New Photos of Maria|Reeces Rainbow

I'm pleased to share these pictures of Maria taken just 8 days ago!

Her smile is just precious & I'm sure when she finds her family her teeth could use some dental care!

And this one is adorable! How can you not resist her smile & want to scoop her into your arms?

She has a $15,000 grant of New Hope now where is her Mama?

A Mothers Love|Reeces Rainbow

A Mothers Love, reaches from the stars above,

For a Mothers Love knows no more than to Love,

For a Mother to love someone she has never even met or cared for that's the Love the Least of these deserve.

No matter the circumstance, even if their not really her children she loves them no matter what.

For a mother to willingly make sacrifices for her children even if they were just "hers" via a picture.

That's the Best gift a Mother can give, whether it's helping to support her Daughters passion & dreams.

Or just being the best Mom she can be loving her kids near & far no matter what

That's what a Mothers Love is to me. Happy Mothers day Mom & all the other moms, grandmas, aunts, someday moms, adoptive moms, birth moms, & Mommy-to-be! Though I'm no Mom I have had people in the past say happy mom-in-training day. No matter what I will be thinking of my "children" who are now stuck because of this ban.  Love you Alden,

Carmen,

Cora Lynne,

And Celine

I am praying for you today & know you are not forgotten. 

Love you Emily!

Letter to my daughters of my heart|Reeces Rainbow

Dear daughters of my Heart, 
Though you don't know how badly I want to hold you in my arms & say everything is going to be okay I want you to know Jesus loves you. I pray everyday for things to change in your country. From the moment I saw your pictures I loved you from afar.

I knew already I could never be your real mama but I knew especially when the doors of your country closed that I was your Heart mama & it felt like I was missing a huge part of me. My heart shredded to pieces dealing with issues of yes, Jealousy, anger, & loss. It felt like I lost a child or dear loved one. The day your grants were transferred to other kids as much as I was happy to be giving to the other girls I have advocated for it hurt knowing you might never be adopted & all God had done through both your grants. Mothers day is this Sunday & though I am not a mother yet I will be thinking of my precious girls who are without a Mommy & all the orphans stuck in that country. Girls, this momma is doing everything she can do to fight for your right to your forever mommas & praying without end for God's Plan in your lives. Even if it's never to be in a family know someone on the other side of the world loves you & even more God Loves You so much. If I never meet you this side of Heaven I look forward to the day when I see you in Heaven. I have gone through the emotional ride & at peace most days but though I still struggle God's got me & he knows the plans for me & for "my" girls. Love you girls so much & I will always think of you as my little girls. Your forever Heart Momma

Deeply Loved forever|Reeces Rainbow

You were my sunshine, 

 Your smile was the key to a piece of me I never thought possible. Like Quinton, I Thought surely your family would find you quickly. Then when your region shutdown I was frantically thinking hope was lost for you but I kept praying. Your door to your region was reopen then all the sudden wham the door to your whole country closed. I never thought this was the path God had lead me to after all he had done through your grant. Tears have been on this up & down ride as I still prayed whatever you want for both girls lives. He has answered my prayers in more ways than one. Most recently, the blessing of new hope that Cora Lynne has gifted to Zinnia who now has a family!

 Cora Lynne, my darling girl. I don't know what kind of place your in or if your doing well. Your daunting eyes is what first captured my heart strings & is what worries me. I have no way to know but am praying for Gods plan for you. Even if you or Celine don't get to be part of a family know that you were deeply loved by me as if you were my own daughter. Because of you touching my life, now you have hopefully touched the life of Zinnia so that she can be loved.

 I know this path may still be hard for me at times but even if the girls don't become available again I know I will see them again someday in Heaven.  Girls, I love you very much & I always will. Love your "momma".

I want to say a HUGE THANKS TO MY FRIENDS & FAMILY AGAIN ALL WHO PLAYED A PART OF MY 21 FOR 21 YOU ALL ARE WHY NOW THESE TWO GIRLS HAVE FAMILIES!! Though Celine & Cora Lynne are who we started it for, it now has become so much more. Should the girls country opens its doors again I know I can count on everyone to rally for them. I always will treasure this moment surrounded by all my church family & friends.

 PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR THE ORPHANS IN RU***A!!!

Never forgotten

How do I start the post I never thought I would have to write? This past week a difficult decision was made, for all the children in Ru***as grants to be moved to other children. It looks very dim of the country opening anytime soon so instead of the funds just sitting their what better joy then to let other orphans in open countries come home. It has been a rough week but despite this difficult time I have felt peace like never before. God has answered many prayers knowing Celine is in a good place is partly due to that peace. I do still worry but I know God is with them.
As hard as it was, they had asked who I wanted Celines & Cora Lynnes grants to go to. For me it was not a hard decision as I had already started advocating for most of these girls. Celine & Cora Lynne, you will be forever in my heart & YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!!!

