Notice anything?

Anybody notice that the numbers are going down on the chipin?  We have been given some very generous donations this week!  Praise God!  We are getting there and I believe that God is going to get us to Anna's country, one way or another.  It's happening people!  God is so good!

Yipeeeeeeee

I got a call from USCIS (immigrations) that we were approved for our I600A!  We should be getting our letter in the mail soon!  We have really had some issues with our adoption and paperwork.  There have been several people in our adoption journey with great, big ego issues that really slowed us down.  When we finally got our paperwork sent off to immigrations they rejected it saying they needed FIVE more things added to our paperwork.  These were things that some people did not want to deal with and help us out to fix our paperwork so we could get approval.  Long story, short version.  We hired a new agency who bent over backwards to help us get our paperwork that we needed and sent in to immigrations.  USCIS received our paperwork THE day of our deadline.  A lot of tears, prayers and sweat went into getting all of this together on time.  The deadline was November 19th.  If we didn't get our paperwork to them by the 19th they were going to charge us $680 more dollars to re-apply!  I checked online to see that they did receive the paperwork on time and Fedex showed me that someone signed for it on the 19th.  So a month rolls by and we haven't heard anything.  I decided to call them and see if they will give me an update on our I600A.  Mrs. Williams we never received your paperwork, is what I hear through the telephone.  What?  You didn't receive my paperwork?  But Fedex says online that you did.  OK well send us proof that we received it and then fax us all of the paperwork.  Sounds easy enough, eh? Wrong! I run downstairs to find my paperwork showing the confirmation # so that I can fax it to immigrations.... EXCEPT....the portion of the receipt that should show the confirmation # has been torn off! What? How?  I am crying at this point, thinking we are not going to be able to show proof that they received it without that confirmation #.  I go through all 5,000 sheets of paper (that's what it looked like) at least 5 times and cannot find that little sliver of paper with the confirmation # on it.  More tears, more prayers.  So I throw myself together and run up the street to the little packaging store where I had sent off my Fedex package.  In my brain I am thinking they are not going to be able to help me without that #....but guess what?  They could help me and they did!  They were able to pull up on their computer where I had sent the package and it was delivered on the 19th and signed for.  Praise God!  Tears start falling again!  Thank you Lord!  So this morning I get a phone call from the very kind lady at USCIS saying that we were approved and should be getting our approval letter in the mail soon!  Thank you Lord!  We are one step closer to Anna!!

Dear God,
please let this be the last Christmas that Anna has to spend alone as an orphan.  Thank you for  making a way for us to be able to financially go and rescue her and give her a family of her own.  Hold her tight and keep her safe.  Let her belly be full and let her always know your love.  Comfort her when she's lonely, sad or sick, until we can go and take her away from her life in the orphanage.  That's really all I want for Christmas!
Amen

and the winner is......

The winner of our iPad is Jennifer Bourget!!  An email has been sent to notify the lucky winner!! 

CONGRATULATIONS JENNIFER!!!

A HUGE thanks to all who have donated and helped us get

a few steps closer to our sweet Anna!!

May God bless you all!

Prize give away-ENDED!

We will be taking donations for the iPad give away up until 5 pm eastern time.  After 5 pm we will gather all of the names and put them in a drawing.  I will also need time to get the names from Reece's Rainbow for everyone that donated through their website.  We aren't able to see who donated until they send us the list...so please be patient with us :)  We will draw the name later on this evening, so stay tuned......

I can't wait to see who it is!!!!!

A big thank you!

I am amazed at how God has been working in our lives the last 10 months, way back when I began praying for God to change Mike's heart for adoption if it was in his plan for our family.  I am not surprised at all that God did this work in his own way and I am not surprised, but humbled, by the people who are reaching out to us and really want to help us bring our little girl home.  We have had donations from people all across the United States, Canada and Australia!  God is so good and he has been here with us through all of the trials that are coming our way since committing to adopt Anna.  When we have needed money for each step of the way it has been there.  God IS seeing us through this journey and I have no doubt in mind that he will help us with every penny we need to bring HIS daughter home and make her our daughter as well.  I often get emails from complete strangers who want to know how they can help.  I had the sweetest lady email me and tell me that she wanted to make cards with Anna's picture on it and send it out to her friends and family and ask for donations to help us bring Anna home.  She was asking that they make a donation in honor of her son, rather than buying him Christmas gifts.  We don't even know her, but look how God is using his people to bless us and help us!  We still have a lot of money to raise, but I am fervently praying and believing that God has a plan in store for us and will make a way for it to happen.

