|
Because every family deserves the blessing of a child with Down Syndrome... |
 |
These families are in the process of completing their HOME STUDY, and still very much need your financial support!
Thank you for your generous gift of life and love!
Sponsor one or more families to help with the financial burden of their adoption journey.
Adoption has always been a part of Brian & Sara Tyler’s plan for their family. They currently have 2 biological children. Will who is 3.5 years old & Megan who is just a little over 1. Brian & Sara say they couldn’t imagine a child not getting the same love & support as they pour over their biological children.
When Brian & Sara first saw Leah, it was love at first site. They just knew that she was the perfect fit for their family. Leah was born with a cleft lip & palate, which was repaired when she was 6 months old. Since her surgery, Leah has now developed moderate hearing loss. She is just 2 months younger than her sister, Megan, so she will have an instant playmate! Sara & Brian can’t wait to bring her home & have her meet her forever family!
2/25/13—HOMESTUDY in PROGRESS
Dewey and Suzanne met in Lexington, MO in 1995 while taking care of a terminally ill patient and his family. With much encouragement, by the family, Dewey asked Suzanne out. After 3 short months they married and have now been together over 17 years. When they married Dewey had 3 children, living with him, and Suzanne had none. She had been told, by Doctors, that she never would have any. Dewey knew Suzanne had a desire to go to China and adopt and that she had been saving money for that reason. But, God is kind and gracious and two months later, Suzanne found herself pregnant. They now have 7 living children (ages 29-3), one in heaven, and 5 grandchildren and twin grand daughters due in June 2013. They still have 5 children living in their home, but know there is room for more. Daniel and Abby are both home schooled and in the 10th and 9th grades. Aaron currently attends early childhood education at the local school, to receive speech therapy, to correct a speech deficit, caused by frequent ear infections and hearing loss. Hannah (who has down syndrome) started attending early childhood education this year, where she gets speech, physical and occupational therapies.
Clara joined our family in May of 2012, through the Special Needs Adoption Program from China. Clara, like Hannah, has down syndrome. She also came to them with many other medical needs. Since her arrival in the US she has had her cleft lip and palate repaired, tear ducts enlarged, tubes in her ears, which returned hearing to her right ear, had her tonsils removed and major dental work done. In January of 2013 she had open heart surgery to repair her ASD, VSD and PDA. For the most part her surgery was a success. After surgery it was discovered that her PDA had partially burst open, due to high pulmonary pressures, and at her post-op visit it was noted that her pressures were decreasing and they are hoping that in 6 months she will be able to have her PDA ligated during a cardiac cath. Clara and Aaron will both start kindergarten (home schooled) in the fall.
Shortly after returning home, they were approached about a little girl they had met while in China. After much prayer and discussion they agreed that they should return and bring this sweet girl home. She too has down syndrome and a heart defect called ASVSD. They are in a race against time to get her to the USA for surgery. They kept getting updates and pictures wand there was always a second little girl in them. They prayed more and decided they should bring home both girls. The second little girl has down syndrome and a repaired TOF.
They are waiting for the girl’s files to be finished and working on their home study and dossier. They are hoping that once the girl’s files are finished they will be able to lock them and expedite the remaining parts of the adoption.
3/5/2013–HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at bringinghomeourchinesebutterfly.blogspot.com
Isaac and Amy will be married for seven years in May of 2013! They have five biological children, Elizabeth, Naomi, Abigail, Maverick and one little princess in heaven, Eden Rejuvenate. They always dreamed of having a big family and knew from the beginning that adoption would play a role in growing their family. They had considered adopting a special needs child even before their sweet Eden was born. She suffered a severe birth injury resulting in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. She graced them with her presence for 2 1/2 years. She taught them so much. Though she could not eat, speak or walk, her smile said it all. She taught them that they were stronger than they ever knew. She taught them what it means to be selfless and to have a deeper expression of love than they knew they were capable of.
