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!

Blessed Beyond Belief-Update On Leah's 21 for 21

For those that do not know what Leah's 21 for 21 is please click on the tab. It all started back in October when I was starting to think what I wanted to do for my 21st Birthday. God laid it on my heart to do something special & bigger than I had ever done before! So friends & family spread the word near & far about my Birthday wish to raise $21,000. We did not reach that goal but with the encouragement of my friends & family I have continued on that path to reach that goal! I'm praying to reach it by the end of this year (my 21st year)! Originally my wish for the two orphans I love but at the moment they are unable to receive donations so I chose to instead help other orphans & families while I wait for their country to reopen. Heres the update as of now we have $16,288.56 to go before we reach that goal! I think I originally did my Math wrong so I appologize. In almost 4 months we have raised $4,711.44 for 2 orphans with families & 3 without!!! WOW WAY TO GO GOD!!!! I want to say a HUGE THANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS & FAMILY WHO HAVE MADE THAT HAPPEN!!! Looking forward to whats to come for Leah's 21 for 21!! I am hoping to do some more fundraisers including our 1st Leah's 21 campaign change drive! Awhile back I did one for Celine which brought in $220 & I want to double that! 

If you would like to donate now to my campaign make a donation towards Brandi (53) grant either to the donation box on the right & leave a comment letting me know you did! 
Thanks for your love & support!

Power of prayer

Day after day ever since I did the Lost Get Found Giveaway I prayed,

I prayed & shouted when your grant grew to over $2,000 during that Giveaway.

I jumped for Joy each time your grant grew til you got fully funded. Then we watched as we waited & waited til the day when your forever family would find you. Well, Heath today is that day! YEP HIS FOREVER FAMILY FOUND HIM!!! Continuing to pray for your family as they journey towards you. I am just filled with JOY today! I'm still not giving up on R & continuing to pray for whatever Gods plan is for the orphans there.

Happy World Down syndrome day!

Every year on March 21st we celebrate World Down syndrome day or known as the 3rd copy of the 21st chromosome! As most of you know I have a sister with that extra chromosome who rocks my world! Though she has her share of struggles not related to her Down syndrome at all we still love her & treat her no differently then us! What I want people to know today in honor of my sister is that Down syndrome is a BLESSING NOT A BURDEN to us siblings or parents of a child with Down syndrome. Is it always easy? Of course not! No child with or without special needs is! 

Sarah you continue to be such a fighter in everything you do! I'm so proud to see the growth in your independence! I wish I had been able to go see Disney on Ice with you again cause I just cherish the times I do get to spend time with you. 

I Love your dancing & how much you love dancing!

I want the whole world to know that YOU ARE MORE ALIKE THAN DIFFERENT!!!

I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THE R WORD IS OFFENSIVE TO PEOPLE LIKE SARAH & OTHERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS!!! PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD!!!

WE LOVE YOU OUR SISTER VERY MUCH & HAPPY WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY!!! 

If you wish to learn more about Down syndrome please visit these resources:

National Down Syndrome Society
World Down syndrome day
In my sisters honor I'm challenging my friends to donate $21 for two families adopting two kids with that extra chromosome! Whether its that $5 in spare change you find in the couch cushion or the $21 every little bit helps! Please go donate to these families!
Katrina & Steve
(sorry I can't post their daughters photo)
Meet Ollie,

This precious cutie is coming home to my local area! Read more about his family & donate here.
PLEASE ALSO DON'T MISS THE FACEBOOK AUCTION i HAVE GOING FOR KATRINA & HER FAMILY!
Leah's 21 for 21 auction
Lastly I want to link back to some posts I have done on being a sibling!
Life as a sib:A Life worth living
The rest of the sibling posts are linked here

Wishing upon a star

The smile that stole my heart strings,

The one I would do almost anything to cross that ocean to Love on & make her mine.

As I stare into your eyes I wish upon a star that things will change. Your million dollar smile stole my heart from the moment I saw you. I wished upon a wish that I could find you & adopt you as my own but alas that dream can't come true. I longed for the day when someone would say yes I want you, yes I will love you as my own but thus the small door closed for awhile. Then the small doors flew back wide open. Surely then your family would find you.

I did my best while you waited doing fundraiser after fundraiser still hoping that your family would come. 

Then one day, a giant came slamming the even bigger doors to your country. I am still crushed & praying for Gods plan for your life & that you find a family no matter the country. You deserve to be loved for who you are.

This past few months have been rough honestly a part of me is in her country. I feel called to her country as my parents & sister have been there on mission trips to help build a church many years ago. I was set to go to that country with an adoptive family when this ordeal happened. I was actually feeling sorrowful just thinking of it & being in a funk about not being able to help the girls & it looking pretty dim but through ashes of my sorrow Beauty will rise again. I'm helping a friend out with an auction & did a consignment sale for Brandi this past weekend which was a success! I think I finally am coming back to myself again!

Thanks for praying for me personally & for the consignment sale this weekend! Ms Brandi,

$251.38 was raised & will be heading towards your grant soon!

I really hope you keep on praying for all those in Celine's country for whats truly best for all!