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These families are in country now…meeting their child for the first time as a result of your life-saving donations |
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These families are in country now…meeting their child for the first time as a result of your life-saving donations |
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The Adams adoption adventure actually spans several years. It was a desire Diane had since she was young. Diane always loved children and raised a wonderful son (Nick). However, with pay equivalent to a teacher and single, it took several years to actually be in a position to be able to afford adoption. Diane saved over the years, but hadn’t quite gathered the entire amount needed to cover the expenses. There were garage sales and she grew a garden and canned the vegetables to save money here and there. Slowly her nest egg grew. Then sadly, her brother passed away after a long illness. Her brother was aware of her desire to adopt, and Diane was surprised to learn he provided a small sum of money to jump start the process. He would have been so happy to know that he had a part in her adventure.
In 2009, after what seemed forever, Diane began her first adoption. The referral was an incredibly small, sickly little girl in Eastern Europe. At the time of the first visit this little one-year-old was not able to sit independently, crawl, stand or support herself. She had digestive problems and was not able to absorb food adequately. It was felt she possibly has celiac disease or some other digestive disorder. She was failure to thrive, and the international adoption medical specialist said she had severe global delays. On the first visit, this little one looked up at Diane when she held her and just smiled. Diane knew that this little girl belonged with her. The adoption was complete in 2010. It was later learned that this little one was hearing impaired. Today, Makenzie is thriving in every way. While she wears bilateral hearing aids and does have celiac’s disease, her daughter reads in the top of her class and does equally as well in math. She enjoys gymnastics and is beautiful, loving and amazing in every way. She adores having a big brother, and he adores her.
In 2014, Diane began to feel that tug to add to her family again and pursue another adoption. She started having garage sales and her co-workers helped by donating items. She had a pastry fund raiser and even posted a go fund me page. Makenzie helped by selling homemade brownies at the garage sale. One day, in 2016, while Diane was looking on a web site that posts profiles of orphans with special needs, she saw a picture of a sweet little girl (Layla), in Eastern Europe. Layla had a rough start with club feet (now corrected), microcephaly and a genetic eye defect. She also had developmental delays, but she seemed to be a perfect fit for the Adams growing family. The Adams family is excited to add this sweet little girl to their family but still has a few financial hurdles before they can get there. We hope that others will want to make the difference in the life of this special little girl as well.
6/21/2017 — TRAVEL DATES RECEIVED
Timothy and Tanna have been married almost 18 years and have 3 biological children. Their adoption journey began with a single prayer that, once answered, changed their lives forever. This prayer simply asked God to break their hearts for what breaks His and to rise up in them a holy passion.
They adopted their youngest 2 sons from Asia in December 2013. They then returned in June 2016 to adopt their sweet daughter. At that point, they assumed their family was complete. Their house was full and happy with 6 children (ages 14, 11, 6, 5, 4, & 2 year old). They started investigating new ways they could be used in adoption/foster/orphan-care ministries. They volunteer on our church’s adoption/foster care ministry team, Tanna started the process to be trained as a CASA (court appointed special advocate) for children in the foster care system, and she enjoyed her role on the board of a small domestic adoption agency. Then, in December 2016 (while on their agency’s waiting child website), they saw the face of the child who will be their 7th. Piper is 3 months younger than their youngest daughter and has Down syndrome. This adoption has been their biggest faith journey by far. They could probably list 100 things that are scary about their “yes”. So many reasons they could have said no. But, if they are strong and courageous, He promises to never fail or abandon us. And none of their reasons to say no trumped Piper’s right to have a family who adores her and stands by her in this world. So, with mustard seed sized faith and trembling hands, they are headed back to adopt their precious baby with the extra chromosome and the special need of forever people. And they’ve stopped telling people “we are done” and/or that their family is “complete”. Piper has taught them that, because of a simple answered prayer, it’s not up to them to decide when He’s done breaking us and molding us and using us. They are indeed broken in the best possible way and He has indeed raised in them a holy passion to defend the defenseless and to walk with these children down the scary, lonely roads that they have been asked to walk.
