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Hi! We're the Pattersons. We've been married for 22 years (Wow, time flies!) and currently have five children. Our two oldest are in college, our next two are in high school and our youngest is in fourth grade. Two years ago we adopted our youngest, Joseph (Igor on Reece's Rainbow) from Ukraine. The past two years have been challenging but SO rewarding.
For over a year we have wanted to adopt again. When we saw Vienna's picture on Reece's Rainbow we were so excited! We had been praying about who our next child would be and hoping that we could adopt a little girl with Arthropryposis. Joseph was born with Arthropgryposis and we have become quite familiar with the ins and outs of the medical procedures and therapies that are necessary. So, when we inquired about Vienna and were accepted to pursue her adoption we were thrilled! Despite the unknowns, we are ready to plow through the paperwork to bring our little girl home as soon as possible!!
We appreciate your prayers and support so much as we begin this journey.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at hiskindness.wordpress.com
We are a family of 8, soon to be 10.
I'd like to tell a little story if I could so please bear with me. A month or so before Xavier went into the hospital Andrew and I had come to the conclusion that we were going to go back to China. It had been 2 years since the boys came home and everyone was healthy and calm. We had our schedules down, we weren't scheduled for any surgeries, the kids were rocking in school. We were a family of 8.
It was time. And so we started the paperwork for a special someone who has been in my heart since I started advocating 4 years ago. And then Xavier went into the hospital.
And the world stopped turning. It never crossed my mind in that first week and even into the second week that we wouldn't be leaving the hospital with him. He had pneumonia. RSV. That was it. Lots of kids get it. We would just get through this, go home, obsess over the medical bills and quietly panic every winter when the other kids got sick. And then it started getting weird. They started pulling in specialists from every department to try and figure out what was going on. Heart, kidneys, genetics, autoimmunity, GI, and on and on. And even when his kidneys failed and they put him on the ECMO machine, I lived in denial. He was coming home and worst case scenario was that we would have to do dialysis short term. My husband allowed me to live there because it kept me sane. And best case was that we now had every department on board and we would finally be able to figure out why he wasn't growing, why he wasn't thriving… Something I had been working to get since he came home! And frankly denial is a good place to live in when your head is telling you one thing but your heart won't listen. Life without my guy just wasn't an option. We had always known he wouldn't have a long life like the other kids, but two years?? TWO YEARS?? No. Not happening! And so we fought. And fought. And God let us fight. We had hope. It was a daily roller coaster. Sometime hourly. And just when we had climbed the mountain and could see the other side (the lungs were clearing and they were going to slow down dialysis), we found the spot on his cheek. And then they realized that the spot on his hand had grown 10x larger within a day. And we fell back down the mountain never to find our footing again. We prayed, we cried. I made deals with God. So many deals. Anything to not lose my son. Anything to take him home with me. Please just don't take him. Give me another 2 years with him. Another 6 months. Anything but now.
And everything was quiet. He was still.
We came to a point where we knew we had done everything we could. We had a meeting with all the doctors and they said the same. And so we made the decision to end life support. It was the hardest thing I will ever do. Ever. Even once the decision was made in my mind, it was getting the words out. Because once it's said…
I kept wondering how I got here. We just came in for pneumonia. A cold. And now we were having to say goodbye? How could that be?
But as painful as it was, I was at peace. I don't know how that could be, but I was. I knew we weren't alone. We felt the prayers, I felt my Grandma close by, my best friend, Kim, my MIL. I go through so many emotions every day. I cry, I laugh, I hide. I keep expecting to see him when I enter the kitchen, when I go into his room in the morning to wake up Ethan. And I miss him so much. Sometimes my heart aches because I miss him so much.
In those moments I have to remind myself that our lives aren't over and his has just begun. And that is my one comfort. I WILL see him again. I know I will. And I know he is whole now. He is running and jumping and laughing and singing. And as someone pointed out to me, he is pointing down at me from heaven and telling people "That's my mommy and she loves me so much!"
It's crazy to think that all roads lead back to adoption. We took a beautiful risk when we adopted him and we have been forever
blessed because of it. In fact, so many people have been blessed because of Xavier. The messages and letters I have received from people saying that they are going into nursing, physical therapy, missionary work, advocating, special needs teaching and so on because of Xavier has been incredible! We've seen it in our own children. My Maeve is set on becoming a special needs teacher because of her love for him. To think that our son was on this earth for 5 short years and he accomplished more than some do in their entire lives. He has changed lives for the better and all because of his smile, his innocence, his love of life, his will to live. And so I will continue to advocate for orphans in his name. And we will continue to adopt as God sees fit. We will continue to bring children home, whether into our family or by helping others, because that is what life is all about. Moving forward. Bringing families to children. James 1:27 "To look after orphans and widows in their distress."
And so with that being said, yes, we do have an announcement. We are continuing our paperwork and bringing home two children. Yes, two. We had started the paperwork for one but when Xavier passed away we felt like we could now give this second one the attention and medical that was needed. A child that I wouldn't have dared to bring home in my past life. And so we are bringing home two. We need prayers. We need prayers for calm, for peace, for certainty. The children are excited for their new siblings and I think this will really help with the healing process. Because of Xavier's special needs, no child is now a "special need". They are a child. And so whatever the future brings, it brings hope. It brings family. Our daughter, Bevin Grace, is one that I have been advocating for over 4 years! I have watched her go from a sweet little toddler to a beautiful young girl. And our +1 is a sweet child who will be the baby of the group and spoiled rotten. They will both have family and we are so excited!
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at http://followingtheredthreadtoscarlett.blogspot.com/
"It's something that we will do. Because we feel called to do it. One time, one child."
One child, turned into two, which has now turned into three.
Jason and Amy traveled to Eastern Europe last fall to adopt two daughters. It was the first time they had seen an orphanage and what they saw became deeply impacting and life changing. No one can ever get over what they see while there. In the midst of that sadness, they saw children with worth. When the two girls came home, they were greeted by six doting siblings who shower them with unending love and praise. And they don't notice the differences. And the sisters are flourishing. After they were shown the pictures and told the stories, the selfless children were the ones who demanded to do more. They were willing to sell toys, give up space, make room for another child. The adoption has been life changing to everyone involved.
And then Jason and Amy showed the children a picture of Mackenzie. Her smile is beautiful and her eyes are happy. She is the older sister they have been waiting for.
Timm (with 2 m's) and Hannah Heath have a habit of saying yes to life. They said yes to tossing wedding planning out the window and threw a simple wedding together in one week, yes to spending a year studying in Cambridge, England, yes to moving five times in their 5 1/2 years of marriage, and yes to settling down in small-town Wisconsin. They had often dreamt of one day adopting, but it was not until Hannah became a part of the Reece's Rainbow Facebook community that they felt a sense of urgency for orphans with special needs.
This year Hannah, an occupational therapist, began advocating on her blog for children listed on Reece's Rainbow. Timm, who is a pastor, began including prayers for orphans around the world each night during family devotions. The couple began talking about goals to accomplish before starting the adoption process; they had a few vague timelines, and felt like they were steadily heading in the right direction. If you had asked them if they were ever going to adopt their answer would have been "hopefully someday!"
But it was the words of their 3 1/2 year old daughter that called them to say yes once more. One night while tucking her in for bed, their daughter whispered in Hannah 's ear, "We need to get in the car right now and get Angelina because she doesn't have a mommy or a daddy." Angelina was one of the first children Hannah advocated for and those pure blue eyes and ready smile had haunted the Heaths for months as they prayed for a family to commit to her before she was transferred to an adult mental institution. When Hannah shared the words of their little daughter with Timm his response was perfect: "It isn't a question of if we will try to adopt Angelina, but how, because of course the answer is yes." The Heaths pray Angelina joins their family soon where she can hear that yes, she is cherished, yes, she is worth it all, and yes, she has a worthwhile life to live!
When the Heaths started their adoption journey last year they had no idea how in the world they'd would afford one adoption; their only hope was God would work all things for his good and the Heaths put their trust in Him. The family worked hard for months on fundraisers, Hannah picked up hours as an occupational therapist, and people all over the world were generous with their support. The week before Christmas 2015, Hannah sat down to crunch the numbers and discovered that they were fully funded for Angelina, in fact, due to anonymous donation to this grant, they had approximately $3,000 OVER. At this same time, an advocate on Reece's Rainbow facebook group talked to the Heaths about a little boy waiting for a family. Timm and Hannah asked each other this question "if we could add a second child to our adoption, would we?"
The answer, of course, was YES!
