set free is not completely breathed until that child is set free into the arms of capable parents. Today though something amazing happened. Not an orphan home, yes…somewhere I’m sure there is an orphan who is seeing the doors of their waiting cell close behind them forever, but that isn’t Ashley’s story today. In Eastern Europe she still waits, a friend of hers is meeting their family for the first time and brought this preschooler something. It wont set her free, but it will set in her crib at night for her to snuggle with. I’m the one who bought that toy. I wish I had taken a picture of the process of choosing it, or of us putting the toy horse into the smallest postal box that we could find to mail to Kentucky to have taken in a suitcase all the way over the ocean to a country where I have no way of knowing if I will ever go. We were given the opportunity to send a present to this little girl that my daughter particularly loves among the number of orphans that she’s seen online photo listings. When I explained as best I could on how we’d get a gift to Ashley she ran down to the playroom and quickly retrieved a favorite stuffed toy and pushed it into the box. I pulled it out to have a look and found that the stitching was thin in a few places and the face was quite faded. My daughter was quite sure that she wanted to send a toy of her own rather than buy one but came up with nothing that I thought was in good enough shape to send an orphanage that ought to have years of use out of. We agreed on a toy and went to the store where we had bought it a few months ago to see if we could find a double. It wasn’t there. In the end, it was me and my youngest that chose a toy, bought the card and mailed the box because my 5 year old couldn’t decide. The chose was made based on the size of the box and between two toys which a two year old grabbed for 1st. And that was it. We bought a brown 9 inch tall stuffed horse with a tan mane and bead black eyes, it’s gorgeous, as far as stuffed animals go. I sent it right away because I knew the chances of my kids wanting to keep it were significant. My dream to adopt has been quieted. But there’s little ever that will matter more that believing that this is real, there is pain and there is a little piece of peace that can be had. Cath sang about going to sleep, now Ashley has a toy to hold when she has to be quieted too. She doesn’t know that she’s holding on waiting for a family, but hopefully the Lord has plans for her to receive a family some day. I hope that there will be answers for Ashley someday. Answers of a family who gives her more than a horse, perhaps a home for her and her horse. If you don’t care about orphans enough to think that they’re people who should be reached out to in these little ways, I can’t convince you or defend myself if you’re going to tell me that I just sent a toy to make myself feel better. Looking at the face of that little girl who has only 1194.25 towards a $35K adoption, I do wish I could do more but this is something that she has to have and to hold until it’s stitches fall out…or until it gets lost in the laundry and another child gets it. Moral of the story for the moment, if you get the opportunity to give in the tiniest way it just might mean a lot to someone so if you can do it, certainly do.

Tupperware and Tantrums

Laura Cianciolo family, Jenks, Keegan/Ian, My Family, Searching for You, Vantrease family April 8, 2014 0 Comment

Thanks for asking me if I was going to have time to blog this afternoon, you know who you are! You have my my tremendous thanks because there’s a lot that I’ve wanted to say and I’ve needed reassurance that I’m worth hearing.

This is a special day in the world beyond my world with the homestudy for Ian’s family beginning who I haven’t taken the time to write about in a long while. My heart and prayers are with them every day all day as Anita, Keegan (Ian when he is home)’s mama does a wonderful job posting little updates on her Facebook page as well as keeping up their blog beautifully. A homestudy is the piece of an adoption that is vital to whether or not you get to bring home a child at all. This piece involves a social worker coming into the home, meeting the family and seeing the house and makes that decision of whether or not this is a place that is safe and in the child’s best interest to be. Although this post is not full of details on Keegan (Ian) I have to stick in a recent photo that his family is so overjoyed to have just received. Their son outdoors with a smile on his face looking so handsome. What a delightful future he has ahead which he is now completely oblivious to. Doesn’t that just bring to mind how little we know of our own futures in the long term.

Writing is one of my very favorite things to do so it’s very special to me that my being here is noticed. Recently a conversation motivated me to step beyond my words and become active in bringing kids home more than I have before. I’ll get to that in a couple paragraphs here.

