Welcome Home! (Update on Our Featured Families)

This is going to be one of the best blog posts I have ever written! Because it tells the story of families we helped unite!

Boswell Family

Our first featured family, The Boswells, our leaving for Ukraine to bring Edna home in less than a week! We raised $1,375 to help the Boswells bring Edna home. Follow their adoption journey here: http://bridgettevictoria.blogspot.com/

Sponseller Family

Remember our second featured family, the Sponsellers? You gave $1,383 to help with their adoption expenses! They just welcomed Daniel into their family! They are still in Ukraine finishing up their adoption. Learn more at their blog: Openheartsopenhands.blogspot.com

Daniel Sponseller! Now in a family!

Moss Family

In March, we raised $755 for the Moss Family! They are in Bulgaria right now completing their adoption of Maia! You can check their blog for lots of pictures and updates! http://www.definingcrazy.com/

Maia Faith and her new Mama! Leaving the orphanage behind forever!

Gardner Family
We raised $1,006 for the Gardner family! They are on their first trip and have picked up their son. However they are not allowed to share pictures yet. They will need to make 3 more trips to Latvia to finish their adoption! They have lots of pictures on their blog from their trip: http://warrior-home.blogspot.com/


McRoberts Family

In May we raised $257 to help the McRoberts bring home Edgars! Their adoption is now complete! Enjoy these two pictures of the McRoberts clan with their new son Edgars!

New Week: Welcome the Collicott Family

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend! Welcome our featured family of the week - the Collicott family! Doug and Lynda have been together almost 26 years, and are the parents to 6 children. The older two girls, Cassandra and Samantha, are out of the home with one married, one off to college, and the last 4 are at home. At home are Katrina 14, Erikka 9, Andrei 8 (just adopted Feb 2013), and Riana 4. The Collicotts are now adopting 2 year old Brett from Bulgaria. Doug and Lynda are very thankful that, despite being deaf, they lead a very enriched life with their children. Their 5 bio daughters can hear, which made for some interesting times. However, Andrei is deaf, and Brett, the little boy they are now adopting, is also deaf. God truly places the lonely in families, and He knew what He was doing by placing Andrei and Brett in their family. Now their communication will flourish through sign language and they will actually understand that they have a mommy and a daddy who loves them. You can follow the Collicotts' adoption journey at their blog. I can't wait for you to watch the Collicotts video! You are going to love this amazing family!

Lynda shared this with me about their adoption journey:

"I (Lynda) was adopted domestically and have always wanted to adopt because of having such great parents. Thankfully Doug is very supportive of this. We just brought home our 8 year old deaf son from Bulgaria 2 months ago and have been called again to adopt a 2 1/2 year old deaf boy from Bulgaria. Andrei is picking up sign language so quickly, he is like a sponge soaking it all up. We are so thankful that we are able to adopt again!"

-Lynda Collicott

How You Can Help

1. PRAY for Doug and Lynda and their children as they adopt their son. Pray for their son Brett! Pray for the adoption process!

2. SHARE their video and this blog post via Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. Please help us spread the word!  The Collicotts are traveling in August for their first trip. Funding a second adoption so soon after bringing home Andrei this past February is very daunting! The Collicotts need $8,000 to be fully funded! Any financial help, no matter the amount, would greatly be appreciated!

3. GIVE $1 (or more if you feel led.) You can give your tax deductible donation at Reece's Rainbow. Just click below to donate.

DONATE

Click here to check out the world map that will take you to the other Give1Save1 pages: US, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.

Adopting and want to be a family of the week? Send me an email at giveonesaveone (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll send you an email explaining how to apply!

Just Love

by Katie Hurst from our Asia blog

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.



There is this store on etsy that I love. LOVE.
Not only does the owner make and sell some of the most
amazing things, but she does it for the sake of the orphans!

Just love 127

             

      Just love 127 is a shop owned and operated by an adoptive momma. 

She is in the process of speeding back for their third adoption.

Third. 

3.

Did you catch that?