6/21/17—TRAVEL DATES RECEIVED
Follow the family’s journey on their blog: roushroadtochina.wordpress.com
William and Lee-Ann Cotner had a whirlwind romance that has set the tone for their adventurous, fun loving family. William is an Active Duty Military Police officer. Lee-Ann is currently a stay at home mom but, with a background in education, which is where her heart completely fell in love with her students blessed by Down Syndrome. They always knew they wanted to adopt but, always dreamed it was when their four biological kiddos were older. One day in 2015, sitting at the breakfast table and scrolling Facebook, they came across the profile of little boy on Reece’s Rainbow and they immediately knew he was to be their son. In 2016 Harvey became an official member of the family. Harvey has been such an amazing blessing to their family. He is rocking his Down Syndrome and brings such joy to everyone his smile meets.
The Cotner children IMMEDIATELY began asking for another brother or sister. But, so soon after Harvey’s adoption financially, William and Lee-Ann knew it would be best to wait. Lee-Ann came across Martin’s profile and felt that tug. She kept going back to his profile reading it over and over for several days. She made the inquiry to the agency and saw the most precious little boy’s face. Three year old Charlotte walked over the computer… looked at the picture and said “Oh THERE’S my baby brother”… and that was the sign of all signs that he in fact was meant to be their son. They live by that saying that there is ALWAYS a way…you just have to believe and remember God bless the broken road.
William, Lee-Ann and their five children, Peyton, Parker, Charlotte, Quinn and Harvey are so overjoyed to have you as part of the adventure bringing Martin home. They are grateful for those that show their support both financially and spiritually. Every donation will leave a lasting impact on their hearts and helping bring Martin home into his forever family, where we will be a cherished and welcomed member of the family, who they can’t wait to see shine!
6/21/2017–TRAVELING JULY 7
Justin and Codi Howell are high school sweethearts who have now been married for nine years. Codi has wanted to have a large family and to pursue adoption ever since she was a little girl and Justin was adopted himself. Adoption has always been something that is close to their hearts.
The Howells currently have four children at home and one in heaven. Anna is seven, Levi is four, Amelia is three, and Claire is two. Both Amelia and Claire have Down syndrome. The couple adopted Amelia from Eastern Europe in 2015. She has thrived in their home and the Howells feel so blessed to be her parents. Their daughter, Emelyn, was born with a very rare condition and passed away due to complications in 2010.
In May 2016, while scrolling through her Facebook news feed, Codi saw a picture of a sibling group that was available for summer hosting. Not knowing much about hosting but feeling a tug on her heart and an instant connection to the children in the picture, Codi sent the picture and summary to Justin who immediately felt the same connection. It was the siblings’ last chance for hosting and the couple had just one week to raise the full amount of funds needed for the children’s hosting fees. They prayed and God provided the full amount in just THREE DAYS! The couple hosted the children in their home for five weeks. Their love for them was instantaneous and all members of the family bonded quickly and easily … it was meant to be! Saying “goodbye” to the children who so quickly became their own was one of the hardest things the couple has ever done. The Howells are working quickly to be reunited with their children.
The Howells appreciate your financial support as they, once again, “step out of the boat” in obedience.
6/21/17 — TRAVELING JULY 7
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at siblingsforthehowells.blogspot.com
The VanHalle family is not new to special needs adoption, having adopted three children with Down syndrome with the help of the Reece’s Rainbow community (along with their family and friends) in the last 4 years. They are ready this time to pursue the adoption of Alexis who has been on their hearts now for over a year.
The VanHalle family is not jumping into this adoption blindly. They realize their children at home need much care and it would take a special child to fit into the family if they were to add another. After discussing the current needs of their children with one another and after seeking help from their adoption agency to obtain updated information on Alexis to make sure she would fit into their current family dynamic, the VanHalle family took a leap of faith and are stepping into international special needs adoption once again.
The VanHalle’s know this journey well and know that it will not be easy. They are asking for your prayers for their adoption and family as they work to bring Alexis home.
