He Has A Family!

Yes!  He does!

The boy in the post below this one!  I saw Brenton Has a Family HERE just now!  You will have to scroll dowm a little but he is there.

Also a shout out to Julia Nalle who is a big advocate for him and special needs orphans. 

Miracles do happen.  Gotta believe first to see.  Thank you God.

February...

So, here I was, worried about not posting anything in January, right??? Annnnddd... as of 12 tonight, February 2013 is already gone.  ^_^

Guess its shows its been a different month.  A rather distracting month out here.

So a few things, in light of missing out on an entire February...

To Dianne - Absolutely!  I would love it if you followed here.  ^_^  Sorry I have not been able to get back until now but I am still very much here.

About Liebster.. well.... I guess I missed out on that one.  To the person who nominated me, thank you so so much. I had every intention of a follow through and had even picked a few blogs and had written my own questions to ask up.  But the month did get a bit overwhelming...  however, I shall still at least post the answers to the ones you have asked.

Some families to pray for this month?

The Clancy Family, their little girl suffered a near-drowning and is now at home in a light coma.  I love them so much!

The Salem Family - are going through a rainy season right now.  I love them so much too.  Please pray for them as well.

Also, can you please help Team Iris!  They are trying to find a sweet little girl with HIV a home.  And she does seem so very sweet!  This same family has just adopted two children one whom is an older child and omg their story is so touching.  This same family is also advocating for another little girl called Kate whom another friend of mine is advocating for as well.  Is Iris yours?  Is Kate yours?  If not, do you know where their family is?  Can you advocate and pray for them?  Kate is in Russia, I believe.  And there is a recent ban on American adoptions there.  I have heard that it isn't effective for another year - but keep in mind I COULD BE WRONG about that.  So anyone thinking about Kate needs to make sure of these things.  Either way -- she still needs us to find her a family!  Canadians are welcome to adopt her I believe (check this too, to be sure).

So, thats all for now everyone.  Sorry about missing February, and will try to do better in March.

Have a good one!
--Debrah.

Please Don't Just Pass Them By..

Today is Orphan Sunday...

This is the third time I've posted this video on this blog over the years.  And I will post it, again and again.  It is worth it.  Please watch it.



I've blogged before about how orphans are tied up, how they are so stiff they can't move, how they are starving.  Here is just a small glimpse of that.  And it isn't just the country featured in this video.  Many (not all) places are like this:




Hi everyone, the little girl Kareen has a family and is home.  But there are so many others who do not.  Please, I know we can't all adopt.  I can't adopt.  But we can all do something.  Visit these websites.  Pick a child, scream at the top of your lungs all over your social media for that child or for any or all of these kids.  Pass the websites on.  Alot of people just don't know this happens.  Pray for them if you pray.  Adopt if you can. 

Realistically, I know alot of people will come to this blog and leave without clicking the links at the bottom of this post.  Alot of them may leave without watching the videos.  But please look.  Please click.  It only takes a few minutes of time - that may very well change the world for someone else.

Thank you for reading here today, Orphan Sunday.
Take care.

www.reecesrainbow.org
www.projecthopeful.org
www.adoptuskids.org
www.rainbowkids.org
www.eliproject.org

All of Us...

Hi there...

 

Did you know that all of us...

Are Looking for Our Mommies and Daddies?

Did you know?

[my family found me]

That all of us

Are are also on a page of kids that are said to be adoptable by single women?

That's right!

If you are only a Mommy...

...but still want to adopt...

That's Great!

 

Come and Get us!  We are waiting!  

All of us and more kids available for adoption by single mom's can be found: 

BY CLICKING RIGHT HERE

Check this out!!!

You may have to scroll down a little bit when you get there but click HERE and you will find....

Mabel's family has found her!  Omg, omg.. I am so happy [near tears here even, happy tears]  I have no idea who they are yet but thank you God.  Thank you...

Why is she still waiting??

Update 12.15.2012:  Megan's Family has found her!  Thank you God!

Oh my goodness, why??

This is "Megan" she is nearly fully funded.  And when I say nearly I mean: $24055.50 is said to be available for her adoption.  