Adding a second child in the same country but different region added approximately $12,000 to the adoption costs. Good thing the Heaths already had their homestudy approved for two children, not just one, just in case.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at heathandhome.wordpress.com
My husband and I have been married for twenty five years. He was my high school sweetheart. We married and had five beautiful bio kids. We felt a very strong calling for the orphans of the world. God was very strong in speaking to our hearts that there were children who needed Moms and Dads. I would like to say we obeyed immediately but we wrestled with it for a year or two. We are a home schooling family and felt we were finally "arriving" where we could have some time to just enjoy the kids. But God was faithful and patient. We became foster parents and got a call for placement of micro preemie twins. One was with bio Mom and the other waiting to be discharged with nowhere to go and would we take them? Well of course, the answer was yes! Haylee had a brain bleed, she needed a shunt and has cp. She got the shunt and walks with a walker. Baylee is healthy.
Having Haylee as a special needs placement changed me. I knew when I walked in the hospital I would never be the same. My heart grew 1000 times bigger in a matter of seconds. So we got little Miss Baylee on a Thursday night. The smallest baby I had ever seen and Haylee the next Saturday. We adopted the girls on Dec. 1 2014. Well Bio Mom had preemie baby twins again 11 ½ months after Haylee and Baylee. She requested we take them as well. So Joy and Jessa joined our family and became ours June 2015. All I can say is it is a life full of extreme craziness! It really is like having quads!
But I still felt like a special needs child needed me. I just did not feel complete. Which is weird and kind of scary considering we added four babies in a year and a half. So I have always followed Reece's Rainbows. I saw Darren last Saturday and I knew he was my son. I have never in my entire life felt the way I felt when I saw him. Immediately I went before the Lord. I had so many questions…. How can I do it? The time, the money, the extreme amount of rehab he needs. But the Lord made it very clear that I would be doing all of that. I fell prostate on the the floor and the emotions that came over me are like nothing I have ever experienced. I know now, God was breaking my heart for what breaks his. It was hours before I could compose myself and days before I could stop crying. Just thinking about him all this time laying in that bed. My heart felt like it was in a vice. But then God showed me what his life is gonna be and I had hope and joy and then the "Momma Bear" kicked in and I worked 8 hours straight on Sunday readying all those forms to put a legal hold on him. We barely made it. His file was going back on Wednesday. By Wednesday, I have hired Datz foundation and express mailed the 2500.00 for an expedited home study. Of course, I borrowed the money with the promise to pay it back.
Now I feel like I have no other calling but to bring my son home. We are a family of 12. Soon to be 13. That is our story, his Dad and I are changing his name to Nathanial James. Nathaniel means Chosen by God! And that he was. Hang on little guy Momma is on the way!!
Paul & Stacy have been married for 20 years. They have been blessed with 9 miracle children this side of heaven (1 homegrown, 5 open domestic adoptions, 3 China adoptions). In September 2015, they landed home with their newest son and never dreamed God would call them back to China…although Stacy knew deep down ;). When she saw a picture of a precious girl on an advocacy board, she knew immediately she was to be their daughter. They have chosen the name Treasure for their sweet girl because she truly is an unexpected gift from God. Treasure will be their 3 child with Down Syndrome. God has been so faithful to provide for Treasure's adoption and her family is now only $8000 away from being fully funded. They would greatly covet your prayers as they work hard to bring their daughter home.
Andrea and Jesse met and fell in love on a co-ed soccer team in 2004, he was great & she was not, but they've been teammates ever since. Jesse works in Property Management & is the Worship Leader at their church. Andrea stays at home with their son, Jackson (adopted), and any foster children they may be loving on at the time. While serving the homeless in their city the DeBoer's became increasingly aware that most of the people they met on the streets came from broken homes or were lacking family. The DeBoer's both come from large families & love family life, they recognize their adoption by God is the single most significant part of their heritages, and they realized that extending their family through adoption and foster care was one way they could stand in the gap between brokenness & life on the streets. Andrea and a friend came across Reece's Rainbow, saw one beautiful smile that stood out in particular, and was heartbroken over the plight of orphans and orphans with special needs. The DeBoer's had no intention of adopting internationally but continued to learn more about the orphan crisis. In the time since, they became licensed foster parents & adopted Jackson. In 2013 Andrea saw a face on social media that looked familiar, went back to RR & sure enough it was that same little boy. She asked, Jesse said 'Yes!' and they began the adventure to bring Jaeger home to their family!
The journey is long & complicated, and the costs are high, but the DeBoers know that these boys are worth it! They would be grateful for your support, either financially or through prayer, as they go after their little men.
UPDATE: Jaeger has been adopted domestically, so the DeBoer's will be bringing home Kjellsen and Robby!
What would you do if you found out you have a child in another country?
We are a loving family of Eight. We have adopted 4 special needs children from China and we have two biological children. Recently while on facebook. I stumbled across the photo of a beautiful little girl. I noticed right away that she looked just like my adopted daughter and is from the same orphanage as our Aubrey. And this sweet girl would be aging out in August! The post was asking to advocate for her and of course I wanted to help. I stared at the photo for the longest time though because I couldn't believe how much she looked like my daughter. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought this because as soon as I shared the photo I started getting messages from others who thought the same thing.
Days passed and yet I couldn't get this little girl off my mind. I kept remembering the day I visited the orphanage and asked if my daughter had siblings. No one really said anything. Could this girl being her sister? My heart had always felt like she had a sister and that we were leaving someone behind. I HAD TO KNOW. I couldn't rest until I knew. After lots of prayers for two weeks pacing the floors, finally a DNA test confirmed our suspicion. YES THEY WERE SISTERS!!! The little girl in the photo was in fact the biological sister of my daughter! In other terms, That also meant that I have a daughter! That also means I MUST GET HER HOME TO HER FAMILY, FAST! OUT OF 143 MILLION ORPHANS IN THE WORLD, I stumble across the biological sister of my adopted child. Had to be God!!! This just didn't happen. This is why I need you……. We just got home a year ago with our last adoption and still owe for the entire thing. We are a one income family supporting eight people. I am driven by emotions, my husband is driven by reality, Initially he said there is just no way we can afford it. He was right and I knew it but I have been physically ill thinking about everyday that passes with this sweet girl sitting in China as her time runs out. She is my daughter. She has only had a family for 2 days her entire life and on her birthday in August, her chance for a family will be lost forever. How can I rest knowing that? So after a lot of prayers my husband agreed to use our tax return to begin a home study but we know that's as far in the process that money will take us. We will need a lot of help to pull this off! We are asking for fundraising ideas and any other means of support possible. This will have to be an expedited adoption to get this precious girl before her birthday so we have to raise funds quickly enough to keep with financial needs as the adoption progresses. That's the challenging part. There is no time prepare or save.
Both Avery and Aubrey have Cerebral palsy and delays. What a gift it would be for them to not only have a family but to have EACH OTHER! We hope to be able to work this out and share the news with Avery soon. Please help get this sweet girl HOME where she belongs.
OHANA means family! Family means nobody gets left behind or is forgotten — Lilo & Stitch
We are the Zittle family, and we are beginning a new adoption journey! The Lord has revealed to us that we have more room in our hearts and home for another little child. When we began our first adoption journey in 2006, we had been married for 5 years and were going through the struggle of infertility. It was our deep longing for a child, and God began to lay adoption on our hearts. We stepped out in faith and began the process to adopt a baby from China. Three years into our adoption process, Jen became pregnant with our oldest son, Braden! As we continued to wait to be matched with our China baby, the Lord opened the door for us to adopt a second child from China. When Braden was 3, we brought these two little boys home. Joshua and Micah have blessed our lives in so many ways! Today we begin the process of adopting a 2 year old little girl from China who we have decided to name Anna Joy! As a little girl born with Down Syndrome, she will have so many opportunities here in our home and community that she might never be given in an institution. She will know she is a beautiful child, created by a loving God, Who has a wonderful plan for her life. She will also have a Mommy, a Daddy and three big brothers who will adore her. Would you consider giving financially to help us bring Anna Joy home? If that answer is yes, we thank you with all of our hearts for joining us on this journey of FAITH in an almighty God, HOPE for a little orphan and LOVE that is in all of our hearts to bring her home. You will forever be a part her story!
Follow the Zittle family's adoption journey at zittlefamily.blogspot.com
Joe and Audra May knew that a seed had been planted in their hearts and that adoption was in their future when they left a Steven Curtis Chapman concert in February of 2002. Expecting their first of what was to be 3 biological daughters at that time, they didn't know when that might be. However, they committed to praying and seeking the Lord. 10 years later their bio daughters now 9,6 and 3, God had indeed called them forward to adopt, as they had already started the process in July of 2011. They were seeking to adopt a special needs little girl through China's waiting child program. At the end of February 2012, they had found their daughter, Emmalin. She was living at Maria's Big House of Hope, the same home co-founded by Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife Mary Beth Chapman in honor of their daughter Maria. God had brought the connection to Steven and the seed for adoption had blossomed in their hearts and came full circle.
