Waiting Wednesday: Sarai

Tonight, meet Sarai.

This sweet girl had a family working very hard to get her. They were in country, and then they found out she needed a family with no younger children, which they had.

With very heavy hearts, they had to let her go, and pray another family would love her just as much as they did.

So she is waiting again.

She turned (or is turning) 10 this year. Double digits!

She is HIV+, which can easily be controlled with medication.

She had a positive skin test for TB.

She has Fetal Alcohol syndrome. Which is a pretty scary diagnosis, but not one what that can't be dealt with if you have love and patience. I came across an blog post about FAS the other which I thought explained it very well. You should go read it HERE.

And she has less than $10 in her grant.

That's all I have to tell you apart from the obvious- she is so very cute, beautiful, and needs a family.

So, your mission - share, donate, and find her a family! Ready, set, go!

Waiting Wednesday: Giselle

While staring here at an empty post wondering what to say to get her noticed, not just another of the 147 million, I decided to look up her name meaning.

I figured it might be something like rescued, free, redeemed, loved, or something else that I could use to say she should be.

Instead I was a bit shocked by the first word that came up. Hostage.

That name that was given to her to be listed to find a family means hostage.

And it fits so perfectly, because she is a hostage. Being held against her will in a place she should never have been in the first place.

Giselle.

Getting sicker and sicker everyday, just waiting for someone to come and set her free.

She's being held as hostage in the enemy's camp, the institution. And she needs two brave and loving warriors to fight their way to get to her to rescue her and set her free.

She can't keep living like she is. In the enemy camp.

No one is meant to live as a hostage, especially not a little girl.

Where are the warriors willing to rescue her??

Read more about her here: Giselle

Waiting Wednesday: Timothy

Today, meet Timothy.

Timothy is living with a family in his country who takes care of special needs orphans.

But he is available for adoption, his papers are ready, and they want to find him a forever family.

He just had a birthday, this past Sunday in fact! He turned 12, but don't let that scare you off.

Older children are just as much deserving of families as the babies. They've waited longer, they've lost out on more.

We need to work to bring them home, and be God's hands and feet to restore what the locust has eaten.

To give these kids hope, and a home, and love. Because they deserve more than what their current future holds for them.

Timothy has 2 years to find a family, and while that may seem like a lot, the process to bring him home may take up a good chunk of that. Plus we don't have to wait till the very end to find him a family!

He is blind and has cerebral palsy. Two things that may seem like huge medical diagnoses, but once you get past the initial appts, and get used to living with them, they really aren't that big of deal. And even if they are, it's better he is taken care of here with a family.

He is FLUENT in ENGLISH! How cool is that? His family won't have language as a barrier to love him! He is also described as an affectionate and humorous boy.

Could he be your son?? I'm sure he'd make a great one!

If ou are interested in him, please email me and I'll put you in contact with the family he is living with- forhisgloryhandiwork(at)gmail(dot)com.

Waiting Wednesday: Sutter

Thank you to all who entered and shared my birthday giveaway for Sutter! Two friends on facebook ended up winning. His grant also jumped a couple hundred dollars! :)

But.

He doesn't have a family yet.

And I found out on Monday that his birthday isn't in the summer like mine, it's in FEBRUARY 2014. 

Which means he doesn't have a year until he ages out, he has SIX MONTHS!

When I posted on my birthday, I only knew the year he was born, and hoped it would be later in the year, but no.

HE HAS SIX MONTHS.

Then he will turn 16, age out and be sent to one of the worst adult mental institutions in his country. I visited that institution when I was in his country on a mission trip.

I also visited the orphanage he is currently at, and I'm pretty sure I met him, even though I didn't get any pictures.

But the institution he'll go to.

I was literally sick to my stomach at some of the things I saw there.

Sutter can not walk, so he will be confined to one of the bedridden rooms, the worst place in the institution. He will be confined to a bed the rest of his life, lying in his own waste and not ever going outside.

THIS CAN'T HAPPEN. HE CAN'T GO THERE.

 I'm begging you, please.

HE NEEDS A FAMILY NOW.

If you can't go get him, SHARE SHARE SHARE his picture and his story. And donate to his grant if you can.

But most important PRAY. PLEASE PRAY for a family to step up and get him before it's too late. (A family must be filed to USCIS before his birthday.)