When their family saw beautiful Gwendolyn on Reeces Rainbow, they knew she was the one! Gwendolyn has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. They are so excited to make her a part of their family. They have a lot of knowledge and skills to help her thrive to her fullest, and look forward to nurturing and loving her. Naomi especially likes to brag that she has a new sister and likes to draw pictures of their family, including Gwendolyn. Please partner with the Goocher family in bringing this precious child of God home to her forever family. Donations and prayers are deeply appreciated! Thank you!!!
4/3/13—-HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Some might refer to The Longeneckers as the real life family that the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen” was based on! YES! Even the frog on the dinner table. The Longeneckers are abundantly blessed with 9 children (working towards that dozen!), ranging from 3 in college all the way down to one in Preschool.
It was love at first sight for Mark and Jan who have been happily married for over 20 years. They had always talked about adding to their family through adoption and finally had the opportunity in 2008. God made it abundantly clear to them that Special Needs is the way He wanted them to go. They began the process of pursuing a child with Down Syndrome Internationally, but God had another plan. They received a call about a little boy in the US and after submitting their info to the birth mother they were selected to parent this precious little boy.
Chase was not what they expected. They were very familiar with Down syndrome, as a matter of fact; Jan has never known life without it. Her only brother Jason has Down syndrome. Down Syndrome however, was the least of Chases problems. He was born cocaine/ heroin positive. His heart defect was more complex than anticipated. He spent 310 days in the NICU. Two open-heart surgeries later and the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and interstitial lung disease as well as failure to thrive resulting in a g-tube and he is stable and beginning to thrive. He was not what they expected… He was so much more! They were forever changed! Not just Mark and Jan each of the children. Just like the verse in Proverbs 24 says…. “Once our eyes have been opened we cannot pretend we do not know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows we know and holds us responsible to act”!
The most utilized machines in their home…. you guessed it, the dishwasher and the washing machine, doing 30 loads a week! Although the grocery carts and laundry baskets are overflowing, so is the love and laughter in the Longenecker home. Mark and Jan receive the greatest joy out of hearing the banter and play that occurs daily among their children. They would be thrilled to add another voice to this fun-loving atmosphere. What keeps a family like this running?? Glad you asked! The most important element of the Longenecker family is their faith in God. They understand that God has given them a great responsibility to care for and raise children who will continue sharing God’s love with the world. They rely on God to give them wisdom and patience, love and compassion for each child they are privileged to parent. With God, all things are possible. They would count it an honor to be able to parent another child with Down syndrome.
9/26/12—HOMESTUDY in PROGRESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at http://www.chancedavid.blogspot.com/
Dale and Carrie have been married seven years and have two sweet children named Patricia (5) and Brayden (4). The call to adopt has been a growing nudge on the Bradford’s hearts as they considered growing their family. Dale works as an IT director in mental health and Carrie works in Special Education. She has been working with children and adults with Disabilities for ten years in various activities including Special Olympics, Special Needs Sunday School, tutoring, and Special Education. God has orchestrated so much in leading this family to Reece’s Rainbow. Early on in Carrie’s life, her parents made an example of investing in the lives of two children in need of love through the foster care system. Carrie’s brother, a source of inspiration and much love to both Dale and Carrie, also has special needs and has been a primary motivator for their commitment to special needs and the tender spot in their hearts for each of these children. However, loving children through a career did not feel like enough, and they are ready to open their home to a precious child with Down Syndrome. They humbly and prayerfully ask for your support as they begin this journey to bring a child in need of a family into a forever family.
3/11/13—HOME STUDY UPDATE IN PROGRESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at brad4dadoptionjourney.blogspot.com
On their wedding day, Tabitha and Warren vowed to devote their marriage to serving the Lord. As they began to explore ways to fulfill the biblical command to care for orphans, God led them to a Know More Orphans conference. They knew that adoption was something they would do someday, but after speaking with a representative for Reece’s Rainbow at the conference, they realized they had no reason to wait. They are beyond excited to serve the Lord in a way that will bring such a sweet blessing into their lives.
6/12/13—HOMESTUDY in PROGRESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at http://deardanila.blogspot.com/
Matt and Shilo are a corn-fed, Nebraska-born couple about to celebrate their 6th wedding anniversary and currently calling Phoenix, Arizona “home”. And if that didn’t spark your interest: Matt is a network administrator (that means computers) and Shilo has a high school teaching certificate, though she is currently at home with their three biological children, ages 4, 3 and 2.