Go read their amazing journey on their blog!

Faith, hope and love flow freely from the lips of this lady.

She is walking this path with faith and praying with fervent hope

and she is full of love for a little boy that this world left behind.

Her little boy, Myles, came to her by way of a list of special needs children.

My heart soared when I read that. Children with significant special needs

hold an oh-so-dear place in my heart.

She is defying this world and claiming this boy as royalty.

Because he is. He will fill her life with glimpses of the King of Kings,

this King that calls him son.

He is royalty.

Since they found him so early this process is speeding by SO quickly.

They need to raise their funds fast ya'll. Super fast.

Hallelujah for an adoption process that gets these kids home quickly. 

I promise you if you go visit her shop you will not make it out without something in your cart.

See what I mean?

                                                      

                                                       

Let's remind this sweet lady and her family that they are not alone.

We are filled with love.

Guest Post: 5 Unexpected Ways You Can Help Orphans

I have been blogging about ways to help orphans with out adopting. Recently I came across this great article and wanted to share it with you! It was first published by "the unknown contributor" on The High Calling on Feb 24, 2011. Enjoy!

We all know they're out there, far across the oceans, or maybe even in our own backyards... Babies, toddlers, teenagers who for whatever reason are alone in this world. Orphans, with no one connected to them by blood, or law, they move through their lives at the mercy of those presently in charge of them. Next month, next year, or tomorrow, the crib they occupy could be given to another as they are moved to a different environment. Imagine a childhood made up of such instability, where nothing and no one belongs to you.

I could never find a comfortable place in my mind for these “waiting children” (as they are referred to by adoption agencies), and thus, I neglected to act on their behalf. I forgot about them in my daily life. After all, it was too depressing to contemplate hundreds of thousands of innocent, unwanted children.

Then one day, I stumbled onto a website that had pictures of children available for adoption. I saw a little girl with Down syndrome and pony tails. She was holding a doll. Her expression was hauntingly empty. She suddenly became so real to me that I hurt for her. I wanted her to have a family, but what could I really do about it?

The first thought is to adopt her and those like her (which we eventually did), but that's not feasible for everyone. And, while adoption is the obvious answer, it's not the only answer. If you cannot adopt, you can still love an orphan and make a difference in his or her life. Below are five ways you can get involved.

1. Seek them out. Do not allow yourself to forget the orphans. My guess is that very few people feel “called” to action the first few times they hear about or see orphans. Your role in orphan care will become clearer the more you expose yourself to their plight. Sign yourself up as a follower of an orphan care blog, such as the Reece’s Rainbow blog. Subscribe to a YouTube channel (try Buckner Int.) dedicated to improving the lives of orphans worldwide. Pray diligently for orphans. Their needs are multiple... pray that families step up to adopt them, that their caretakers are kind and committed. Pray for their health, that their physical needs are met, that they are protected emotionally and psychologically. Pray that their governments keep foreign adoptions open. Pray for guidance concerning your role in the orphan crisis.

2. Virtually adopt a child. Visit sites that list “waiting children” and pick out a child as your own. Print off pictures of the child to frame for your desk and to stick up on your fridge. Tell everyone about your adopted child and how they can help bless him or her. Pray for this child daily. You may find that you are able to donate specifically to this child’s adoption grant fund, or even that you can send needed items to this child’s orphanage. Write about your child on your blog, Facebook, and Twitter... raise awareness of his or her existence and need for a family. I have noticed that almost every child that is advocated for in this manner has been committed to within months. (Visit Reece’s Rainbow, or Rainbowkids.com to find your child.)

3. Find a family that is adopting and adopt them. Adoption is an arduous and stressful process. Families who are in the throes of an adoption could use all kinds of support. You can leave encouraging comments on their adoption blog, blog about them on your own blog, help them raise funds, or offer to write or edit letters and documents needed for the adoption process. As you follow your adopted family’s journey, you will find many ways to connect with them and support their mission.