For a long while I have been wanting to write a post called Side Effected about how a recent med has changed me but have such a fear over how that might be received with my already judged outlook and priorities. In short, I was expecting to be keener in my responses and quicker in, less tired and freer to act in situations. That sounds like a lot to ask of a medication for seizures. But the side effects that I deal with on the meds that I’ve been on for years I imaged to combat with another medication and that hasn’t happened as I thought it would so I am praying about going back to where I was.

Nothing like remembering to be content with blessings! There’s so much good that I have in life, so many talented people young and old that God has gifted into my life that to ask more or for something different ends up on the end of ridiculous. There’s a reason that there are negative connotations to the term “miracle drug” because everyone knows that there isn’t one. Always in life, there’s something to want more of, something to want to vanish and chains that look heavier than they are.

From someone that matters very much to me I got the comment that if there weren’t the internet I wouldn’t have the overwhelming press of the orphans crisis on my heart. When we were kids I remember my mom breaking down in audible tears when there would be news on the radio or articles in National Geographic about children suffering in the world–she was an incredible hard working dedicated mother with an unquenchable love for children the world around. Her ethic as a housewife and mother is a wonderful model for anyone who would desire to take on the role of stay-at-home parent.

The Internet was not around. This person who is very important in my life does have a point though. I would be spending this hour doing something else, probably napping or folding that 4th load of laundry. Instead I pressed as much work as possible into the morning so that I could have some quiet time to write since I do have and faces or names for a very few orphaned children across Eastern Europe and into Asia and beyond those borders that, yes, if it were not for the Internet I would have no awareness over.

What’s up with the horse tied to a plastic chair? It’s my mental obstacles, of course and yours if you’re human. Don’t laugh too often, but now is OK so long as you get back to working with what you have got which I try to remind myself of now and again.

Work comes before play? Finish up your house work then write or whatever you feel drawn to. Do your homework before you go out shopping with your friends. Don’t have money? Get a job first, then go out shopping with your friends after your paycheck comes. Tired of washing cloth diapers? Potty train your child before you sell all the diapers! YES. We are working on potty training at the Harr house.

I tell my kids that all the time that we need to work before play. They protest more than I remember ever doing, but in the end I know they appreciate and have pride in their cleaned up space.

The child I want to feature today is Aura Lee, and I’m just mentioning her briefly because I have to get on to telling you about my TUPPERWARE PARTY. I have no idea how her name was selected, because that name is in no name book that I know of. But here’s a darling girl who is someone’s daughter potentially, that only through the gift of adoption. Her natural parents are either dead or have given her over legally to her country’s custody and signed that she may be adopted internationally.

Speaking of biological parents I want to revere of their courage to believe that they are choosing a better life for their child rather than tagging on words like abandonment or unwanted where there isn’t proof of that. Reportedly, parents are sometimes given misleading empty promises of a better life “than ever you could ever give at home.” information by who they believe to be trust worthy doctors or other authority. When the reality very well could be that, were they educated about their child’s condition, family would be able to supply the child’s needs and give them that immeasurable essential piece of survival called love. If this situation fits, it’s far from abandonment, the parents are actually making what they believe to be the best most loving choice. Unfortunately, so many more kids are given up than are kept as parents. Some parents visit their child in orphanage, but too, this is not common in many areas in Aura Lee’s country as parents struggle to meet their own basic needs if they are of poverty level or if among the high class they may be ashamed to have a child who is by worldly standards imperfect.

When I’m asked, “So how are the orphans doing?” Which I often take as sarcasm, I’ve taken to responding with, “Hungry, sick and dying.” Some of the stories are incredibly sad and can put the coldest heart to tears, just look at the In Loving Memory page to feel a bit of the loss of children who have gone on before a family reached them. This little girl however does sound to be more of the exception.

Three months older than my second son, Aura Lee is doing quite nicely and other than being a bit of a baby it’s easy to wonder why she was left behind.

Oh, isn’t she lovely?

Aura Lee is doing very well. She knows her nannies, smiles at familiar adults. She can sit down and stand up with help. She does not have mental delays.

Aura has developing speech — she can make separate sounds, and will repeat after an adult.

That is all that is said about her. Other than the diagnosis that her country has given her, “Microcephaly, spastic tetraparesis” She will not have a full physical exam until you are in country to meet her a few months after you have begun the adoption to bring her home which is hard because it is at that point that sometimes families decide that a child is indeed too much for them to manage in their life here in which case they come home and leave the orphan an orphan. It’s important for me to say here that this is a situation not always the case with all countries. Quite often a full medical report is available before commitment. All countries are different, all children are unique and there are no guarantees.