6/19/17—FIRST TRIP JUNE 24
Jacob and Rebecca are the couple that everyone looks up to and inspires to be because they know each other so well and have the most open communication. Rebecca is very sweet and caring. Jacob is very supportive and understanding. They met online when Rebecca was 18 and Jacob was 19. Instantly there was a strong connection between the two and they got married in 2006. Their relationship grew and they had 4 beautiful girls but felt their family was destined for more as they grew by 3 more girls last year. Jacob and Rebecca’s strengths to support their growing family are through their faith and dedication to God and their family. Their weakness is the same as any family that has seen the inside of an orphanage; that their hearts are forever burdened with the never ending suffering of orphans that will never know the love of a mother and father. They strongly feel led to the ministry of adoption even more now that they have seen first hand how amazing adoption can be when they brought home 3 beautiful sisters from Ukraine in 2016. Overall, they feel their adoption experience has been one of the best as their girls have integrated into their family so easily thanks to the ministry staff and other orphanage staff who did an amazing job preparing them for a life with a family to love and support them forever. This next trip they intend to add two more wonderful girls (biological sisters) into their ever expanding and loving home. Patiently waiting for their days to travel, they need all the help and support possible to bring these girls home and welcome them to a lifetime of family, friendship, and happiness.
6/8/2017–TRAVEL DATES RECEIVED
We are the Millward family. Carolyn and Eddie have been married for 26 years and have two incredible boys; Christian 18 and Brian 13. We cannot forget the other members of the family; their cat and dog Goober and Maggie.
Adoption has been a consideration for many years, but a recent blog rekindled the fire and pointed them in the direction of Reece’s Rainbow. Soon after, a Facebook post focusing on the plight of Emmaline really struck a chord with the family. Emmaline is an 11-year-old with cerebral palsy, and the thought of her spending the rest of her life institutionalized was not something they could accept. A good amount of thought and even more prayer led them to the decision to move forward with the adoption.
Please pray for Emmaline that she will soon be home with her family, receiving the love and medical treatment she deserves.
“Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues” – John Stott
6/8/17 — APPT on JULY 18
Martha and Mike live on a family farm in North Carolina. They have 2 children, one of whom they found on Reece’s Rainbow way back in 2009. Their daughter was completely deaf when adopted and now hears with the aid of Cochlear Implants. They knew their adoption story was not over but had not heard clearly the call of the Lord again until 2 years ago. They hosted a boy who lived in the same country from which they adopted their daughter. The hosting did not go well, and they were unsure about how to proceed. They prayed for this child when he went back to the orphanage and helped a wonderful local family with his needs that were not being met in the orphanage. During this past winter, the Evans family visited his orphanage to provide supplies and gifts.
Then they did something they never thought they would do…. they hosted the same boy, now a teenager, again. This time, the once scared, angry boy had seen and felt unconditional love. He knew people prayed for him and believed in him. He finally knew someone cared about him. His hosting experience went MUCH better!
When he left to return to his country, the Evans family prayed about whether they were supposed to move forward to adopt him. A few months later, the answer was a YES from the Lord. This young man was to be added to the Evans family!
Mike and Martha understand the challenges to be faced by adding an older child to the family and will do all they can to equip this boy to become a man of God. He knows he is already loved by God, and the Evanses long to show him the love of a family!
6/8/2017—APPT on JULY 24
Follow the family’s journey on their blog thelittleredhouse.blogspot.com
FULLY FUNDED!!!
Adam and Tiffany have been married for twenty years and have three amazing children, Hannah, Brooklin, and Jack. Their family started sponsoring a boy a couple of years ago. As they saw his story, prayed for him and sent him packages, the burden to adopt him became undeniable. In early December 2015 they began the discussion of adopting Edward. Their family is now in process of getting all those precious documents together so that they can add a son to their family. They are all very excited about this new journey and pray for Edward until they can all be together.
6/7/17 — TRAVEL DATE
Follow the family’s journey on their blog: harris6adoption.blogspot.com
The Johnston family is excited to be adopting for the second time. Chris and Julianna have been married for almost 10 years. Chris works for an international relief organization, and Julianna works at home, educating and caring for their 5 children.
One day, the couple read Stephen’s story through Wide-Awake’s post, and after learning more about him, they knew they would go as far as God would take them in bringing Stephen into their family. God graciously introduced them to the blessing of special needs when their son Isaac was born in 2010, and they have since welcomed their daughter Providence with Down syndrome into the family through adoption two years ago.
The Johnstons are uniquely blessed with a community of friends and family who support, celebrate, and value life. They are grateful for others they continue to meet through organizations like Reece’s Rainbow.
5/12/17—APPOINTMENT on 6/21
This is the Ashley family, Ken, Amy, Travis (11), and Cai (10). They have been married for 25 years. As of 13 years ago, they had been married for 12 years and had no children. They never dreamed that 13 years later they would be at the point of having 3 children; but God is faithful, and He is on time.
