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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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Ever since she was a young girl, Stephani has wanted a big family with a lot of kids, several of whom she hoped would arrive via adoption. She learned about the plight of orphans with special needs 10 years ago when an online friend adopted a little boy with Down syndrome from Ukraine and that’s when she realized she would someday pursue international special needs adoption.
That someday came a few years later when Stephani saw a newly listed little girl with Down syndrome from Armenia that led her to start her first adoption. Another family accepted the referral for that little girl soon after Stephani submitted her dossier but she knew she was meant to continue her journey and in 2015, Octavia joined the family. Stephani was happy with her small family but knew it wasn’t complete.
In 2018, a newly listed little girl with Down syndrome from the country of Georgia called Lola caught Stephani’s attention but she didn’t think it was the right time to adopt so she advocated for her, hoping Lola’s family would see her. Her family did see her! A year later, Stephani started the adoption process once again and brought Lola, now Coralie, home in 2021.
Stephani, Octavia, and Coralie are excited for another little one to join the family, this time from a different Eastern European country. Your financial, emotional, and prayerful support is appreciated.
The Obenauf family has met their $2500 MATCHING GRANT!!
10/3/2023 — TRIP ONE in OCTOBER
Michelle was a single mother for over 22 years. She has four adult biological children, four adopted children and eight grandchildren. She adopted two special needs children from US Foster Care in 2012 prior to her international adoptions. She adopted a little boy from China in 2014 and an older girl (11 years old) from China in 2016 with Cerebral Palsy. Both China adoptions were with the amazing help of Reece’s Rainbow as a single mom.
Michelle met Steven and he immediately fell in love with the children. He fell in love with the big family and how close knit and family oriented they were. He became an instant dad and granddad. They married and are now in process to add two more children from Bulgaria to their family!
Michelle is able to stay home and school the children. Family is very important to everyone in the family. On Friday nights they all make sure they do not miss the Family Movie night. They order pizza and they all take turns picking the movie each week. They all gather around and enjoy the night together.
Trevor (14yrs) is working on learning how to be a sports commentator. Arianna (13yrs) has been participating in pageants. She is the current Pennsylvania Miss Amazing Pre-Teen Queen. She is also working toward opening her own non-profit to help others with disabilities heal with the power of animals. Brennan (11yrs) participates in dog shows. He is a top 15 Junior Showmanship Competitor in Collies in the US. Tynsleigh (18yrs) is working hard on life skills and soccer.
They can’t wait to see who will join their family next!
8/25/2023 — COURT PASSED; FINAL TRIP in SEPTEMBER
Joshua Manning and Allison Johnson, married 5 years and together significantly longer, have built a beautiful life for their small family which consists currently of one another and 4 beloved pets. The fun-loving couple enjoys weaving mini adventures into their daily lives and can’t wait to learn what type of fun their little one will enjoy most once she is home. Two years ago, when Josh and Allison decided it was the right time to grow their family, the couple began giving significant thought to the best way to do so. A year of exploration and research lead to the conclusion that adoption was the right path for them. The couple then found “S”. She was ‘the one.’
Over the next year Josh and Allison completed significant preparations for her arrival and feel so fortunate to have been able to spend so much time creating a home and life specifically around her needs.
Josh and Allison would love to thank everyone who has played a role in supporting their daughter’s journey home. “You are such an important piece to this puzzle,” say Josh and Allison to their friends, family, and supportive community members. “We could not be more grateful that you are a part of our lives.”
9/11/2023 — AWAITING COURT
Lindsey and Patrick have been married for 15 years and knew they always wanted to adopt. They began fostering soon after getting married and have continued to foster many kids, including their now adopted daughters. In 2020, they saw a little girls on Reece’s Rainbow and decided to no longer let finances stop them from adopting internationally. During the homestudy phase, that little girl was matched with another family. Even though their hearts were broken, they prayed and knew they needed to continue. After learning about the children with Down syndrome and likely outcomes they decided to adopt a little girl they called Liana. They now have a house full of girls, including their biological daughter, but felt they still had some love to give. This time, they will be bringing home their first BOY! They are so excited, but needs lots of prayers and help to make it happen. With international adoption costing $35,000+ they can’t do it without you! Any help to bring this sweet boy home is greatly appreciated.
