Following Gods Calling

I have written a bit about this before but today I am telling the story of how God called us to serve at Alternatives Pregnancy Center. So sometime in 2006 or 2007 I believe God gave us various "signs" through many people telling us about the Center. We heard about it from a fellow homeschool group mom, my friend Nancy from knitting who volunteers there, & an invite to their banquet from a family at church. Mom just knew we needed to go check this place out & so we did. The day we walked into Alternatives I knew I wanted to help even if back then the job we eventually started doing there was A CRAZY DISORGANIZED MESS in the donation intake room FILLED with baby items BIG & SMALL. What I loved then & still do since we first started is the "Nursery Nook" store for the moms to shop for much needed baby items. What we do once a week is package wipes & diapers, go through donations, & organize/hang outfits for the Nook! When we first started we were in one building but just recently they have moved after being there for 19+ years. Gods calling is no easy picnic at times but when he wants us somewhere we should say Yes no matter how easy or hard it is to do! We have been volunteering for about 6 years now & we both love what we do!

The girl with the smile

The girl with the smile,the one that I fell in love with

Her adorable pig tails & adorable grin called saying help me find my forever family! If circumstances were different I would get her myself. My HEART was forever changed by one VERY SPECIAL little girl waiting across the ocean.

Back in 2010 I thought she would surely be scooped up in no time but here we are 2 years later & still she waits. She is now about to turn 7 sometime next month & has changed somewhat but still is adorable. Her newer picture makes her look so sad but its just a bad shot of her. I still think she is the bubbly little girl she is! 

I know the reason partly why she has not been scooped up & I am still praying things will pickup speed in her country cause ITS ABOUT TIME THIS GIRL GETS A FAMILY! 
I have written about her WAY TOO MANY TIMES BEGGING & PLEADING FOR A FAMILY FOR HER! Celines future mama whoever you are know your daughter is dearly loved by many & has a team that will be behind you 100%! I LOVE HER TO PIECES LIKE A SISTER OR DAUGHTER & WILL DO ALL I POSSIBLY CAN TO HELP BRING HER HOME! 

2 years ago I never could have imagined that I could have raised over $2,000 in that amount of time with the help & encouragement of my friends! I have watched your grant grow from over $3,000 to now over $10,000 & each time with squeals of delight that it brings you one step closer to finding your family! I'm not kidding when I say I did not plan on raising THAT MUCH or even THINK I would ENTER THE SCARY WORLD of FUNDRAISING but HER SMILE in that picture TOUCHED ME BADLY to do SOMETHING. Whether it's PRAYING, ADVOCATING OR ADOPTING WE CAN ALL BE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THIS ONE by doing SOMETHING!
Here's the fundraisers that have been a BIG SUCCESS these past 2 years:
Just Between Friends Kids Consignment Sale
Yard Sales
Celine's Shoot for the Stars Giveaway
The Lost Get Found Giveaway
Change drives
Misc Christmas & other gifts from family
Their have been others not quite as successful but it did help so I will include those! 
Scentsy Fundraiser
Necklace fundraiser through Joybelle Jewelry on etsy
 Its been a long sometimes HARD & other times JOYFUL ROAD through fundraising, advocating, & MANY PRAYERS but it is SO WORTH IT & I pray someday I will be able to SEE HER WITH HER FAMILY AT THAT GRAND AIRPORT HOMECOMING! Even if I have to go with them on the come home trip or fly to another state I will just to witness that special moment! That day I am sure I will need thousands of tissues LOL. Sweet Girl, I love you & continue to pray for you everyday & for whomever your family might be that they are coming for you. Your stocking I claimed yours has been hung since last Christmas with a prayer note just for you & when you do find a family I will have gifts for you waiting.
If interested in precious Celine contact Reeces Rainbow! Or if you can't adopt go donate to her grant! Every little bit helps bring her one step closer to her forever family & their is a matching grant for her going see below!

For my blog readers please stay tune cause as soon as Angel Tree starts November 1st I will have fundraisers to help her grant grow even bigger! Right now though if you want to help click on my amazon link box to the right I get a certain percentage from amazon using that link for any orders placed & for the rest of september & all of october it will be put towards Celines angel tree goal! Also PLEASE DON'T FORGET CELINE HAS A MATCHING GRANT GOING RIGHT NOW! 

Exciting News!

First & foremost if you have not checked out Kenzies shower I encourage you to do so! They still need $800 to be fully funded! I have some exciting news to share! I received the consignment sale check in the mail & for both girls together I raised $209 praise God! Sadly of course I did not win the 80% drawing but I am pleased with this amount & will look forward to JBF in the spring to raise more funds for the girls. Okay since my fundraisers did so well I want to offer the chance for these amounts to be matched to these girls grants. Even though its small every little bit helps! 
Brandi, just turned 5 years old & has gone unnoticed far too long.

I'm offering $182 to her grant if we can get it to $306.70 which means once I add my amount she would have $488.70 in her grant!
Next up we have Celine,

$104 to her grant when it reaches $10,511.40 then it would be $10.615.40 when I put the funds in.
Lastly theirs Cora Lynne,

$104 to her grant once it reads $5,309.50. Once I deposit her funds her grant would be $5,413.50
So go donate even $5 would help a child in need of a forever family! Even if you can't donate please pray their forever families find them soon!