I am thinking it is because people just don't know.  Those of you wanting to adopt but don't have the money? This is a good thing. Is she yours? 

Megan was born in 2005. She does have special needs but then in some way or another don't we all.  Click here for her Reece's Rainbow profile.  Contact Reece's Rainbow for more information.  

 If she isn't yours can you post about her own your blogs or put her on your twitter.  Tell everyone you can about her please?  Her family is somewhere out there.  The only reason she is waiting is because they just haven't found her yet.  Let's help them.  Thanks everyone.  ^_^

Another Year has Gone. He has a New Picture...

Who is he?  My sweet Owen.

I found his new picture with a bunch of other kiddos when I read this post here.  Scroll down, it's there.  Be sure and look at all those other little faces as you do. They need a family too.  Thank you Julia for posting him!  Hopefully someone will get him home, and the rest of them, soon.

Gone

This little girl is gone. She was eleven years old. She passed away in an overseas orphanage or institution without a mom and dad.  Some of you may 'slam' me for caring, but go ahead if you feel you must.  Sometimes people react to things they fear or don't understand by making light of them.  But why, oh how, could someone, anyone, make light of this?  And say that, these kids should stay where they are at?  And die of neglect?  Simply because they are overseas and not here in America?  I do not know much really, about all this and how it works.  But I do know a few things.  One of those is this, that if kids here in America were treated the way these children are --- people would be imprisoned, seriously imprisoned, possibly for life.  Children like this little girl are 11, 14, 15, 9, 5, 3, 2 years old, younger and older, and are left to lay in cribs all day long ---yes cribs--- at age 15--- until thier bodies stiffen up, bent out of shape so they cannot even move.  That, and/or they stop growing, and look like they are still only a year or two old.  And they are starving, literally starving, at age 14, weighing only 11 pounds.

Yes, it happens.  I am not making this up.  No, I haven't been there.  I don't have to be there.  Possibly if I was there, I would never ever leave.  I have to add respectfully that this does not happen everywhere over there.  But sadly, more often than not, it seems it does. 

Now, with all that said, I must point out that yes -- kids here in the USA need homes too, even if they are not starving to death, it doesn't mean they are any less deserving. I am simply stating, we shouldn't single ANY of these children out on either side of the ocean, simply because of where they live.  They all need homes.  Where you choose to adopt from, if you so choose, is up to you, what you feel comfortable with for not only yourself but for the sake of the child.

The little girl above?  Didn't she deserve a mom and dad?  Didn't she deserve to be loved by a family? Didn't she deserve to come home?  But sadly, most people just don't know.  If they did I believe a dozen or more moms and dads would have been knocking on the door to get that little girl out.

People just don't know.  Or they don't have the money.  Or simply cannot adopt.  But everyone can still help.  Everyone can do something.  We can help and support the people whom can adopt.  We can help them raise the funds they need.  While they can fully support the child when they bring them home (one of the reasons a home-study is done, I believe) most people just don't have 22,000 dollars or more laying around.  We can do something.  We can help the families.  We can sponsor them.  We can advocate for orphans.  Talk about them.  Get word about them out there. Pray for them if you pray.  There are many so things that we can do.

The fact is, this little girl is just one of many, many, many, I cannot even pretend to know the numbers, hundreds, thousands? whom die in these conditions every year.  Why? When we can help them.  And please don't tell me 'you can't save them all' because there are approximately 163,000,000 orphans in this world, which is, for an individual person -me- or any one person- a mathematical impossibility.  But if we group together who knows what we can do.  I've written here before, if only 7% of the Christian population were to adopt there wouldn't be any orphans left in the world.  When put into that perspective, 7% is a very small number indeed.  And by the way, it doesn't just have to be Christians.  I was just using an example to show the numbers and that we can do something.  

Which brings me to her.  This is 'Mabel' as she is known on Reece's Rainbow.  Look at her, everyone.  Look at the hurt in this little girl, its almost like she thinks is just part of life to be like this, to chew on her own hands to soothe herself because she has no one else to do it for her.  Should any child have to look like this? Hurt like this? Be like this? Goodness, she is seven!  Is she yours?  Even if you are not looking to adopt?  I will say it now like I have many times on this blog, once again I will put it out there -- right now I am not able to adopt.  I know there are people out there whom can't either.  But if you can't, she is someone's daughter.  It's amazing what a little love can do.  Let's get her out there?  In honor of 'Lynette' -- the little girl pictured at the start of this post. 