My tantrum is that you say you’re not ready to adopt? Never was there a child who said they were ready to be an orphan. I damper that tantrum by saying that not all are called to see and act on the need to bring home orphans, even be they children who sound to have minimal needs compared with others.

On to TUPPERWARE. I went to a Tupperware party last Saturday and ended up scheduling one for the Cianciolo family at my house which I 100% did not intend to do when I left my house only an hour earlier.

This is good though. By next Thursday I hopefully will have women in my house ordering Tupperware to honor the adoption of beautiful twin boys to a family in Vermont.

This is an awesome family who I wish all the best to as they start out their first adoption journey. They are already familiar with the world of developmental uncertainty as they have a camp for individuals with such challenges and do feel strong guidance from the Lord to step out on this journey to grow their family through international adoption.

Scott and Theresa gave me a list of thirty families who they knew that would be interested in ordering Tupperware in honor of bringing the beautiful twin boys home from Eastern Europe. Those families will receive catologs and 40% proceeds off all items pamphlets right to their homes for ordering convenience with reduced shipping costs as thanks for participating in this special event. It’s been two years since I had an event that involved having a consultant come and speak with about their product.

The reason it has been so long is that no one came to the event that I put weeks entirely devoted to. It was heartbreaking, embarrassing and so discouraging to have no profit whatsoever and people to know about it. The statement that I wrote about above someone giving me that if I had no internet my passion over the orphan crisis would die has motivated for me to try again. We have our own home, what reason is there to not open it in hospitality and good will to others? This is good. I’m excited for the Cianciolo family, for the Vantrease family and of course for this little Aura Lee who by some weird coincidence has the same name as my root blog’s pronunciation, oraeley.com

Little Aura Lee has $0.00 as many kids do who were listed just yesterday. Hopefully it’ll fill up quickly, with a fully funded figure being $22,000 for her country. The thing about kids like Aura Lee is they are the exception to sick and dying. We all die someday, I realize but what I am saying is that children who have comparatively minimal health challenges are more likely to be adopted domestically than children who have Down Syndrome like the Cianciolo’s twin boys who are in the same country. In that country anyone can adopt the child that you are pursuing while you are in the process–they are not yours until you have passed court in that Eastern European country before a judge there, by their standards proving yourselves worthy. This is a unique to that particular country situation but what a heart break for families who live this disappointment.

they had not met their child yet but had purchased toys and clothing and fully prepared believing in their hearts that this was a future that God had for them with this one particularly. For my story, excitement, anticipation so quickly turned into unstoppable loss.

There are millions of children needing home and if adoption is on your heart, there is a child for you and God does know who that one is to be revealed in His time. As with all of God’s business, the thrill is to work in the path that he has shown moving forward in faith with openness to see his workings. That’s a whole lot harder than it sounds! All things through Christ, which is awesome.

Tupperware party. It’s a beginning. I’m shy about having people over, I’ll let you know that right now. I want you here more than I have anxiety about you being over so please come.

If you get a Facebook invite from me to join the Cianciolo Tupperware party that’s the one happening at my house next Thursday. Please come as you are, the consultant is awesome! She’s someone from back in the homeschool days. Yes, I’ve told my husband that people are potentially coming over!

Please visit the Vantrease family blog: Adopt, Miles of the Heart, One Less to grab the last bits of their bracelets and art work sale. There are seven bracelets and some art pieces left which I would love to see sold by tomorrow night! There are some expenses coming up in Ian’s adoption so it’d be wonderful to have a one of a kind bracelet made by his family on your arm and maybe a piece of their artwork on your wall as soon as possible. Thank you so much.

Peace! And thanks for wanting to see writing from me. My writing is divided between two countries here, I know, I know. There are more kids, and more stories. More writings everywhere, fundraisers and talented people doing everything they can to get children home. Remind me and remind me again to stay on task with what I have to do here in my own house.