Their first child, a wonderful son, was born in October, 2004. They felt so blessed and assumed that they probably wouldn’t have any more children. In 2012, their pastor’s wife was about to go on a mission trip to China to work with orphans at a Bring Me Hope camp. One Wednesday night before her trip, the pastor’s wife told a story about an infertile couple who were about to adopt from China. Amy says that something came over her while hearing that story, and she began to think about adopting from China for days and nights after that. About a year later, the pastor’s wife, the Ashley’s neice, and another girl from their church went back to China to volunteer at the Bring Me Hope camp. This team of ladies began sending pictures of one of their campers to the Ashley family. When they saw those pictures, they knew that this was their daughter, and they went to China about 1 year later to adopt that camper who became Cai Ashley in July of 2014. They felt so blessed and assumed that she would complete their family and that their trip to China to adopt was a once in a lifetime experience; but they now believe God had a different plan.
About a year or so after they came home, Cai went through 3 surgeries, because she was born with spina bifida and scoliosis. On the day of the last surgery, which was a spinal fusion, they began to be overwhelmed with thoughts of what if they had not adopted her, what if she didn’t get those surgeries, and what would have happened to her if she had aged out at 14. Amy remembers thinking that she would do this all over again and that they COULD do this again. A couple of months later, they saw the picture of an 11 year old girl on a waiting child advocacy site, who was being advocated for by some Bring Me Hope volunteers. They reviewed her file, but at the time it seemed that they had a lot of good excuses and reasons not to adopt again. However, they could not stop thinking and praying about her. Over the course of the next 5 months, every excuse that they could have had just seemed to be wiped away. They finally locked her file on June 19th, which just so happened to be Father’s Day. They have decided to name her Abby, which means my father’s delight.
During that 5 months time of thinking and praying about this adoption, there was some heartache involved, but it made them realize how short life is and that only the things we do for Christ will really matter. They realize that they can’t save the world, but they can change the world for someone. There is a song out that says, “He’s calling all hearts, calling all hands.” They know that everyone is not called to international adoption, but they feel that they have been. They can’t wait to bring a second precious daughter home. They would like to thank you for reading their story, for your support, and for your prayers!
4/12/17—TA RECVD
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at ourpathtocaifaith2.wordpress.com
Ben and Tracy live in Texas with their six precious children, two of which were adopted back in 2014 with the help of Reece’s Rainbow. Both of the girls that the Thorps adopted have special needs. One girl has Down Syndrome, and according to the orphanage had no communication abilities. The other has renal agenesis. Both are healthy and thriving now. The girl with Down Syndrome quickly learned sign language and has learned to verbalize many words. She has even put together a 3 word sentence! While at one of the girls’ orphanages, the Thorps met an older child who desperately wanted a family. But, sadly, he had aged out. When Tracy asked if he could still be adopted in his country, she was told most people only wanted young, healthy children. That hopelessness stayed with Tracy, and when another adoptive family mentioned that Soleil was about to age out, Tracy’s heart broke. She emailed her husband the blog post and asked him to pray for a family for Soleil. Later that evening, Ben began to ask about the adoption fees, and so another adoption was begun. This time to bring home a child who has waited much too long for a family. The Thorp family is moving as fast as they can to bring Soleil home to her forever family. With your help, we will give her a future and a hope. Any prayers or donations for Soleil would be greatly appreciated!
6/6/17—COURT PASSED
We are Robert and Jennifer Clements. We live in Texas and have been married for almost four years. We both have a special love for children and a heart for serving our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We have each been involved in our nephews and nieces lives growing up and have served in children’s ministry at our church as well as doing VBS with kids on mission trips to South Texas, Cuba, South Carolina, Guatemala to name a few places across the world. We have been unable to conceive children naturally, yet both have a strong desire to grow our family. Adoption is prevalent on both sides of our immediate families and something we talked about while dating. We were introduced to an orphan hosting organization through Robert’s older sister and about a year ago we learned the story of 4 precious boys in need of a family. They had been living in an orphanage in Eastern Europe for over 6 years. We hosted the 3 younger boys (the oldest has been adopted by another family) for 5 weeks last summer and they captured our hearts. We were told a story about the youngest a couple of Christmases ago who all he wanted was “joy”, “love”, and “peace”. He told us our family gave him joy, love, and peace. We have felt God’s hand orchestrating the entire process of Him choosing us to give these sweet, active boys a family they deserve and to love them unconditionally as He loves us.