So we say a BIG THANK YOU to those of you who have helped us along this beautiful journey that we are on.  Thanks to those of you who have given donations, held fund raisers, made cakes and cookies to sell, took up donations from their friends and families and also those of you who are praying us through this!  Your prayers and support mean so much to us!  You have no idea the things we have encountered during this journey, both good and not so good :(  There are people who don't understand why we would want to bring this broken, little orphan girl into our family and that really stings and cuts to the heart.  But thankfully there are only a few people with that view and hundreds more who are on our side cheering and praying and helping us make this whole process go smoothly.  We thank each and every one of you from the bottom of our hearts!

We only have 4 more days to raise funds for our big prize give away on December 15.  To be honest we have barely made enough to cover the cost of the iPad.  Will you please, please share our link, share our story and help us raise more funds to help bring our little girl home?  You can share the link on Facebook, your blog and emails.  Get creative :) Please help us in any way you can imagine!  Thank you so much for your efforts and may God bless each and every one of you!

Where it all began...

This is where it all began~

I never, ever dreamed back in August of 1999

That Mike and I would be in the process

of adopting a sweet little girl

with Down syndrome.

When Ashlyn was born we thought

that we had lost our dream of the little girl

we were supposed to have.
(Didn't last long!  She's a treasure to us)

Never in a million years would we have thought

we would be fighting so hard

in 2010

to add another little girl just like Ashlyn

to our family.

Thank you God for planting that seed in our hearts way back in 1999.

Thank you God for making a way for us to go and get our other little girl

who is waiting for us in Eastern Europe.



Where doing nothing means nothing....

You know I have said more than once that we want to get to Anna before she is transferred to the mental institution. If you want to read about what life is like for children with disabilities in Eastern Europe after they are transferred to the dreaded and deadly "insane asylums", go and read this story by Julia who adopted Aaron after he had been transferred. She and her husband witnessed first hand what their life is like inside those walls of death and dying. Go here and read for yourself about their life of torture and despair.

And then go and read this entry as well, where she describes the different "jobs" that the boys are given at the institution. Reading her story hit me hard...very hard.

I hope that you will realize how DESPERATE we are to go and rescue Anna ASAP! Please consider helping us to bring her home by making a tax deductible donation. It will be a Christmas gift that will be remembered a life time!

10 More days until the big drawing!!

Only 10 more days until we draw for the give away of one iPad!  The winner will have it in time to place under the Christmas tree!!  Make a donation to help our family bring little Anna home and we will add your name to the drawing!  Not everyone is able to adopt, but there are many people who could help other families, like ours, to be able to bring this sweet little girl with Down syndrome into our family!!  Will you please consider making a donation this Holiday season to help give one sweet orphan a new family?  Please tell your friends and family about our desire to adopt Anna and spread the word about our fundraiser.  :)  She's waiting on us and we are tickled to be going soon for our first trip to visit her!  We need to raise a lot of money ASAP!!  GO  to Anna's picture below to make a tax deductible donation to help bring her home!  Remember, ONE person is going to get an iPad in our give away and how great would that be to put under your Christmas tree?

Why are we going across the world?

Many people want to know why we are going across the world to adopt a little girl with Down syndrome.  Children with disabilities in Eastern Europe are hidden away in orphanages and later transferred to mental institutions.  Many children don't live a full year after being transfered to the institution...why?  Neglect, trauma, malnourishement, a broken heart...

I am begging you to watch this video, especially those who simply cannot comprehend why we would adopt at all.  I pray that this touches your heart and let's you see what adoption means to God.  We have to rescue God's children....Jesus loves the little children, ALL the children of the world....

All she wants for Christmas is a family

Who will love her

and cherish her.

Who accepts her, despite her disability.

Who longs to hold her in their arms

and make her their daughter.

Could you please help make Anna's

Christmas wish come true?

When all of the other gifts you have given

have long been forgotten,

this one special gift of helping Anna come to her forever family

will be remembered for a lifetime.

To make a tax deductible donation

click on Anna's picture below.

Everyone who makes a donation will be

included in our prize give away.  We will draw one name on December 15th

to give away one iPad 16gb w/ wi-fi.

The winner will have their iPad just in time for Christmas!

