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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 Brokaw family is growing again! Emily, a single mom, and her son, Micah, are returning to Eastern Europe!
Emily has known she wanted to adopt since she was 7. Through a series of events in her life, including welcoming a cousin through adoption, undergoing major surgery as a 22-year-old, and assisting her parents with caregiving for her grandmother for her final 5 years, God only solidified her call to adopt. Emily has always had a heart for serving other people and her career as a speech-language pathologist has enabled her to help both children and adults reach their goals. Her career only further ignited her desire to adopt children with special needs.
In early 2021, Emily initially began pursuing a waiting child in China. Sadly, that program closed. While she grieves for the girl she had hoped was her daughter, she is grateful for the way that child led her to her son, Micah.
Micah has Down syndrome and was adopted from Bulgaria in April 2024. Emily has been honored to watch Micah thrive since coming home. Being Micah’s Baboo (his word for “mommy”) is her favorite role. He is a social butterfly and has entwined his way into the hearts of many in their amazing community.
In September 2025, exactly 2 years after receiving Micah’s referral, Emily saw a beautiful older girl with Down syndrome on the waiting photo listings. Emily applied and received a soft match just 2.5 weeks later. She feels incredibly honored to be entrusted with loving this sweet girl forever.
Emily and Micah are racing to bring her home as soon as possible so that she can receive needed medical care and be surrounded by the love of a mama, brother, nana, pap, and a village of family and friends. Emily and Micah are so humbled and thankful for your love, prayers, and financial support. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus in this tangible way.
9/2/2026 — FIRST TRIP in OCTOBER
The Brokaw family has met their $5000 Matching Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
Hello again from the Braddock Bunch! We are so excited to be adding a little boy and a little girl from Bulgaria to our family. Thank you for supporting us on this journey!
9/3/2026 — FINAL TRIP in OCTOBER!
The Braddock family has met their $5000 Matching Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
Shelby has always loved working with children. From a very early age, she knew she wanted nothing more than to be a mom. When she was a preteen, there was a little girl with special needs in her church, and every once in a while Shelby would be asked to hold her while her grandmother sang a special. That’s when she grew a special place in her heart for kids with special needs. Though that particular child did not have Down syndrome, Shelby felt a strong tug on her heart to one day adopt a child with Down syndrome from around that age.
A dear friend, who Shelby only knew via the internet, had posted the Reece’s Rainbow profile page of a little girl with Down syndrome. Once Shelby clicked the link, she knew she was brought there for a reason. Shelby could not adopt at the time, but she discovered a deep love for advocating for these children and for the families adopting them. She continued to advocate for many years, hoping that one day, she would be on that journey to bring her own child home. She nannied and worked in a PRTF, researched and reached out to families to learn from their experiences. She did anything to take steps to prepare for the child who would one day come into her home.
Gaining strength from God through an ectopic pregnancy and a messy divorce, she picked herself back up and continued to work towards that goal. On Christmas day, 2021, covid struck hard. Shelby was in the hospital being rushed to ICU to be put on a vent, and wondered if that was the end for her. God saw her through, and she truly believes she’s still here for a reason. The calling that God laid on her heart a long time ago was more pressing than ever, and she asked herself, “Why not now?” With her supportive nanny job boss/friend, she took the first baby-step, and just kept stepping away. With your help (thanks, so much, by the way), she is baby-stepping all the way to bringing her baby home. She can’t help but feel that that dear friend who shared Reece’s Rainbow with her, all those years ago, and has since passed on to be with the Lord in Heaven, would be loving watching this all unfold. If you can’t adopt, advocate…it really does make a difference.
7/7/2026 — FINAL TRIP in AUGUST!
The Smith family has met their $5000 Matching Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
After waiting over 4-1/2 years for China to reopen after they closed due to COVID, the notice was received that they closed their international adoption program permanently on the same day that Kathy’s daughter there turned 18 and aged out. This was devastating – not only to Kathy and the waiting families, but to the children who will never get to know the love and support of a family. Though heartbroken about the loss of ‘Nora’, and after many months of waiting and praying, Kathy has decided to pursue the adoption of another older child who also needs a family. This time from Bulgaria!