4/12/17—REFERRAL RECEIVED; COURT in APRIL
Mark & Virginia Miner met at church as teenagers, fell in love, and married when Mark graduated from college. Virginia is a musician and artist at heart and an extraordinary mama for the kiddos. Mark works at the local university as an engineer & instructor, and is very thankful for flexible hours. God has given us four children: Ivan (b.2011) loves music, drawing, stories, and is excited for another brother; Gibbs (b.2013) loves to help out with dishes, yard work, and anything physically demanding or crazy; Ana (b.2002) came home to us from Bulgaria in 2015, and her smile and giggle have been a delight to us all; Evangeline (b.2016) is a jolly, crawly, little lady who loves to play with her brothers and sister. We are all excited to bring “Owen” home to our family and the blue skies of Arizona. We are thankful for our local church family and for all those people of God who are a blessing to orphans. Thank you for reading, and we appreciate your support!
5/24/17 — COURT PASSED; AWAITING FINAL TRIP
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog at iamtheresurrectionandthelife.blogspot.com
Jalena knew she should adopt from from a very young age. Growing up her parents fostered teenagers and instilled in her, a heart for caring for others. She remembers being eight years old, sitting in a blanket fort with her best friend planning their futures. Jalena was going to be a Spice Girl, have a wedding dress that rivaled princess Diana’s and she was going to adopt, because there are so many kids in this world who need families. At the age of 23 God placed adoption heavy on Jalena’s heart, she could not close her eyes to the need so she stepped out in faith to adopt her daughter Emmy from Eastern Europe. Emmy came home in December 2015, she is a joyful, funny, outgoing 2 year old with a heart of gold and a rockin extra chromosome, also known as down syndrome.
14 months ago a special 1 year old boy with down syndrome and additional complex medical needs was listed for adoption on Reece’s rainbow. At that time Jalena was in the process of adopting her daughter Emmy from the same country. A friend sent her his Reece’s Rainbow profile and her heart broke. She was looking at a little boy who was going to “fall through the cracks.” He didn’t have the best photo and he had many big special needs in addition to Down syndrome. She feared the words brain cyst, epilepsy, hydrocephalus and asthma would leave him waiting for a forever family for years. In that moment She prayed for God to find his family, to not let him fall through the cracks, for a mama to see his worth and not fear his special needs. She prayed God would move mountains to bring him a mama.
Little did Jalena know, when She said that prayer 14 months ago, God already had a plan. God had her. 14 months after seeing his face for the first time, 11 months since her daughter came home and after 7 months of working behind the scenes with only her faith to go on, God has moved mountains. Jalena is so overjoyed to share that She will be Oscar’s mama.
Jalena is so grateful for any support you can show her growing family. Pursing 2 international adoptions in less then a year, as a single mama, would not have been possible without the kindness and generosity of friends, family and strangers.
6/23/17—FINAL TRIP JUNE 2017
FULLY FUNDED!!!
The Hadley’s adoption journey is the culmination of a long awaited heart’s desire. Jon and Kari had discussed adopting or fostering multiple times. However, God was clear that the time was never right either through multiple military moves and deployments or Kari’s numerous (4) pregnancies. Then after the birth of their 4th son, Kari began to look for ways to use her love of running to help children in need. It was during the registration for the Walt Disney World Marathon that Kari found RODS (Racing for Orphans with Down Syndrome). Kari has always had a heart and passion for children and adults with Down Syndrome and a longing to maybe one day adopt a special needs child. Partnering with RODS allowed Kari to use her running in advocacy and awareness for children that captured her heart. Kari was glad she was helping a child with Down Syndrome find a forever home. When Kari joined RODS, Laura was not the RODS Orphan. Shortly after joining RODS, Laura became the new RODS Orphan. Kari immediately felt a draw towards Laura but it was a few months before she really began to try to find out more about her. Kari soon began to feel that God was directing her toward Laura but did not know how Jon would feel about an international special needs adoption. Jon was certainly surprised when Kari suggested that they adopt Laura. Jon requested Kari get more information on the process and Laura and from there things just took off. Every question asked was answered in a way that led Jon and Kari to feel that this was what they were called to do. All the information they could find on Laura only confirmed for Kari that she was the daughter God was giving them. Kari and Jon are now trying to bring Laura home in record time to join her four anxiously awaiting brothers.