After traveling to China and visiting not only the orphanage Emmalin spent time in but also Maria's Big House of Hope, as well as experiencing the miracle of adoption, their hearts had been forever changed. Joe and Audra began to pray and seek the Lord's plans for their lives and whether God was calling them to adopt again. They had also learned and were very heartbroken for the thousands of little boys, more than little girls waiting for their forever family in China. February 2014, Audra stumbled upon the picture of a little boy on a waiting child page and she was immediately smitten. She was also surprised to realize that he was the same age and had the same medical condition, a form of Spina Bifida, as their daughter Emmalin. After sharing the little boy's picture with Joe, who wasn't ready to leap yet, they committed to praying. After a few weeks of prayer God revealed to them that the little boy was indeed their son and they were blessed to be able to pursue adopting him. This adoption, as was Emmalin's was a complete leap of faith. Having no adoption funds to begin, God continued to pour out his blessings and opened the doors as they pursued Samuel. Joe and Audra knew that God can easily call the able to adopt but he often calls the willing and that's what they are, willing to do the Lord's work and to go where he calls them. They brought Samuel home in March 2015!
In early October 2015, Audra was reading on an adoption blog when she came upon the picture of a little girl who had the same medical condition as Emmalin and Samuel. The little girl was being advocated for and Audra was able to read about her and watch her video. Heartbroken after watching her video and seeing her pictures, the May family committed to praying for her family to find her. They would continue to pray for over a month or more, only to find out that God intended they be her family and her parents. They are naming their new daughter, Violet Joy, which is a name they have had in their hearts since Emmalin's adoption.
The May family is very excited and eager to bring Violet home. They will become a family of 8! They have trying to expedite this adoption process, as Violet is 2 years old and severely malnourished, weighing only 13 lbs. at two years of age. They are praying to travel to bring Violet home this summer!
The May family would so appreciate your prayers for their family and Violet as they journey to bring her home. Having just traveled in March of 2015, 9 months before God revealing Violet to them, they have no adoption funds saved. This adoption journey as were the two before is a complete leap of faith! They would be so very thankful for any financial blessing they receive, no amount is too small.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at www.mayblessingsflow.com
Palmers are happy to announce their commitment to adopt Ahren, and love him all the way home from China. They hope you'll consider partnering with them in their efforts to complete the lengthy and expensive process of international adoption to bring him home! Ahren has a cleft palate and will need surgery shortly after coming home.
Jordan and Melissa have been married 12 years and have 2 daughters 6 and 4 years old. The girls are so beyond excited to have a little brother, they carry his picture around the house with them as they play and eat.
The Palmers believe that adoption was part of God's plan for their family, leading them to Ahren and having no doubt that he is their son.
Palmers ask for prayer during their adoption journey and hope to bring Ahren home spring/summer 2016.
Isaiah 40:31 Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.
Adam and Heather met in University, where both vowed they would not start dating within their first month there, but knew each other was too special to stay apart! They were married fresh out of University and have been together for almost 13 years. They spent much of their married life traveling the world, embracing culture through study and teaching, until they settled down in a small city in Canada where they could start growing their family.
They knew that adoption was always something that they wanted to pursue, but aimed to start their family biologically first, only to have the unfortunate experience of 4 miscarriages and infertility. But God used their experiences of loss to bring them the most beautiful gift they could ever have received: their son Pierce, through adoption.
NO child should be orphaned. Every child deserves to be embraced wholeheartedly by family, to be loved unconditionally and to never go without warm hugs. And because they know this to be true, they knew that adopting another child, particularly one that may not be considered by another family, was what they wanted to do.
After watching a documentary called "Ukraine's Forgotten Children" and through a process of many google searches about the plight of so many children with special needs in Eastern Europe, they were brought to Reece's Rainbow. It didn't take long before they came across a boy who pulled strongly on their heart strings; he was their son, a brother to Pierce, made in the image of God, His masterpiece.
Already there are so many friends and family who can hardly wait to wrap this boy up in love and adoration, even though they don't know him yet. We cannot wait to get him home and give him everything he needs to experience the fullness of life and the love of God.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at http://thisfamilyadopts.blogspot.ca/
Jacob and Sarah live in Texas with their 5 little ones. Sarah is blessed to stay at home with the kids and Jacob works in Oil and Gas Risk Management. They are a very active family and most days can be found at the ball fields or park. While they have always dreamed of adopting, they got serious about it about 3 years ago. The first 2 children they fell in love with will always be a part of their family. Although politics and war have prevented them from coming home, there is still a dream of bringing them home some day. For now they are thrilled beyond measure to add baby Joy to the family. After viewing many files with no one jumping out, they saw Joy and immediately started paperwork. Everyone is so excited and the kids already talk about her as if she's always been in the family.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at justusholts.blogspot.com
Ethan and Randi have been married for thirty-five years and have raised seven (of their twelve) children to adulthood. When they returned from China in April of 2015 after their fourth international adoption, they may have loudly proclaimed to God and anyone else who was listening that their family was DONE. Done, done, done! Never say never.
Even though Randi loved this little beauty the minute she laid eyes on her, they thought they were too old for a four-year-old child. So she advocated for "Susy" for nearly two years. "Susy" was in her thoughts most days, and literally haunted her dreams at night. They are thrilled that Randi's advocacy paid off – though not exactly how they expected. THEY get to adopt this magnificent (now six-year-old) little girl!
Another adoption wasn't on their radar or in their budget. Please rejoice with them and keep them in your prayers as they try to quickly complete all the legal steps to bring home the completion of their "baker's dozen."
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at lanzadoptionadventure.blogspot.com
Aaron and Erin Compton are profoundly blessed to be the parents of ten children. They have been married for 20 years and are both educators. Aaron teaches history at the middle school and college level while Erin is an educator at home. In 2003 they adopted their oldest daughter from Haiti. She is now 13 and a great blessing to all who know her.
Aaron and Erin recently felt the Lord calling them to adopt for the second time. In January they were matched with a precious young boy in China who has cerebral palsy. Additionally, he is malnourished and has been diagnosed as failure to thrive. At nearly 4 years old he is the size of a 9 month old child. The Compton family is very anxious to bring Philip home and fill his tummy with food and his heart with love.
In February the family was again contacted by their agency and made aware of another young boy in need of a family. After much prayer the Comptons accepted this second referral and will now be bringing home 1 year old Arthur as well! Arthur has a liver condition of unknown severity. He is in need of a medical evaluation as soon as he arrives home in the US.
Stepping out in faith for financial provision is very intimidating but the Lord can move mountains. The Compton family is trusting in the Lord's provision in every aspect of their adoption journey.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog: lotsacomptonsplusmore.blogspot.com
Here we go again!
When I entered the adoption world I heard the term "Repeat Adopters" and couldn't help but laugh. I couldn't imagine how or why someone would or even how they could go through the process of international adoption, come home with their new child and turn around and do it all over again! We are living that out in real life at the moment. Bill and I met through mutual friends a little over 4 years ago; I had a houseful already with 5 bio kiddos and 2 adopted through Foster care, but he was ready for the challenge! Little did he know how we would grow! Shortly after our wedding I asked him if he was ready to start an adoption, he wasn't super gung-ho but he didn't say no so I ran with it! 9 months after our wedding we were flying home from Serbia with our first child together! Rowen was 4 and super cute and I was looking at child profiles before we were home with him! 3 months later I saw Macy (Silvie on RR) and knowing China was not a fast program I was able to talk Bill into once again jumping into another adoption! While we waited on China I attended the Reece's Rainbow Reunion in Kentucky (summer 2014) there I met the cutest little spitfire ever and couldn't wait to find his Mom to talk to! When I finally found her I found out she was hosting him and that he would go back to the orphanage at the end of summer I was devastated and was in tears at the thought of it. I never thought I could be his Mom because we had just received PA from China for Silvie and there was no way to do two International Adoptions at once! Or was there? I called our agency and found out that while it would be a lot of paperwork and expense it WAS possible! That was all it took and I left the reunion to head home to start working on two homestudies and two dossiers! Eastern Europe is a much faster process so we left for our referral appt on Nov. 30, 2014. Simon (Valera) became ours on December 16 and finally came home on January 30, 2015 just 2 days before Rowen's 1st anniversary home. Simon walked into our lives and home like he had always been there and the transition has been absolutely amazing. We continued to plug away at Macy's adoption (our dossier was submitted to China while I was in Eastern Europe on our pickup trip!) We had some unusual hiccups that held us up a bit but I finally came home with our little China Doll on November 5, 2015, almost exactly 18 months after seeing her picture on Reece's Rainbow for the first time! She is an absolute joy and is totally enjoying her new life and family!
While we were in Eastern Europe it was difficult not to fall in love with the other children we met. Simon was the first international adoption from his facility so we knew most of the kids would never have a chance at a real family. So even though it sounds crazy and we aren't sure how we are going to pull this off once again WE KNOW these are our children and that they NEED US and we NEED THEM! Ross James turned 16 on August 9; USCIS received our application on August 4 saving him from an uncertain future in Ukraine and allowing us a little more time to let God show off once again!