Thank you and God bless you!

Anna's fund is growing!

I noticed tonight that Anna's fund is growing through the Reece's Rainbow website!  Thanks to all of you who are donating!  If you donate through Reece's Rainbow and you want to be entered into our prize give away please send me a message letting me know that you made a donation.  We will be drawing for the iPad give away on December 15th.  Again, thanks to all of you for helping us get one dollar closer to bringing Anna home!

Orphan Sunday

Today is Orphan Sunday.  It is a way to rediscover the importance that Jesus desires for us to care for orphans.  Today should not be the only day that we seek out ways to help an orphan.  Jesus says that we should be doing this 365 days a year, not just one day a year.  There are millions of children who are fatherless, abandoned and neglected.  Many will die from malnutrition, neglect, lack of medical care and also a broken heart.  The early church was known for its sacrifical care of orphans and widows.  But what role do they play now?  What roles are we ourselves playing now, to take care of the orphans?

There are millions of orphans who have no one to love them, parent them and tell them about the love of Jesus.    Here are a few reminders of God's word that command us to take care of the orphans ~

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress." (James 1:27)

Psa 10:18 You defend the fatherless and oppressed, so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them"Remember those…who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)

Psa 146:9  The Lord protects those residing outside their native land; he lifts up the fatherless and the widow, but he opposes the wicked. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, "Give them up!" and to the south, "Do not hold them back." Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth"  Isaiah 43:5-6
 
Mal 3:5 “I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Job 29:12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the orphan who had no one to assist him;

Deu 26:12 When you finish tithing all your income in the third year (the year of tithing), you must give it to the Levites, the resident foreigners, the orphans, and the widows so that they may eat to their satisfaction in your villages.


 
Our family wants to rescue an orphan who desperately needs a family of her own.  Little Anna was born in Eastern Europe 5 years ago.  Her parents refused to take her home from the hospital because she was born with Down syndrome.  She has remained in this orphanage since she was 17 days old.  Orphans in EE are typically transferred around the ages of 4-6 to mental institutions that make the baby house orphanages look like Disney World.  Our family is trying to rescue Anna before her country transfers her to one of those dreadful, awful places that you and I cannot even imagine what a horror this would be.  Can you please help us? If you are able,  you can make a tax deductible donation by clicking on the link below with Annas's picture.  From now until December 15 we will send anyone that makes a donation a pink awareness bracelet that reads "Saving Anna".  Everyone that makes a donation between now and Dec. 15 will also have their name entered into our drawing for a prize give away.  We will be giving away one 16gb iPad with wi-fi.  Wouldn't this make a great gift for someone on your Christmas list?  Could you please help us rescue this little girl before she is transferred to an institution?  Will you please tell your friends and family about our fundraiser by sharing our link?  If by the grace of God we reach $10,000 we will upgrade that prize to give away one Apple Macbook pro!! 
 

OR

 
 
We also ask that you pray for our family as we travel through this journey.  There have been a few stumbling blocks along the way and we were hoping that we would have a travel date soon.  Please pray that our path is more smooth as we close in on this journey to rescue a princess!

One more rescue mission

Oh my gosh, look at that sweet face!!  Here is another sweet baby that is on his way to a forever family!  Over the last several months I have read stories about people being inspired to adopt by following the journey of someone they know that are adopting through Reece's Rainbow.  I felt kind of weird by posting photos of waiting children from RR because to be honest with you, I can't imagine anyone I know following in our foot steps to go and rescue one of these precious children.  Well it happened.  A lady that I met back in August has fallen in love with this little fellow Quinton and she and her husband are now in the process of adopting him.  His mommy to be has a heart for children with special needs and fell in love with this sweet boy after reading our blog and visiting Reece's Rainbow!  This is soooooo exciting!  When she sent me an email last night that they were committing to Quinton, every hair on body stood right on up!  It felt like I had static electricity over my entire body!! Crazy!

I just want to thank the Lord for using us in any way to help make the way for more families to stand up and commit to bringing home one (or more) of the precious angels listed on RR.  Maybe you should go and check them out too!! 

Reece's Rainbow

We apologize

Okay I want to start off by saying that we sincerely apologize if you are offended by us reaching out for help to rescue Anna from a life in an institution. Apparently some people don't feel as passionate about helping other humans to have a better life. It's okay to make a donation to the Humane society to help animals. It's ok to donate to our local schools, and saving the trees and birds, but don't ask for a dollar to help save a childs life.