Adoption has been on Shilo’s heart since volunteering at a children’s home in Romania in 2004. Deciding it was time, they began paperwork to adopt a boy born in July 2008, the same age as their oldest son, or younger. Connecting with Stellan’s profile caught Shilo offguard, but she knew he was theirs. Matt felt the same. They did not expect to find their child on Reece’s Rainbow, but they cannot wait to get to Stellan and bring him home.
4/6/13—-HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at midaia.blogspot.com
Glenn and Vashti Walters live in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and have three children, Amelia, Grant, and James Ivan. In 2011, God gave them a love for a child whose Reece’s Rainbow picture they had seen on Facebook via a Christmas Warrior. “Dillon” became James Ivan Walters in August of 2011 and has rocked the Walters’ world ever since!
Amelia and Grant started asking for a sister almost immediately and would peruse the Reece’s Rainbow “available children” looking for a sister. But it wasn’t until Amelia showed them Connie’s profile that God worked in Glenn and Vashti’s hearts and they knew they had found their daughter. Amelia and Grant both said they prayed about Connie without saying anything to their parents! God certainly does use children to do HIS work!
Connie is almost 10 years old and has been asking for a family of her own. God truly cares about the plight of orphans and Glenn and Vashti are so thankful for His mercy toward them and toward Connie!
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” ~Matthew 25:40
3/20/13—-HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at wonderfullymadebyhim.blogspot.com
Gavin and Mali Kindall have been married for almost nine years; after only seven weeks of dating! You could call them crazy, but when you know you know, right! They have a beautiful two year old boy named Jeton, they call him Jet! It has always been in their plans to adopt one day. In their minds it would happen in a few years, but what they didn’t know, was that their beautiful daughters Harmony and Penelope were already here and waiting to be brought home. One night Mali happened upon Reece’s Rainbow and after a few days of falling in love with all the children and being forever changed, Mali knew God had his own plans for them. It didn’t take long before Gavin knew, too.
While in the process to adopt Harmony and Penelope, their girls’ country banned Americans from adopting. Gavin and Mali have complete faith that the ban will be lifted one day and they will bring them home. They will never forget or give up on their sweet little angels! In the meantime, they have prayed about and have decided to change countries and bring a big brother home for the girls and Jet!! Through much heartbreak has come something very beautiful and that is bringing home another son. They cannot wait to bring home their handsome and amazing Dylan!
So much love has already been shown and given to our Dylan that will help bring him home…..we would like to thank everyone with our whole hearts!
5/22/13—HOMESTUDY NEARLY COMPLETE
Jason and Stephanie have been married for almost 14 years. They have been blessed with 5 incredible children: 9 year old Koah, 5 year old Abigail, 2 year old Max, 2 year old Ryder, and their son Isaac. They had always talked about adoption, but it wasn’t until they lost their 18 month old son, Isaac, to heaven last year that they decided to do something about it. Their son, Isaac, was born with many special needs including a very severe heart defect. Losing him was the hardest thing they have ever been through. He was such an incredible blessing to their family, and they loved every second of taking care of him. After they lost Isaac, they knew that they had enough love to bring another child into their family, but this time through adoption like they had always talked about. Because of the joy that Isaac brought to their family, they wanted to adopt a child with special needs. Last October, they brought home their two sons from Ukraine, Max and Ryder. Ryder was born with Down Syndrome and Max was born with a complex heart defect. The two boys have brought so much joy to their family, and God has truly created beauty through their pain. Shortly after returning home from adopting the boys, God began breaking Stephanie’s heart for the older children…those who had never been chosen… those who had been waiting so long for a family, but had been passed over time and time again. They saw Elliette’s profile on Reece’s Rainbow and fell in love with her. She was due to age out next year, at which point she would no longer be eligible to be adopted. Never would they have ever imagined that they would be bringing home a teenager. In fact, after returning home from Ukraine, Stephanie said that she would never, ever adopt an older child. Apparently, God must have found great humor in her statement. They are so excited and can’t wait to bring their daughter home to her family where she belongs. But, they know that they cannot do it without God’s help and your help. Thank you for helping make Elliette one less orphan!