Jade is 14 and her future is just as uncertain. We covet your prayers and well wishes as we work to bring our children home. And of course we can use all the financial help we can get; we have faith that the funds will be there as we need them but it is hard not to worry when your children are on the other side of the world waiting for you!
The Schultz family currently has a $10,000 matching grant!! When their FSP total reaches $11,119.16 — another $10,000 will be added!
The Laveys are happy to announce their commitment to adopt Ryan, a 5 year old boy from Eastern Europe with Down syndrome. They hope you'll consider partnering with them in their efforts to complete the lengthy and expensive process of adoption and bring Ryan home!
The Lord has blessed Andrew and Mary with 3 biological children and 1 adopted child: Abigail (17), Stephen (15), Lydia (12), and Jonah (4 1/2). Jonah came to our ho me when he was 1 mth old. Jonah has Down syndrome.
Their decision to adopt Ryan is not complete without telling the story of Jonah's adoption. In 2009, the family cared for a foster baby who had Down syndrome. Their time with this precious baby lead them to start thinking about adopting a baby with Down syndrome. They realized Down syndrome was a condition they felt comfortable with and had some knowledge about. They were also made aware of the tremendous amount of resources such as early intervention therapies that are available to a child with Down syndrome. God worked in such amazing ways to bring Jonah to their family in the fall of 2010. They are extra blessed because of the beautiful relationship they continue to have with Jonah's birth family.
Then in the fall of 2014, God started working on their hearts again – only this time instead of domestic adoption, God was pushing them towards international adoption. They "met" Ryan and fell in love and wanted him to be part of their family. Another driving force in their desire to adopt was when God revealed to them this difficult truth: The future for children like Ryan is that even if they are in good orphanages, this is not a substitute in any way for a way for a family. Also, eventually these children will age-out of the orphanage system. They next home for them will be a mental institution. The Laveys want to give Ryan a future with a family who loves him. They long for him to have a place to call home that is not an institution.
They are praying the same prayer for Ryan as they did for Jonah during his adoption process:
"Lord, you alone are [Ryan's] portion and [his] cup; you make [his] lot secure. Let the boundary lines fall for [Ryan] in pleasant places; [and that he could] surely have a delightful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6
It is the Lavey's desire that their home would be Ryan's "pleasant place".
Follow the family's adoption journey through their blog "His Pleasant Place"
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at hispleasantplace.blogspot.com
Two years ago we brought hom our 7th child, a daughter from China. Our days were filled with doctor appointments, therapy evaluations, and all the crazy that goes along with having 7 kids.
We told God we were done.
Our family was complete.
We settled down in our comfortable life … I'm pretty sure at this point, God laughed at "our" plan. And then we saw her pictures on our adoption agency's website. Oh. My. Word. So much cuteness! She immediately stole our hearts and we knew she was our daughter. We threw "our" plan out the window for a much better plan – a plan God knew all along.
We look forward to the day we hold Campbell in our arms. Until then, we hold her in our hearts.
"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase." — Martin Luther King, Jr
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at campbellgrady.blogspot.com
Richard and Ella have committed their lives to adopting and raising children to be godly men and women. They have thirteen wonderful children and are returning to Bulgaria to adopt three more. Richard and Ella consider adoption to be their ministry. Their goal is to show the world that all children deserve a mom and dad, and that special needs children in particular bestow a special blessing from God. What better way is there to show that all people are created in God's image and worthy of honor and respect than adopting a special needs child? What better way is there to teach us patience and perseverance, and to step outside our comfort zone? In pursuit of this goal, Richard and Ella have purchased a large foreclosed home on 11.5 acres of land. They are filling the home with children. They believe children are happy and healthy when able to work and play outdoors. And there is plenty of opportunity. They have chickens, ducks, cats, and a dog, as well as a very large garden and an orchard. There is enough to do that everyone is involved. No job is too small! What started out as a ministry of Richard and Ella has now become the family ministry. All the kids are involved in the upcoming adoption and are excited to have new brothers and a sister.
Everyone is extremely happy to have found three wonderful children. Catherine and Mark are an older brother and sister pair who are very happy to be adopted together. Richard and Ella are also excited about adopting Nicolai, a two-year old boy with Down Syndrome. They have wanted to adopt a child with Down Syndrome for several years. The last time they went to Bulgaria, they were blessed to adopt a child with Noonan Syndrome. Now they have a chance to show the world that children with Down Syndrome are a blessing to all.
When the market crashed, the Solano family lost their house; were homeless with 3 kids, 2 dogs and a Camry for 2 months. Talk about crazy! They went from owning 5 properties to homeless in the blink of an eye. Amazing, wonderful people took them in and cared for them.
Losing everything makes one stop and reevaluate; starting over they are investing their lives into what will last forever.
That experience makes one ever so grateful for a roof over your head, food on the table and a vehicle to get to work. There are so many that don't have what we take for granted. Even in their worst time they were safer, better fed and more loved than the least of these.
These children are dying without a family; alone, no one to hold them, comfort them, abandoned, rejected by the world. They are so precious in God's eyes. The Solano family adopted a child with no worth in her culture, made her their own, an heir,
equal, a daughter, her ransom paid. To say it has been a profound experience is an understatement. It is a privilege to live life with her. They did it once, it was the best thing they've ever done, and it's time to do it again.
To rescue 2, they need more than a year's salary. They have only until August to raise it. Even saving every penny possible (which they are), it's not possible for them to do on their own.
Adoption – some may call it foolish and impossible but for every orphan rescued it's a miracle. Please help them make a difference for 2 more. Any donation would be helpful. Even if you cannot give, please forward their message.
Together we'll make a difference that lasts forever.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at http://jadesjourneyakadarla.blogspot.com/
The Montagues are excited to announce their commitment to bring home Tessa! They are at the end of the homestudy process and getting their dossier paperwork ready. She is part of the "Pearl Track" program which moves things along pretty quickly, with a May 9th deadline, so they are trying to raise whatever they can to help bring this sweet girl home!
This is their fourth adoption–they have adopted once from China and twice from Ethiopia. They have always said it is not the business of raising kids that is costly, it is getting them home! They know what it means to give up things other families have–fancy cars, fancy homes, expensive "stuff"–to be able to adopt, and they would do it all over again! Building a family through adoption, with a few bio babies sprinkled in, has been a wonderful journey for which they are grateful to be on.
They know there are lots of causes out there, and lots of things you can donate to, and they are grateful for any amount, small or large, that you see fit. If you can't give anything to them, that's OK too! Find a cause and support it with your whole heart!
Leon and Sheri Ricord have been married 10 years. They have an 8 year old daughter Lauren who is in the 3rd grade and attends a Spanish Immersion elementary school. The Ricords also have a 3 year old son Aaron who will begin Chinese Immersion Preschool this fall to prepare him for his future Chinese Immersion elementary school.
For many years now, the Ricords have seriously contemplated special needs adoption as they currently feel their family is not quite complete. Sheri, being a nurse, felt confident she could provide care and support to a child with special needs. In 2011, they began the journey of foster care parenting/adoption but that journey was cut short due to their wonderful surprise pregnancy of their son. The adoption journey was then halted but not forgotten.
Sheri first came upon the Reece's Rainbow website and Facebook group in April 2014. She has felt very blessed and thankful to follow so many amazing adoption journeys. Sheri then became more and more involved in the Reece's Rainbow adoption community and discovered the courage to possibly consider international adoption for her own family. The Ricords are no strangers to special needs care as both of their children were born extremely premature, requiring complex healthcare support following their births. Thankfully, their children are healthy and thriving, despite their very rough beginnings.
In January 2015, the Ricords discovered Perry, a precious beautiful 5 year old boy in China who has been waiting for an adoptive family his whole life. Perry has never experienced or understands what it means to have a mother and father care for him. Despite this harsh reality, Perry's smile lights up a room. He is described as a true delight and joy to those who care for him in China.
Leon, Sheri, Lauren and Aaron cannot wait until they bring Perry home to be a part of their family. The Ricords look forward to providing him a loving and nurturing home life with the added comforts of the Chinese culture and language at his future public school! We trust he will truly thrive and grow in our humble little family.
Eric and Megan met in college at Moody Bible Institute, where they were introduced on a blind date by a mutual friend. They were married in 2005. Eric is a pastor and also teaches Martial Arts at a local high school. He enjoys woodworking and photography. Megan is a stay-at-home mom and enjoys homeschooling their children, as well as sewing, painting, and reading. They are both using their hobbies to help fund their adoption with their shop at www.madeheirs.etsy.com.
The Johnsons currently have four children, ages 8,6,4, and 2. While they were in the process of adopting Titus (4) from China, they saw many pictures of him together with Mei. They sought to adopt her at the same time as Titus, hoping to preserve one relationship for them both in the midst of the dramatic loss and change of adoption. Unfortunately it was not possible to bring them home together. However, God continually confirmed their desired to make her their daughter, so they began her process soon after returning home with Titus.