If you know our story, and some of you don't, then just read and know why we are doing what we are doing. I have followed Reece's Rainbow for over 2 years now. I have prayed many, many, many prayers for the children and the families that are adopting. We have donated money to several families along the way. I was born being a "giver" and so I guess it is hard for me to not relate to those who aren't. For over two years I have secretly wanted to go and rescue one of those beautiful orphans with Down syndrome but I knew my husband would NEVER go for it. So for 2 years I talked about the kids on Reece's Rainbow to him and my children but had never asked him what he thought about us adopting one of the children. Back at the first of the year I just out of the blue asked him if we could please adopt one of the orphans from Reece's Rainbow. His reaction blew me away. He said "absolutely not". With a broken heart I went away by myself and spoke these words out loud to God. God if you change his heart we will go and get her. These were words spoken out loud to God. So I just kept praying for him but never asked him again. A couple of months go by and I am sitting at work and Mike and I are emailing each other back and forth. Out of the blue comes this thought - Send him her picture. Ohhhhh you can believe I said right back - I can't do that, he will be mad at me. It didn't take long for me to realize you better send him that picture so I did. Well, our emailing back and forth stopped after that and I just knew he was mad at me. I went home that night and not a word was mentioned about the picture I had sent him so I just assumed he was unhappy with what I had done. The next day he brings it up to me and I started crying and poured my heart out to him and told him that I just couldn't get her off of my mind or my heart. After a few words were exchanged he said to me "we will talk to the boys about it". OK that almost blew me off of my chair!! Did he really just say those words? I couldn't believe it! Over the next couple of weeks of going back and forth he finally says OK we will do it. Well as soon as he said that I was attacked by all of these thoughts that we could never do this and we couldn't pull this off because this adoption will cost $30,000 + and we simply didn't have the money. So I started asking God for signs and honestly, every time I talked to him about a specific thing he would answer me. Riding down the road I told God, we don't have $30,000 how are we going to do this God? Is this really what you want us to do? A few seconds later there is a sign at a church above our house that read "Jump in with Faith". Okay God I get that message. So many times I would have these thoughts racing through my mind and wondered if we were really doing what God wanted us to do. I thought about how EASY it would be to BACK OUT now because we hadn't made our official committments but then God reminded me very quickly of what I had said out loud to him that day. "But you said if I changed his heart you WOULD go and get her, are you telling me now that it's just too hard to do?" THAT day I committed to God and haven't backed down since then, that despite the hardships we WOULD go and get her.



All along I have had the highest faith that God will provide a way for us to go and get her. I haven't doubted him at any point along the way. God knew when he changed Mike's heart that we DIDN'T have $30,000 to go and get her. He didn't have to do any work in Mike if he wasn't going to provide the finances for us to be able to adopt her. I believe that. I believe that in one way or another, God WILL make sure we are able to carry out his plan. BUT last night I read something that just went straight to the heart. People that don't know our story saying that what we are doing is wrong and that we shouldn't have committed to her if we didn't have $30,000. Really? Did God tell YOU that? Because that is not what he told me. Well are you making sacrifices? Of course we are! Mike and I do NOT go on high dollar vacations and do not blow money on brand new cars and a lot of things that we don't need. Last year we went to visit my family in Maryland and that was it, no other vacations that year. This year we went no where, trying to save money... and we are fine with that. Heck we might never go on vacation again and I could care less really. We are trying to save a life people....not asking for money for a brand new car.



I told Mike last night about what I had read, that we shouldn't be fundraising to adopt her. He told me that I worry too much about what other people think about me. Well that's just me and I can't help that. So this morning, a sweet, sweet person said something to me that put everything back in to perspective. You see, she has fallen in love with a wee one on Reece's Rainbow too. She was having a conversation with her pastor about her desire to adopt this baby with Down syndrome and she told him "we don't have the money to adopt him". The reply from her pastor was something like- you can reach out for help and if it is in God's plan everything will work out. She handed me a check to go towards our funds for Anna and I held myself together until I got to my car. She had no idea what I was struggling with after what I read last night that upset me so much!! I was so discouraged last night and this morning that I wanted to shut my blog down and not reach out to another person for help, UNTIL she said what she did to me!!! God is helping me to understand that there are going to be people who don't like what we are doing or asking for money. In fact, there are some people who think we have lost our minds for adopting another child with Down syndrome!!! One person even said to me - why would you do that to yourself? Do what to myself, save a life? How harsh is that? So I am just going to leave it here and say- if you are among those that are offended by us raising money for a good cause, then we deeply apologize. You can delete the link to our blog and never be bothered by us again. And then I want to say to all of you that don't think we are crazy and want to help us and have helped us - WE THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Please help us rescue Anna!