Yes, it will be hard.  Yes, she has special needs.  Yes, it will be expensive.  But isn't her life worth it?  Isn't it?  Even if you don't know her?  I think her biggest special need is simply the fact that she needs a family, to love and be loved.  Thank you everyone, for listening and passing her picture along.  More information about Mabel can be found right here. 

He's 11...

...and he's turning 12 this year.

He looks so sad.  I saw his picture and was like, "Oh Brayden..."  so so sad.  It says he has siblings but they are not available for adoption. 

Almost twelve years without a family.  I'd be sad too.  Someone, pick him up and take him hope.  Does it feel like a part of your heart is missing?  Does he fit it?  Is he your son?

From his Reece's Rainbow Profile:

"Boy, born September 2001
has siblings (not available for adoption)
Open oval window; allergic contact disorder;           

developmental delays 

Brayden was born during the 39th week of pregnancy weighing 3020g. Amniotic fluid was discolored. History of anemia, and obstructive bronchitis in infancy. At age 2 a speech delay was diagnosed. in 2009 an open oval hole in the heart was diagnosed. His main diagnosis’ include congenital diseases of heart’s wall development, disorder of specific motor function development, allergic contact disorder, and the disorder of language and communication. Psychical and physical delays are indicated. He has a moderate level of language delay. The consultation of cardiologist and the help of speech therapist are recommend.

Brayden is a friendly boy, but it has been noticed that he often chooses to ignore the younger children. During games he follows the rules, but is motivation to participate in activities is poor. He has considerable special educational needs. He is currently studying at a speech therapeutical school. He still confuses colors and figures, it is difficult for him to memorize and write. Bradyen likes playing with Legos, he enjoys outdoor activities, but is not interested in arts and crafts. His hygiene skills are good. He is physically developing at an age appropriate level. In new surroundings he behaves adequately, he is quiet and polite. He bashfully communicates with strange people. Bradyen likes affection and compliments very much.

He has a very strong bond with his grandparent, he often talks about him, and eagerly anticipates his visits."

If you think you might be Brayden's family or would like a little more information about how to adopt him please contact Andrea at www.reecesrainbow.com.

I don't know what to say...

...I don't know what to say.  I've tried writing this post two other times now. I've been trying to for hours now to get it right. I've posted about her on this blog before, Lera, her story has tugged at my heart for years. 

They need 6000 dollars by the end of the weekend I think, and on top of that they have another little girl fighting for her life in PICU. Please go over to their blog and help them however you can, pray for them, pass word on on your Facebook or blogs, donate to rebuild her adoption fund through the links provided if you can.  Help get the funds back together in time, and help get Lera out of there.  Thank you for reading tonight.  Take care.

Chinese Adoption, the Waiting Child

Hey you all.  Here is a video I found about special needs waiting children.  Maybe, if you are considering adoption, take a look at that list?  Thank you all.  Have a nice night.

Please, give just a few minutes...

...and go read what Adeye has to say, and visit the links she posts in the entry? A few minutes to help these kids? I have posted this before, yes, just a few entries below. Like I said in that entry, they need everyone that visits this page. A few minutes might change lives. Thank you.

Sad...

...out of all the people whom visited today, it doesn't look like even one bothered to go look at the link to blog posted in the entry below.

Normally I don't write blog posts like this. But really, that's amazingly sad that no one even gave a few minutes of time to just go look. A few minutes that may change kids lives, and maybe their own life too.

Please ...these kids need you...

..not the next person to visit this page -- they need every person who visits page. They need you. No matter how you found this blog, no matter what you do. You may not be able to adopt but you can do something. Please these kids need you today. Please go to the post and read what Adeye has to say - she can say it much better than I can. Which is why this entry on my blog -while desperately important- is so short. Please go read hers and follow the links she placed in it --- or come back here and look at the faces of these kids in another entry on that same blog. And after, don't just move on to another page. Ask yourself what you can do today. Thank you everyone.