4. Support ministries that work to keep children with their families, educate cultures, and train care workers. Many children are separated from their parents due to natural disasters, disease, and poverty. Other children are left behind in maternity wards because they are born with “imperfections.” Parents of all of these children are surely heartbroken to let them go but they have been pressured by circumstance and cultural rejection. By going after the root causes of the orphan crisis we can keep many children from ever becoming one. You can get started by volunteering with an orphan ministry, going on a mission trip to an orphanage, or connecting with a special educator whose focus is in-country support.

5. Get your feet wet and host an orphan. The World Orphan Project website describes its hosting program as “giving orphaned children from Ukraine the opportunity to spend time in America with caring families who open their hearts and homes to these deserving children.” The three week long programs happen twice a year.

Other orphan hosting programs include Project 143 Orphans, Children's Cultural Connection and New Horizons for Children.

New Week: Welcome the Lauze Family

Happy Monday! Hope you had a fantastic weekend! Welcome our featured family of the week - the Lauze family! Dan and Jennifer Lauze have one daughter, Amber. The Lauzes are adopting two daughters from Latvia. You can follow the Lauzes' adoption journey at their adoption Facebook page. Dan shared this with me about their adoption:

"We hosted an orphan from Latvia last summer for five weeks through Project 143 which really helped open our eyes and hearts to Latvia. We have two family members that have adopted from Latvia this year and this is how we heard about one of the girls that we are adopting. When my brother in law was in Latvia he met a little girl that was the roommate to his little girl. It was her story that caused us to move forward with the adoption quickly. Recently we found out from the children's ministry that she has an older sister that she has never met, we of course started the process of adopting her as well. We are excited to be able to bring these two sisters together and raise them as the family that God intended for them."

- Dan Lauze

 

How You Can Help

1. PRAY for the Lauze's adoption of their two daughters.

2. SHARE their video via Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Pinterest, Instagram,  etc. Please help us spread the word!  The Lauzes are traveling soon for the 1st of 3 trips! They need to raise $10,000 to complete the adoption of their two daughters.

3. GIVE $1 (or more if you feel led.) We have two options for you to donate.

UPDATE:  We have raised $347 to help bring the Lauzes' daughters home!

Option 1: Click here to donate safely, quickly, and easily at PayPal. (Note: Not tax deductible. PayPal charges 7% + $.30 in transaction and processing fees.)

Option 2: Click here to give a tax-deductible donation at Pure Charity. (Note: You will need to set up an account. Pure Charity charges 5% in processing and transaction fees.)

For more information about orphan hosting, check out Project 143 Orphans, Children's Cultural Connection and New Horizons for Children.

Click here to check out the world map that will take you to the other Give1Save1 pages: US, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.

On My Adoption Play List..."What Now?" by Steven Curtis Chapman

Been listening to a song recently. It touches my heart and convicts me. The song What Now by Steven Curtis Chapman reminds me that Jesus said how I treat the "least of these" is how I am treating Him. I want to show more love to Jesus, so I need to show more love to others in this world. It may be through adoption, or child sponsorship, or becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, or foster care, or another way. But I want to show more love! (For ideas on how care for orphans with out adopting, check out this series.)

New Week: Welcome the Blake Family

Happy Monday! Hope you had a fabulous weekend. Welcome our featured family of the week - the Blake family! Wesley and Karen Blake are adopting their son Simon from an Eastern European country. Simon is 15 and the Blakes are rushing to adopt him before he ages out of the orphanage and can no longer be adopted. You can follow the Wesley's and Karen's adoption journey at their blog.

How You Can Help

1. PRAY for the Blake's adoption of Simon.

2. SHARE their video via Twitter, blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram,  etc. Please help us spread the word!  The Blakes are rushing to adopt their son Simon before he ages out. They need to raise $20,000 to bring Simon home.

3. GIVE $1 (or more if you feel led.) You can give your tax deductible donation two ways.

UPDATE: We have raised $1,454 to help bring Simon home!

Option 1: You can give at Reece's Rainbow by clicking here. (Note: Reece's Rainbow has a 3% transaction fee.)

