Fundraisers Galore! | Reece's Rainbow Families

So.  Ahem.  I have a feeling my begging and pleading for the Jones family adopting Annie is probably getting a bit trying on some of your nerves... given that I haven't shut up about it except when I was under anesthesia.  Annie's Mama, Amanda, has been working HARD to make it easier and more fun for you to help them bring their girl home, and I would like to share some of these awesome new fundraisers with you.  But first I would like to share these words from Amanda's blog:

"We have a big need. We need to make a payment to our agency. We are currently at a STANDSTILL and CANNOT move. There are documents that I am working on but money is our hold up."

That's not cool folks.  Money standing between a child and her family.  Not cool at all.

Now to get down to it.  Amanda has been working her fingers to the bone making things to sell to help get Annie home!  Christmas is coming and I bet you could knock out a person or two on your list AND help bring an orphan home at the same time!

First up:  How cute are these blocks??

They are hand-made, hand-painted domino-style matching blocks - super cute, and would be a one of a kind present for a little person on your list.  Price for these is $20, plus $3 shipping, which I think is a bargain... seriously, go price hand-painted blocks in the store, if you can even find such a thing in this commercial day and age... you won't find a better deal and you'll be helping to bring an orphan home!

Which brings us to the second style of awesome blocks:

Letters!!  Oh, the educator in me is just reeling with possibilities.  Seek-and-find, spelling words, matching capitals and lower case, phonics - ah, I would just love to have these to do with my best friend's kindergartner!  This set of 52 blocks is $30, plus $4 shipping.  Still a bargain as that's a lot of blocks - and I'm not sure I've ever seen lower case letters even in commercially produced letter blocks.  Not to mention, oh wait, this is like the fourth time I've mentioned... THESE ONES HELP BRING AN ORPHAN HOME!!  Click here for how to place your order for either set of blocks.

So maybe there aren't so many kids on your list this holiday season.  Maybe your kids are furry instead.  Guess what...

That's right!  We have something for them too!  Pet collars!  Your pet will be one of a kind with these hand-made collars, priced by size (see picture above).  After all, it's Christmas for kitties and puppies too!  Check out the variety of designs available:

How cool that your pet's present could be tailor-made for him!  He'll be all the talk at the dog park.  Oh, and did I mention you're helping an orphan?  Place your custom order here.

But what about the adults on your list?  Do we have anything for them?  What about, say, your friend Katie?  I don't know, just thinking out loud here... ;)

Oh, that's right!  Just about one of the cutest adoption T-shirts I've ever seen!  No adopted kids?  Don't forget... you were adopted too.  And if you DO just so happen to have a friend who writes some crazy blog about orphans, I'm pretty willing to bet this is on their Christmas list!  These shirts are available in short sleeve ($22) and long sleeve ($26) from adult sizes small to 3XL.  Shipping is included in that price.  Click here for ordering information.

Is fashion your thing?  Do you want even MORE bang for your buck (in addition to helping bring an orphan home and getting a cool item)?  Check out the Trades of Hope E-Show benefiting the Jones family from now until September 27!

These items and MORE can be purchased through this link, and in addition to benefiting you and the Jones family, the sale of these items also supports women living in poverty.  Some of them have been rescued from sex slavery.  Some of them are facing the challenge of raising special needs children alone.  Some of them have been affected by devastating diseases like HIV/AIDS.  I was the lucky recipient of a bracelet much like the one above earlier this year and I LOVE it and everything it represents!  These items make perfect gifts!

And, okay, I know that these days everyone and their sister is a consultant for Thirty-One, but not everyone does it for such a special cause.  Amanda is also a Thirty-One consultant, and if you place your order through her...

...you guessed it... YOU'RE ALSO HELPING AN ORPHAN!  Order through Amanda's link here!  Thirty-One has something for everyone - I know I wouldn't be disappointed to find a bunch of it under my tree!  In fact, I could use a new purse... ;)

Editing to add ONE MORE way to help get them funded... Scentsy!!