Update: The Dispenza family will be bringing home TWO boys!!
The Dispenza family has met their $2500 MATCHING GRANT!!
9/11/2023 — AWAITING COURT
On their second date, Josh and Charity discussed their desire to adopt children in need for the first time. Both of them grew up around children who were adopted. Charity loved the children in her church who had Down Syndrome, and Josh was privileged to watch his Youth Pastor and his wife go through the process of adopting two children from Taiwan.
Three years after they got married, in 2021, the Smith’s began to pursue adoption from Bulgaria through Lifeline Children’s Services. When they found out that there was a Down Syndrome specific track in Bulgaria, they were elated and eager to adopt a child with Down Syndrome. Now, after 2+ years, Josh and Charity are thrilled to be at the tail end of the adoption process.
In February, 2023, Josh and Charity flew out to Bulgaria to meet their son, Matthew. Now, they await the call to fly out again to bring their boy home!
8/15/2023 — FINAL TRIP DATES RECEIVED
Laci resides in Texas and has two dogs whom she adores. She is a Texas-certified early childhood special education teacher. She is certified in ESL, Special Education, and EC-6. She has been teaching in a special education setting for six years and has experience working with disabilities ranging from mild to severe. She is passionate about working with students with special needs. She began thinking about international adoption in 2021. She started researching ways to finance an international adoption. Upon finding Reece’s Rainbow, international adoption began to seem possible. She took a step of faith after 6 months of research and prayer. She has been matched with an older waiting child in Asia. She has been receiving 6 month reports while waiting to bring him home. She has fallen in love with every photo and video of him. She believes she has the skills and resources to raise a child with special needs and trauma. She has faced a lot of challenges and delays along the way but is making progress toward bringing her son home to Texas. She hopes she can travel to his country soon and loves learning everything she can about his home and language.
Laci has raised over full amount raised to $57,000 with other grants & donations!
8/15/2023 — TRAVELING in SEPTEMBER
Duncan and Kristen Wingard married in 2015 after graduating college and knew that adoption would be in their future. After having their two boys in 2019 and 2021, in November 2022 they decided to start the international adoption process to give a well deserving child a loving and caring home.
As you know, international adoption is a very extensive and expensive process. The Wingard’s started financially saving over a year ago with the plan that they would be able to fully fund this adoption themselves. With the extensive process international adoption is, the Wingard family also anticipated that they would be waiting years to be matched, but God had other plans.
They are thrilled to share that on May 19 they were matched with the sweetest little girl, “S”. “S” is 2. 5 years old with an infectious smile and a list of special needs.
While the Wingard family takes great pride in knowing that they have been chosen to be “S” family, they now find themselves without the time to save like they originally planned.
The Wingard family is eternally grateful for your generosity and financial support to bring “S” home. If you are not in a situation to support financially, they ask and appreciate your prayers for “S” and her future.
10/2/2023 — AWAITING COURT
Richard and Sharon reside in Washington State with their 3 children. They started praying about adoption in 2011, and have known it would be part of how God grows their family.
In 2017, Richard and Sharon had their beautiful twin daughters. They were born very prematurely, and suffered multiple medical complications for years following their birth. It was in this season of hardship that the idea of “Team Stone” was born. Richard and Sharon knew that God knit our family together for a reason, and each of their children has a purpose.
In 2019, their youngest daughter was also born early. She came after a life threatening pregnancy. She was a miracle blessing after surviving severe Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Sharon became so ill during her pregnancy that she required 6 months of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), a Zofran pump, and multiple emergency hospitalizations.