The Jenks family who I’ve written about? They’re on day two with their two daughters abroad staying in an apartment together–language barrier perhaps, but family to be all the same. Teenage girls meeting their forever parents for the first time. Imagine that! The blog is set to invite only currently for privacy even that with the girls faces not shown as are the rules for that countries privacy until post adoption.

Time to move along in my day. Please click on the image below for a direct link to my Tupperware party online which is open now thru next Thursday.

Happy birthday, Mommy!

Laura Found You!, Fundraisers, General Writing, Obenauf family April 5, 2014 0 Comment

There are a number of moments in motherhood that say, “It’s OK, you’re doing OK.” I get those when my kids give me a fist full of dandelions and tell me that it’s a gift or make me a drawing at school. Mothering is a sacrifice, it’s humbling and just the most incredible thing that ever you could be gifted with here on Earth. If you’re a mama you know that your birthday is one of those incredible times to get buried in kisses and snuggles and I’d just love for that to happen for a dear mother today…Her turn will come.

I remember in New Moms Network we had a discussion question back in 2005 when my oldest was 3 months old that will never leave me, “When was the first moment that you really felt mother to your child?”

I went home so depressed because I didn’t know. It actually has nothing to do with giving birth, some say it does and you can convince yourself of anything but that wasn’t it for me. Yes, lots of pain. But my bond was much more of a still small voice as is my whole relationship with this particular son. Stephani, the mom who celebrates her birthday today is dreaming of what her relationship will be like with her daughter who has no idea that there is a mom for her. Jesus knows, but this child does not. We’re talking about the miracle of adoption for Zola.

But the truth is, you do not need to give birth to a child for that child to be your daughter or your son. After all, we are adopted into Christ’s family.

When my newborn infants eyes are for my breast and their need is for me, I know who I am, but if I were to die, someone else could feed and clothe them. The hours that I spend with that child, nurturing and learning together those times bring us close and our bond has become incorrigible.

I would not exchange any one of my children for anything in the world. My days after my second child were so busy. Pulling fights apart, balancing wills and attentions. But through thie tense moments that siblings have, there has always been love and that goes back to mom. It begins with her and proceeds through to the children who live with each other and make up the family.

As my children come to me to share with me their achievements and desire my appreciation for the growth that they have made as individuals and as respond to that is the fulfillment and continuation of my necessary role life goes on and we grow together that’s just the way time slips by and the reason mama’s take pictures–to save those moments!

Saturday April 4th, 2014 a very special mama turns 28. Her name is Stephani Obenauf.

I only know her through the adoption community, but hope that if it weren’t through that we would have met otherwise since she seems like a really cool person. The first line of her bio is, “Stephani always wanted to be a mother.” Me too! Whatever it took, I actually really hoped adoption would be a part of God’s journey for me and have that yet to be revealed. Continuing into Stephani’s story beyond the desire to be a mom is a terrible loss that is the deepest fear of all moms who have one on the way, “stillborn” This mom’s little one missed knowing her mom here on Earth. I’ve lost a baby too, mine in 2006. Stephani’s daughter Emma would be the same age now as my son Willie who is such a treasure to my life. Zola, Stephani’s daughter who is in Eastern Europe right now is two years younger than the baby that went on ahead–both little girls born years that I had children.

My world is all about my children and I have a pretty good idea that the same is true for Stephani’s heart which is why as Stephani is turning 28 on Saturday I’m talking motherhood because birthdays are about celebrating yourself and what God’s given you and motherhood is a very special gift that he has given Stephani. While neither of her daughter’s are here to write her notes in crayon, as I have and you may also, I know all this mom wants right now is to have Zola where she belongs, which is home in Michigan.

Truly the best way that you can help is to give financially and to offer up to heaven a happy prayer of thanks. Thanks for another year and a spirit to press forward. Cheers to adventures and not too many disappointments. This mama knows that the road to a child through adoption is not perfectly clear and has to have a heart strong for whatever may come. Love from your daughter no doubt. She has no idea that you’re coming for or the fun that she has in store! I’m so excited for your future together.

By the way, I lost sleep over that question in New Moms Network and stick with my thought then these years later as I’m coming up on my son’s eight birthday as we’re working through epilepsy together. I had to share with the group on the next meeting a whole week later even though they were on another topic. My answer was I know my belonging when I feed my child. When I’m OK being soaked with over lactating for that newborn baby, fine living without sleep for my child, that’s how I knew that I was Mother.