While visiting the orphanage, Eric and Megan met Mei and discovered that her relationship with Titus was even closer than they had guessed from pictures. The nannies reported that Titus climbed out of his bed every night to sleep with Mei. He cried out for her many times during their first nights as a family. He is still very happy every time he sees her pictures. Eric and Megan cannot wait to reunite these close friends and make Mei part of their family forever.
Follow the Johnson's adoption journey at www.madeheirs.blogspot.com
Kevin and Dara Nelson are parents to a large, busy family. They have children ranging from 4 to 28 including both biological and adopted. They are currently in the process of bringing home another son from China whom Kevin met while in China a few years ago. It was a strange twisting and turning of events that led them to finally being able to be matched with Kennedy (York). Kevin is a salesman and coaches several of their children's soccer teams. Dara is a stay-at-homme mom that home schools their school-aged children. They are active in their church family especially in the childrne's ministry. The Nelsons have two other special needs daughters and are certain God has prepared the way for them to add one more with special needs. To quote one of their friends, "Wheelchairs aren't scary!"
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at thenelson15.wordpress.com
The Cogan Family feels so honored to have been chosen to bring sweet Kassi home at last! She has waited so long- almost too long, as she ages out in July!
They saw Kassi on Wonderful Waiting Kids, an advocacy site that helps to find families for children that are older or have more significant needs. The Cogans routinely follow the children's stories and pray for them as they wait for a family. They keep the children's faces in their minds and their stories in their hearts and love them from afar. They all deserve to be loved!
There are far too many children aging out and this family prays for all of them to find their forever place, but for them, at this time, it was Kassi that was foremost in their hearts. They started to wonder whether they were her family and the questions began to be answered bit by bit. They found out that with an expedited adoption, although very difficult, it could be possible. They still felt unsure of the timing, the money…. They continued prayerfully to ask for guidance. They put up a grant hoping that her family was out there and was closer in the process and that the grant might be the help that was needed. More phone calls, more prayers. They just couldn't imagine how… and then they saw a video in which Kassi talks about wanting a home and describes the family. They felt like she was talking directly to them. They had their answers. They knew. They would listen and do everything in their power to get her home with her family – theirs!
The Cogans are blessed with a large "krewe" of three biological children and three children given to them through adoption. Their adopted kiddos have very similar reasons to see their fabulous team of medical helpers. You see Kassi has two clubfeet that remain unrepaired and it makes getting around very difficult. The family knows through experience with this condition that the longer she waits the more difficult it will be to find ways to repair the damage. In fact, they have everything already in place for her medically and, although they can have no guarantees, there is every hope that her daily life can be so much easier and more pain free. Of course their greatest hope is that Kassi can someday stand straight and tall on her sweet feet. Make no mistake, they will feel so very blessed and proud to be able to truly call themselves "Kassi's Krewe", no matter what!
They are counting down the days until her birthday and there just aren't that many! Although this wasn't their timing, they feel that they are being led down this path and all will be well. They are doing a twelve-month process in just twelve very short weeks! This timing won't allow for much grant support and they are equally grateful for support of any kind whether it be through thoughts and prayers, fundraising or funds.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at theworldwillchange.blogspot.com
When God calls, answer, say YES, and watch HIM work! Our journey up to this very day, our adoption of TWO children from China was planted in our hearts years ago. I always dreamed of adopting children. Steve, too, has always had a heart for orphaned children. God reminded us of what He says in His word about "the least of these", the orphans and the widows. We asked God to break our hearts for what breaks His. He led us to Skippy, who will soon be named Patrick: Our son. We said YES when we began to pray for him. We said YES when we were approached to host him. We said YES when God said "Adopt him. He is yours." Then the fun began! God is orchestrating and conducting the most beautiful experience of our lives. Things happened quickly, money showed up at our front door, the perfect amount at the perfect time.
We were incredibly blessed to have Patrick with us for the month of December. It was the most incredible month of our lives. This boy, our son, was here! Four weeks flew by too quickly. It ripped our hearts out to have to send him back to China. But we knew that God was in this and Patrick would be coming back to our family forever. That is the confidence and hope that we have.
All that Steve and I really have had any control over in the whole adoption process is prayer. We pray unceasingly and fervently for God's grace and His will to be done. God knows our hearts and our fears. Finances are always at the forefront of those things, but HE has gone before us and paved the way thus far. HE is faithful and we know that all things work for the good of those who are called according to HIS purpose. We said YES, He said "Now watch me work." We gave Him "God Space" to move in our lives. And He is.
Which brings us to another YES moment…not only did we pray for Patrick, but Jessika was on our hearts as well. Steve particularly fell for this angel. Her smile and her dimples snatched Steve's heart, (and mine). God spoke to us about Jessika, quietly but incessantly. As we were preparing our fundraising events, we got a phone call. Jessika is available, and now is the time to go and bring her home. We said YES! (Surprised?) Again, we didn't know how, but we knew who and why: Because HE is GOD and HE called us.
The journey has been nuts! Piles of paperwork, passports, reports, documents, exams, all the fun stuff that goes with the adoption process has been worth every minute, even the money factor. Who but God can speak to people and place them at your doorstep, literally, with your exact need and at the exact moment? Who but God? Not one. Sure, it sometimes feels overwhelming, but each step gives us affirmation that we are that much closer to bringing Patrick and Jessika home. He designed this for us, He wrote our story. We are obeying and living our each chapter at a time with His loving direction. He wrote Patrick and Jessika's stories, and we are blessed to be part of their book of life. We are their family and they are ours.
It does take a village, as we have often heard. Our village is full of incredible supporters, friends, family, and believers that pray daily for our family. Give your Father "God Space" in your life.
Adoption is the common "red thread" that has been woven through the fabric of Steve and Katie Goar's life. They've been married 23 years and have been on numerous mission trips, visiting orphanages and doing community work. They even spent their 20th wedding anniversary in Honduras staying at an orphanage, digging a well, and doing general service work. Their love for each other, willingness to embrace adventure, and tolerance for dwelling among scorpions made their 20th anniversary most unique, but perfect for them. Their connection with adoption started long before marriage. Steve is an adoptee and a life-long advocate for the beautiful life opportunity of adoption. It wasn't until after the birth of their fourth child, Bode Chai, when they started to realize their role was evolving from advocacy into participation. Bode was born with Down syndrome, and after being confronted with this information one day after his birth, the family was ushered into a world of new information, new medical acronyms, and the welcoming arms of the special needs community. The thread that started to bring the tapestry into view was Katie traveling to Asia with their 12 year old son, Asher. They were part of a team preparing adoption file assessments. Returning from the trip, pulling into the driveway, and not even having feet on the ground, Asher turned to his parents and said, "I believe we should adopt". For several months, the family's eyes began to widen even more. The point came when advocacy, contributing, and prayers were no longer enough, and it was time to respond. The love story of Steve's own adoption, the divine message of Bode's special chromosome, and the imprint of Asia, all converged and inked their hearts with the faith and passion to find June. A little six year old girl with Down syndrome, waiting for a forever family.
Glory is a two year old little girl with so much life to live. She suffers from chronic brain hemorrhage and cerebral atrophy. The Knapp family is working diligently to bring her home for much needed treatment, so that she can live a life full of love and family.
John and Takisha Knapp have been married for nearly 13 years. They have five children, two via adoption and three biological. This is their second adoption, they adopted two children with Down syndrome five years ago. The whole Knapp family is looking forward to adopting Glory from Africa. Just last year John became a saved man, and they have thrown themselves into various local and international ministries, working together as a family to reach out to those in need.
They thank you for your support and would covet your prayers for their journey, for Glory to make it home in time for the necessary medical intervention, and for her recovery.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at dailybeginagains.com
The Sotolongo family recently adopted their son "Nevada" as named on Reece's Rainbow. The Sotolongo's have four other children all under 6 years old. Nevada's first year has been nothing short of a miracle. He has undergone corrective heart surgery, which in his country was deemed impossible based on his condition. He is flourishing in a family, learning to sign words and perform daily tasks. He bond's and interacts very well with his siblings. While adopting Nevada, the Sotolongo's met a few other children at the orphanage that grabbed their hearts. When leaving, the Sotolongo's already felt that they would be back. The Sotolongo family is very excited to revisit Nevada's orphanage and leave with new additions to their family. The Sotolongo's want to thank you for your support and prayer as they continue on this adoption journey.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at pursuedandtreasured.blogspot.com
Robert, Elizabeth, and their children are a loud, vivacious, always-busy family of eight. Robert and Elizabeth met as young teenagers at their local shopping mall. Their first encounter, at the Blockbuster music store, consisted of Elizabeth questioning Robert with, "What are you listening to?" And his enduring reply, "Skee-Lo". It was a genuine alignment of the stars.