This party is going on for the Jones family until September 28, and I can tell you now that these products are seriously awesome.  They make perfect gifts (I got my mom a plug-in warmer this Spring and now we all get to enjoy it!) and perfect holiday decor.  Get your orders in now!


If, somehow, you've still managed to get this far without seeing something you want, we will also have an auction and a giveaway coming up soon.  I shared quite a few non-purchasing options for helping the Jones family in this post.  I am still taking auction items!

Please, if you could just find some way to help... it would mean the world to me... and Amanda and Collin... and to Annie.  The options are many... just pick one!  And don't forget the whole reason behind it all...

She needs YOUR HELP to get home!

"But She Looks Healthy" | Reece's Rainbow Families

This is something that even the most caring, understanding adoption advocates have probably found themselves thinking at one point or another.  Some children CLEARLY need OUT right now.  Nothing more than their pictures is necessary to tell you how dire the circumstances are for these children:

Della is eleven years old.

Hannah is almost five and due for transfer.

Lelani is so underweight she has to be tube fed.  She is four.

Marla is stuck in this position from having spent years that way.

Nehemiah is thirteen years old.

But then there are the other children.  The ones who we know are in orphanages all the same, but who 'look' healthy.

Annie

Bernadette

Otto

Ryan

Shawn

Monet

They don't 'look' sick, do they?  They don't look desperate, like the others.  Surely they can wait a little longer for a family.  Surely their need is not as urgent.

Until you see the truth behind the picture.

Bernadette has epilepsy.  She has complex partial seizures.  She needs expert medical care to prevent permanent damage from being done.

Shawn has HIV.  Without anti-retroviral medications, his disease could progress into full blown AIDS and be fatal.  Or he could age out and be turned out onto the streets, where most girls turn to prostitution and most boys turn to lives of crime, just to survive.

All of these children (with the exception of two) have the same future in store for them.  Years in orphanages and mental institutions.  Some in lying rooms, wasting away.  Not getting the nutrition they need.  If they are not adopted, eventually their pictures WILL look like a child in desperate need.  If they are not adopted, they will ultimately die without ever seeing beyond the four walls of their institutions.

But notice I said 'except for two'.  Have you picked out which two are different yet?

Monet.  Monet is different.  Her given name was Marianna.

Was.

She looked healthy.

She looked like she could wait a little longer.

She was deaf, and she had epilepsy, but hadn't had a reported seizure in years.

Looked.  Was.  Had.

We received confirmation today that Monet/Marianna passed away.

She was three years old.

She died without ever having known the love of a mother.

She looked healthy.

But now she's gone.

Words cannot express the depth of the pain we, as advocates, feel when one of these precious lives is lost.

Rest in peace, sweet angel.  Your pain is gone, you are with Jesus now.

But this loss does something else as well.

It spurs us on to action.  To fight harder.  Until they all come home.

Have you guessed which of the other above children has a different fate than the others yet?

Annie.

Beloved child, holder of hearts.

Annie has a different fate than the others for a different, much happier reason than Monet.

She has a family.

A committed family who stepped out in faith and said "YES, she is our daughter."

But they are struggling.  Everyone is fundraising, the economy is poor, everyone is tapped out.  The blows just keep on coming making their funding situation look more and more bleak.

But she looks healthy... shouldn't we give to a sicker-looking child first?

Monet looked healthy too.

Right now, MONEY is the only thing holding Annie's family back from moving more quickly to get her home.  They recently lost an expected $1,000 matching grant due to the donor's inability to follow through.  We do not blame the donor who initially offered up such a generous gift, but we do need to make up for the loss of expected funding.

MONEY is standing between Annie and her family.

This is unacceptable.

We cannot allow children to wait even one extra minute because of money.

There is too much at risk.

A few days ago I posted about why Annie's family is so close to my heart, and detailed all the ways that YOU can help them bring their girl home.