Needless to say, growing their family has never been “easy.” God called Richard and Sharon away from the place of comfort and into the wilderness a long time ago. He has met them in those hard places every time, and His mercy has overwhelmed them.
By God’s grace alone, Richard and Sharon are matched with a precious waiting child in Bulgaria. Their son is 2 years old, and they are eager to bring him home! He has significant medical needs, but more importantly, he is made in the image of God.
Richard and Sharon have sold off many of their items, they have organized and held garage sales and auction fundraisers. Sharon staying home to raise and school their children is a top priority for them. Thank you for being an instrument of the Lord’s provision by helping the Stone family bring their son HOME!
7/26/2023 — TRAVELING in AUGUST
The Marsh family is so excited to ONCE AGAIN be growing their family through adoption!
Shannon and Jay both have a long history in special needs adoption. Shannon previously adopted her two daughters as a single mom. Both Chelsea and Sony were previously advocated for by Reece’s Rainbow. Jay himself was adopted by his step-father and has a sister with special needs who was also adopted. When Shannon and Jay started dating, Shannon had no idea that Jay himself had a history of adoption. As the relationship grew, it became very clear Jay’s heart and experiences with special needs adoption aligned with Shannon’s, something that was even written into his wedding vows. Now as husband wife, they are thrilled to be able to adopt together and grow their family.
The Marshes are currently parents to Alex, Sony, and Chelsea and have just completed the adoption of two teen boys from Eastern Europe. The family was adopting three teens, but the girl they were adopting became unavailable for adoption at the very end of the adoption process. Just after the boys passed court and legally became the Marshes sons, the family was made aware of a precious girl about to age out. The Marshes had already been prepared to bring home a teen daughter and had a lot of necessary paperwork in place to be able to jump very quickly. And so they did. They are overjoyed to announce they are working on bringing a daughter home to their family.
This leap of faith required moving some mountains in a matter of literal days to ensure the child would be safe from aging out of adoption. Now it’s all hands on deck to do all they can to bring her home as soon as possible. The Marshes are kicking off her adoption while preparing to travel to bring their new sons home. The Marshes could use any help possible to make this all happen swiftly for this sweet girl. Older child adoption has been at the heart of the family and everyone is excited about their new sister coming home.
The Marsh family has met their $2500 MATCHING GRANT!!
10/2/2023 — COURT in OCT
Marnie has received a $5000 Older Child Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
Steven and Andrea are growing their family with adoption. Married on March 12, 2011, Steven and Andrea decided to pursue adoption to grow their family due to fertility issues. The Winner’s adopted their son five years ago from China and now they are adding one more to their family, this time from Bulgaria. Originally planning to adopt again from China, those plans were derailed with China not opening the adoption program back up. After waiting a few months the Winner’s decided to go with Bulgaria.
Adoption is a long process and not without its challenges. From paperwork, finances, and making hard choices. There are many waiting kids who all need loving family’s and out of the lists the Winner’s have identified a child on and are excited to be taking the next steps to be officially matched.
The Winner’s son Samuel is excited about having a sibling and can’t wait to travel and teach his new sibling everything he knows.
With the homestudy and dossier done and translated the process should be relatively quick. The Winner’s will have 2 trips, the second one being pickup. They estimate that their second trip will take place some time in the summer. Great time to travel but expensive. They welcome donations to help them bring their son home.
8/22/2023 — AWAITING COURT
IT’S OFFICIAL, I am gonna be a Mommy again!
Howdy from Texas, I have exciting news to share with ya’ll- I am matched/approved for 2 kids. You read that right, yes, 2. After a very bumpy road and being rejected by the first match we have a set of happy campers that all want the same thing. Yee-haw!!
These sweet boys are 9 and 12. They have been waiting for 4 years and want to be adopted together. They are survivors of trauma and neglect. We met each other via zoom, and after some awkward moments we shared a few smiles and I was able to show them their new pets too. Leo and Felix LOVE soccer and made sure to ask if they’d be able to play soccer here. Their favorite soccer players are Messi and Ronoldo.