I am happy to say that we are having another fundraiser with a chance to win a great prize!  We are getting closer and closer with our paper work to go and get our girl, but we have not raised enough $$ to hop on that plane to go and get her.  We need to raise at least $24,000.  Actually I am estimating that everything is going to be over $30,000 after we did another estimation of fees from Anna's country.

Could you please consider helping us?  Perhaps you can't make a donation, will you please pray that we meet the needed amount to go and rescue her from a life in an institution?  Maybe you could give up your Starbucks treat for a week, or maybe you could donate more to help save an orphan?  Orphans in EE are transferred to an "insane asylum" between the ages of 4-6.  Our Anna is already 5 and we are praying that we can get to her before she is transferred to that awful place. 

For anyone who makes a donation to help bring Anna home, you will receive one of the pink awareness bracelets you see above that reads "Saving Anna".  When the fundraiser is over we will put your name in for our drawing of one great prize!  We will be giving away one 16 gb iPad with wi-fi.

 If our donations reach $10,000 or more (from today until fundraiser ends) we will UPGRADE the prize to give away one Apple MacBook pro!!!

Should we have a miracle and reach$20,000 we will give away TWO Macbooks!!!  Help us spread the word so that we can hopefully reach our goal and give away two great prizes!

Either of these would make an awesome Christmas present for someone! Please share our link and tell your family and friends, co-workers, etc. about our fundraiser and help little Anna's funds reach our goal to go and rescue our Princess!  You can make a donation by clicking on the "chipin" box to the right or you can make a tax deductible donation by clicking here on Anna's picture.

Thank you and God bless.

p.s. for those of you have donated to the chip from September you are included in our giveaway as well.

Resting with Jesus

Just look at that sweet face.  Can you imagine no one loving on her and giving her kisses and hugs?  Some people say- who would love a child like her?  Yes that is how people from her country in Eastern Europe feel about children with disabilities.  But so many people at Reece's Rainbow DID love this little girl, me included.  I can't tell you how many times I prayed for this sweet girl.  I just *knew* that any day now someone would step up and commit to be her mother.  Never in a million years did I think I would read those awful, awful words.  Anne Marie has gone to be with Jesus. 

Her fight on earth is over.  She is not alone anymore.  She doesn't have to bang her head on a crib just so she will have stimulation from something....

She doesn't have to sit in that stroller anymore and watch all of the other "healthy" children run around and play.  She doesn't have to sit and watch more of her friends be taken away by loving families, while leaving her behind.  She is in the arms of her sweet savior forevermore.

What did she die from you ask?  Dehydration...yes she was dehydrated.  She apparently got a virus that was going around the orphanage, became dehydrated and her little body just couldn't take all of that neglect anymore.  This hurts my heart so immensely.  I just can't stand the thought of a baby girl that no one took time to love and nurture, died from dehydration and probably also, a broken heart.

Our family is on a rescue mission to save a sweet little girl just like Anne Marie.  She is five years old and also has Down syndrome.  Her name is Anna.  Anna lives in an orphanage in Eastern Europe as well.  Her parents refused to take her from the hospital when she was born.  She was sent to an orphanage at 17 days old where she has remained since then.  Anna is living on borrowed time.  She turned 5 years old in May and we have been trying  so hard to get to her before they transfer her to what they call insane asylums.  Yes, that is where children with disabilities go in EE around the ages of 4-6 depending on what region they live in.  Our family WANTS to add Anna to our family so that she will no longer be subject to hunger, trauma or neglect.  We want her, despite her disability.  There are so MANY more families who want to do the same thing but can't afford the high cost of international adoption.  We can't afford it either!  We took a step in faith as we committed to her, believing that some way, some how, God will provide the ransom cost that we need to go and get her.  Could you please help us to save this little girl before she becomes another statistic?  How can you help?  We are starting a fund raiser tomorrow for another great prize, and HOPING and BELIEVING that God will provide a way.   If you would like to make a tax deductible donation you can click on Anna's picture to go to Reece's Rainbow and make a donation.  Please be sure to mention "Anastasia for the Williams family" so that your donation will go towards Anastasia. Thank you and God bless.