The response has been disappointing to say the least.

If you, like me, are heartbroken by the loss of another child... one who 'looked' healthy... won't you help us make sure that this child doesn't have to wait longer and face greater risk - simply because of MONEY?

Don't you have just a few dollars to spare?  Can't you skip pizza night and eat a grilled cheese sandwich?

And if you truly don't have two pennies to rub together, couldn't you at least share this post and help us reach the people who may be able to give?

It's not hard.  It's not complicated.  Give.  Share.  Pray.

You can find Annie's family's blog with the YouCaring Give widget on the right hand side here.

Please?

Close To My Heart | Reece's Rainbow Family

I have promised a few people (after my persistent begging for this family) in the past couple days that I would explain *why* 'Annie's family is so close to my heart.  This is that post.

Annie was close to my heart from the start, because she reminded me so much of my precious A, the little girl that I helped to raise and who lived with me on and off from ages 2-9.  Here are the two of them side-by-side.

On the left is my A.  On the right is RR's "Annie".

Wow, right?

How could I not fall in love with the little girl who reminded me so much of the one who holds my heart?  Even her description on Reece's Rainbow reminded me of my A.

"Diagnosis: delays in development -report indicates that due to delayed speech, Autism was initially suspected. However, no formal testing has been done and the child’s development is continuing to improve.

Annie is 7 years old. Her motor skills are well developed. She walks, runs, catches & throws a ball, climbs, hops on one foot and participates in musical games that require movement. Her fine motor skills are developing as well. She can open/close scissors and is learning to cut with them. She draws on paper, though she is not yet writing letters. She plays with play dough and builds a tower of 12 blocks. She is in the 1st grade and attending school outside the orphanage. She follows verbal directions and responds to her name. She tries to imitate words said by adults. She currently expresses herself non verbally. She is very protective of her possessions. She doesn’t often initiate play with the other children, but she will play close to them. She will join in organized group activities for short periods of time and is very emotionally responsive to familiar adults. She needs extra time to complete tasks and has a short attention span. She stops inappropriate behaviors when redirected by an adult. She feeds and dresses herself. Since she is non verbal, she does not yet indicate that she needs to go to the bathroom on her own, so she is taken on a schedule and is completely toilet trained using this method."

Delayed development... check.
Delayed speech... check.
Autism was initially suspected... check.
Well developed motor skills... check.
Follows verbal directions and responds to her name... check.
Very protective of her possessions... check.
Emotionally responsive to *familiar* adults... check.
Needs extra time to complete tasks... check.
Short attention span... super check.
Stops inappropriate behaviors when redirected... check.
Feeds and dresses herself... check.
Difficulties with toilet training... check.

Those very words could have been written about my A just a few short years ago.  In those short years, she has progressed amazingly.  I just know that with the love of a family, "Annie" will too.

Because I was instantly drawn to "Annie" because she reminded me so much of my A, I wrote a blog post about her.  I shared it in the Reece's Rainbow group I'm in.  Someone saw it.

She saw it, and her heart stopped too.  She saw it, and she too realized she was looking into the eyes of her little girl.  She showed it to her husband... and he, too, realized that this was the child that was meant to be theirs.

Amanda and Collin said "Yes" to Annie.  They inquired with an agency and sent commitment papers to both the agency and Reece's Rainbow.

God used me to lead them to their daughter.  I truly can't tell you what that meant to me.

You see, the past few years have not been easy ones for my A and I.  I can't share all the details, but in short, a little over a year ago, my A confessed something to me that she had never told anyone else.  Something bad.  Something serious.  She needed help... desperately.

I did everything I could to help her.  I fought for her.  I contacted all the right people.  I told them the truth.  I prayed for God to help me help A.

A little over a year later, we have been to hell and back.  We prayed without ceasing.  We went to court.

We lost.

I could not help A escape her situation or her abuser.  I made a promise to help her, and I failed.