Even though we are matched and have met online, we still have a long way to go.
I am expecting to travel very soon in the next month or 2. There are 2 trips required, and the children can come home at the end of the second trip. I am so excited and also nervous. I have been applying for grants to help the boys get out of the orphanage and come home to their forever family. Please help Leo and Felix come home and make a donation to the FSP today. You’ll be forever changing the life of 2 kids, and making the world a better place at the same time. Good luck for them, good karma for you. What better way to “double dip?’ 😉
**It’s a tax-deductible donation- RR is a 501C3.**
Thanks for your support. All my love, Sarah.
P.S. Leo and Felix say thank you too.
The Morgan family has met their $2500 MATCHING GRANT!!
7/11/2023 — AWAITING COURT
Meet the Hymas family! Curtis and Desiree married young 16 years ago and have never looked back! They knew they had something special and envisioned a simple life of love, sacrifice, faith and adventure. Five biological kids later, they recognized their passion for being parents, creating memories and raising a close-knit family with the same values.
One of Desiree’s most formative experiences growing up was having her aunt Vickie live with her family. Vickie had Down Syndrome and brought unconditional love and happiness everywhere she went. Over the years, Desiree spent time working with and befriending those with special needs—associations which have brought her increased meaning and joy as a mother. Upon learning that children with Down Syndrome are consigned to orphanages around the world, the Hymas family immediately felt the need to answer the call to open their home.
After many months of fasting, prayer and emotional experiences together, the Hymas family found a 3-year-old boy from Kyrgyzstan and felt an instant connection. After looking up Kyrgyzstan on a map, they found out it’s one of the most expensive countries for adoption. Already frustrated with the length of time international adoption requires and the amounts of money due up front, the Hymases are doing their part to act quickly to avoid unnecessary financial delays in bringing their new addition home.
It will require miracles and push the family way outside its comfort zone, so all the support received from family, friends and the global community of those desiring to make a difference is eternally appreciated!
8/28/2023 — COURT PASSED; FINAL TRIP in SEPTEMBER
Robbie and Meagan’s hearts were broken after learning that over 1,000 special needs children were ready and waiting to find their forever families in India. They brought home their first daughter in Dec 2019 and became advocates for adoption, especially adoption of special needs children.
About 9 months after Nivi joined the Hart family, they began the process of applying to adopt a second child. While applying, they saw a Facebook post about a young girl from the same state as their first daughter, who had similar physical needs. Due to licensing, she was aging out of her orphanage at the young age of 6. So many people advocated for her to be moved to a new home so she would be able to find her forever family. The Harts held on to her loosely as they completed filing their paperwork, thinking someone would surely snatch up such a beautiful young girl.
In many steps that feel miraculous, the Harts have been able to reserve Lucy (name changed for security), and they are hoping to bring her home in December of this year. Lucy is 7 years old, and she really wants to do something with her life. Would you consider helping the Harts bring Lucy home?
10/5/2022 — AWAITING COURT
Zachary and Caitlyn Connelly are the parents of 5 biological children. They are starting the journey to adopt a 2 year old boy from Eastern Europe. They know this may seem radical to some people but being the hands and feet of Jesus is what we are called to do, right? Adoption is expensive and while they have many obstacles to overcome during this time they have faith God will provide everything they need. Knowing that not everyone can help financially they ask for your prayers above anything else. Prayers for the process and also prayers for the little boy who has some complex medical issues that may not be being met due to being in an orphanage and not having access to great medical care.
The family thanks each and every one who prays and donates. It truly takes a village and they are thankful for theirs!
3/9/2022 — UPDATING PAPERWORK
CONTACT
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 146
Combined Locks, WI 54113
CLICK HERE to contact us.
Your questions will be directed to the appropriate team member.
PO Box 146
Combined Locks, WI 54113
CLICK HERE to contact us.
Your questions will be directed to the appropriate team member.