In 2001, at the ages of 20 and 18, Robert and Elizabeth were married. A year and a half later they had their first biological child and then, one by one (except the last two… they came together!), five more followed. With such a busy household, they thought they were in for a nice, lengthy break from adding more children to their family.
They were wrong.
In March 2014 God got their attention in an undeniable way and told them: "You're adopting from Latin America". After the shock began to die down, they somewhat skittishly agreed. Very soon afterward God once again got their attention in a way they could not work around and He informed them (and confirmed in multiple ways) that they were to pursue a particular little girl. Her name is Lene. If they were to be totally honest, they'd have to admit to being caught by utter surprise that God pointed them in this little girl's direction. Why? Because Lene has Down Syndrome. A child with that type of special needs was never on their radar. While God was busy softening their hearts toward what this would entail, He also began building a love for Lene inside them. Once they laid all of their fears and hesitations down at the feet of their Lord, they were changed. God had done a work in their hearts that was not possible in the natural realm. Not only did they say yes to God and to sweet little Lene, but suddenly they saw themselves with only her in mind. Regardless of legalities, this family feels that Lene is already a part of them and they are doing everything in their power to bring her home as quickly as possible!
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at http://www.amerrychaos.blogspot.com/
Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD."
God has done amazing things in our lives – far above whatever we could have ever imagined. (Eph 3:20). We have seen Him working in each detail. When we first began hearing Him call us to adopt again, we found an amazing little girl that we wanted to claim as our own. But as we went forward, we found that we would not be allowed to adopt through this agency due to some areas that we could not come to agreement on with them. As we prayed about it, we knew we needed to move onward and we began another adoption with a different agency. But we didn't understand why God had closed the door. We could not forget her beautiful little face.
When we were about halfway through our new adoption, through a series of circumstances that could have only been directed by God's Hand, we found out that this little girl was available to host for the summer. We were completely shocked and once again began praying that God would show us what to do. The hosting agency contacted the government of Mary Lauren's country and were told that we would be allowed to go ahead with her adoption as soon as our other beautiful daughters were home. We were amazed and scared all at the same time. Another set of back-to-back adoptions… another step out by complete faith. God gently pushed us forward and we hosted "Mary Lauren" this last summer. We are completely and utterly in love.
As we discussed it at the time we thought God may have arranged this because He knew we would be so worn out from the current adoption, that it would be easy to ignore a little picture on our fridge. But we could never ignore a little girl that we had held and loved and rejoiced in!
However, we know now that His ways are not our own. God, in His Sovereignty, chose to take one of our new little daughters to heaven just 4 days after coming home. Our hearts are broken. But as we have wrestled in prayer, we know we cannot leave our girl in China though our hearts are crushed. We realized that it would not bring our daughter back nor would it honor her memory to leave another child without a family. So we are once again trusting Him, in a whole new way, as we continue forward to bring "Mary Lauren" home, whom we will call Lucy.
UPDATE! The family will also be bringing home Quentin!
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at redemptionwhispers.blogspot.com
Nora and Patrick Tomasik have been married for ten years, and have three biological children, Patrick 9, Caden 6, and Eli 2. Family is always the first priority for the Tomasik family, and the only thing they put above family is God. Nora had prayed for years for God to use her in His way, and to have the blessing of glorifying Him. That chance came when she stumbled upon Reece's Rainbow, and in particular Kory. Although the thought of adopting a child had never occurred to either Patrick or Nora, once they saw Kory, they knew that he needed a home.
Kory, a beautiful boy in Eastern Europe that just happened to have Down syndrome. A beautiful gift from God, who simply needed the love and support of a mother and father. Nora could not get this small boy out of her head. Daily the thought of him hit her over the head. While at dinner with her family, she thought of Kory, at the zoo, thoughts of Kory, at the library, thoughts of Kory. What was Kory doing now? What was life like for him in that orphanage? What kinds of activities was he missing out on every single day of his life? How will he reach his full potential without the supports and therapies that he needs? There were many heartfelt conversations between Nora and Patrick. Was this God's plan? How could they possibly afford it? How would they get others to understand why they were perusing the adoption? All of those questions, without any real answers. Doubt and worry started to enter their minds.
Sitting in church one day, their Pastor started to talk about God being the leader of your life, and that he had plans for your life. Plans that would glorify Him. Plans that you would prosper and not fail. This conversation spoke to the Tomasiks. This was what they needed to hear. God had a plan for them, this adoption was His plan for them. God WILL find the way for them to prosper in this endeavor. Kory had been given what he needed from God, the love and strength of a family in a northern suburb of Illinois. Parents willing to put in the work, effort, worry, tears, and strength to proceed through the process, even with so many obstacles in the way.
Will you help the Tomasik family follow through God's plan? Will your family help bring another family together forever? Can you help Kory come home?
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at http://noratomasik.blogspot.com
We are Peter and Daphne Lang. We have been married for 23 years. We had discussed adoption prior to getting married due to medical issues I had, but the Lord surprised us with our beautiful daughter after 10 years of marriage. It was an extremely difficult pregnancy and it was a miracle when she arrived 2 months early weighing just over 3 lbs with few complications. We were so thankful for this gift from God! The Lord then surprised us with another miracle. This time a precious baby boy (Pierson) that we adopted from Taiwan. This private adoption was a huge blessing from the Lord as the costs were minimal compared to most international adoptions. Several years have passed and our home was full of love and joy but someone was still missing. The Lord then led us to our son Cargan who was an older child with special needs waiting in China. He has been such a huge blessing.
After being home 2 years we still felt that our family was not complete. After much prayer and continually looking at all the precious children on Reece's Rainbow, the Lord led us to our precious little daughter waiting in Asia. She is a preemie, who weighed just over 3 lbs like our older daughter. We are praying for a miracle to bring "Shelly", whom we have named Moriah home as we only had the funds to start the process and have a huge mountain before us. This will be a very difficult and humbling journey as we wait upon the Lord to provide. We have been so encouraged by so many families that have walked before us and we look forward to all the Lord will do. We hope you will come and join us on this incredible journey.
You can follow our adoption at provinceoflove.blogspot.com
Joe and Hannah are specifically hoping to adopt a child with special-needs. Their youngest child has several special-needs of his own, including prematurity (born at 26 weeks) and Down Syndrome. They have already learned so much through caring for their son, who is now 4 years old, and therefore feel as though they are equipped to take on the responsibility of caring for another special little blessing. Joe and Hannah also have a 7 year old daughter and a 5 year old son.
Both of them want to add to their family. They had talked about adoption before they even had biological children, so they knew it was always something they wanted to do. They had always dreamed of having a large family and when they realized Hannah would no longer be able to have more biological children (Hannah had to have an emergency hysterectomy at the age of 23), they knew that we were meant to adopt! They love kids and feel as though their family is not yet complete. Adoption is the perfect option for them! They have the space, the time, the desire, and most importantly, the love to give. Adoption has become a passion and a calling for their family.
Many people have asked Joe and Hannah "why are you choosing to adopt?" To them, the reason is simple – because their hearts are telling them to!
Joe and Hannah have open hearts and arms and look forward to adding an addition to their family.
Follow the family's adoption journey on their blog at thentherewas6.blogspot.com
Robert and Serenity Andrews met while attending a Bible college in 2004. Their backgrounds could not have been more different – Robert was from the Midwest and former US Army soldier, Serenity was a child of a missionary family, who lived all over the US and in several countries including China – but they soon became close friends and were married three years later. Right from the beginning, God put the desire to adopt in their hearts. After having a biological daughter the desire to adopt was still very much there. Through a mutual friend and their adoption of a young special needs boy, Robert and Serenity were introduced to Reece's Rainbow. Robert began reading the stories of those waiting to be adopted. When the profile for Chazz came across the screen, it was as if at that moment Robert knew that this was his son. He sent the web address to Serenity without saying anything more. Her response was "let's do it." God's hand was definitely in this because when the adoption agency was contacted Robert and Serenity were told that Chazz was spoken for. They were both disappointed and yet happy that this beautiful child was going to a loving home. Days later Serenity was contacted by the adoption agency who explained that if she and Robert were still interested he could be their son. Of course Robert and Serenity said yes and now are on the long journey of meetings, phone calls and paperwork with the ultimate goal of bringing their son home.


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Argo 2012
Play trailer
Play trailer
At the height of the Iranian revolution in 1979, Islamist militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. Six manage to get away and hide in the home of the Canadian ambassador, but the solution is temporary because they know as soon as the militants figure out where they are, they'll be killed. CIA exfiltration specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) comes up with a risky scheme to get them safely out of the country. His plan is to pose as a film producer scouting locations in Iran for an upcoming sci-fi production called Argo. The American hostages, in disguises, will then accompany him out of the country as his film crew. In order to pull it off, Mendez enlists the help of veteran Hollywood producer Lester Siegel and make-up artist John Chambers.