Thank you.

Some more about him from someone who has met him:

 - Sutter is easygoing and organized.

- Sutter is a really smart boy. He likes to make puzzles and he can solve them really fast. His favorite game was copying a picture and rebuild it with little colored pins on a board with holes. If you try to fool him, he will say ‘no’ and start to laugh contagious. I’m sure that he would be able to participate in some kind of education.

- He had several operations as a child, which improved his locomotion, but after his growth spurt he lost some of his mobility again. He tries to walk with crutches and he gets PT for it. With the right medical care I’m pretty sure he would be able to walk.

- Some days he is really kind for the other children in his group and then he acts really helpful. Other moments he tries to get all the attention. He would do very well in a family, where he gets the attention he deserves.

Visit his page here: Sutter

Waiting Wednesday: Jacob

Today, I want to show you a little boy who has stolen my heart.

Is he not adorable??

His name is Jacob. He turned 3 this month.

He is in a country in Asia, and was abandoned because he most likely has Down syndrome. He also has a heart defect.

A little more about him:
"Jacob can roll but has poor muscle tone. He is unable to sit or crawl. He can hold objects and throw them and his eyes will follow objects. Jacob does well playing alone but also gets along well with other children.

He is not speaking yet but does understand the word “no”. He is restless and stubborn. He does not like baths and cries during them but can be comforted with food or being held.

Jacob is a very lovable little boy. All of us like him very much. We hope that he can find a home which loves him very much early in which he can enjoy the love of parents and owns a happy childhood, nice future. We believe he will bring much happiness to your family."

This precious boy so deserves a family.

Can you help??

Donate a little to his fund? (It's only at $5.85!) Share his picture? Adopt him maybe??

Read more about him and donate here: Jacob

Waiting Wednesday: Greta

This beautiful girl is a couple months younger than me.

She is the size, an developmentally the age of a 3-4 yo.

That makes me sick. It isn't right.

No, she probably wouldn't be the size or mental level I am due to her Ds, but she certainly wouldn't be that tiny.

She should have had proper care, nutrition, therapy, and LOVE from the day she was born. There should have been people to believe in her, to tell her to reach for the stars.

But no.

Instead there was and is nannies, doing the bare minimum of basic care. Other kids, each in the same situation she is.

Helpless, voiceless, existing but not living, not knowing what love is. No one to hug her, to kiss her goodnight.

It's been that way for too long. It's not fair. She didn't ask for it.

I'm in tears tonight begging for her.

Let's find her a family. Please.

Read more about her here - Greta

Oh, did I mention she has a FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT?!?!? He adoption is almost paid for!

Waiting Wednesday: Brett

Today, meet Brett.

He has Down syndrome, and a few other issues, and is waiting for a family.

But there's something else that makes him more than just another one of the 147 million. We know more of his story.

He was born prematurely at home. And then, was abandoned. In a field.

He was left to die, alone in a field.

He was there for 6 hours.

And then he was rescued, brought to a hospital and treated for shock, hypothermia, bug bites all over his body, and difficulty breathing.

Can you even imagine? Horrifying.

Even with his rough start, life didn't get easier.

He ended up in an orphanage, and is now in a mental institution.

Let's find him a family.

If you aren't able to adopt him, share about him, and add a little to his grant if you can.

He doesn't deserve to live a life like this.

Read more about him here: Brett

Waiting Wednesday: Iris

Side note: This is my 500th post! Not sure what I rambled about in all those posts, that's a lot of posts!

There are two girls, who reside in the same institution, and both of them need families. The other thing that makes them stand out is they both have $15,000 grants. FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! That's well over half of their adoption paid for!

The first girl, is a familiar face, esp if you follow along over at Handiwork for Maria [Website+Blog+Facebook+GooglePlus]. It's Maria!

Read about how she went from $10 to $15k in her grant here - Bittersweet. Also includes information about the grants of Russian children, that have now been moved to children still available, due to the Russian adoption ban.


The second little girl may not be as familiar, but you may have seen her on other advocating blogs. And she is the one I'm going to introduce you to today for WW. Her name is Iris.

She is older, and a great helper in her grouppa, loving on and taking care of the younger kids. Her only medical need is HIV+, which is easily controlled by medication. She does have birth marks on her face, but was not burned or anything.