It is the biggest failure of my entire life.

My heart is broken.

I haven't seen my sweet A in over a year.  I don't even know if she is safe.  If nothing has changed since the last time I saw her, she almost certainly is not.

I still pray every day.

I still sleep with her stuffed elephant 'lovey' every night.

I still believe she is coming home someday.

But for right now... I couldn't help my precious princess A.  I failed her.

I love you, Princessa.

But Annie...

Annie is our chance to create beauty from the ashes.

I couldn't help my A, as hard as I tried... but I can help Annie.

And then someday... I will have the most beautiful story to tell my Princessa... about how, without ever knowing it, she helped bring a little orphan girl home to her family.

I already let my sweet girl down.  I can't let Annie down too.

When Amanda and Collin began considering committing to Annie, I promised to help them in whatever way possible.  They took a huge leap of faith... and I promised to help them make it a success.

I can't break another promise to another little girl.

In honor of my sweet girl... I have to help bring this sweet girl to the parents who love and want her more than anything.

To the family she deserves more than anything.

"Annie"

But I can't do it alone.  I am but one person with very limited resources.

I have no job.

I'm not even currently capable of working, having had surgery for a debilitating condition some twelve hours ago.

My bank account reads $0.68

I raided my statehood quarter collection just to eat last week.

I am $400 short of a very important bill that MUST be paid in just over two weeks with no income.

I am crafty, but I have no money to buy supplies.  I am, however, little by little, piecing together an auction to benefit Annie's family.  But still I have no money to pay for postage.

I have ideas for fundraisers, but lack the resources (not just money - venues, volunteers, etc.) to pull them off.

All I really have...

Is my voice.

So I make it a loud one.

I scream for Annie and the Jones family every opportunity I have.

But my screaming is all for nothing if nobody is listening.

I need you.

Annie needs you.

Amanda and Collin need you.

To bring their little girl home... the very thing I failed at doing a year ago this fall.  The very thing that broke my heart.

We - I - can't fail again.

A child's life is on the line.

Everybody can do something.  I have seen people give out of nothing - families who are in the process to adopt themselves giving to other families.  Individuals who live on a fixed income sharing what little they have to help someone else.  Teenagers who save up their babysitting money to help an orphan.

Nearly all of us can spare something.  Even if it's only five dollars.  One dollar.  Any amount counts.

Can you imagine if each one of my friends and family, each one of Amanda and Collin's friends and family, each Reece's Rainbow supporter... gave just five dollars each?  Or even one dollar each?  Even at that low, easily manageable amount, thousands of dollars would be raised.

Isn't the life of a child worth a dollar to you?

Couldn't you pass up that big mac, or that Starbucks coffee, and eat at home instead, and be a part of saving a child's life?

Besides - God loves a cheerful giver.  I can't count the number of times He has blessed me for giving from nothing.  You'd be surprised what He will do for you if you give selflessly and with your whole heart.

And if you're in the situation I'm in right now... jobless... in debt... perhaps disabled... and truly don't have two pennies to rub together - there are still things you can do.

When was the last time you cleaned out your basement or attic?  Get a Christmas gift last year that just wasn't your style?  Unwanted gift cards?  Good at a craft?  These items make wonderful auction items - all you have to do is contact me at Callmecrazycbus@hotmail.com with a photo and a description of the item(s) you'd like to donate, and I can put them in Annie's Auction.  Depending on your location, Amanda or myself can pick up items, or you can ship them to us or directly to the auction winner.  Shipping reimbursement is available.  It doesn't cost you a thing... and helps clean out your house!

Just cleaned out your house and truly don't have anything extra lying around?  No good at arts and crafts?  There's STILL something you can do... and it only takes a couple clicks of your mouse.  At the bottom of this post, there are several icons that allow you to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and a variety of other social networks.  You can also copy and paste the link to the post anywhere you like.  Simply share the post, and maybe it will reach someone who DOES have something to give.  It's that easy to be a part of saving a life (not to mention making my day.  Seriously, every time someone shares about Annie and her family, I find myself grinning ear to ear for hours).

