Do you see them?

Payday...

A little money available for charity...

It won't be a big donation...

It won't go far...

But hopefully it will help a little...

Hopefully it will help a little with the adoption costs...

Hopefully it will help a child get a family!

But where should I put it...

What child should I give it to...

And will it really make a difference?

After all...

There are so many children...

A little donation is like a drop in the bucket...

And it can be a little disheartening...

When you go back and look at children you've attempted to help in the past...

Children like Russ...

$102.90 (no that's not the size of my donation)...

It's how much money was in Russ's grant on November 30, 2013...

I know because I looked back at Jenny's Zero the Zero's blogpost for that date...

I think, if I remember correctly, that I gave a little donation (NOT the whole thing)...

To bump him over the $100 wall...

I wish I could say he is home with his family now... and thriving...

But I can't because he's still waiting!

That means the money I gave is still sitting there...

Waiting to help him come home...

If a family ever sees him and chooses him...

Want to take a guess at what his grant reads today?

$102.90...

The exact SAME amount it was over a year ago...

Has anyone besides me noticed this child?

This real child...

Who waits for a real family to choose him?

This real child...

Who faces a perhaps short...

And unpleasant future in an institution if he is never chosen?

I know he has at least been seen by some in passing... 

Because one or more people put money in his fund to start his grant before I gave my little donation over a year ago...

And because I used to share him once in awhile along with sweet Arnold...

Who was in the same orphanage as him...

By the way...

Arnold's fund hasn't changed in a LONG time either...

It currently reads $100.20...

My memory is a little fuzzy...

I thought he had been on Zero the Zero's blog too...

But I didn't see him there...

So either I missed him...

Or maybe he was already (barely) over the $100 goal when Jenny made her list so he didn't quite qualify...

In any case BOTH Arnold and Russ are still waiting...

Without a single change in their grant funds in over a year!

I can't really complain too much because...

I haven't been very consistent in sharing them or thinking about them either...

And the list of waiting children is so very long...

And...

Although I went to Jenny's archive's specifically to look for Arnold and Russ because I was going to blog about them...

While I was there I saw someone else...

My sweet Sullivan!

He was on that list over a year ago too...

On November 30, 2013 his grant was $23

And I know that he didn't cross the $100 wall till February 2015...

The sad thing...

I used to look at Jenny's blog back then when she wrote many of those archived posts...

I was even able to bump a few of my special kids over the $100 wall with small donations...

But I passed my sweet Sullivan by!

Look at him in his recent picture...

Reaching out...

Begging to be noticed!

These are REAL children...

Waiting...

And perhaps wasting away for lack of sufficient love and attention...

(They say Sullivan is getting weaker!)

What can I do?

If I give my little donation...

To one of these sweet boys...

Or to some other child who catches my eye...

Will the money still be sitting there in a year or two or more...

Unable to do it's job because the child has not yet been chosen...

Because the list of waiting kids is so long...

That they get lost in the crowd?

I'm not in a position to adopt at this time...

And even if I was...

I don't qualify to adopt from their country...

So I can't adopt them myself...

And yet they are growing up without a family...

Growing up in pictures

While they wait...

Russ

And wait...

Arnold

And WAIT!

Sullivan

How can a family choose these sweet boys...

If they stay lost in the crowd?

And how can my donation do any good if the kids are never seen or chosen?

How can I make my little donation more effective?

How can I use it to help my kids be seen?

Instead of giving it to one of these sweet boys directly...

I have decided to use it for a little drawing...

And YOU get to decide who it goes to!

It works like this...

Share this post or one (or more) of these kids profiles...

On Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or some other place...

Be sure to let me know you shared (and how many times/places you shared)...

And WHO you want my donation to go to if you win the drawing

(Please give me the link to the child's or family's profile on Reece's Rainbow)

By commenting on this post or e-mailing Pam at:

savinghissparrows@gmail.com

And I will enter the child or adoptive family of your choice into a drawing to receive my little donation...

It can be any child or family who has a grant fund on Reece's Rainbow.

Feel free to browse the waiting children and adoptive families on the Reece's Rainbow site if you don't have anyone in mind at the moment!

Waiting Children: http://reecesrainbow.org/new-family/thechildren

Families: http://reecesrainbow.org/sponsor-a-family-2

Your chosen child or family will get 1 entry for each of your shares on social media...

And if you write a blogpost for my boys your chosen child or family will get 3 entries!

(If you share your blog link with me so I can read your post too!)

In addition I will feature the winning child or family in a blogpost on this blog!

I will do the drawing some time on Sunday March 29, 2015...

My kids may not get this donation...

But I hope they will get some visibility with many shares...

So that hopefully...

They won't have to wait too much longer until it is their turn to be chosen by a family of their very own!

So share, Share, SHARE!!!!

These boys need to be seen!

You can read read more about these boys...

(And even donate to their adoption grants if you feel so moved...)

By visiting their Reece's Rainbow profiles at the links below:

Russ http://reecesrainbow.org/17676/russ306

Arnold http://reecesrainbow.org/17567/arnold303

Sullivan http://reecesrainbow.org/52242/sullivan

*****

Be sure to visit Jenny's Zero the Zero's blog!

She still has a long list of children who she is trying to get over the $100 wall...

Children who need to be SEEN and NOTICED and CHOSEN!

You can visit Zero the Zeros by clicking HERE.

*****

While perusing Jenny's archives I also saw my Colin and Leo...

Who were my focus on this blog some time ago...

They were listed on Zero the Zero's blog too...