Meredith Cornish is a mommy to 7 children, almost 8 and possibly 9!  She wrote the following poem for another child that lost their life due to sickness and neglect in an Eastern Europe institution.  Here is her website if you would like to follow her journey as well.

Cornish Adoption journey


While we were eating…
… they were hungry
While we were playing…
… they were restrained
While we were tucking our kids into bed…
… they were alone
While we turned up the heat…
… they laid in the icy cold
While we wrapped our children in blanket sleepers…
… they laid in their own excrement
While we sang songs and listened to music…
… they listened to the screams and cries of those around them
While we rocked our babies…
… they silently rocked themselves
While we hugged our kids…
… they scratched at their own faces and pulled their own hair for stimulation
While we cried over scraped knees…
… they moaned in their loneliness
While we brushed our daughters’ beautiful hair…
… they had their heads shaved to stave off the lice
While we fought off the flu with love and nourishment…
… they got the flu and went Home.
No longer suffering… but so many more still are.

In memory of those that have never felt the love of a family, but have passed away alone.

By: Meredith Cornish

RIP Anne Marie

Ohhhhh my heart is hurting so bad right now.  I just found out that Sweet lil' Anne Marie has gone to be with Jesus.  I can't even count how many times I prayed for her to find a family of her own.  I looked daily to see if anyone had committed to bringing this sweet girl home.  I just knew in my heart that it WAS going to happen for her.  Many prayers and tears went up to heaven for her and I was sure it would happen soon.  But it didn't.  Did she die all alone?  No, I tell myself.  Jesus was right there with her and always was.  I've been crying so hard I could hardly breathe.  You know what is really sad about this?  There were several families that would have made her their own daughter, but only one thing was in the way.  Finances.  That stinks!  No child should ever be alone or die alone without a mommy and daddy to love them, only because they don't have $30,000 or more to adopt them.  I know many families out there that would love to make one of these precious children a child of their own.  If you aren't able to adopt, could you possibly make a donation to help a family in need who would love to adopt?

Look at these children listed and pray ask God what he would have you do about it.

Reece's Rainbow

Still praying......

Lord, I'm still here... praying and believing and waiting.  Waiting can be hard.  I still have faith that you are going to work all of the finances out to help bring Anna home Lord.  I believe this.  Really I do.  I have seen it happen for many families who have adopted or are adopting through Reece's Rainbow.  Money falling from heaven with love, to go and rescue these beautiful children that sit alone in cribs, waiting for someone to come and take them home.  People have been making donations to help assist families who want to bring orphans into their families, and I mean LARGE donations.  I imagine poor Anna, waiting day in and day out for her family to come and scoop her up and deliver her from the awful life that she lives.  I don't like the fact that she is still sitting there waiting because the money to adopt her just isn't here yet.  I wonder if she's hungry.  I wonder if she rocks herself to sleep at night, because I know that no one else will.  When she cries does anyone come to her and soothe her sweet little soul?  How is her life?  What does her day consist of?  How many times a day is she fed? Do they deny her adequate fluids every day in order to avoid "filling" up diapers, because some orphanages only allow 2 diaper changes a day per child?  Does anyone at that orphanage love her or care for her?  Is she an orphanage favorite or just another baby in a crib?  How much does she weigh?  She is five years old and I wonder, will she come home to us at 5 years old weighing 20 pounds?  Does anyone sing to her or hold her daily?  Will she hoard food when she comes to us, in fear that someone will steal her food? 

All of these things I wonder, on a daily basis.  I don't know any of these things and won't know until we make our first trip to visit her.  Without adequate funding and donations will we get there fast enough to avoid her being transferred to the insane asylum?

I ask everyone that reads our blog, even if you are just now stumbling upon our story - PLEASE won't you join me in prayer and petition our Lord to please help us with finances to go and get Anna?  I have prayed from the beginning, with full faith, that God will let others who can help us, PLEASE let them hear our story and help us with finances to rescue Anna.  Over the last couple of years that I have been aware of Reece's Rainbow I have made donations to help others bring their children home.  I may not have been able to give HUGE donations, but I did pray over the amount that I was able to give and ask God to bless their families.  Now I am believing God for the same thing for our family.