The easiest way yet to help is to pray.  One simple sentence added to your evening prayers.  "Dear Lord, please bring Annie home to her family, safe and sound."

I can't imagine that's too much to ask.

I can't turn away.  I have to do whatever I can, not just for Annie, but in honor of my A.  To create beauty from the ashes.  To help heal my broken heart.

Now you know why this means so much to me.  And you know exactly how you can help.  Please, I'm begging you not to turn away either.

Give.  Advocate.  Share.  Pray.  Everyone can do something.

And I guarantee, you won't regret being a part of this sweet girl's miracle.



Helpful links:

To GIVE MONEY:

• 50/50 fundraiser going on at the Jones family's blog until September 2nd HERE.
• Donate through the Jones' tax deductible Reece's Rainbow FSP HERE.
• Donate directly to the Jones' (non-tax deductible) via paypal HERE.
• Contact Amanda for information on sending a check (avoid paypal fees) HERE.
• Order Thirty-One products from Amanda HERE.

To GIVE AUCTION ITEMS:

• Contact me at Callmecrazycbus@hotmail.com.
• Contact Amanda at jones.jer2911@gmail.com.

To ADVOCATE/SHARE:

• Copy and paste the link to this blog post (http://crazy-arewethereyet.blogspot.com/2013/08/close-to-my-heart.html) anywhere you'd like.
• Copy and paste the link to the Jones' blog (http://youbeliftedhigh.blogspot.com/) anywhere you'd like.
• Copy and paste the link to the Jones' Reece's Rainbow FSP (http://reecesrainbow.org/61087/sponsorjones-2) anywhere you'd like.
• Use the 'share buttons' below this post to share it on the social media network of your choice (they look like this):  

To PRAY:

• Well - that one's easy!

Remember... EVERYONE can do SOMETHING!

Surgery... and a plea

Check out my other blog for an FYI on the surgery I'm having tomorrow, and a plea for my friends adopting this beautiful girl.

(Not So) Happy Birthday

I want you to take a moment to remember your last birthday.

If you can't remember your last birthday, then remember one that sticks in your mind (I know, some of us are getting older and this remembering stuff doesn't go so well anymore).

Here's my last birthday.

Yup.  I was in the hospital.  It was actually my third day in the hospital due to complications following surgery to remove stones from my right kidney.  I was in a lot of pain and on both oral and IV pain medications.  The machine that dripped antibiotics and saline into my veins would start beeping frequently - every time I moved my arm the wrong way.  Notice how I'm holding it out straight there?  I was trying to avoid the beeping, which I would then have to page a nurse to stop... even at 4:00 in the morning.

But then... check out all those presents!  They were wrapped and lovingly loaded into a huge thirty-one bag by my mom, and brought to me at the hospital early that morning.  Even more astonishing, after having been by my side as long as visiting hours would allow the previous two days (leaving the hospital after 9 pm the day before my birthday), she also brought my favorite homemade chocolate caramel cake that she had made after she got home the previous night.  Complete with candles and ice cream.

We shared cake and ice cream with the nurses and the other patients on the ward, as well as their guests.  Other nurses came into my room to join in singing Happy Birthday.

I turned 24 in the hospital.

It was an improvised birthday.

It wasn't the one I had planned.

But I was lucky.  I was blessed with people who were willing to do whatever it took to make it special.



In about five hours, it will be August 23, 2013, in a certain Eastern European country.

What's so significant about that?

Many people would probably say 'nothing'.

But not me.  That day is special to me.

It's someone's birthday.

"Just an orphan" they might say.  "One of thousands."

"An idiot child" they might say.  "Nothing will become of him."

But they're wrong.  Because twelve years ago, God saved this little boy, nicknamed "Brett", from certain death.