6/2/2017 — AWAITING COURT DATE
The Bowman family is excited to be adopting for the 1st time. Angie and Tim met while in college and have been blessed with 4 biological children. Their oldest daughter Allison graduated with a biology degree, and she lives in the same city as Angie and Tim. Their second daughter Brittany is currently working on her doctorate degree in physical therapy. Joshua, their third child, is studying fire science, as he wants to pursue a career as a firefighter. Their youngest son Jacob is still in high school and is an avid runner. Angie and Tim have always been committed to children in a variety of ways. Angie is a Kindergarten teacher, but ran an in-home daycare while her children were young. Tim works in management for Simon Property Group but has always been a coach and referee of youth soccer, football, and basketball.
In January 2016, Angie and Brittany were reading a Facebook story, which led them to Reece’s Rainbow. The whole family felt such empathy and compassion for the many children in need of homes, but they were particularly drawn to one beautiful little girl. Mallory is two years old and has Down syndrome. For months, Mallory’s picture and story kept tugging at their hearts until they finally said, “YES,” in May. The entire family jumped on board as the family discussed, prayed, and planned for the addition of another child to become a part of their lives. There were so many signs from God that this was what He had clearly planned for them.
The Bowman family is ecstatic to welcome Mallory into their home, and the Bowman children are thrilled to have a little sister on whom to dote. The Bowman’s cannot wait to bring Mallory home and to hold and cuddle her. They are looking forward to providing her with experiences such as zoo trips, time spent at the Children’s Museum, dance lessons, and religious education. They are also excited to celebrate holidays, read books, and play soccer and other games with her. They are currently trying to raise the adoption funds and appreciate your prayers as well as any financial support to help them bring Mallory home as soon as possible. There are no words to express how much they already love her, and they pray for her every day as they anxiously await the arrival of their newest family member.
3/17/2017—COMPLETED FIRST TRIP MARCH
Together since 2001, Seana and Dan thought they were following their dreams, taking on new challenges on the work and home front and living life to the fullest. By 2012 Dan had started his own business and they, with their two children, had moved away from NYC to the country to start a little homestead. Life was good and they felt like they were on the right track. Little did they know that in just a few years, their lives would burst open with even more challenges and possiblities.
2012 was also the year that Seana came across the Reece’s Rainbow website and became overwhelmed by the faces…she had always wanted to possibly maybe adopt, but adopting a child with special needs seemed daunting and way out of her league. At the time, turning away from the enormity of need, the overwhelming sadness was the easier thing to do.
Everything changed when their third child was born with a surprise diagnosis of Down syndrome in June 2014. The tender and fierce love that roared in their hearts opened up a new world–disability was no longer a scary or uncomfortable “other”–it was their son. And now they strongly felt that ALL life is precious, and that all lives have meaning and value.
Drawn back to the Reece’s Rainbow website, the faces became personal. Each of these precious children could easily be their child. Each of them deserved a family, and now their family felt completely capable and inspired. Now it was impossible to turn away.
Dan and Seana look forward to adding beautiful “Maeve” to their family. This gorgeous girl has captivated them since she was listed in early 2015. She will be their “baby” and will join their three children, who are thrilled and can’t wait to meet their little sister.
They are so thankful to Reece’s Rainbow, and all the people who work and advocate on behalf of these precious children.
1/24/17—FIRST TRIP FEBRUARY 19
Jason and Rebekah Waller have been married for almost 14 years and have 4 beautiful children. Adoption was only something they had discussed briefly as a “maybe one day” or “we might eventually” kind of notion. One day, after following a Reece’s Rainbow link a friend had posted on facebook, Rebekah came face to face with Tyler. She immediately felt a connection, but knew she couldn’t make that decision alone. After weeks of crying, praying, and constantly thinking about this precious boy, Jason agreed that they should contact someone for more info.
It’s been tough, but they can already see the great rewards. Their kids (especially the oldest) are super excited! Please pray for the process and for sweet Tyler.
6/1/2017 — AWAITING COURT DATE
The Waller family has also received an Older Child Grant of $10,000 for Tyler.