Meet Krysten:

Hi everyone. Today, I would like to introduce you to the little girl in the picture to the left - Krysten. I have never met this child, probably I never will. I realised today that it has been a very long time since I posted a child needing adoption on this blog, and friends, little Krysten really, really needs a family to love her and I am beyond honored to include her today.

Let me back up a little here to say that I don't know why I was browsing "AdoptUsKids.Org" hopeful I guess, that some of the kids I posted before might have been adopted by now. But I know I felt led there. And soon, after seeing this sweet little girl's face, I knew why.

Little Krysten is only 7, and she lives with a disease/condition called metachromatic leukodystrophy. Folks, my heart broke into a million pieces, this is a life-shortening disease. Let's get her a family to live it with for every blessed second she has got? Is she your daughter? If you can't adopt her can you please pass word of her along; on your facebook, your blog, the next time you are out with a neighbor? It doesn't matter where. Her family is out there. These kids deserve love and a family too. Like little Julia who had previously been diagnosed with Cockane Syndrome, who came home last year after an outpouring of love brought her to her family's attention?

The following is from Krysten's profile at adoptuskids.org:


Krysten is a sweet little girl who loves being in the midst of family activities. While she can contentedly watch TV, her favorite activities are having regular time with favorite adults, including visits by her birth mom, and being around children who interact and play with her.

A medically fragile child, Krysten's overall development is much like that of a non verbal baby who communicates primarily by facial expressions, such as smiling, or pointing and gesturing. While her care needs are extensive, Krysten seems to be content and accepting of what life has to offer without much complaining.

Krysten has an inherited condition called metachromatic leukodystrophy (or sulfatide lipidosis) caused by the lack of an essential enzyme, which results over time in an accumulation of metachromatic lipids in tissues of the central nervous system, kidney, spleen, and other organs that impact her health and her life expectancy.

In addition, Krysten has global (overall) developmental delays, a neuromuscular disorder, and seizures. Her special needs require that she be fed through a G-tube.

Krysten's routine care and treatment include daily medication and feeding regimens, frequent medical appointments, and attendance at a specialized school program for children who have significant developmental delays. Her adoptive parent(s) will need the interpersonal skills to interact effectively and cooperatively with doctors, therapists, and special education teachers on a regular basis, and will need to be proactive and creative in advocating for Krysten's needs.

Krysten is doing well in her school setting. Her IEP includes physical, occupational, and speech/language therapies, and incorporates goals for increasing her developmental growth and acquiring life skills.

Her physical and occupational therapies are helping her to increase her strength and range of movement in her limbs. Currently, Krysten's right arm appears to be stronger than the left arm and she is using it more than the other, but she moves both of them and is able to point and grasp a hold of toys and other objects. Although she has a wheelchair, she also crawls and walks about. When out of her wheelchair, Krysten really must have a caring adult nearby to provide highly attentive supervision as she has a propensity for getting into whatever is within her reach.

Her adoptive folks will need to have experience caring for medically fragile and/or significantly developmentally delayed children or, at the very least, be able and willing to learn a new specialized skill set.

It will be important for her adoptive family's well being to be able to strike an emotional balance between investing wholly in Krysten's growth and development while knowing that they may lose her prematurely; many children born with metachromatic leukodystrophy do not live into their teens. Given the circumstances of her special needs, Krysten deserves to experience life to her fullest capacity and to belong to a family and know that she is wanted. Patience, kindness, and the capacity to love and nurture will be parental traits that Krysten and Krysten's family recruitment team will value highly.


Ok everyone, let's past this on? Let's find her family. For more information visit her profile. Information for "the next step" is there. Thank you very much and have a wonderful day.

Considering Adoption? [long post]:

Hi everyone,

So, in the past few years I have been part of the adoption community there have been several things that weighed on my heart. One of those things is this: sometimes I feel like people are to specific about what they want in a child; not wanting to disrupt birth order or the child must be a girl, or the child must be a boy, or the child must be a toddler or younger, or maybe the child must be from China, or Russia or Ethiopia -- these are the things we want in a child, instead of letting the child be what God sees.