You see, Brett was born in a field in the country and immediately abandoned by his birth mother.  Maybe she knew he had down syndrome.  Maybe she didn't.  All the same, she left that little baby there to die.

But a stranger came upon that baby hours later, whose cries had grown weak, who was now hypothermic and covered in bug bites.  That stranger took the baby in his arms and sought help.  Maybe he knew he had down syndrome.  Maybe he didn't.  All the same, that stranger saved Brett's life.

He was taken to the hospital.  The doctors nursed him back to health.  Then, as a child without parental care, and a child with a special need that was not widely accepted by the citizens of that country, there was no place for him to go but the orphanage.

Brett spent three years in the orphanage.  In his country, after a child's third birthday, if they remain an orphan, they are to be sent to an older child orphanage, or to a mental institution.  Brett drew the short straw.  He was sent to a mental institution.  From what we know, it is a very rural one, probably lacking in resources, most definitely unseen by many outside eyes.

That is where he was when this picture was taken for his adoptable child profile - the picture that sat on Reece's Rainbow for years.

That is the picture I saw a year and a half ago... and fell in love with.  I could just see those little arms reaching up for a hug.

But years passed.  Birthdays passed.  We finally got an updated photo... one that is not horrifying as some we have seen, but that made me sad all the same, to know that the sweet little boy in the photo had to do all that growing up without a mommy or a daddy.  This is Brett today.

And on August 23, 2013, he will be twelve years old.

But there won't be cake or candles.  There won't be assorted gift wrapped packages.  There won't be a mommy to pack up a birthday in a bag and bring it to the institution where Brett currently resides.

It will just be another day.  Another orphan who is another year older.  No one to care.

Even in a hospital bed, in tremendous pain, I had a better birthday than Brett has ever had.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Imagine, as a child, spending your birthday with no cake, no presents... not even someone who loved you.

It's not fair.

And there's only one way to change it.

Mommy, Daddy, this little boy is crying out for your love and attention.  Please don't look the other way.  Don't be afraid because Brett is 'older'.  He is mentally still a small child.  He is friendly.  It is said by those who have met him that he is not aggressive and would likely do very well in a family.

He just needs to be given a chance.

If I could adopt him myself, I'd have done it already.  By the rules of both my country and his, I am too young.

For those of us who know we cannot personally adopt him, we at least could offer Brett a birthday present... maybe a little donation to his Reece's Rainbow FSP, to help the family that does step up to adopt him?  That can be done here.

But this is not the case for all of you.  Some of you have the power to rescue Brett.  The requirements to adopt from his country are very do-able, as international adoptions go:

• 2 trips, 5 days each
• Approx cost only $19-25k!  (depends on how many people travel, time of year for travel, etc)
• NO UPPER AGE LIMIT
• Single mothers may apply
• Easy dossier, very few restrictions
• Only one parent has to travel

CANADIAN FAMILIES WELCOME!

Please, won't you help me make sure he never has to spend another birthday in that stark, cold institution?

Remember... EVERYONE can do SOMETHING.

Pray... Share... Advocate... Give... Adopt... SAVE A LIFE.

Sadness and Joy

Recently, the adoption world has been a tumultuous place.  It's hard to tell the truth from the lies, to see the light in the dark.  For some people, it's become an ugly place.  For others, it's confusing.  For more yet - myself included - it's just terribly sad.  The focus has shifted from the children to, what seems to me to be needless drama.

Through all the dark, there was someone who wanted to bring a little more light to the adoption world.  Someone who agreed with me that we all need to refocus our energy on the children.  Right now, the Enemy is rejoicing because we are fighting amongst ourselves instead of working as the hands and feet of God to rescue these children.  This person, who contacted me to help her in her happy mission, sought to find others who had kept their focus on the children, even throughout all the drama, and lift them up by assisting their fundraising efforts to bring children home.  So I made a post in the adoption group we're in, and the response was overwhelming.  So many families who were the silent majority... families who might not have even been noticed because those involved in the drama are so loud, it's hard to hear the voices of anyone else over theirs.  The selfless actions of this donor brought smiles to the faces of many.  For a while, the light overcame the dark.