The Duty family, Scott, Jennie, Nathan, Jack, Joelle and Elliot, are excited to be adopting for the 1st time! With 3 biological brothers at home, 12, 11 and 7, sister Joelle is ecstatic to finally have a sister! Scott and Jennie have desired to adopt since they started dating. After marrying, having 4 biologic children plus multiple losses, the desire was still there but not in the forefront. Then in 2016, after helping friends fundraise to adopt their son from Asia, they discovered Orphan Hosting programs, and started looking at photo listings. They were inexplicably drawn to Nora, but told she already had a family hosting her. They decided to wait until 2017, but the Lord had other plans! 3 weeks before Nora’s group was to come to the US, her family had to back out. They were asked if THEY would host her. She now had a $1900 grant from the family who had to back out. They had $1300 set aside to replace carpeting in our home; this was the EXACT difference needed to bring Nora to the US! Clearly they were supposed to host Nora, so they said yes. From Day 1, she fit right into their family. Very clear she is a “Duty”, full of joy and spunk!
Scott has enjoyed stable employment for 15 years at the same employer. Jennie has enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom for the past 10 years. They were told their oldest son, Nathan, had Down Syndrome when they were pregnant with him. He did not, but through that experience the Lord taught them that they would love a special needs child no less! Jennie works with special needs adults at their local YMCA, and subs as an instructional aide with special needs children in their children’s school district. The Lord has absolutely prepared this family for adopting and raising this special little girl. Nora was abandoned at 1 year of age, and has been raised in an orphanage since. Every child deserves a family. The Duty’s love Nora and desire to raise her as their daughter!
6/22/17—TA RECEIVED; JULY 31 GOTCHA DAY
You can read more about their journey on their public page: www.facebook.com/dutytoadopt
Brent and Holly Arnold have been married for 24 years. They wanted to adopt children from the beginning of their marriage. Their plans were put on hold when they were blessed with two biological children. Later they added four more children through the gift of adoption. They are hoping to adopt a 13 year boy in Asia who has overcome so much adversity in his years. They need to adopt him before he ages out of the adoption system, so they will travel in spring or early summer before his 14th birthday. They are excited to welcome their seventh child home. Through God all things are possible.
6/21/17 — TA RECEIVED
Virgil and Cindy Willoughby have been married 33 years. Virgil is a policeman and Cindy is a stay at home mom. If you had told the Willoughby’s 8 years ago that their family of 5 would soon be a family of 13 they would have laughed. After all, their children were all grown (the youngest was soon to graduate from high school) and they were both middle-aged. But God loves to do the unexpected. He whispered into their hearts as they read a devotion that talked about getting out of their comfort zones and really LIVING. The devotion gave several suggestions, one of which was adoption. It spoke to them both and after talking and praying, they soon began the process to bring home a daughter from China. Once they learned of the Waiting Children’s List, they knew that was the route they wanted to go. They went into the process knowing nothing about adoption. That first adoption they checked only some minor special needs. In 2010 they brought home a 6 year old daughter. It wasn’t long before God was calling them back. Less than a year later they were back in China adopting a 7 year old and one who turned 14 (the age children can no longer be adopted in China) minutes after landing back home. Their 14 year old would spend a month in the hospital less than a year after coming home for four very difficult surgeries to correct severe scoliosis that was limiting her lung function. Their 7 year old has already had numerous cleft surgeries, with more to come. No longer did the medical needs list concern them. They went from being willing to handle very few needs to almost any need. 2013 was another joyful year of welcoming 2 more daughters from China. Both were 5 years old. One is legally blind and the other has many neurological problems. In 2015 they were once again in China to adopt a completely blind 12 year old and a 6 year old with some hearing issues (now repaired) and cleft issues.
They have been blessed with 7 beautiful children from China in a little less than 7 years, and God is once more calling them back. This time they are working on paperwork to bring home Hattie, a 10 year old girl with cleft lip/palate and VSD (repaired). It is hard to believe that at the age of 53 and 51 they are soon to be parents again. God has worked in mighty ways and continues to do so every day. They covet your prayers and are grateful for any gifts that will help them bring this child, who has waited so long for a family, home.
6/24/17—TRAVEL DATE RECEIVED, JULY 10 GOTCHA DAY
Follow the family’s adoption journey on their blog a elliourgiftfromgod.blogspot.com