They made it over the $100 wall...

But unfortunately they are currently unavailable for adoption due to unrest in the region of their country they are from...

Pleas pray for them...

Hopefully the issues can be resolved...

And they can become available again soon so they can be chosen, adopted, and loved by a family too!

They almost look like brothers! | Reece's Rainbow Waiting Children

Sad ...

And forlorn...

Will no one ever choose us?

Please, Oh please...

Take note of us...

We need families too!

Guess which one of us this is?

Why this is darling Russ!

Just look how sweet and handsome...

He has grown to be!

And here's another...

Who is he?

Why this is hansom Arnold!

Look how much he's grown!

And he's even found a smile!

What fine sons these boys would make!

They almost look like brothers!

Oh where...

Oh WHERE can we find their Mom and Dad?

These sweet boys are facing transfer to an institution soon...

How dreadful that will be :(

Please hurry and share...

So their faces can be seen...

To help them find a family...

And save them from their fate!

Such lovely boys...

Deserve to know...

What family's all about!

Could either (or both?) of them be yours?

You can learn more about Arnold and Russ by clicking on their names in this post!

You can learn more about adoption HERE!

*****

Don't forget "my" Emmitt and the renovation project at his institution!

You can find the link to make a tax deductible donation towards the Orphanage 67 renovation project at the top left corner of my sidebar!

You can read more about the renovation project HERE.

Time for the loser to WIN!!!

Sweet little Arnold...

Has been "losing" a lot in life...

(Through no fault of his own of course!)

First he lost his Mom and Dad!

Perhaps they were poor and couldn't afford to pay for treatment for his medical needs...

Perhaps they had to work and had no one willing to help them care for a special needs boy...

Likely they were told he wouldn't amount to much...

That he would be a burden...

Perhaps they would be ostracized if they kept a child with a disability...

Perhaps they were told the state orphanage could provide better care for him...

Whatever the case...

Arnold was the loser!

He lost his Mom and Dad...

The most important people in the life of a child!

Instead of one on one care...

He went to an orphanage where he had to share the few caregiver's time with many other kids.

Instead of story time and being rocked to sleep he probably was left alone in a crib...

Instead of helping Mom or Dad build block towers and then gleefully knocking them down...

He probably spent hours in a playpen with other kids but few toys.

Thankfully sweet Arnold had one thing going for him!

He was listed for adoption...

If only a family would choose him!

But sadly he didn't feel much like smiling when they took his picture :(



Perhaps it was time to eat and they made him wait till he got his picture taken...

Or maybe he wasn't feeling well...

Whatever the case the camera missed his smile :(

Would he be able to catch a family's attention without a smile?

Apparently not...

'Cause he's still waiting :(

Then, oh joy...

Another chance came!

Arnold was chosen as one of 11 candidates for the Angel Tree from his age group!

Would he be voted into 1st or 2nd place...

Or be chosen for 3rd place?

Would he get a spot on the angel tree?



No, sadly sweet Arnold not only lost...

But he had the LOWEST number of votes in his category!

Only 10 votes :(

But every one of those votes meant somebody SAW his potential...

SAW that he was special!

And in fairness...

NO ONE voting wanted him to lose!

The deepest desire of all the voters is families for ALL the children...

But with only one vote possible...

We can't vote for them all :(

At least being in the running he was seen by many voters!

And though he lost out on angel tree publicity...

We can still shout for him!

Thankfully we now have a new (and happier!) picture of him!



He looks so much more grown up!

He'll turn 7 years old in December.

That's 7 years too many to wait for a family!

But what's even worse than a 7 year wait are these terrible words from his profile...

URGENT:  FACING IMMINENT TRANSFER to the INSTITUTION

Now that would be a TERRIBLE loss for him!

Does this boy look like institution material?



Does he look like he should spend his days in a mental institution sitting on a bench with nothing to do?

Does he look like he should spend his days listening to the moans and groans of men and boys who are bored out of their minds...

Who hit themselves and rock back and forth all day to try to get at least some stimulation in their bleak and hopeless world?

Can you see Arnold there?



That so should NOT be his future!

He should be in school learning to read and write...

He should be at home playing legos with his brother...

He should have a chance to fly kites with his Dad or visit the zoo...

He should have therapy to help him maximize his physical abilities...

He should have the security of knowing that he is forever loved by his very OWN Mom and Dad!



Will he lose again?

Will he go to a frightful institution for life?

Or will he finally be chosen by a Mom and Dad?

Will he win at last?

His special need is weakness or paralysis in his legs (perhaps from cerebral palsy or spina bifida)...

His arms appear to be unaffected...

Perhaps with therapy he could learn to walk...

Or he might have to use a wheelchair...

Either way he could live a very happy and productive life if he just had a chance!

It is time for sweet Arnold to win!



Perhaps he could be your son, or the son of someone you know!

Please consider sharing his story!

You can read Arnold's Reece's Rainbow profile or donate to his adoption grant fund HERE.

You can learn more about the adoption process at the link below:

http://reecesrainbow.org/new-family/international-adoption-process



Arnold is NOT loser material - he just needs a chance to shine!

It is SOOO time for this boy to WIN!!!

Please consider Arnold!

*****

Emmitt and Victoria are ALREADY in institutions!

It is time for them to win a family's love too!

*****

This post is part of the Forget-Me-Not Friday link-up hosted by Jane!

Yes, I'm a day late :(

Please check out Jane's post with NEW pictures of Bobby...

And consider adding a post of your own to the link-up!