Here's a story so strange and unlikely I can scarcely believe it's true. No, I'm not referring to the tale of Argo, in which the CIA attempted to sneak six American hostages out of Iran by pretendi...

subset: commoncrawl


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Collateral Damage - Recap
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The episode begins and Christopher while riding through Southfork comes across the tree where, both Bobby and he had declared their love for the women they loved. John Ross meanwhile is consulting a trust lawyer, to resolve the mineral rights issue, as he needs to drill. Christopher meanwhile comes in and returns the CD of Marta and John Ross, back to John Ross, telling him he doesn't need to use. Christopher then tells John Ross before leaving that he shall fight for Southfork and for Elena. Rebecca meanwhile pays Elena a visit, and thanks Elena for driving her to the hospital the other day. Then while talking, Rebecca suddenly gets sick and rushes into Elena's bathroom to puke. Elena rightly concludes that Rebecca is pregnant.
Rebecca tells her that she is nine weeks pregnant. Rebecca also tells Elena that, she tried calling Christopher about it, but he doesn't answer. Annie meanwhile is sitting in a park bench, with the necklace gifted to her by Ryland in her hand. She meanwhile gets a call from Bobby, who wants to go for a ride with her. She in turn makes some excuse to avoid meeting Bobby for the ride. John Ross in the meanwhile is meeting up with his cousin Lucy, and wants her to talk to his uncle Gary, about Gary signing off his mineral rights to JR. He then tells her how; Southfork is sitting on 2 billion barrels of oil, just ready to be drilled. John Ross then tells Lucy how he would be prepared to offer her a stake, if she manages to convince Gary. Christopher meanwhile pays Elena a visit and tells her how he cares about her.
Elena in reply tells Christopher that he really needs to call Rebecca. Elena than tells Christopher that Rebecca is pregnant. Meanwhile, cops arrive at Southfork and place Bobby under arrest for assaulting Harris Ryland. Later, Bobby's lawyer tells him that, Ryland just wants Bobby to apologize and in return he shall drop the charges. Bobby then asks his lawyer what he has managed to find about JR's involvement in the Southfork deal. He tells Bobby that they haven't found anything, but they have managed to find information on JR's PI, Baum who according to the file seems to have a police record. Christopher meanwhile pays Rebecca a visit. Christopher tells her that it might all once again be a ploy on her part. She in turn tells him that, she was hoping he would be more adult about this, considering what his birth parents did to him.
Later at home, Christopher tells Annie that he is going to get a paternity test done the next day morning. Annie meanwhile reprimands Christopher harshly for assuming Rebecca might have been unfaithful. Later, Bobby tells Annie that she has been edgy ever since she received the flowers from Ryland. Bobby then admits to Annie, how he paid Ryland a visit after she received the flowers and slapped him around, and also how he is pressing charges because of that. Annie is outraged on hearing this and storms out. Meanwhile John Ross and Elena are sitting at a bar being all romantic. Suddenly John Ross is visibly unnerved on seeing Marta walk by, and immediately excuses himself. He then tries to seek out Marta, but she seems to have disappeared. He then receives a call from Vicente's man asking him to report in an hour about the progress in the drilling.
Later, John Ross makes a deal with Vicente where he gives him information about Marta having skimmed money off the Southfork deal, by lying about its actual price to Vicente. In return, Vicente gives John Ross a period of one more week, to make good his commitment, after which Vicente shall take Southfork and everything beneath it. Later, John Ross is shocked to see Lucy come out of Bobby's office. She in turn apologizes to him and walks out. Bobby then tells John Ross that Lucy and Gary were always on his side. Later, Sue Ellen suggests to John Ross that he can probably ask Elena for some oil from her plot, as in the end its oil that Vicente wants. John Ross tells her, Elena is the one good thing he has got in his life, and hence he wants her to stay safe. Baum meanwhile informs JR about the problems John Ross is facing.
JR in turn tells him, John Ross can handle himself, as he is chip of the old block. Baum then informs JR that Cliff's right hand man Frank's actual name is Raheed Durrani, and he was picked up from the streets of Islamabad 30 years ago as a child, by Cliff. Cliff gave him a good education and brought him up like his own son, the only difference is that Frank won't inherit Cliff's fortune. JR concludes that this very fact of him just being a henchman for Cliff and nothing more, despite a good education, must make Frank feel cheated; a cheated man is a dangerous man JR interjects. Christopher and Rebecca are meanwhile informed at the clinic that, they would have the results of the paternity test by the afternoon. Sue Ellen meanwhile asks Elena to help John Ross. Elena though is reluctant as she doesn't want to get in the middle of this.
Marta meanwhile is shown sitting in a table nearby. Later Marta calls John Ross up from Elena's phone and tells him she has Elena. She then tells him to come to a hotel room where she is, or else she shall hurt Elena. John Ross arrives at the hotel room, but doesn't find Elena there, but only Marta, who tells John Ross how Vicente's men are following her thanks to him. She tells John Ross to help her out, if he cares about Elena's safety. Meanwhile Christopher visits Elena at her house. She tells him how her phone is missing. Christopher tells Elena he wants to be with her, and it doesn't matter what the test says. Elena though, says she is happy with John Ross. Bobby meanwhile reluctantly apologizes to Ryland who takes back the case.
He then hands Bobby an envelope, and tells him to look inside, so he can find out what kind of a person Annie really is, as there is a lot he doesn't know about her. John Ross meanwhile figures out that Marta doesn't have Elena, but just her phone. John Ross then snatches Elena's phone from Marta and walks out of the room. Later at home, Bobby sees Annie advocate Rebecca's case in front of Christopher. Meanwhile the doctor calls Christopher and asks him to come in for the results. Meanwhile John Ross is shocked to find Marta's dead body on the roof of a car outside. Turns out, she fell or was pushed from the balcony of her room. A couple, who had seen John Ross head towards her room earlier, also sees him drive away with a worried look on his face. Christopher meanwhile is informed by the doctor that he is the father, and also that he is having twins. Christopher is later moved to tears when he sees the ultrasound.
Bobby later hands Annie the envelope and tells her what Ryland told him. He then tells Annie he trusts her and doesn't need to know anything more; he then sets fire to the envelope without opening it. While the envelope is burning, a photograph of Annie with a child is revealed for a few seconds before it's burnt to cinder. Bobby though has his back to the fire and doesn't see it. Meanwhile, Elena tells John Ross that she has decided to help him. Just then the cops come in and tell them along with Bobby and Annie who arrive at the scene that, there are eyewitnesses who have seen John Ross fleeing the scene of the crime. The cops then reveal that John Ross has to be taken in for questioning, for the murder of Veronica Martinez, who they know as Marta Del Sol. The episode ends at this point.
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text:
Chrome vs. Safari
I've been working on a mac for the last 10 years. So I guess using Safari as the main browser seems like an obvious choice.
I work as an Adobe Flash developer so having different browsers installed is pretty much a prerequisite. So far Safari has always been above all other ones.
So far I haven't even thought of switching my default browser, until recently when I discovered that Google Chrome is out for Mac as well (old news… yeah, I know). First test showed that it's an awesome and fast browser and a very strong competitor to Safari. So strong in fact that I changed it to my default browser about a month ago.
But now, a month later I'm changing my defaults back to Safari. And let me tell you why.
1. Safari Activity Window. This is invaluable tool for Flash Developer. I can't live without it and after a month of searching I haven't found a good equivalent plugin for Chrome.
2. Home page that shows all your most important sites in Safari. There is SpeedDial plugin for Chrome, but it just does not feel (nor look) the same.
3. Flash rendering. Somehow Chrome is just not good enough rendering flash sites. For instance YouTube controls are not clickable with Chrome. Only thing I can do in YouTube with chrome is to click on the video window to make it pause/play and that's it. Sucks!? Yeah, I know.
Although searching straight using address bar is a great feature on Chrome. And rendering and using Google Docs (scrolling with MacbookPro touch pad) works great. Still I must say I tried. It wasn't so bad, but I must admit Safari is still the best browser for my needs.
Please share your experience with those two browsers in the comments below.
Thanks!Tags: activity window on safari, apple safari, chrome, flash, google chrome, safari, speeddial plugin


text:
Take a cordinating color for the center and stuff it with a cotton ball as well. Then make it into a flat circle.
Cut out a circle of felt large enough to cover the balloon ends on the back. Then cut out a rectangle that will fit onto the circle. Glue the ends of two of the sides of the rectangle onto the circle. This will make a slit you can slide a bobby pin, or a hair barrette, or a hair elastic, or a hair band into.


text:
Room in nice apartment, North Station
Size18 m²
Floor No.4(with elevator)
- Family/child friendly
- Kitchen
- Washer/dryer
- Indoor fireplace
- Smoking allowed
- Disabled access
- Elevator in building
|Boulevard Magenta, 75010 Paris, France
|Property type
|Private room
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|4 days ago
The bedroom has a double bed and two extra mattresses.