Sadly, for one reason or another, cynicism allowed someone, whom I will not name as not to encourage said drama, to accuse the donor of having ulterior motives; to take a post in a private group and share it in a public blog with untrue assumptions about the identity and motivation of the donor, myself, and the families who were blessed by the donor.  Because comments from 'outsiders' are disabled, I was unable to even refute these accusations on the aforementioned blog.  Suddenly, a damper fell over the positivity and joy spread by this person's selfless act... and the sadness I felt about the state of the adoption world before returned.

Let me tell you a little something, without giving away the identity of the donor, who wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons.  This individual's motivations are nothing but pure.  This is an individual who is in it 100% for the children, who has not taken sides, and who has, like me, been saddened both by the state of the adoption world, and events in their personal life.  This is a person who was desperately searching for a way to bring joy and light to their own life and the lives of others.  Through these donations, this individual achieved that goal, probably more than they ever anticipated.

Can you imagine how this individual felt when they saw someone accusing them of less than pure motives, of being a part of some conspiracy?  Can you imagine how it felt - like a deflated balloon - for anything to put a damper on this individual's joy?  This person did something pure good, and was rewarded with gossip and unfair assumptions... and neither one of us were able to refute them where they were made, as comments are disabled on that particular blog.

I guess my caution is this.  However righteous you may feel, however strongly you may agree or disagree with any person or group, mind your words and your actions, because you never know what innocent people may be hurt along the way.  Do not gossip, do not make assumptions.  I say this not to any one person or group, but to everyone.  When I was a little girl, and people made fun of me ruthlessly, my mom always used to tell me to 'kill 'em with kindness'.  That's what we need to do now.  Focus on the kids, ignore the drama, and replace this sadness with joy.  That's what this donor and I were trying to do, and that's what we'll continue to do.  I hope you're with us.

What Happens When You Give | Reece's Rainbow Families

I want to share with all of you what God has done recently, and why I believe - no, I know that when we choose to give out of nothing, God multiplies our gifts back upon us.

Before the beginning of this year, I was essentially unemployed.  I worked odd jobs for friends whenever I could, but I wasn't even making ends meet.  As the new year started, I was blessed with a wonderful new job, which would not only make ends meet, but leave some left over.  It took me a while to catch up, but by the start of Spring, I had room to breathe.  Wise advisers told me to put at least one month's worth of expenses in savings, in case I fell ill or lost my job, but no matter how hard I tried, that didn't happen.

It didn't happen because of the faces.

These faces.

and these faces...

...all orphans, all seperated from their families by little more than money.  When I looked at their faces, and knew I had money to spare in the bank, I couldn't tell them no.

Especially not when I knew what love could do... love that they could only receive after their ransoms were paid.  (These pictures are all before/after adoption shots)

How could I let money sit in a savings account when it could be used to help produce these miracles?

So I gave.  Probably not as much as I should have, or could have, if I'd sacrificed a little more, but I never set aside that one month's expenses.  That need wasn't as real to me as theirs was.  And no, I don't expect an award for that - I actually struggled with how to tell this part of the story because I don't want to sound proud or self absorbed - but the whole story needs to be told to see the miracle.

But then I did get sick.  Really sick, actually.  I had two surgeries and lost count of the days I spent in the hospital.  One of them was my birthday, I do remember that.  I couldn't work for a long time and I stopped being able to make ends meet.

I still didn't regret the choice I made.  But I did wonder... how am I going to make things work?  My family helped me through the month of May, which was in other ways a dark time for me, while I waited for a paycheck that had taken longer than usual to come through.  Still though, I knew it wouldn't be enough to get me through June... and the whole time I agonized, not because I was worried about myself - I knew I'd figure something out - but because all the while I was watching Mamas and Daddies beg for the money needed to pay their children's ransoms, and I could do nothing.  That was worse than being broke.