5/9/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at journeyoftheheart5.blogspot.com
Joel and Alicia met in late 2004, and were married just over a year later on the beautiful island of Kauai. After a few years of living a relatively quiet life in North Bend, WA with their 2 huskies, they welcomed their daughter Brenna in 2010. A surprisingly short time after that, they brought home their son Evan in 2011.
Joel was happily working in the energy efficiency field while Alicia worked from home on the online toy store she owns with her mom and sister, and they thought their family was complete. Then in early 2013, they both felt that God was leading them to look into international adoption, and they soon found a little boy that stole their hearts! Now they are hoping and diligently praying that this little man from China will soon make them a family of 5.
5/8/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at aperfectfamily.wordpress.com
Chris and Traci met at a coffee shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. As they started talking they realized they had criss-crossed the country, from Montana to Alabama and back, before they both moved to Raleigh for school. After this first meeting they were merely acquaintances for a couple years until they got to know each other more when they both happened to move to Turkey for jobs. As their friendship bloomed into love they realized their mutual travel wasn’t the only thing they had in common. They both cherished other cultures and people and both loved God and desired to serve Him with their lives.
They got married and had two precious daughters early in their marriage. With a desire for more children, they felt the Lord was directing them to adopt. To be honest, Chris was ready before Traci. It wasn’t that Traci didn’t like adoption, she was just fearful that she wouldn’t love an adopted child as much as she loved her biological children. After much prayer and counsel they desired to follow what they believed God was leading them to do and start the adoption process. The first adoption was lengthy and difficult but God used this to get Traci’s heart ready. When the adoption was finalized in January of 2012 they were both eager to welcome their Bulgarian son, Alex, into their family with their whole hearts.
It’s been a little over a year now and they feel the Lord leading them to adopt another child. They were praying about this when they learned about Damion through a fellow church member who is finalizing an adoption through Reece’s Rainbow. When they saw Damion’s information Chris and Traci knew immediately he was to be part of their family. Within two days they had filed the necessary paperwork to begin the process of bringing him home.
A while back Damion wrote a letter to his future family, “I want to have a family because I love the family. I would love to have a mummy and a daddy who I will love.” (Then he signed it to make it official.) Well, Damion will not only get the mummy and daddy he greatly desires but will also have two sisters, a brother, and the dog he said he wanted. Don’t you just love when a story has a happy ending?!
5/8/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Brian and Cortney met in 2007 when Cortney was a student at Penn State involved in the campus ministry Brian worked for. Before they got married in 2011, they both had a heart for adoption and knew they wanted to adopt children.
Eventually the Seays decided that they would like to adopt their first child, prompted by God’s call to care for orphans. But they never would have imagined being parents to children with special needs. While adoption was on their minds for quite a while, this past year God opened their eyes to the needs and blessings of children with special needs through Reece’s Rainbow and the blogs of families who have adopted through Reece’s Rainbow.
After months of praying and discussing it, they finally decided to take the plunge, initially one but then two children. It broke their hearts to think of leaving one of these little ones behind…to see them at the same orphanage and leave them there. But then they heard the exciting news that they were eligible to adopt BOTH children!
They’re looking forward to many adventures ahead as they welcome Zinnia and Vytas into their family! Brian and Cortney would appreciate your prayers for them, and especially for Vytas and Zinnia, throughout the whole adoption process.