Metro North station serving all of Paris at the level of public transport.
10 minutes walk from Montmartre, 15 minutes' walk from Republic, 20 minutes walk from the main boulevard (Galeries Lafayette, Opera ...etc).
Possibility to use the kitchen.
Cozy and family atomosphere.
A deposit of 200 euros will be required if the apartment is left without inhabitants travelers!
Respect for each other.
I am a 45 year old man who raises her three children alone in a beautiful Haussmann apartment that I own.
So familiar and cozy atmosphere!
I am a professional actor
So pleased to meet you!
|Check-in after
|On arrangement
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|On arrangement
|Cancellation Policy
The apartment is cozy, the hosts very accommodating and very nice. Can I recommend without reserving!
Die Wohnung ist gemütlich, der Gastgeber sehr zuvorkommend und sehr nett. Kann ich ohne vorbehalte weiterempfehlen!
The stay at Nicolas' place was extremely enjoyable! It's perfectly situated, very neat and (most important) Nicolas and his family are very pleasant to stay with. We would always come back - thanks a lot!
The apartment is very nice of Nicolas, a mixture of style, between the vintage and modern. The room, however, is a bit 'small for 4 people, but for people used to fit fine. It should also be noted that he lives there and then the rest of the apartment is to share (including the bathroom). Perhaps we should insert this information on the site, otherwise it could be misunderstood (eg., We thought we had the bathroom in the room). It 'still close to the Gare du Nord and Gare d'Est, but for those who walk a lot (like us) is also within walking distance Bastille, Place de la Republique, the Marais. In the neighborhood there are shops for all your needs. Good starting point for anyone visiting Paris.
L'appartamento di Nicolas è molto carino, un misto di stile, tra il vintage e il moderno. La camera però è un po' piccola per 4 persone, ma per chi è abituato ad adattarsi va bene. Occorre anche precisare che lui vive là e che quindi il resto dell'appartamento è da condividere (bagno compreso). Forse occorrerebbe inserirle queste informazioni sul sito, altrimenti si potrebbe fraintendere (ad es., noi pensavamo di avere il bagno in camera). E' comunque vicino alla Gare du Nord e Gare d'Est, ma per chi cammina parecchio (come noi) è raggiungibile a piedi anche Bastille, Place de la Republique, il Marais. Nel quartiere ci sono negozi per tutte le esigenze. Buon punto di partenza per chi visita Parigi.
Nice apartment and well located, relaxed approach, you will soon feel at home. Thank you Nicolas!
Appart sympa et bien situé, approche relax, on se sent vite comme chez soi. Merci Nicolas!
Have to stay genossen.Sympatischer host and very gastfreundlich.Lage the apartment is centrally located to reach all good.
All well and happy again.
Haben den Aufenthalt genossen.Sympatischer Gastgeber und sehr gastfreundlich.Lage der Wohnung ist zentral,alles gut zu erreichen.
Alles prima und gerne wieder.
Nicolas was very helpful, accepting us at the last moment! Very helpful and friendly, the room is very clean and the bed was extremely comfortable! We recommend it!
Nicolas a été d'une aide précieuse, en nous acceptant au tout dernier moment ! Très disponible et aimable, la chambre est très propre et le lit extrêmement confortable ! On le recommande !
walking distance from Gare du Nord;
friendly host;
good size bed.
we do not read in the text that there are 3 familymembers present in the house during the stay;
if two people share the bed, they roll to the middle.
Nicolas was very polite and friendly ... we had full freedom around the house ... very good ... the only downside is that the room for four people is a bit 'small ... for guys that fit is fine for a family .. maybe a little 'less ... but in general very well in relation to the price!
Nicolas è stato molto gentile e cordiale... avevamo piena libertà in tutto...casa molto centrale...l'unica nota negativa è che la stanza per quattro persone è un po' piccola... per ragazzi che si adattano va bene..per una famiglia forse un po' meno...però in generale benissimo in relazione al prezzo!
Nicolas has a beautiful apartment, everything just as it is in the pictures. It's central in Paris. We had an amazing time!
Nice apartment, very central within 3 minutes walk from Gare du Nord. Nicolas was not home, but someone left apartment manager. The hostess was very friendly and explained the rules of the apartment. We spent a beautiful day in Paris!!
Bonito apartamento, bastante centrico a 3 minutos caminando de la estación Gare du Nord. Nicolas no estaba en casa, pero dejó a alguien encargado del apartamento. La anfitriona fue muy amable y nos explicó las reglas del apartamento. Pasamos unos dias bonitos en Paris!!
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


text:
BEST BETDATE: November 28 2005, 5:00 PMCost:$34.00 - $44.00CATEGORY: Performing ArtsVENUE INFORMATION:Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities6901 Wadsworth Blvd.Arvada, CO 80003
Music by Elton John brings to life this bittersweet story of a tempermental rest home resident and her struggle to make peace with an estranged son. Call for times.
More Information:
For more information, call 720-898-7200.


text:
lmp vs u/s
I had my first ulrasound on the 10th, baby was estimatted to be about 8weeks. My last period put me at 14 weeks. Should I just accept the new (farther away) due date.. or assume baby could be small?
Posted: 07/18/2013 by delina33
Mom Answers
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If you have regular periods, I would go with LMP. That is a long way off, though.posted 07/19/2013 by a BabyCenter Member
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text:
We all have them
But not all opinions were created equal
"Not always right but never in doubt," my brother used to quip in mock dismissiveness at no one in particular. And I laughed, but it isn't very funny, is it? Not funny when you think of how opinions are generally formed in this world, and positions solidified, and heels dug in on the swirl of issues that bombard us every day.
Stroll down the street and you will find some of your neighbors have cable and some don't, some have security systems and some don't, some have college degrees and some don't, but one thing they all have is opinions. Strong ones, by and large.
If you had been there in the moment when the opinion was hatched in secret places (but no one ever is), and, fully formed, sprang into existence with all the confidence of a June sun, I wonder what you would have seen. I have a theory (it hasn't yet the head of steam of Opinion) that opinions on everything from Elián Gonzalez to gun control to genetically modified food can be plotted on a graph-and what I imagine isn't pretty.
First, I would hazard to guess that the information-gathering step in the process is typically truncated, followed fairly soon by the opinion or conclusion. From here on in the opinion is pretty much impervious to change. All subsequent data will be fitted, crammed, and otherwise absorbed without making much of a dent. "Don't confuse me with the facts, man!"
I'm still trying to work into my graph the Bible's teaching-that man is no tabula rasa but a worshipper-either of the living God or of some idol or other. That would go at the front end, I suppose, and bear on even the early fact-collecting phase we mentioned, wouldn't it?
Not that God worshippers are immune to faulty opinions, regrettably. I figure there are at least two things that can go wrong along the way to Opinion, and, elegantly, both are alluded to in a single verse, 2 Peter 3:16: (1) Many things are intrinsically difficult to understand; (2) there is vestigial ignorance and idolatry to contend with.
Which makes it frustrating when you hear people, especially believers, pretending that very complex issues are easy. How's your millennium theology these days? I don't know about you but the precise way that Revelation, Daniel, 2 Thessalonians 1, and Luke 21 fit together doesn't exactly jump right off the page for me. And here's a wild thought: Maybe God ordained it this way-complex rather than patent, symbol laden rather than straight journalistic narrative-to foster some humility in us, some interdependency of insight, or spiritual synergy.
Do we endorse relativism or anti-intellectualism here, or promote those who make a virtue of agnosticism, fence-sitting, and noncommittal "tolerance"? Au contraire. There is a right answer-and the Lord knows it. Moreover, we take positions, in the sight of God, acknowledging the possibility that they are not perfect to the last jot and tittle. What the Apostle Paul says of ethical stands could as well apply to intellectual ones: "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.... Wait till the Lord comes" (1 Corinthians 4:4-5).
Apart from that, whether it's the Elián Gonzalez case or the meaning of the "1,000 years," we hail back to the practical, sound Old Testament advice to "investigate it thoroughly" (Deuteronomy 13:14;17:4) before stepping up to the soap box and fulminating fervently or pontificating pompously. In some cases we even keep it to ourselves, that thing we believe between us and the Lord that may not be edifying to share (Romans 14:22). And we practice saying "I don't know" and "I was wrong" a lot, until it feels natural and nonthreatening.
What we don't do is pretend that all matters are equally easy and equally clear, that there is no mystery, that all knowledge begins and ends with us, that no generation understood till mine, and no denomination had it all nailed down till mine. There is a sign on the door of a professor at the seminary down the road, which reads, "For every difficult, intricate, complex, perplexing problem there is a simple, elegant, obvious, clear, direct, wrong answer." I don't know the man, but I think he must be very wise.