 

 

So, if you still read my blog you will recognize who I chose. I chose these girls cause they are older, similar diagnosis to the girls/my sister, & several reasons but most importantly they need(ed) families. First Happily one of the girls I chose as found her family! As tough & bittersweet as this is I know in my heart God handpicked her for a reason. Once Berkeley's family is public I hope to share more of that story here & continue to help her family to go get her. Celines grant was evenly split between these 3 girls.

 

Brandi

Maria

 

And my precious Cora Lynne, whose grant went to Zinnia.

It is my hope that all the other girls find families soon! Even though Ru***a remains closed at least for the near future I am still praying for Gods plan for all these kids lives. When/if they ever reopen I will fight for the girls again! Just cause I am advocating for these new girls does not mean I will forget them. They are in my prayers always. I loved them like daughters & I still mourn for their lives but I am at peace knowing their is still work to be done! Out of ashes Beauty will rise!!!

Torn in many ways

Sometimes I am just torn for words, what title truly fits what I feel right now? Anxious for any word on discussions between Russia & US Governments regarding adoptions. Excited on many fronts at all these older kids finding families, seeing the JBF funds now reflected in Brandi's (53) grant, & the second sevenly shirt campaign going on this week with Maria being one of the older orphans that benefit but yet I'm still sad & slight jealous I do admit that all these kids who have been strongly advocated for keeping finding families yet Celine has to wait. I have not had much time to blog & I just don't have anything else to say right now not to mention who knows if anyone reads this blog anymore.

Recently, I celebrated a year of God calling me to help Brandi. If you read my posts I had mentioned another girl who was listed before the special needs list came out in another Eastern Europe country that my friend was in love with. Well, I am pleased to say SHE IS ALIVE & HAS BEEN RELISTED as she has reached the age where the list does not affect her! I have chosen yet another to advocate for! :)
Meet Zinnia,

Is she not precious or what? At RISK OF TRANSFER SOON!!! At least while I wait for news I can focus on my "new daughters" but still its hard. No, I am not replacing all my "children" I advocate for in R****a but in the meantime I try the best I can to help children most in need.
Please share these girls so they can find their forever families!
Brandi

And Maria who benefits from this weeks Sevenly sales!

Be sure if you have not already check out the awesome stuff available this week from sevenly!!! AND DON'T FORGET TO KEEP PRAYING FOR RUSSIA!!

Choosing another

Since I started advocating, God has lead me one way or another to each orphan I have helped.

For Quinton it was the expression in his eyes that wanted me to help & the fact of sharing a Birthday, (He is doing well at Home with his family!)

Celines bright smile took my breath away

For Cora Lynne, she needed a Angel Tree Warrior I saw the same desperation in her eyes like Quinton.

Alden, needed someone to pray for him & I wanted to pray for a boy.

Brandi, came in an unexpected way that could only be explained by God.

Carmen, though I never have fundraised or advocated much for her I wanted to pray for her.

And Lastly precious Heath whose family found him recently. Julia's blogposts added to the fact when I saw a brief period of quietness of advocating for Heath that I just knew I wanted him to be added to benefit from the Lost get found Giveaway. 

This time was different compared to other times. Choosing another to Love & advocate for was not on my radar. I was still heartbroken over the ban in R & barely coming into the light again fundraising for Brandi. I posted on my Facebook, that how do I choose when I feel like I'm betraying or loosing hope on the Girls. I wanted to kick & scream, NO I DON'T WANT TO but yet I knew I wanted to help another who has that extra chromosome like my sister as part of my 21 for 21 project. Before this all happened I was overwhelmed (still am!) how many need help & decided I was not going to choose anymore to help while I focussed on the girls. I knew which category of special need I wanted I just did not know what age. As I scrolled page after page in that category, none really called to me. I was unsure if I was going to be able to find another that was what I was looking for to help or that I would feel the same feeling when I found all the others I have advocated for. But then I saw this Beautiful girls smile & it reminded me of Celine. I could not turn my eyes away from precious Maria so even through my pain I said yes I need to advocate, pray, & fundraise for her.

Though this precious girl was older than Celine & her grant is currently $10 I knew my same mission as I have done with Brandi & Cora Lynne. Little by Little we will get her there!

I think I need some "sunshine" again to brighten & remind me that all orphans need Love. LOOSING HOPE IS FOR QUITERS & I'M NOT GONNA BE ONE!!! ADMIST STRUGGLES BEAUTY WILL RISE!!
Maria, thanks for reminding me about Love & teaching me that I'm just on a different twist of this path God has laid out. 

He knows the plan of all the R orphans & I'm continuing to pray the best for them whatever that may be!