Shower from the Heart for Kenzie!

It's time for a viritual shower! Kenzie's momma has worked so hard to get her girl & thought they were fully funded til they discovered that their 3rd trip may or may not be waived which means they are not fully funded. Kenzie has a heart condition & needs to come home to her forever family! So what better way than to hold a viritual shower to help Kenzie come home! Heres how this works.
Their are different things you can give at this shower! Everytime a  category box is filled you get to choose a party favor! 

Here's some of the prizes up for grabs!

                                   $5 Starbucks Gift Card

Liz Clairborne Passport wallet & luggage tag

Bow Holder filled with Bows by precious Kenzies mama!

                                Finished Product may vary 

So choose something & leave a comment of what your getting, go donate that amount to her grant here

then forward your receipt to singergirl15@yahoo.com.

Thanks for attending Kenzies shower! 

A Passion

I have a passion, a passion so deep of love for special needs orphans.  This passion is something I love to do. I feel God gave me the gift of serving, loving, & caring for others. Caring for the orphans is hard work & frustrating at times especially when the orphans I fundraise for have not found their forever families. They are lost, forgotten, unloved. I am praying for them every night & it still makes me wonder where their families are? They have large grants but they still wait.

Growing up with my sister with Down Syndrome little did I know the impact that would make on my life. 
I have learned so much through my sister & through my mom parenting her with her other issues not related to her Down Syndrome. She has inspired me so much & I know God has given me my caring heart that someday I can be a mom to one of these special treasures. 

It hurts my depths of my heart that I am so passionate about this cause & these kids feel like my own kids. I cry alot thinking about why have they not had families come for them? I would in an instant if I was older. That's my road block for now but I know that right now I do all I can to help fundraise for their future families. So whats stopping you? It breaks my heart when I see my 3rd year a part of Reeces Rainbow that Celine & Cora Lynne still wait. I am happy & sad at the same time about the Angel Tree campaign this year being Celines Christmas warrior. Sad she has been listed for so long without a family & sad cause I am not Cora Lynnes Christmas warrior since I was hers in 2010 & 2011. Cora Lynne is not eligible cause she is 6 years old & was not picked for the voting rounds. Then I get sad when I think about that Cora Lynne was listed late into the angel tree campaign in 2010 & here she waits 2 years later. It just is so hard but then again God made life that way. It was hard for his son to die on the cross for our sins wasn't it? But he pressed on to do it FOR US! So I continue to press on for the orphans cause God wants me to! I am so thankful for this passion he has given me cause I would not have it any other way!

A Matching grant opportunity!

As you know on Saturday I had a yard sale to fundraise for Brandi & my trip to Russia well it was a success! Since I Love it when my donation is matched I decided that I would offer this up as a matching grant for Brandi! Though its a small match every little bit helps! Her grant is at $124.70 now, when it reaches $306.70 I will
donate $182 to her grant maybe more as I still have a few items I sold! Once that happens her grant will be at $488.70! That's almost halfway to $1,000! Don't you want to see this beautiful girl find her family? She just turned 5 not too long ago & deserves the love a family can bring not a mental institution!

I have told the story, about how God lead me to help her but if you did not get the chance to read it you can here & here
My heart has been burdened by this plight of special needs orphans & I know the potential this girl has cause some dear friends of mine have cerebal palsy. They are living their lives to the fullest ministering to the special needs community in Denver, CO by doing their own church. Trust me they let nothing stop them! They see abilities not disabilities! Don't you see that in Brandi? Will you pray for her today? I am not begging for donations but just want to throw this matching grant out there cause I see the potential in her. God lead me to help her & even though this is not a huge matching offer I am wanting to do this for her. She started with a simple zero in her grant & when she got relisted my goal was to zero that zero then keep it growing! I did an auction which mostly got her grant to where it is at then I wanted to boost her grant more since I Cora Lynnes & Celines both were higher grants so I decided to do the yard sale for her. I Love this girl dearly! If you consider Brandi you can also go get Lianne too! They would make adorable sisters just saying! Please pray they both find a family or families! If your interested in either or both girls contact Reeces Rainbow!

Blessings poured out

I don't know how many times I can say THANK YOU but I will over & over! Today, was a wonderful success & its all in thanks to all my friends who have donated items, came to the sale to shop, & my awesome HELPERS!!! So thanks to you, I raised $157 for my trip to Russia & $162 for my Beautiful Brandi! So since I love matching grants & all that jazz so her grant is at $124.70 I want to see her grant at $306.70 then I will donate $182 to her grant which includes the money I got from my grandma! Once that happens her grant will be at $488.70! That's almost halfway to $1,000!

I also was happy to make $20 for Heath today & always glad when I know it will be matched!

Stoked & so happy!

                                           
                                When we first started

                                   
                                  Almost to the tail end

My awesome poster showing the differences in the kids from the "bad place"

My sign I made on my memories software!

 I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU AGAIN TO BOTH MY PARENTS AS WELL AS MY BROTHER FOR ALL YOUR HELP!! I did not get a chance to get pictures of them all but they worked so hard cause they know how passionate I am about these kids & know I am so thankful to have you all as my family members!

Blessings were sure poured out today!!