While Stephani does not get that with Zola’s infancy, she gets the lifetime ahead of them together to learn to feed and dress to comfort and love.

Just because the infancy is not there to share, there is so much more to be mother over and it is there and beyond that she will feel and be mom. I am so excited for Stephani and for her darling daughter to become a Obenauf in God’s time. If you want to help Stephani celebrate 28, please click on one of her pictures and give to her adoption fund. Stephani writes regularly and throws her heart into fundraising with not much response. Please do visit her blog for updates and consider celebrating her birthday with a donation today. Faith, Hope, Love

Much More for Mikey (and Olen)

Laura Found You!, General Writing, Powell family March 25, 2014 0 Comment

The little boy who I committed to raise $1K in October through Dec 31, 2013 has finally been found by an adoptive family. My facebook group to catalog the fundraising events that I had for Mikey was called, “More for Mikey” which is why I have titled tonight’s post as I have. The family’s Facebook page is called Powell family Adoption Auction which I have just visited to give a like.

He’ll be going with another little boy who was listed the same day and also included in Angel Tree. I have no idea how Mikey made his way to $1,000. I actually begged my husband that we make up the missing $600 that was not there the week before the conclusion of the challenge. The amount lacking and some exceeding the goal came from one anonymous donor–corrections welcome! Whatever the details, all around Mikey’s making it was much a miracle as those things go.

The family that is adopting Mikey and Olen is listed in the Almost There point of closeness to having their children in their home. The journey is so many pieces of paper and people met, signatures acquired and such things. There’s more to the story here than picking a sweet face and deciding that he’s the one to bring home. For the Powell family Mikey and Olen were not who God brought their eyes to first. They had not thought that the plan was two boys, rather this time they imagined it was one girl. Her file is suddenly not available. There is not a blog post written on their emotions following learning of Maci’s sudden unavailability, but I can suppose that there was upheaval and questions on whether they were meant to proceed with another child. Perhaps they prayed and found guidance in that way. At any rate, it’s the guys now and how excited I am for that as I do sorrow too in their loss.

Mikey’s birthday is July 2013, and Olen is May 2013 (their mama will spend the rest of her life being asked if her boys are twins!) Back to numbers, $1919.35 from Olen’s fund, and Mikey’s has 1250.07.

Since the Powell’s are significantly into the process they have already covered fees that they expected to be bringing them closer to a daughter.

Please do visit the family blog as I ought to in order to get to know their story a little more closely.

If you have considered participating in the Family Warrior program, this would be a terrific choice. It wouldn’t be a very long commitment and would doubtlessly be a wonderful learning experience. Searching their last name on Reece’s Rainbow right now I see that this in not the first adoption experience for the Powell’s from VA. They have been to this country before and were home safely with “Misty” in 2012. How fun to be back for more! Those stories are just great.

I’m going to go ahead and stick my favorite adoption related Bible verse in tonight on this post as the Powell’s have been abroad, safely returned, committed again, were declined after anticipating a new member to their family and are even yet staying with the plan and preserving not for one but for two. There is no knowledge of the condition of these boys hearts or any other issues that may be common to children who have Down Syndrome. This here is a classic case of stepping out in faith and looking to the Lord for guidance.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, “Give them up!” and to the south, “Do not hold them back.” Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth” Isaiah 43:5-6

This is Maci, a sweet baby girl who to the Powell’s is their daughter and may some day come home. She’s 7 months old. Each child is a precious gift, wherever they are in the world and she’s no exception. Much loved!

Following Families

Laura Feinland, Found You!, Fundraisers, General Writing, Jenks, Keegan/Ian March 24, 2014 0 Comment

So Chelsea Claus reached her matching grant which I wrote about a few weeks back. She in now in country to meet her son–they will meet for the first time tomorrow morning.
Rebecca Jenks has met three matching grants and also had quite a few of successful fundraisers each bringing her a little closer to funded, she travels in less than a week–4 days actually, to rescue two older girls who have down syndrome from a country that she has never been. Both are experiencing an act of faith directly ordained of God. Seeing Him work through them and their families is amazing and awe-inspiring to all such as myself who have not made that stride and an witness to those are trekking along to keep on seeing that light at the end of another friend’s journey. These women, along with the others that I have written about drive me back to my blog hungry to write more to hold more for myself of their experience.

