Established Steps: March 2011

Monday, March 28, 2011

Official!

Heidi's picture is now showing that she has a warrior! We are official! Lets get this ball rolling.

Hey Everyone. So, if you haven't already, I wish you would first go read Joanna's Post about being an Orphan Warrior through Reece's Rainbow, before finishing this one. She really explains the amazing opportunity and the very accessible 'do-ability' of this ministry. I already am a Prayer Warrior for Avery (Prayer), and last year we did a one month warrior thing to raise money for Sergei. Reece's Rainbow also has an Orphan Warrior Project where you can commit, for one year, to raise money for a specific orphan with special needs. After much consideration, I have decided to spend this year advocating for Heidi.

Isn't she precious? A absolutely love that silky brown hair and dark eyes and that precious open-mouthed half smile. Heidi has already been transerfered to an institution, and she is five years old. She doesn't have a personal grant, which means that all finances raised for her will go into a grant for all of the older down syndrome girls on RR. I don't quite understand how all of that works, but I do understand that Heidi needs a voice. And I have one to use on her behalf. Please pray for my sweet Heidi girl, and if you want to donate towards her adoption, email me at ama2@bellsouth.net. Thank you guys so much! I can't wait to get to "know" Heidi better while praying for her and advocating for her.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

!!!

My cousin sketched this of me yesterday! She is so talented and generous. I love her!

Happy Spring Break!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

New Things

"Behold, the former things have come to

pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth

I tell you of them."

~Isaiah 42:9~

Do you remember the little Reece's Rainbow boy Sergei that you helped raise money for last year? He has a new picture.

Honestly, I can kind of understand how a child can change from this:

To this:

:) ...handsome boy.

But how a child grows from this:

To THIS:

Can ONLY be a magic miracle wrought by the God of the universe Himself.

BLESSED be the name of the Lord.

"I am the LORD; that is my name;

my glory I give to no other."

~Isaiah 42:8~

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Breathless

I just found this picture. And its left me breathless. Tearful. Saddened.

This is my Reece's Rainbow Prayer Warrior boy, affectionately referred to as 'Prayer' on the blog.

I have learned that I can share his name with you as well, though I didn't think so before. His name is Avery. And I love him so, so, so much.

Can you believe how much this child has grown? I have failed to pray faithfully for him lately, and seeing this picture, I realized that I have sort of abandoned him. I gave up hope. Oh my sweet boy, I am so sorry.

Avery is elligible for an older child grant. Please, please, if you know anyone looking to adopt, share the news about my sweet boy. All of his information can be found on Reece's Rainbow.

"So we DO NOT loose heart.

Though our outer nature is wasting away,

our inner nature is being renewed day by day."

~2 Corinthians 4:16~

Overcoming

"I have said these things to you that you, that in Me you may have peace.

In the world, you will have tribulation.

But take heart;

I have overcome the world."

~John 16:33~

I would like you introduce you to the Gould family. The Gould's have five children, Molly, Max, Tanner, Tate, and Ian--- who you may remember as Sho. Now that this family has blog, I think I can call their children by their actual names. :)

Molly and I at B* camp last summer.

The Gould's have decided to open their home to one, possibly two, little girls from Ethiopia. My family and I are absolutely ecstatic to get to walk this journey with them as the third Ethiopian adoption family in our church (actually, one more family who I don't know very well is starting the process as well, hopefully we'll have four families with ET babies soon!) We have already started busily preparing an fundraiser! I can't wait.

Anyway, hop on over to the Gould's blog and read how the Lord is overcoming the world through them. I am so amazed by this family. They have such a beautiful faith. They have FIVE young children already, the youngest of whom with special needs. Does this sound crazy to you? It is crazy. It is so so so crazy. When Christ said that HE had overcome the world--- He wasn't kidding! Despite distance, despite finances, despite already full-to-the-bursting homes, Jesus is overcoming the world one family at a time.

All I can do is thank Him.