5/7/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
JoLynn has dreamed of adopting children since she was a teenager, even before she dreamed of marriage. She just couldn’t imagine a child being tossed aside due to poverty and illness, and there being no one there to pick the child up. She knew God had laid it on her heart to love the abandoned. Charles had thought of adoption as something he could see in his future, and once they were seriously involved, Charles was 100% in agreement when JoLynn told him she wanted to adopt, regardless of how many biological children she had. Charles and JoLynn were married in 2007 while Juniors in college. In 2008 they welcomed Isak, their bundle of joy, and in 2011 Malkolm, their child of peace came into their lives. But 2009 and 2012 left Charles and JoLynn heartbroken from miscarriages. They felt like there were “gaps” in their family, and while those children could never be replaced, they felt that their family was smaller than it was supposed to be. Feeling a gentle urge from God, they moved up the time table to adopt. JoLynn assumed that International adoption was a distant dream, something that would happen after their children were older and they had fostered and adopted domestically. But when doors refused to open for foster/adoption, a simple phone call “for more information” quickly led to an email with the file of a little boy . Twenty photos and a small, sad life summed up in a few paragraphs shook their hearts in a powerful way- a little boy who had never known a mother’s kiss or felt a father’s embrace had waited for someone to come his entire life. They could not walk away. Charles and JoLynn already consider “Gabriel” their child, and their sons are excited that they will soon have another brother.
“Gabriel” is 3 years old, and lives in an Eastern European orphanage that has been his home since the day he left the hospital. Born premature at a very low birth weight, he was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. He also has Strambismus and a handful of other easily-treatable conditions. Even with the minimal therapy he receives, he makes great strides towards better control of his limbs. He has moderate institutional delays, but once in a family environment, he is expected to improve greatly. But whatever the case, Charles, JoLynn, Isak and Malkolm cannot wait to give him the love he has missed out on for so long.
Your prayers and support will be greatly appreciated. While they are planning on paying a great portion of the costs out of pocket, the Elkins will need to raise approximately 1/3 of the cost of their adoption.
5/7/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at engulfedbytheswell.blogspot.com
“Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5)
Don and Lauren Horton live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (Oregon) with their five adopted children and their much loved foster son.
They are blessed to have three grown children living nearby, as well as three fantastic grandchildren!
Their adoption journey began in 1999 with the adoption of a beautiful baby girl with Down syndrome. This opened the Horton’s eyes to the joy and beauty and the lessons to be learned from children that others view as “different”. Their next three adoptions brought them children with a variety of special needs who light up their lives and the lives of those around them.
They returned home just this past November with their fifth adoption….a four year old girl with Down Syndrome who weighed just ten pounds. With lots of love and the proper nutrition Sophia has blossomed. She is a true joy.
The Hortons have been blessed with the opportunity of adding another son to their family …a seven year old boy with limb difference. The thought of this child never having a mama and daddy to tuck him in and night, never running errands with daddy in his big truck, never camping and swimming and playing ball with his brothers and sisters…..was heartbreaking. They could not turn their backs on him.
Funding a second adoption less than six months after Sophia’s is daunting. Any financial help no matter the amount would be greatly appreciated!
“Once our eyes are opened we cannot pretend we do no know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows we know and holds us responsible to act.” Proverbs 24:12
4/26/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Ten years ago, Grace never would have believed she would one day be a single, adoptive mother, let alone a mother to two children with special needs. But God, in His goodness and wisdom, has filled her life with challenge, purpose, and LOVE.
Grace is blessed to be on staff at her home congregation. She serves the Lord as a disciple who makes disciples who makes disciples of Jesus Christ. What she likes best about her job is that God does all the work! For four years she has been given a front row seat to watch Him draw people to Himself and make them new.
That same mighty, life-changing God has also been at work in Grace’s heart and home. He is continually proving Himself strong and faithful on her behalf. His best and most miraculous work so far was in the recent adoption of her first child, Samantha Love. Sam came home last year from an orphanage in Eastern Europe where she was abused, neglected, and unloved. Both mother and daughter have been changed forever by the miracle of her redemption. Now, with room and love to spare, Grace knows it is only right that she extend that love to another child.
“Tommy” has been living in Sam’s former orphanage for 13 years. It’s time for his miracle. His redemption! Grace and Sam cannot wait to bring him home.
Adoption is a spiritual battle field. If you believe in the power of prayer, Grace would welcome you to join her in praying for “Tommy”, his orphanage, and this adoption process. And if you are so led, she and Sam would be blessed by your partnership in raising “Tommy’s” ransom.