Option 2: You can give at Pure Charity by clicking here. (Note: Pure Charity has a 5% transaction fee.) You can also do your online shopping through Pure Charity and a percentage of your purchase can be given to the Brandts adoption fundraiser! Stores include Priceline, Shutterfly, Groupon, Walmart, Target, and 100s more!

Click here to check out the world map that will take you to the other Give1Save1 pages: US, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.!

On My Adoption Playlist...Kings & Queens by Audio Adrenaline

New Week: Welcome the Brandt Family

Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Welcome our featured family of the week - the Brandt family! Heather and Alan Brandt have two children,  Colin (6), who was adopted from Russia in 2008, and Dara (2), who was adopted domestically in 2011. After hosting  a brother and sister from Latvia last year at Christmas, they began the process to make them part of their forever family.  You can follow the Brandts’ adoption journey on their blog.

How You Can Help

1. PRAY for the Brandts' adoption of their son and daughter.

2. SHARE their video via Twitter, Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. Please help us spread the word!  The Brandts are traveling this week for their first of three trips to Latvia to adopt their son and daughter! We want to help them raise the money to give these kids a forever family and a home!

3. GIVE $1 (or more if you feel led.) The Brandts have a matching grant! Every dollar you give will be doubled! There are two ways to give tax deductible gifts towards the Brandts' matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans (up to $3,000 total will be matched) and 100% (minus processing fees will be given towards their adoption expenses).

Update: We have raised $69 to help the Brandts bring home their son and daughter!

Option #1:  Go online towww.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate. Select “Give to an Adoptive Family.” Complete the online form and “Fill in Family Account Number” with #3647 and “Family Name” with Brandt. Please select “Adoption Funding” for your Gift Preference and select “Family Specific” for your Adoption Gift Preference. (Note: Paypal charges a fee of 2.9% + $.30 USD per transaction. Your gift will be decreased by this amount.)

Option #2:  Donate online at Pure Charity. Just click the picture below to be taken to the Brandts donation page. (Note: 5% fee will be charged per each donation on Pure Charity.) You can also do your online shopping through Pure Charity and a percentage of your purchase can be given to the Brandts adoption fundraiser! Stores include Priceline, Groupon, Walmart, Target, and 100s more!

For more information about orphan hosting, check out Project 143 Orphans, Children's Cultural Connection, and New Horizons for Children.



Click here to check out the world map that will take you to the other Give1Save1 pages: US, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.

Adopting from Europe and want to be a family of the week? Send me an email at give1save1europe (at) gmail.com and I'll send you an email explaining how to apply!

On My Adoption Playlist...."Haven't Met You Yet" by Micheal Bubble

This song isn't about adoption, but it totally applies to all of us who are waiting to meet our kids! The waiting can be so hard. I dream of two children half way around the world who I don't know their names or ages or even genders!

 

 

New Week: Give to Save 300

This week, on Give1Save1, I am not asking you to support to an adoptive family like I usually do. Instead, I am asking you to support 300 adoptive families and 300 orphans who are stuck in Russia do to the recent Russian adoption ban.

For more information visit the film's website here: www.thedarkmatteroflove.com and http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmatterlove/the-dark-matter-of-love-joins-the-fight-to-free-th-0

How You Can Help

1. PRAY that God will change the hearts of political leaders so that these children and 100s of other orphans who are now stuck in an orphanage can have families!

2. SHARE & PROMOTE the Kick Starter page for The Dark Matter of Love. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmatterlove/the-dark-matter-of-love-joins-the-fight-to-free-th-0

3. GIVE $1 (or more) to help fund lobbyist, lawyers, and more fight for the rights of these children to have family! Click here to the here to donate.

4.  LIKE 300 Broken Promises on Facebook. Click here to go to their Facebook page.

300 Broken Promises is another organization rallying for the 300 children who have parents but are stuck in Russia due to the suddenness of the Russian ban. By liking their FB page, you will be able to stay up to date on what is going on and how you can help!