I’ve written too about 21 Days of Hope. Yesterday was March 21, 2014 and guess what. We made it. 23 children in 21 days! More than $23k raised for Voice of Hope and almost $50k gifted for these chosen children!

The Anita Vantrease family who I am family Warrior for currently have a Scentsy party in progress which I welcome you to purchase from if this is something that you like having in your home or work place. I always say that the time to buy is when the proceeds go to a cause. There is no better cause than to bring a child home which is your opportunity today. Please think of Keegan (Ian when he’s home) if you’re in the market for Scentsy, I enjoy their fragrance assortments but certainly caution you to keep their warmer out of reach of children! I used to use these products so much more when I did not have children. If you do have children, they do have their liquid wax covered for ya in a new innovative child friendly and oh-so-cute Scentsy Buddies.

Rachelle Feinland was my first (and only) guest blogger has some incredible news. So not only is she bringing home Della, they will also bring a second daughter home from Eastern Europe. She is 5 years old, and known on Reece’s Rainbow as Kree. This family is up to the task on bringing their girls home, but it doesn’t come easy as they make it look! While keeping up with their two sons health needs already home from Eastern Europe, Rachelle and her husband Stephan have schedules to coordinate, planning to be done and in the meanwhile to stay alive and remember to sleep now and again. Go, Feinlands!

Why a second child? In their home study, Rachelle and Stephan were told that they were approved to have, “up to two children” in their international adoption, which is what they were approved for last time also. On current events for the adoption there will be an auction page on Facebook soon and the sale of a few large items locally. What in my estimation would be a time consuming and hopefully well worth it project right now is a Family Fun Day at the local Lions Club. What beautiful weather, and the perfect time of year for that! I hope that they get a good amount of participation for this. They are also hopeful, but still waiting for approval on hosting a breakfast at church for the adoption, or maybe a lunch after church. On the local front, they are doing a yard sale the weekend after next. Mainly in the next couple weeks, be hanging out Louisiana so you wont miss out on anything for the Feinlands! OR! You could just donate online and send an encouraging note via her blog or on Facebook.

Missing a couple families from the group in Messing with your Mind: A Five Family Update? I’ll come back. I love them and have to keep up! I’m asking Stephani for an update with Zola, I know she is looking forward to a potential video update on her daughter and covets a new photo.

Messing with your Mind: A Five Family Update

Laura Feinland, Found You!, Fundraisers, General Writing, Jenks, Keegan/Ian, Obenauf family, Vantrease family March 15, 2014 0 Comment

Where’s your best place to write? I’d love to know where you crank your creativity and how you make it pour out through your fingertips on demand. I think best while going through my day, I especially love being out with my kids. A favorite past time for me has always been going to anywhere in walking distance, for my two year old and I yesterday that was to the park.

A.J (pictured here at 2 months old) went the whole block without taking a break. From time to time she’d slow her pace to look up at me, only to keep on a little quicker as so much as her little legs would allow.

We’re for sure putting up fences this year. This one would walk and walk without worrying where her people are. Though this blog post I’m using pictures of my own kids, as they are my motivation for the love that I extend to other families and their ministry to extend their lives and hearts abroad to grow their families through adoption. These are my little monsters, I love them more than life!

OK. I have to get down to it. Usually when I ask where you write I’m actually wondering why the heck I can’t turn on exactly what I want to say in this time limited segment that I have available. Today I don’t think it’s going to happen for me, as it didn’t yesterday or the week before that.

Credit for the Claus Clan was my last blog post. The fundraiser that I mentioned for them brought in $65. They have a grant or something going on right now also to get friends to pour as much money as possible into the Claus adoption fund as big exciting times are coming up. Chelsea is traveling to meet her son in seven days. It will be a number of months before he is a USA citizen, but this is tremendous. At this point in my life I absolutely cannot imagine getting to live the incredible emotions that must whirl around as a mom counts down and fumbles to pack for what certainly may feel like the biggest trip of her life. Months of paperwork, social works telling you what you can handle and how your house should look, organization to be done and maintained through the process that feels like infinity.

