Tell me what it is you want to do with your one wild and precious life? -mary oliver
Showing posts with label Reece's Rainbow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reece's Rainbow. Show all posts

Monday, November 29, 2010

New Puzzles and Missing Pieces


Winter is arriving with his fierce winds, bitter cold, and frost on the windows.  The bulky coats, mittens, hats, scarves, and boots roll out of the closet.  The kids have begun pulling out their puzzles,  sorting their pieces in such a way to meticulously work each piece into the correct slot.  Since I typically buy puzzles at yard sales and Goodwill, every so often a piece or two is missing.  What a heartbreaking moment when we've reached end of the puzzle and we're missing a piece!!  Frustrating, upsetting, and an anti-climatic end to the hard work involved.






Three months ago we began Sarah's puzzle, and we are in need of three pieces for it to be complete.  All we need is one piece, that will complete another, to be sent for the final piece in our dossier.  Similar to a domino design, when one domino falls, so goes the rest of the masterpiece.  Only 3 pieces...3 papers.  I'm tellin ya it can be so frustrating, hoping, praying, and wishing for these final pieces.  My heart and head wants her puzzle complete.  Even though her country is closed until February for adoptions, I want to know our puzzle for her is finished.  So that in my perfect dream world, a little angel 
is whispering to her as she sleeps that her family is coming soon.  All the hard work, paper chasing, faxing, scanning, mailing...I want it to be completed as our Christmas present for her...






But for so many orphans, a puzzle has not begun in their name.  Their puzzle box has yet to be opened, to be put together piece by piece, waiting for the forever family.    Early November, I wrote about these four young souls needing a forever family.



 Walker (23)
Boy, Born May 13, 2007
Caitlin is a BOY!!!   All this time we were told Caitlin was a girl, but she is a HE!   Walker is a darling little boy ready to come home!   He is doing well, and is healthy outside of “dystopia of the left kidney”. No heart condition.
 He's at the same orphanage as Sarah!!!!
  Sandra (31)

Girl, Born June 22, 2006
Sandra is a beautiful little girl with platinum blonde hair and brown eyes. She is nearing 4 but is still working on her walking skills. She is physically capable, she is healthy with no heart condition, is able to stand on her own, play with toys, respond appropriately, but she will need extra patience and help with her PT and speech. She will so greatly benefit from a loving family who will encourage her!
Alina

Igor
Alina's puzzle was begun soon afterward, but Igor, Sandra, and Walker are still waiting for someone to open their box.  Could it be you?  If not, could you help donate to their adoption grant fund to make it easier for someone else?  Could you pray for these little gems?  Can you do something?

The Christmas Angel Tree is a fundraiser for the many special needs waiting children.  Reece's Rainbow is an international Down Syndrome orphan ministry helping to find forever families.  Their heart is for special needs orphans in many countries.   The Christmas Angel Tree lets you donate to a specific child's grant, and in return you'll receive an ornament with the child's photo on it. 
Could you help one find hope, find someone to open a puzzle in their name?  
Alice S.






Sergey

                                                                                     
              
  Trenton
                                                                                          

Victoria



Celine
                                                  







Alexander

Sophia
Could you help just one?  
Could you change the world for one, make a difference for one?  Could you give someone a little hope?  
A little hope for the hopeless?  Would you?

Monday, October 11, 2010

Red Thread Sighting...

    I volunteer monthly to substitute teach in the preschool wing in our church.  Yesterday, as I was sharing our news to adopt Sarah with the directors, one of the ladies came around the desk to hug me and tell me some news that I can only see as another Red Thread.  Our church may be sending a team to Sarah's country in the spring.  Dates aren't set, nor is it confirmed.  But how amazing would it be meeting our daughter oversees and possibly connect with friends from home!!!!  Even if it doesn't come to fruition, this is another Red Thread confirmation we are on the right journey.  On every journey, there are seasons of time.  Seasons of moving fast, seasons of waiting, and seasons of moving slow...but all that matters is we are continually looking ahead to the time when we will see her face to face.  Then, the journey will have been worth the seasons.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

September Sunrise...

A little over a month ago, our family made the commitment to become a little girl's forever family.  One month down, 5 more to go...
Here is where our time has gone:

*August 19-Contract with Home Study agency and they began working on our state clearances
*August 24-Commitment papers sent to Reece's Rainbow
*August 27-Doctor's appointment for one child/medical form completed
*August 28-Shared with our families and children of our adoption plans.  Everyone is so surprised, excited, and thrilled for us.  The kids begin placing her picture around the house.
*August 30-State fingerprinting.  Social Worker calls to schedule our home visits.
*September 3-Doctor's appointment for one child/medical form completed
*September 4-Addy is writing a list of possible names for her from A-Z
*September 5-Family decision to call her Sarah
*September7-10-Completing more paperwork, education credits.  Read a total of 6-8 books. All home study paperwork is completed.
*September 10-Need to reschedule home study visit
*September 13-Received the international paperwork and process
*September 16-First home study visit (the power came back on 5 minutes before she arrived:), Child Specific Petition/other forms notarized and faxed to her country
*September 17-Received ok to certify/apostille CSP/POA
*September 18-2nd home study visit
*September 20-CSP/forms certified, apostilled, and sent to her country
*September 27-Andy's Dr. appointment/medical form/tests completed

It's been a crazy, busy, but wonderful month as we are checking off things to complete.
Soon, Sarah, we'll be bringing you home...

Even more AMAZING...
I was reading the digest from Reece's Rainbow yesterday, and was in AWE!!!  A coordinator was updating their website with commitments and My Family Found ME page, when she began counting back to our commitment day.  From August 25 to this week, 34 angels found their forever family.  34...Two were adopted from another agency, and one went home with their biological family:)   Still, 31 children have moved from waiting to My Family Found Me on Reece's Rainbow.  34 children will one day wake up in a loving, caring home.  34 children will be loved, cherished, and celebrated for who they are.  There are no words, but AMAZING!!!  All because someone stepped up and said, "I will love and bring a child home."  There is so much good happening around us!!!! Celebrate it!!