She soaks up every bit of attention she is given and longs for a family of her own.

I've heard many people say that they would love to adopt, but it costs so much. You can't use that as an excuse this time! Iris's adoption is nearly paid for, and considering how popular she is in the RR community, it wouldn't be hard to raise that last bit! Right now, she also has the largest grant of any child on RR, at nearly $15,500. Maria is only half a thousand behind her. :)

PLEASE consider adding this beautiful girl to your family!!

More about her:

Iris

Girl, born 2001
HIV+

Iris is a lovely young lady; she is described as curious and enthusiastic.

From someone who met Iris in 2012:  Iris is a sweet girl who loves attention and physical affection. She loves to be hugged and will play with your hair and sit in your lap. She is a big helper within her group, and is a good friend (more like a big sister) to many of the other kids in her group. She is very affectionate with those kids, and will play with them and try to pick them up. She has great play skills, and loves dolls. She also enjoys playing with balloons (hitting them back and forth to other people), and coloring with markers. I have been told she was not burnt, but that she has a birthmark. She is taking medication for her hiv. Her cognitive abilities and social awareness are not what you would expect from a child of her age, and I am not sure how much of this is due to orphanage delays.

Large families welcome. Married couples only; travel required.

Also read more about older child adoption by a family who has adopted an older girl, and who is advocating for Iris - Tiny Green Elephants.

Waiting Wednesday: Angelia

You know that feeling when you leave your computer cord at your best friends house (because I had to have something to email her with while I was there - neither of us like texting) and then only realize it after you ran your previously full battery dead? And you are slightly upset about it? Then you realize "oh sweet, I can check email and read blogs on the iPad, and I now have a GOOD excuse why I haven't blogged, and not to do the school that's on the computer?" Ever have that feeling? No? Must just be me.

++++++++

This is Angelia.

Sweet princess is in the same place as Emmitt, whom if you follow a couple other advocates blogs, you might have seen him advocated for.

She has spent soo long in an institution without a family. She just turned TWELVE. Can you imagine that? A little girl living 6+ years in an insane asylum??

She needs someone to rescue her from the horrid place she lives, and who will love her. Who will be her family and help her become the QUEEN she was made to be!

When we love the least of these, like Angelia, they will become Kings and Queens!



More about her below. Visit her profile here!

Girl, Born April 7, 2001

Diagnosis: Down syndrome

Angelia has been living in an institution for 5 years. Yet she is healthy, active, happy and SO ready for a family to love her and show her what her life is supposed to be like. She does have some strabismus, but no heart condition. The orphanage staff tell us she does like to play with toys, is interactive and affectionate, and has “potential to improve”.

Angelia is in a place where we have successfully adopted several children out of, and those families can tell you horror stories about many of the other kids there. Angelia is strong and healthy, despite her surroundings. What a miracle it would be to save her!

 $1140.19 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Help her become a queen! ♥

Waiting Wednesday: Violetta

Today, I want to introduce you to a sweet princess by the the name of Violetta.

Isn't she beautiful??

Violetta will be 5 in September, so is still little! However, she has most likely been transferred to an institution already, and if not, she will be very soon! She is/was in the same orphanage as my little brother Elijah was in.

She has a whole host of medical issues, but nothing very serious. She does have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome like "my" Logan, so she needs a family that will have patience with her, and help her become who God made her to be, despite her mother's mistakes.

Every day she waits is another day lost. Please consider adding this sweet princess to your family!

Violetta

Girl, Born September 2008

Oh sweet girl   Violetta is 4 now and is facing transfer this year.  She urgently needs a family!

From her medical records:  FAS, syndrome of movement disorders in form of two-sided pyramidal insufficiency, condition after surgery: abdominal incision, bowel resection (September 19, 2008), end-to-end abdominal anastomosis as a result of enterocolitis and serous peritonitis, examination stage and assumption of partial optic atrophy, slight protein-energy malnutrition, defficiency anemia.

$2693.80 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

Waiting Wednesday: Shawna and Seth

Shawna. Born 2001, age 11. Seth. Born 2003, age 9. Sister and brother.

They had an interested family, until Shawna tested positive for HIV. Other than that, they have no other special needs.

They love each other and were very close to each other.