Then finally that plane ride! It’ll feel like forever, and Chelsea’s time with her son will be over before she knows it. She’ll treasure every second and relive the moments of their time together of the next matter of months lapsing between this trip and the second during which Chelsea and her husband Josh will take Levi away from his orphanage forever.

For the Claus family March 21 is a very special day–the day Chelsea and her dad leave to meet Levi, who will join the family later this year. Chelsea will travel with her dad for the first trip, then for the final trip in a few months she and her husband will go together. Right now a $500 matching grant is being held–when their fund reaches “8040” every donation after that point for $500 is doubled. This family also has some puzzle pieces yet for purchase for Levi’s adoption. Families often have keep puzzle piece fundraisers in action through the entire duration of their adoption as a fun way of remembering the names of people who have contributed financially through their adoption journey. The Claus’s have some pieces left, for $5 one can have your name on it. This makes a great keepsake for the child’s room or to be displayed anywhere around the house.

Keegan’s family finished their fingerprinting and has almost finished collecting their primary paperwork for this adoption homestudy. Anita’s 81 year old mom lives with their family so she gets to go through all of the background check series of events also. This week she got to go to the police station and have her finger prints taken for her grandson who on the other side of the world. Best grandma ever! Up next for this family is wellness checks at the doctors office. Smooth sailing so far for Ian (Keegan)’s family. Very cool surprise of earlier today is that someone dropped a good portion of money into this adoption fund bringing the number from $52 to $106. This is a sweet surprise!

Obenauf family! Stephani is bringing home Zola from a country that is a new addition to the international programs that Reece’s Rainbow works with in bringing home kids internationally. Stephani has recently learned that it will be 12 months before her Dossier is to be submitted to the country, what a hard waiting game knowing that her daughter is doing just that…waiting. After it is finally submitted, she will get an invitation to travel in six months then can return to pick up her daughter in the time lapse of six more months.

When I asked Zola’s mama-to-be if she, knowing how slow this process is compared to other countries, would recommend it she said Absolutely yes and went on to suggest that I should adopt one of the little girls who is my daughter’s favorite in that country. Currently the Obenauf family have a clothing auction happening. For $5, you’re helping decorate Zola’s bedroom with your name in the color of your choice written on her wall. The infant clothes in Zola’s clothing sale are brand new, or are in very good condition and have me wanting to have another infant in the house! Visit Faith Hope Love to learn about the ongoing “Hearts for Zola” event to celebrate this sweet child and her journey home.

Jenks are keeping on. They have another matching grant in the works and a Norwex fundraiser is currently active for bringing home their girls, Veronika and Emilija. Shop Norwex Products Online and select Rebecca Jenks at check out. Find the catalog here. Glancing through the catalog I see that these are super quality of the microfiber products that we’ve become accustomed to seeing in the grocery store cleaning isle and elsewhere. The website is easy to navigate. Lots of great stuff, value over the long haul and for a good cause. Mrs. Jenks says that a couple of her favorite items are the Window Cloth and the Envirotowel.

The Feinland family has been visited by the FSP fairy recently! The anonymous large donation to their adoption fund and an approval to add a second child to the plan has us all holding our breath, waiting to learn who the lucky kid is going to be. I want to make the statement here, that through adoption parents are being blessed as much as the kids are! I am allowed to be excited for the suspense of looking forward learning who is coming home for who. Rachelle has recently put in a new entry on her blog, “Piecing Our Puzzle Together” which you should stop in and read, because I haven’t. Tell me what it says, if you make it there before I do. My computer time isn’t until 10pm which is not for a number of hours. That FSP fairy? He or she is welcome to visit me if I ever get a turn to adopt. Della’s family got $2500! Know what? God provides! Each and every one of these families knows that and somehow he carries them through. It’s amazing, and I hang around to watch. Simply brilliant.

Editors note: As of 9:20pm, the Claus family have $140 to go in order to get that $500 matching grant. FSP needs to read $15,541 ($8,040 for Matching a Grant!) FSP: http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=Claus Blog: http://insearchofpearls.blogspot.com

This is an amazing family who has come so far.

Hello from “Della’s” Family!

Rachelle Feinland Feinland, Fundraisers, General Writing February 26, 2014Della 0 Comment

Our daughter!