4/26/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at lovesransom.blogspot.com
Drew and Alyssa met in the summer of 2007, when Alyssa volunteered at Drew’s workplace. They started dating soon after and have been together ever since. Even before their marriage in early 2011, they had already discussed how adoption might play into their future. Alyssa spent the summer after her graduation from high school living and working in an orphanage in Nicaragua, and knew from that experience that God would one day make adoption part of her story. Drew agreed that he was open to adoption, but neither one of them could have prepared for where this journey would take them.
In November of 2012, Alyssa and Drew traveled on their first adoption trip. Meeting their “Little Man” absolutely changed their lives! Before they could complete the adoption however, Little Man’s country banned all adoptions to the US. The Pittman’s don’t know how long it will be until they can go back, but they will be overjoyed when the time comes. They think about their sweet son every day.
Over the past couple months, they felt God telling them that some of their other children were ready to come home. And boy were they surprised when they felt their hearts being pulled toward TWO sweet older boys. Alyssa and Drew are excited that God has called them to start their family in such a unique way, and they can’t wait to see where the rest of their journey leads. They are very close with their families, and everyone is anxious to meet the two newest members!
4/23/13—HOMESTUDY UPDATE in PROCESS
Bill and Missy have been together for about 12 years. From the beginning of their relationship, Missy was very honest that she felt that adoption was in her future. Slowly, the idea grew on Bill. Missy found Reece’s Rainbow in 2006 and was immediately smitten with all the children and often wondered if she would ever parent one of the angels listed there. Marriage finally happened in 2010 and nine days later, they had their first homestudy visit. Forty weeks to the day from that visit, Bill and Missy were in Serbia meeting their son Vladan, who happened to be an “other angel” on Reece’s Rainbow. Their second son Fuad, also from Serbia, joined their family in 2012. Both of the boys have exceeded all expectations in their development and are brothers through and through. Because the boys were doing so great, Missy began asking God, in late 2012, if it was time to add another child. She wanted a little girl this time, but it seemed like God was telling her to wait. Waiting is not one of her favorite things, but she trusted that feeling. In March, Kamdyn was listed again with Reece’s Rainbow and it was Bill that said “let’s go get her.” Missy knew that the Lord was using her husband to answer her prayer. Although they thought their 3rd child would come from the same country as their boys, they are happy to follow God’s leading and are excited to bring Kamdyn home.
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.” Prov 3:5-6
4/22/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at findingourkiddos.blogspot.com
David and Julie have been married for 15 years and have four children ranging in age from 4-11 years old. Their third child, Andrew, was born with Down syndrome. He has brought abounding joy to their family and helped them to see the world in a new way. Good friends of the Francisco family, Joel and Marianne Fick, made them aware of Reece’s Rainbow as they traveled to Eastern Europe to bring home their own bundle of joy, Darya. Once David and Julie were made aware of the plight of orphans with Down syndrome around the world, a desire grew to help the fatherless.
The Franciscos have been blessed by the Reece’s Rainbow family and are thankful for those who have been advocates for “Dennis” along the way. They rejoice in Psalm 10:17-18 which says, “O Lord You hear the desires of the afflicted, You will strengthen their hearts, You will incline your ear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed”. They look forward to having “Dennis” in their arms soon where he can grow up with his siblings, be loved and hit the beach in sunny San Diego with his new family!
4/21/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Josh and Chelsea met at a small church as teenagers, dated for nearly 5 years and have now been married for 8 years. They now live right around the corner from the church where they met and have four beautiful biological children, ages 6 and under.
Chelsea has wanted to adopt since she first heard, as a little girl, that there were children in the world who didn’t have families. Josh agreed that adoption was important but wasn’t yet convinced that it was for their family. When friends of theirs adopted a child with special needs from an Eastern European country, their eyes were opened to the plight of the orphan, especially those with special needs across the globe. Their eyes could not be shut, and Chelsea began advocating for waiting children through Reece’s Rainbow, and became a prayer warrior for several orphans. God started to speak to both Josh and Chelsea about adoption. Through much prayer they came to believe that their family was called to adopt, but they didn’t know who or when. Well, God provided them with the who. A sweet little boy with Sotos Syndrome had snuck into their minds and stolen their hearts. Once they knew who they should adopt, that also answered the question of when. NOW! 
