The Zero Dollar Club

We have at least two things in common...

(Yay!  Two of these children have one less thing in common  since this post was written!  See updated info by their names!  Thanks to the kind people who have helped them!!!)

Joey

In this sad club of ours...

Arnold

First, we have no Mama or Papa to live with...

William

No one we can count on to love us forever...

Carter

No one to believe in us and who we can become...

Aiden

No one to encourage us to be all that we can be...

Kristopher

We each are alone in this world with no one to call us their own.

Sadie

They say it costs a lot of money...

Russ

For a Mama and Papa to save us...

Patti

To pay for the many expenses to make us forever their own...

Gavin

But we each have ZERO dollars in our grant fund...

Nettie (Update!  Nettie now has $135 in her fund!!!)

Not even ONE dollar to help a Mama and Papa with all those expenses!

Charlie

Imagine how scary it must be for them to commit to adopt us...

Nathan

When they don't know where to find the THOUSANDS of dollars needed to make us their own?

Christine

If only some kind-hearted people...

Would share a few dollars with us...

Alexander

If many could give just a little...

The littles could add to a lot!

Elsie

Then maybe a Mama and Papa...

Would have courage to say YES to us...

Olive

And give us the love that we long for!

Irie

We'd love to leave our sad ZERO DOLLAR Club...

To join the exciting MY FAMILY FOUND ME Club!

Patrick

Can you help?

 Dale (Update! Dale now has $180 in his fund!!!)

To learn more about us or to donate...

Click on our names or our pictures!

Don't be afraid that your gift is too small...

Even ONE dollar helps!!!

This post is a part of the Forget Me Not Friday Linkup organized by Jane!

Please check it out here! And consider linking up a post of your own!

Jane's Forget Me Not Friday post this week features a $1 challenge to raise money for Bobby!

Bobby lives in a remote institution -- he needs all the help we can give him!

Click here to read and help!

Last Chance for Kyle...

Kyle will be 14 in February...

Sadly, he is an orphan and will be turned out of the orphanage to fend for himself if he is not adopted...

On his own at 14 years old?

Can you imagine?

Where will he live?

How could he possibly pay rent?

How could he earn sufficient money to support himself?

Would he turn to crime as his only hope of survival?

What sad options he faces!

Yet there remains a very small hope...

He needs a family to commit to him by this Friday, December 31.

He needs to be adopted by his birthday in February.

He needs a family who is already adopting from China to add him to their adoption.

Impossible?

Not with God!

Will you pray?

Will you share his story?

Please go to Adeye's blog for more information...

Or Contact Annie  right here. to find out if you could be his family or for more information about Kyle..

This post is a part of the Forget Me Not Friday Linkup organized by Jane!

Please check it out here! And consider linking up a post of your own!

Jane's Forget Me Not Friday post this week features a $1 challenge to raise money for Bobby!

Bobby lives in a remote institution -- he needs all the help we can give him!

Click here to read and help!

Good News and Bad News

The good news first...

Thank you for your prayers -- God is working!

Jonathan...

The young man who will be 16 on December 31...

And will be turned out on the street to fend for himself if he doesn't have a committed family by then...

(I wrote about him here.)

Now HAS a qualified family who are working hard to adopt him!

Please pray they can get their home study updated and all other details worked out in time...

Miracles are still needed!

Please continue to pray for him and for the family!

Please go to Adeye's blog for more details and specific prayer requests for Jonathan's adoption process!

More Good News!

Remember Paul?

And the other "passed over babes" ...

The children from the angel tree that Julia was fundraising for?

As of Friday...

ALL of the angel tree children she included in her giveaway reached their goal!

At least $1000 was raised for each of them during this year's angel tree!

Read Julia's blog to see how much was raised for each child!

And one of them...



Artem...

Has a FAMILY committed to him now!

My little Paul...

Is still waiting...


He is off to a good start with $2197.50 in his fund (part of it was raised before the angel tree) ... but his adoption will cost more than that :(

If you are able, please continue to give to Paul and Julia's other waiting children ...

(You can find additional angel tree children, some of whom have not yet reached their goal here.)

You can help their grant funds grow even more!

Thank God for the money He has already raised...