Now I understand that some families must set parameters; there was a family last summer whom had to turn down a special little girl because she was very 'needy' and they already had seven or so other kids, many of them with special needs. All that considered, from what I understand - the little girl needed more than they could give without it being detrimental to herself or their other children if they pursued her adoption. So, I understand it is sometimes what is in best interest of the child and everyone involved. But I want you to think about that for a moment; when you close doors to adopting one child or another -- who is it in the best interest of?

And then read the following:

"This post may not be for you.

I do not know everyone this post is written for.

I do know that this post is not written for everyone who will read it.

Who is it written for?

Maybe it is only for one person?

I don’t know.

And don’t need to know.

I do know…

“I was mute and silent;
I held my peace to no avail,
and my distress grew worse.
My heart became hot within me.
As I mused, the fire burned;
then I spoke with my tongue:”

This post is only for those of you who have deliberately closed the door marked “Adoption of a Child with Special Needs.” Whether at the first glimpse of this door, or after some research about what may lie through the doorway, you have closed that door.

But nobody is fighting over the “imperfect children.” Why is that?

Did you know the politically incorrect reality that in our attorney’s sixteen years of facilitating adoptions of children with special needs, God has so far sent her only Christian families? Families who treasure these little “imperfect” children as pearls of great price?

These families have rejected the value systems that push “imperfect” children out of the inner sanctum of personal life, the value systems that free people up to continue their valiant fight for the idols of personal peace and affluence.>

So.

Are you one who has closed that door?

Please, write down your list of reasons why you have decided not to take the next step. All the reasons. All the obstacles.

I ask only that you leave the word “calling” off your list, since that word can obscure a multitude of disobediences.

Then pick out a child from the Reece’s Rainbow website. May I suggest “Steven?”

Don’t let that bouncy seat fool you; he was put in there for the photo. He was placed directly back into his crib afterward.

You will find him unattended, in his bed.

Now kneel down in front of Steven’s crib, one hand holding your list, your other hand reaching in to his.

Look into his eyes, and please…

…tell him the truth.

“I could be doing something to help you, but I am choosing not to.

I don’t know whether God has closed the door, but I am closing the door.

Your life is not worth as much to me as [everything on my list].

I don’t believe that God has the power to help us overcome [everything I consider an obstacle] that stands between our family and you.”

Did you keep looking at his eyes while you spoke?

Oh.

You just thought you were looking at him.

You were mistaken.

You were looking into the eyes of the King.

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”

Please, kneel back down, look into the King’s eyes, and tell Him the truth."

I did not write what is in purple above. I re-posted it from this blog. The author found a way to say something that I have had a hard time saying for a very long time because I don't want to offend anyone. That's not the point of this blog.

The author is adopting a nine year old girl, who weighs somewhere around 10 or 11 pounds, I think, whom was left in a crib and suffered neglect simply because she had a special need.

Again, from my own heart now, this post may not be for all of you. I cannot and will not pretend to know the what you face and I respect that. But weigh your reasons. I will fully admit here and now; I was once one of those people -- once the only child I would have ever considered adopting would have been one from China. I couldn't see anything else. And then I found out that dream would never be realised because I did not nor would I ever meet the requirements to adopt from China, which I personally feel goes a bit overboard in what they believe a good parent to be is -- but that is a different post. So, when I learned I couldn't adopt from China I struggled to let that go. I thought of Russia after seeing videos of how the kids were starving and eating fish heads there -- and that dream to adopt from Russia or Ukraine or somewhere in E.E. settled into my heart after learning about the plight of people with special needs. Though I was still restrictive in whom I'd adopt; I decided I could not adopt a child positive with HIV -- that was where I drew the next line.

Almost immediately after making that decision I noticed a little girl before I noticed her HIV status. So I swallowed hard, and said ok, and did some reading and am happy to say that I found HIV something I could work with too. The next time I went to her page she was no longer available. But without knowing it she helped to change me again and to me the message is clear. I will leave the door open too, to special needs. And have faith that with God we will not be given what we cannot handle.