Hello! Early in January we committed to adopting “Della,” an 11 year old orphan. We have 5 boys: Dwayne, Tage, Silas, Andre and Maben. They can not wait to have their first sister come home!

“Della,” just like our 5 year old son Andre, has Down Syndrome. We have a T-Shirt fundraiser currently running to help bring “Della” home. If you have a little one who Rocks their Extra Chromosome, please consider purchasing one of these shirts that will help us bring our little girl home.

It Ends Tonight: Updated

Laura Fundraisers, General Writing, Jenks February 25, 2014 0 Comment

pd_hairstick
$100 for the adoption made in hair clip purchases! OK. They make much more than hair clips, but thank you lillarose.biz

I wrote a couple days ago introducing Rebecca and Mark’s girls fundraiser for Lilla Rose hair accessories. I wrote in utter delirium of an illness gone as fast as it came and am happy to be here yet typing away. My credit card and I didn’t get to participate in the fundraiser, but thankfully someone else out there did!

Thank you again, Deb for the work in putting up this fundraiser! As I looked through the Event on Facebook I saw product reviews and video demos advertising the products which is exactly what you need prospective fundraiser participants to see.

The numbers are in and the orders are out! $100 approximately in orders toward the Jenks adoption of Veronika and Emilija. As I mentioned in my last post for the Jenks, the twelve year old girls are in a country that does not allow their photos to be shown publically. What they cannot stop though, is donations and support. The adoption plans and papers move forward and time draws short in so many ways.

The Jenks are $275 short for their matching grant to $500. If the matching grant is made, every dollar after that will be doubled for up to a couple weeks. If they do not receive $275 within the next few days they will not get the $500. While I’m talking number, which I do not do. I want to mention that Veronika and Emilija have been waiting both for over FIVE YEARS on Reece’s Rainbow without their gorgeous faces to be seen. They have until March 3rd to make the matching grant which will be their second matching grant, the first has expired. Looking forward to watching the Jenks adoption story unfold further as the months pass. They have not taken no for an answer in hard spots and have friends like Deb come forward and offer time, skill and opportunity to bring these daughters closer to home. I want next year’s Christmas card!

If you’ve thought of donating to Jenks, do it now! With this matching grant Exact numbers must be met. $489 within this two week span between when the grant was offered and March 3 won’t be enough, will have to be $500 or the offer will not come to any worth. Their last “matching grant” was different: No matter how much they made in one week’s period, up to a certain amount, would be doubled.

The Jenks far from stand by and worry about money! They have seen GOD in action with this as their second adoption. They wooed us all bringing home their darling dynamic duo in 2012 from Ukraine. This time around is as much in his hands as the last run was.

Why a $500 matching grant rather than a $500 donation?

Because it encourages others to give to help you reach that $500 goal, which if others have donated $500 to help you get the match, it ends up being turned into $1000 rather than just $500.

Feinland’s Found Her

Laura Feinland, Found You!, General Writing February 24, 2014 0 Comment

Feinland’s daughter

The Feinland family brought their sons Orion and Silas home from Ukraine using a team that Reece’s Rainbow coordinates with making an adoption completion for their boys in 2012.

It’s a complicated story, but at the end of the year they are home and with children who are to them as were they born into their home. All kids come with their own psychological make up be they born from our own body or born abroad is unique to each child and the Feinland’s must know that as they are at it again! They are now committed to bring home Della, a girl who so many have strongly spoken out for.
One of her most circulated photos depicts her tied into a crib by her wrist–there are versions of it from the side and from the front. She’s 11 I believe and we’re all on a mission to see her home.

Della’s mama to be, Rachelle, has a way of juggling really cool fund raisers and has said that she would be interested in writing a guest blog entry here. I look forward to an introduction to their adoption and a run through of what events they have in progress or soon to come for their daughter.
One of Della’s brothers came home with a history of being heavily medicated in his care facility, the journey to working through that situation shows grace in this family I look forward to watching him continue to lead them.

Click on Della’s picture to visit her family’s blog and here to read a bit about her brothers who came home in 2012. All together Della has 5 brothers (so far) that she will come home to. Their ages are eleven, six, six, five, and two. So fun!