And thank you for letting Him use you!

The Bad News...

Several children who had families who were committed to adopting them...

Who loved them and truly wanted to give them a happy home...

Wanted to give them a Mom and Dad and love...

Several of the children have been transferred to another institution...

And are no longer available for international adoption.

.

Please pray for the grieving families...

And for the precious people who advocated for these children...

They are crushed and grieving at this news.

You can read more about the situation from Natalie, Andrea, and Sarah.

It is reported that the new institution is much better than the old...

That the priest who runs the new institution will find families for them in their own country...

Please pray for the children that they truly have a good life...

That they will be able to have families of their own...

And pray for comfort for those who morn...

Thanks so much!

This post is part of a Sharing Sunday blog link-up hosted by Jane!

Do check it out and consider linking up a post of your own!

Her Sharing Sunday post for this week is here!

Urgent! Please pray for Jonathan!

Jonathan...

I just learned about Jonathan from Adeye's blog.

He has a birthday on December 31.

He will turn 16 in less than 2 1/2 weeks.

If he lived with his family in the US...

Turning 16 would be exciting...

Maybe he would be getting his drivers licence...

But he would still have his parents to guide him...

To help him learn how to be a man...

To guide him as he transitions to adulthood...

But Jonathan lives in an orphanage.

While that may sound bad...

Things are about to become worse.

Soon after his birthday he will be turned out on the street to fend for himself...

With no job...

No one to mentor him and give him advice...

No way to support himself...

Most kids in his situation end up in crime to support themselves...

Jonathan is a good kid...

He does not want to be in trouble out on the streets...

He wants a family!

Here is some information about him I copied from Adeye's blog...

"Jonathan is apparently a very, very good boy. He has a great sense of humor which has been confirmed by other kids in his class and two children who were recently adopted to U.S. He loves to work on a computer, takes part in virtually all theatrical performances organized at the orphanage, just a great actor, very calm when not on stage, never gets in trouble, loves sports and plays soccer, played basketball and trained in light athletics, studies at good level. Jonathan is respectful to adults and older children. He is obedient and always ready to help. NEEDS A FAMILY to file for immigration ASAP, can adopt later. BEGS translator when he visits if he has found his family yet, desperately wants to be adopted. Can be chatted to on Skype as well as email."

Quoting again from Adeye's blog...

"Jonathan has a matter of DAYS to find a family.  Mere DAYS!

"In order for this boy to be rescued from a life that few of us can even begin to imagine, a family needs to step forward in the next few days and commit to him!  I'm told that as long as there is a commitment and the I600 visa is applied for, he will be kept where he is, and the adoption can be completed later.  That's the good news.

"Right now what is needed is a family who has adopted internationally before.  From the contact I have been given, "He needs a family that is married, can travel, and has a homestudy that can be used for immigration approval and is willing to apply for immigration in the next week.  If a family is ready to apply they will work directly with the facilitator who knows him."

"One week!  A visa HAS to be applied for in the next week in order to save this boy! ....

"Please, I'm begging you to share his story wherever you possibly can!  It is the only way his family will find their son.

If anyone would like more information about adopting Jonathan, please contact Amy atwaitingchildren@gmail.com"

Please pray for Jonathan!

Please share his story!

It may seen impossible but God can work miracles!

God can save Jonathan!

I can't wait to read Jonathan's miracle story...

Please be a part of the miracle -- share Jonathan's story today!

This post is a part of the Forget Me Not Friday Linkup organized by Jane!

Please check it out here! And consider linking up a post of your own!

Happy Birthday Victoria!!!!

Victoria -- It's December 12 - your special day!

And you are a special girl!

V - Vivacious & Victorious

I - Intelligent

C - Cheerful & Courageous

T - Talented & Teachable

O - Open to Opportunity

R - Radient & Resilient

I - Inspirational

A -  Aspiring

Despite the box society puts you in because of your disability...

Despite the fact that you've been hidden away without opportunities to learn and thrive...

Your smile shines through!!!!

The world is missing out on your sweet heart...

Missing out on what you have to give...

Missing out on what you can become if you are only given the chance!

You are a special girl that needs to be noticed and appreciated for the special person God made you to be!