This has been a long post and for that I am sorry. I guess I am trying to say in all these words: have an open mind, and an open heart, to whatever it is God wants you to do; or whomever it is he may lead you to. And so I will sum up with what may be one of my favorite bible quotations:

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it's due when it is within the power of your hand to do so." -- Proverbs 3:27

Take care everyone,
--Debrah

If He Was My Son:

IF YOU WERE MY SON:
The day I found out I was carrying you inside me would have been among the happiest moment's of my life. I would have taken your daddy to dinner, and surprised him with a cake that said he was a daddy. We would have gone shopping to pick out sweet baby things for you, we would have talked for days and weeks, picking your bed out, painting and arranging your room. If you were my son you would have been our first child and we would be bragging on how you would be the toughest of all your cousins. We would have gone through a list of names, changing our minds again and again before we we even knew if you were a girl or a boy. We been asked if we wanted a girl or a boy, we would have said, it wouldn't matter, as long as the baby is healthy.

If you were my son the day we found out there was something wrong may have been the day we found out you were a boy, it may have been sooner. If you were my son it would probably be the hardest day of my life. There would have been tears streaming from my eyes that day, out of fear for you, love for you, there would have been tears of pain, loss and yes even denial sweet baby boy. But also there would be the most tears because as I held my arms around my belly, already trying to protect you as they went through the list of what was wrong, I may have been asked if I wanted to end the pregnancy, abort you, and try for another baby later that would be healthy.

If you were my son, your daddy would have been there, holding my hand. And together we would have said no -- no way -- this is our child. With the number of abortions going on out there for special needs God trusted specifically us with your life. It is up to God to decide if he stays with us, not us. And against the people's judgement whom would have thought we should abort you because you were different - we choose to keep you.

If you were our son, in spite of every thing else, we know you are a boy now. If you were my son, we would give you a name now - Owen, the last name of whom would have been your great-grandfather, meaning noble and well-born, if you were my son.

If you were my son the doctor trips would be difficult. People would whisper and talk, and point fingers at us. But you would continue to thrive and grow, and each day would be a day we would treasure.

If you were my son, the day you were born, I would have held you close and whispered how much I loved you forever, no matter what. With tears of joy for being blessed with such a tiny precious treasure I would have told you that it was going to be alright, that we would fight for you and make sure you got the very best in life.

If you were my son:


If you were my son we would take you home. I would love you. I would give you everything I could and advocate for you when you could not. I would chase down every single lead I could for your happiness and well being. I would cherish each moment I had with you as you are a precious gift, because, like all children do, you will grow very fast, and your first birthday would come.


...and you would grow. You would go to school like all children do, play like all children do. You would have grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles. You would have family. You would have friends. When they teased I would be there for you. When you hurt I would hug you. You would learn that there is nothing to dislike about who you are, that people tend to fear what they do not understand. And we would help them. If you were my son I would show the world how beautiful you really are.

...and you would still grow. You would know there was nothing you couldn't do or be. You would love and be loved. You would blossom into someone so beautiful that, if everyone knew just how beautiful you were, they would want you for their son too.

If you were my son -- you would not have been left to cry like this:

...you would not have been left alone like this, to waste away like this, you would not have been left in an orphanage to lie like this. You would not have to hurt like this. If you were my son.

But you are God's son.

"I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you."
--John 14:18

He promises he will come for you. Hold on little boy, just a bit longer.

Ok all, the little boy in the pictures above is Owen on Reece's Rainbow. He is a living breathing child. Because he is alive I am guessing the woman whom gave birth to this child held a blessing in her hands but either pressured by society or by choice, she left him alone. Honestly, I do not know the reasons he was left an orphan.

All the same, instead of having a family choosing names and painting his room he was sent to an orphanage. Instead of having love and someone to tell him it will be alright and getting him the medical attention he needs he is most likely barely getting his basic needs met. Instead of having people around him to encourage him he is most likely considered an invalid and a burden instead. Instead of having cuddles and love he probably self-stims alot, maybe by rocking or banging his head. He might sit in wet diapers or dirty clothes until someone notices him or its his turn at last. Instead of having all the beautiful things a child has and needs -- from day one he has been rejected and left in an orphanage instead.

The staff might love him. I am thinking most at most places the staff do. I hear allot about how the staff at the orphanages do love the children, but I also hear about how they are doing all they can do with the little they have among a great number of kids. To see him like this may be just as hard on them. I am very glad that Reece's Rainbow found him and chose to advocate for him and show his beautiful face to the world.