Last night, I went upstairs in the middle of the night to find something to eat, and checked the unopened envelopes sitting on the counter.  So many of them have been medical bills lately, I haven't been particularly keen to open them.  But one caught my attention - it was from the surgery center where I'd had my wisdom teeth out in November.  I was puzzled because I knew I paid that bill - was there some expense I'd missed? So I opened that envelope to see what the damage was, and instead of a bill, I found a check!  It was then that I remembered that I'd actually overpaid and never collected my refund - but how much could it be?  Surely only pocket change.  Then I checked the amount.  Not only was it more than pocket change, it was probably enough to get me through June... and probably enough to have a little left over, maybe to finally give to one of the families I had been shouting for!

This is what God does when you give to the least of these, when you put them before yourself.

I have an amazing friend who is on a plane at this very moment on her way to meet her three newest children, halfway across the world.  They are the first three children whose pictures I posted, and they are in desperate condition.

Carson has hydrocephalus and had shunt surgery relatively recently.  He is vibrant and lively at six years old, but if he isn't taken out of that place quickly, his spirit will be quashed.  He needs to come home.

Presley is three years old and has severe autism.  There's no way to tell until she's in a family how much of her behavior is due to her environment, but right now she shies away from social interaction and self-stimulates instead.  There is no one to help her learn how to function any other way.  And she is small - weighing about as much as an 8 month old baby.  She needs to come home.

Thad is in the most desperate condition of all.  Though you can't see it from the picture, Thad is lying in a crib - where he spends all his time - and he is nine years old.  You couldn't tell it from looking at him - the poor boy weighs only 18 pounds and his joints are severely contracted.  He suffered a brain injury after being beaten into a coma at the age of four by his birth father.  He is terrified of even being taken out of his crib.  He really needs to come home.

Though she is traveling to meet them now, my friend Amanda still needs a significant amount of money to complete the adoption.  More fees will be due when she comes home and faces what is probably the hardest part of adopting from this country - having met and held your children, having seen first hand what their lives are like, and having to wait months longer to bring them home.  I can't even imagine what that must be like - and to have to try to raise funds for the rest of their ransom during that time - how does anyone do it?

If I could, I would lift the entire burden of getting funded from this family's shoulders - but I can't... not by myself.  How wonderful would it be for Amanda to come home from this trip to a significant bump in her fundraising efforts?

But I need YOU.  Amanda needs YOU.  Carson, Presley and Thad need YOU.

They need you to have faith... that when you give out of nothing, it will be multiplied back upon you.

I can attest to this.  It happened to me.

So who is with me?  Who is going to step up and help an amazing family - the same family, by the way, that made one of those transformations I showed you above happen.  This is their son Keith, home less than a year, who weighed only ten pounds when he was taken from the orphanage and is now a healthy little boy who is nearly walking.

With your help, soon we'll see similar transformations in Carson, Presley and Thad.

But only with your help.

Don't say it's too much to ask.  Don't let yourself believe that any harm or misfortune will come to you by giving to the least of these.  Trust.  Trust whatever you believe in - God, Karma... that the gifts we give are multiplied back upon us.

Oh - and did I mention you could win an iPad?  Check out an awesome fundraiser for this family here.

If you prefer a tax deductible donation, you can also give to their Reece's Rainbow Family Sponsorship Program account here.

You won't be sorry.  Trust me, for I have held in my own arms the greatest reward of this type of giving.

Me and precious Keith, March 2013

Go on.  Experience with me all the rewards of giving.

Edited to add:  The Unroes have been offered a $20 matching grant by the very family I blogged about last week who are trying to raise their own commitment costs - what did I tell you about giving from nothing?  Donate ASAP so we can turn $20 into $40!  And meet the amazing family offering the match here.