I pray that a Mama & Papa will soon see your face!

That' they'll see in you the beauty and potential that society has overlooked...

That they'll see your possibilities instead of your disabilities...

And give you the love and opportunity you've been waiting for so long!

Happy 9th Birthday SweetVictoria!!!

I'm thinking of you today!!!

Thank you so much to my kind blog friend (you know who you are) who gave my girl a birthday gift!

If anyone else would like to bless my dear Victoria with a Birthday gift to her grant fund to help her get a family you can donate here.

This post is part of a Sharing Sunday blog link-up hosted by Jane!

Do check it out and consider linking up a post of your own!

A Sparkle in his Eye...

What would it take to put a sparkle in his eye?

His profile says he's a happy boy...

That he loves to be praised...

Maybe they caught him in a sad and lonely moment...

Maybe it's just a bad picture...

But in little Paul's picture he looks listless and bored...

Like he's lost hope that joy could yet come his way.

What would it take to renew his hope...

Renew his joy...

Make him laugh...

And put a twinkle in his eye?

He doesn't need a mansion house...

Designer clothes...

Or  $500 of toys for Christmas...

He needs a Mama's love...

Daddy's protection...

A few simple toys...

A place to call home...

Bedtime stories...

Lullabies and prayers as he falls asleep.

Food in his tummy...

Snuggles at bedtime...

A sandbox...

A wagon...

A puppy to play with...

What joy even simple things can bring!

I want to see this little man smile...

Don't you?

You can help Paul and the other "Passed Over Babes" -- the ones who've been waiting...

and waiting...

and waiting some more...

For someone to love them and call them their own.

You prayers and donations make a big difference!

By donating $5 to at least two of the passed over babes you can be entered into two great giveaways...

Head on over to Julia's blog for more details!

Hurry - the giveaway ends in just a few days (last day is December 14!)!

Here are some of the passed over babes...

The goal is to raise $1000  for each angel tree child during the angel tree fundraiser hosted by Reece's Rainbow...

The little ones listed below are still short of the goal...

                                                                        

                   Yegor          $580.00                 Arina              $655.00                                  

 

Paul                    $557.00             Nikita              $530.00  

     

                                                                                 

                                         

    Dimtry      $764.00                         Mark             $815.00

      

                  Danila   $770.00                           Spencer        $946.00                                     

         

Click on their names to learn more about each child and go to  Julia's blog to enter the giveaway!

This post is part of a Sharing Sunday blog link-up hosted by Jane!

Do check it out and consider linking up a post of your own!

Notice her special day!!!!

Look at this little girl...

Do you recognize her?

It's an older picture of my Victoria...

The first picture I saw of her.

This precious little girl was in bed then...

And she was still in bed when this more recent picture was taken...

Waiting for a Mama and Papa to love and cherish her...

To bring her home and give her the opportunity to thrive...

The opportunity to go to school...

To receive medical treatment to straighten her legs...

So she can learn to walk...

Victoria's special day of the year is just around the corner...

Her BIRTHDAY is on Monday, December 12...

She will be NINE years old...

Nine years is too long to wait for a Mama!

Instead of hugs and kisses...

Gifts and cake and friends...

Her day will go unnoticed...

She will likely not even know it is her birthday...

This birthday will be spent in bed...

Just like every other day...

SAD

Please notice her day!

Though you can't hug her now and tell her how special she is...

There's something you can do!!!

If you are able...

Would you consider even a small birthday gift donation to her grant fund...

(No gift is too small!)

To help with the expenses of the best gift...

The gift of a Mama and Papa and love?

Your gift helps defray the costs of adoption...

If a child has a large grant it helps give prospective families courage to step out and commit to a child...

(I want to thank those who have donated to Victoria's fund recently!

Last time I looked she had $10 in her fund -- today she has $55!!!!)

Consider sharing Victoria on your blog, Facebook, etc...

Maybe one of your friends or readers could be her Mama!

Will you join me in praying that this is Victoria's last birthday without a family...

That she will be HOME next year for her tenth birthday surrounded with love and family??

This post is a part of the Forget Me Not Friday Linkup organized by Jane!

Please check it out here! And consider linking up a post of your own!