Please,think for a moment what if he was your son? What if he was born to you? What would you do? How would you react? Wouldn't you love him anyway? Think, seriously think even if you came to this blog only looking for 'the red thread saying' if he could be your son? Or more importantly - is he your son? Even if you never considered adoption before?

Please, I am joining Christine here in her plea for this little boy. I too have been keeping an eye on this little guy nearly since the day he was first posted. That said, I have to admit I almost passed her plea by, just for a few hours I told myself. I almost waited to post this, I thought, 'I will put him on my blog, tomorrow.' And I tried to move to the next site, my email, or whatever it was I was going to do next with my day.

But I couldn't get him off my mind. So I came back and posted about him. It is all I can do to be part of God's promise to Owen. Won't you be part of that promise too? If you can't bring him home, please post about him on your blogs, on Facebook, on everything you know. It will only take a little bit of your time and Owen doesn't have time to wait until tomorrow. He needs us to act now. Please click here for more information about Owen.

Thank you, everyone,
With all my heart,

-Debrah

Oksana, Oksana...

Ever since I saw your picture I have been drawn to to you - to think of you, pray for you, check on you to see if you had a home yet, to knowing that if I was allowed to I would go right across the sea to adopt you - for three years now.

For a while, I wondered if anyone else even noticed you as I watched other kids I have kept up on and prayed for get adopted. And yet, my sweet Oksana with her beautiful eyes and little blue bonnet, waits.

But people have noticed you sweetie. My feeling this way is just me wanting to see you have a family so badly. And I have to trust that everyone is waiting for God's perfect time for you, that the waiting leads to something beautiful.

So today, on Mother's Day, I felt the need to do share about you on this blog. And as for others to share about you too. It takes only five minutes and a tiny bit of blog space to help this little nearly forgotten girl's family come. I am praying they will find her soon. Please pray with me. Please post with me. Lets get this little one home at last.

Visit Oksana here at Reece's Rainbow today. You may have to scroll down a bit but she is there. Thank you.

THIS IS WHY:

Yes, I shouted that. THIS IS THE ANSER FOR PEOPLE WHOM ASK ME WHY NOT ADOPT KIDS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY. This is the body of a 3 year old girl whom is -- by what can only be described as a blessed Miracle -- still alive. Three years old, weighing only 11 lbs.

Her parents just adopted her from an eastern Europe country. They found this the first time they undressed their little precious daughter and the moment their plane touched down in America on March 17 they rushed this child to the hospital where it was found that her little body was already shutting down, no longer receptive of any food and she continued to loose weight. A tube had to be placed directly into her intestine to prevent stomach reflux. This little girl - Carrington - is lighting a fire across the net and in the hearts of people all over the world. I understand kids in the USA need homes and by far I am not out to deny them in fact I encourage it and may adopt from foster care myself one day. I understand that international adoption is not for everyone. But please -- do not lash out at those whom it is for and ask them why not adopt from their own country. Their hearts have been broken for a child on the other side of the world. My heart is breaking for her - and this little boy too:



This little boy is -Kirill- with the mommy and daddy whom have battled so long and hard to go across the seas to adopt him also from an eastern European orphanage. When they presented their case to the judge she told them no - that they could not adopt him because she felt that kid with Down Syndrome was better off in a mental institution.

Maybe maybe someone should slap that picture of Carringon's little body down in front of the judge and ask her flat out if she thinks that is what is better for him, because, that all I see in this -- that her choice will allow this to happen again. If she argues its just one case -- no, its not. Kids DIE of malnutrition and neglect in these institutions and orphanages over there ALL THE TIME. All the time. This is just ONE precious case that has the chance to be brought to light.

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it's due when it is within the power of your hand to do so." -- Proverbs 3:27

Someone needs to remind that judge of that Proverb too. If she is doing so she has no right to let her personal feelings on this matter interfere or I don't feel she should be allowed to have the position she has.