Kathy’s bio daughter Stephani (along with her four adopted kids) and her adopted daughter Melayna (Armenia 2018) join in the excitement of adding another sister and aunt to the family. Please pray for a smooth process! The China process was a huge financial loss, so your prayers and financial support are greatly appreciated!
8/9/2026 — FIRST TRIP in AUGUST
The Rice family has met their Matching Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
Josh and Emma are beyond excited to complete their family through adoption! They have been married for 20 years and have been blessed with 3 biological children – Eli, Ollie, and Nora. Adoption has been a topic of conversation for their entire marriage and specifically adopting a child with Down syndrome. Emma started volunteering with her local special needs community when she was in high school and quickly introduced Josh to the idea when they started dating. Josh instantly found his love for those with special abilities too. They love to volunteer as a family and try to get involved with any opportunity they can!
In 2022, the family took a leap of faith and started the adoption process. While it has been a long, difficult road filled with ups, downs, heartbreaks, and triumphs, Josh and Emma made the difficult decision to switch countries in August 2024 and start fresh. They have submitted their dossier and are now waiting to be matched with one of the waiting children in Armenia.
The extensive cost of international adoption has been felt throughout this process. Please consider helping the Thurgood family bring their child home. Your financial contribution is greatly appreciated!
7/14/2026 — FINAL TRIP in AUGUST
The Thurgood Family has also received a $2000 EE4 child grant!
The Thurgood family has met their $5000 Matching Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
THE THURGOOD FAMILY IS FULLY FUNDED!!
The Anderson- Hansen family, Charlie, Liz and their seven children (Ethan, Savanna, Nikita, Abby, Nikolina, Emmeline and Cameron) are on a new adoption journey! They adopted their sons, Cameron from DCF in 2021 and Nikita (RR “Bert”) from Ukraine in 2021. They then brought home their daughter, Nikolina (RR “Pippy”) from Bulgaria in 2024. All three of these children have added such joy to the family that the idea of another adoption was never far from thought.
Charlie and Liz are both registered nurses and enjoy the field immensely. Charlie works in the Neuro ICU and Liz does Private Duty Pediatric Nursing. Liz has always had the heart for special needs adoption and was thrilled when she met Charlie and realized that his heart also led him to adopt. After scrolling through Reece’s Rainbow for years they found their son, Nikita, and daughter, Nikolina. After getting them home and integrated into the family, they came across a little boy on Reece’s Rainbow who tugged their heartstrings! What an easy decision it was to return to Eastern Europe to make this new little one the baby of the family!
Four adoptions in four years is quite a feat and they need their village now more than ever! They are so thankful and blessed for the village that has grown around them and their children and would love to have everyone along on their next adoption journey!
8/25/2026 — COURT PASSED; AWAITING FINAL TRIP!
The Anderson-Hansen family has met their $5000 Matching Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
Anna is a single mom who has created her family through adoption. As an adoptee herself she always knew she would “pay it forward” by adopting children from around the world. Toward that goal she became a foster parent at age 25 and has adopted her two special needs children out of that system. A 10-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. Her son has a limb difference and that is what drew her to these precious little West African girls.
As a volunteer on over 20 church-sponsored mission trips Anna had been able to love on children of all colors and languages and abilities. Where did she serve? South Carolina (4x), Bolivia (2x), Dominican Republic (9x) and Guatemala (5x). She wants to build on those life experiences and expand her family through international adoption.
Anna’s daughter is thrilled to bring these little girls home. Talks about them, asks about them, prays for them. She has remained so focused on these little ones that she asks for extra chores to earn money to contribute to the family adoptive fund. She just knows in her heart that these little girls are meant to be her sisters.
Through her years as a foster mother Anna has gathered community and resource people to surround her family to help raise her children to be contributing citizens and persons of faith. She is not alone in this quest.
Dear God, we praise you. We thank you. We ask you to protect all your children. Help us be your instruments of love to share with people all over the world…especially the orphaned children. May each one find their earthly family through your intercession. Your will be done in each life and in all things. In His name we pray. Amen and amen.
International adoption is a different process than domestic foster and adoption programs. The biggest difference is financial. Anna needs your prayer support and financial support. Help her bring these little girls home to her forever family.
1/20/2026 — FIRST TRIP COMPLETED FALL 2025
The Brown family has met their $5000 Matching Grant from Reece’s Rainbow!
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.