But then Seth was moved, and they don't see each other any more.

All they had was each other, and now they don't even have that.

Look at the love in her eyes as she looks at him. Precious.

Shawna worries a lot about her brother, and takes care of other kids his age. The above pictures were taken in 2010. We have updated pictures of Shawna, and she is growing into a beautiful young lady.

But she still misses and worries about her brother.

They need a family that will reunite them, love them, and help them heal from the pain they've endured. Not only pain from feeling abandoned and unwanted as orphans, but from losing each other.

Please. Don't make them wait without each other any longer.

Read more about them:
http://reecesrainbow.org/48804/shawna-seth
http://askingwithfaith.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-fight-is-on.html
http://askingwithfaith.blogspot.com/2013/03/more-on-shawna.html

Many more pictures available, email me if interested: forhisgloryhandiwork(at)gmail(dot)com

Waiting Wednesday: Heath

There is this one little boy.... who has the heart of many in the adoption world.

Many have advocated, shared about him, prayed for his family.

Many families have seen his picture and said no, I can't take on those kinds of needs.

After how many years, it's about time someone looked past his needs.

And saw the precious boy in need of a family.

Because that all it really boils down too.

He didn't chose to live this life, to be confined to mental institution.

He didn't chose to have Down syndrome so he could become an orphan.

If he had the choice, he would have chosen a loving family.

Something he has been deprived of.

Meet Heath:

His adoption is just about payed for so you can't use that as an excuse.

Can you make room in your heart for him?

Heath

Boy, Born April 8, 2001
Heath is a sweet little boy who desperately needs a family.    

Heath is a twelve year old boy with Down Syndrome. He is tiny in stature. His feet hardly reach the edge of his shared wheelchair. Because of his age, he has already been transferred from the stimulating environment of his baby house to a dull and underfunded mental institute for boys ages 6-18. He is no longer the youngest boy in his group, but he is certainly among the smallest.

Heath is not a recent transfer. He has lived in the stifling boredom of institution life for a long time. He has lost the vivacity of life at the baby houses. In his three years at the institute, he has been given nothing of his own. He has not seen a book or a toy. He has never been gathered into anyone’s loving arms. He is a very lonely little fellow in desperate need of love and comfort.

We have few other details on Heath. He has been seen in a wheelchair, so he may not be able to walk. We don’t know if or how well he talks, or any other details on his medical condition. We do know that he is a cute, chubby-cheeked, dirty and neglected lonely little lost boy who needs a mother more than almost anyone else in the world.

If you would like to learn more about Heath from a family who met him at his present institute, please follow these links:

http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2010/10/recalled-to-life.html

http://covenantbuilders.blogspot.com/2010/10/brady-and-heath.html

$22,494.50 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

*** A completed and approved home study for the adoption of an older, institutionalized child is required prior to commitment for this child.  Older parents and large families welcome, MARRIED COUPLES ONLY.  Travel for both parents required. ***

Waiting Wednesday: Casey

Today, meet sweet Casey. He will turn 16, and age out in a matter of months. He needs a family not just because of that, but because every child, including him, deserves to know what love is.

Casey

Born June 1997
Cerebral palsy, significant mental delays, seborrheic dermatitis

Casey is very sweet.   He is bedridden, yet full of smiles.  He desperately needs a family to save him.

Travel required;  married couples only.  Large families welcome.

$381.20 is available towards the cost of my adoption!

 My bloggy friend Jane met him and has been advocating for him.... Please go read her post about him here - A Call Out to the Army. But here is a little bit of it.

Casey is such a sweetheart, I met him at orphanage 50 (listed at Reece's Rainbow here!)  If you ever wanted to make a difference to somebody in desperate need then look no further. Casey is a child in desperate need, he is warehoused at present in a remote mental institution. Buried alive because of his special needs! He has until he turns 16 to be saved.

He turns 16 in June!

I am sending out a warrior cry today to assemble an army for Casey! He needs a miracle and the rainbow army need to come together! You see this is his last hope.

His last hope for a family.

His last hope for security.

His last hope for love.

 His last hope for a home.

 His last hope for adequate medical care. 

His last hope not to be hungry.

His last hope for a life.

His last hope to live!

Can you see how urgent this is? Can you see why I said you really do not need to look any further?