Please understand I write what I write because I am on FIRE about this. I do not mean any disrespect for the families involved. [The children's names are linked to support blogs if you click on them.] I hold them in my prayers and I hope you do too. Also please think of going to get one of these kids if you can, or donate to them if you can. They need you. The are all precious little Kirill's and Carringon's...

The Trash Bag:

It is up to each of us to listen, to act, to do something. We can make choices we like easily, good choices and bad ones. It is harder to make choices that are frightening with ends that are unknown. But that is what faith is, you have to believe first before you see -- this is something that has taken and is still taking me a very hard and long time to learn to accept.

But you do see in the end - and what you see is more amazing than you could ever lay out or imagine on your human own. You fight, you resist, you ignore, you pretend the message is for someone else and not you, you pass it by, you come up with excuses, you put things off to the end, you lie... but in the end when you run out of options -- you cave. You give in. You say ok God --- and then you seriously start to pray.

You dream of standing in a star field with a black and very tattered and taped up trash bag full of everything that you think is important to you, taped and tattered at the cost of hauling it around and trying to keep it all together. And Jesus is there just feet away waiting for you to give it to him. With tears rolling down your face you start to do so... but at the last minute pull it back from him for fear of letting go.

You still feel sick. You still don't want to do this. You still don't believe all the way. You still miss what you had and are 'secretly' thinking of ways to go back. But in the end again - you cave, and say -- Ok God. You try and give the trash bag over again but you can't quite do it. You pray again.

You spend days in tears of not understanding why it can't be the way you want it to be, why does everyone else get what they want? Why do you have to give up everything your happiness and comfort, your all for someone else's sake?

You rage for days with this question, weeks, months... again and again. Then one dark and rainy night at three in the morning you are staring out a window. The night and the storm has made your heart quiet and still enough so you can finally hear the answer that has been being repeated again and again in all the noise you've been making: Jesus gave up everything he had too. He gave his life for you - not for himself. He gave up absolutely everything.

It shocks you to the core. Especially when you remember you are supposed to try and be like Jesus. Give and give and keep on giving - because you love. Even if you do not get anything immediately back in return, even if it hurts. You are supposed to pick up that cross and be like Jesus.

So you pray again. The whole time he is just standing there waiting for you to trust him, to give him that trash bag you carry of everything precious to you. Just waiting reassuring you it will be alright. He could turn it into something beautiful. And this time you do it. You had that trash bag over. With shaking hands and tears pouring down your face you step back and whisper "Ok God, I will stop fighting and trust you. I will do what you want of me, just show me."

And he does. Slowly at first, one step at a time, one breath at a time, your heart changes, your world starts to crack open and you start to see bits and pieces of a plan that had that has been made since before the dawn of time. Looking back on your life to this point you can see where the pieces had fallen into place and you didn't even know it then. You see the tiny bits of light that shine through are so bright and brilliant that you dare to hope -- and at last it comes spiraling open until you are on top of a flowered hillside looking up into a beautiful sky, remembering what you had and fought for and wanted for so long was not nearly as nice as this is -- and this is what you were fighting against being given. It is more beautiful than you ever could have imagined:

LOVE.

Love.

love.

This could apply in many more ways than just adoption. It might apply in every heart felt-battle you might have in your life.
Some people may just have to look harder to find that hillside and they may have to do it more than once. For me, it wasn't related to the idea of adoption either at first. But in this moment I felt I did need to write it here for that relation.

I saw this quote on another blog. It was so strong inside me that I had to share it again:

"What if there are children in the world who will suffer somehow because I failed to obey God? What if my cowardice costs even one child somewhere in the world his or her life?"
-- Richard Stearns.

What about Bella in the post below this one? And what about the others? What about the ones we might never know? Pray, post about them, have faith and believe. Bring one home if you can. Really sit back and ask yourself -- can you? If not can you pass word on about them? That is important to because together we can reach someone whom can.

This has been posted time and again on the internet, even one other time by me here on this blog - but I will post it again:



My friends, your thoughts and actions are always your own. You know your own roads and I cannot and will not even begin to try to imagine them. It's just that after years of trying to take the trash bag back, I felt the need to share mine as encouragement to someone out there. So many of you have encouraged me that I also wanted to say thank you. Until next time, in peace and have a good night.
--Debrah