They are stepping out in faith to rescue this precious child from his orphanage in Eastern Europe. Adoption is redemption, and redemption is costly. Please help them give this very deserving little boy a forever family who will treasure him always.
4/19/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at insearchofpearls.blogspot.com
In 2007, Aaron and Danielle moved from Pennsylvania to St. Petersburg, Russia, where Aaron teaches science at an international academy. They have been married for almost 14 years and have two girls, ages 7 and 4, and a son, who is almost 2. They have been thinking about adopting a child since before their first daughter was born, but it never seemed like the right time. God had placed the idea in their hearts, but the doors were never quite open… that is, until now! This time, as Danielle searched for information about adopting a child, she came across Camden’s picture. Almost immediately, they felt a connection to him, and after much prayer and discussion, they felt sure that God was saying, “This is the one, and now is the time!” At first, their girls were hoping for another sister (of course!), but now both are excited to have a new brother join the family. With the Lord’s help, the Miners desire to provide this precious boy with the love, family, hope, and future that he might otherwise never know.
4/19/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at stpetersburgfamily.blogspot.com
Daniel and Nicole have six kids, the youngest three they recently adopted from Uganda. They always knew adoption would be a big part of expanding their family, and they had discussed adopting an HIV+ child after learning more through project hopeful and doing research on how many children are simply waiting for a loving family. With access to proper medication these beautiful children can live a full and healthy life. So many people do not understand all of the advances made in treating HIV and this weighed heavily on their hearts. Prior to completing their previous adoptions, they had seen Wilson’s photo on Reece’s Rainbow. The similarity to their 9 year old son was so striking that they were immediately drawn to him. As they continued finalizing their adoptions of their girls, they found themselves hoping and praying this sweet boy would find a family too. They loved him already, and pictured him in their family, but they felt it unfair he was still waiting. They wanted someone to see what a treasure he was and claim him as their son, even if it meant he would not be in their family. Once their three new girls settled in and their family was firmly planted in their new groove, they decided to look and see if Wilson had found a family. It broke their hearts that nearly a year had passed and still he waited. They thought of him daily and decided to ask for more information. It has been said that rarely will an update be received in a timely manner, if at all, in a lot of the children’s cases, but less than 24 hours later they had more information. Enough information to take a leap of faith and shout out loud that they wanted to bring sweet Wilson home! The entire family is in agreement and busily preparing for his arrival.
4/13/13—HOMESTUDY in PROCESS
Sarah has always wanted to be a mother, she knew she wanted to adopt and wanted to raise children with special needs. Growing up in a family where she got to witness children come and go through the foster care system, arriving alone, learning to be a part of a family, and leaving to spend the rest of their lives with a new forever family, was such an amazing experience. Even as a teenager, she knew that she wanted to give children that feeling of belonging to a family, when they had none. Now as an adult, she is ready to take that step.
Sarah had been looking into adoption and following waiting children’s stories for quite some time when she first saw and fell in love with a little girl on Reece’s Rainbow. She knew instantly that this little girl was meant to be her daughter and committed to bring her home, but this past January, the country where this little girl was born, closed it’s doors to American adoptions. Sarah still feels committed to that little girl, but acknowledges that God is in control of this journey and after lots of consideration and prayer, she is moving forward to give another child the love of a mother and hopefully, down the road, the joy of a sister. Sarah has fallen in love again, with another sweet girl known as ‘Seraphina’.
Bringing ‘Seraphina’ home is truly a blessing. She will be loved and cherished by everyone who meets her and already holds a very special place in Sarah’s heart. Your prayer and financial contributions towards ‘Seraphina’s’ journey home, is truly appreciated.
4/11/13—HOMESTUDY UPDATE IN PROCESS
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at http://extrapositivepromises.blogspot.com/
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.reecesrainbow.org/" title=""><img width="100%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/RR/chosen.png" style="border:none;" /></a></div><div align="center"><a href="http://reecesrainbow.org/" title=""><img width="30%" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/RR/chosengrab.png"></a></div>