I know that not everyone is able to donate, but everyone can say a prayer for our family and for Anna.  Can you please help make this miracle happen?  If you would like to help you can donate to the chipin on our sidebar to the right.  Or you can make a tax deductible donation by clicking on Anna's picture to the right that says, Anna, help us bring her home.  Or you can write a check made to Reece's Rainbow and mail it to:

Reece's Rainbow

PO Box 4024

Gaithersburg, MD  20885

Whether you donate online or mail a payment, please make a note that your donation is for Anastasia for the Williams family.

*REMEMBER* no donation is too small!

Thank you and God bless you

The Williams family

Look at all of these babies

that need a home!!  This video makes me cry.  Sweet lil' AnneMarie needs a home.  I have been praying so hard that a family will step forward and claim her as their daughter.  She seems to have the sweetest nature about her.  She always seems to be in a stroller when they are outside and I just want to jump into my computer screen and bring her home for myself.  (don't tell Mike) LOL  Somebody go and get this sweet baby girl and make her your daughter.... you wouldn't be sorry if you did it!  Click the link below, after you watch the video and check out her profile.  She currently has $1,085 in her grant fund.

Anne Marie

This video was made by Gretchen's family who recently adopted Ross who was in the same orphanage as Anne Marie, and here is the link to their blog:

Ready for Ross


Seeing all of those precious little ones just lined up in "pens" just breaks my heart.  How can you ever forget a scene like that once you've witnessed it?  I imagine my trip to Eastern Europe is going to be really hard for me after seeing so many children in need and just begging to be picked up and loved on.....  OH my heart is going to break....

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our email

has been out of order for at least 2 days.  I am not sure what happened but it looks like we lost 28 emails before they fully downloaded.  We use outlook express and it showed that it was receiving 28 messages but they never loaded  :(  So if you have tried to contact me within the past few days, try again please.  It seems to be working now!

By Rick Warren

I received the following in my email today from "Purpose driven connection" by Rick Warren.  I REALLY needed to read this today!




"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37 (NIV)

God can handle any situation you give Him. No problem is too tough for Him. Nothing is beyond His ability. But the first thing you've got to do is bring it to Him.

What's the decision you're facing this week? What's the mountain that needs to be moved? Cancer? Bankruptcy? Your kids having problems? Can't break a bad habit?

"... Nothing is impossible with God."

In Jeremiah 32:27 God says, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (NIV) It is almost like God laying down the gauntlet saying, "I dare you. Think up a problem that I couldn't solve. Is anything too hard for me?"

Most of us, growing up, have said, "My daddy can do anything! My daddy can beat your daddy!" I really thought that. But, as I grew up, I began to have my eyes opened. I realized that when it came to my allowance, my dad had limited resources. When it came to advice, sometimes he was just guessing too. My guess was as good as his, because he was an imperfect father.

Ephesians 3:20 says, "God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes!" (LB) I have a pretty vivid imagination. I can think up some pretty big dreams. I can set some high goals. God says, "My son, you think up the greatest thing you think I could do in your life and I can beat that. I can top that." He is a capable Father.

What can I expect from my Father in heaven? "My God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19 NIV) He has unlimited resources, unlimited energy, unlimited knowledge, unlimited time. He says I can supply all of your needs.

God says you're forgiven. He says he'll provide. He says we need not fear. To paraphrase the Bible, God says, "I'll take care of yesterday's failures, today's frustrations, and tomorrow's fears because I am a capable Father."

Our home study

is finally finished....whew.....beginning to wonder if it was ever coming!!  Now I sit here waiting on forms that need to go in our dossier that are taking just as long as the home study took.  I just don't get it....they aren't long, gigantic papers, just need a siggy and a notary stamp.  Come on, come on, this sweet face is waiting for us!!  :)

Please pray for us.  We need our forms and we need $$$.  We need to raise $24,000 in a short amount of time.  I've been trying to come up with another fundraiser that would do just that....raise some $$$ for our baby girl Anna.  I hate the thought of her sitting in a crib, lonely.  No one comes to visit her or play with her.  Her family left her at birth.  Why?  Why does stuff like this happen to babies like Anastasia?  I will never be able to comprehend the reasoning behind it, but I guess that is because of the love we have for our daughter Ashlyn.  My love for her is so fierce, that I can't imagine leaving her at the hospital because of her having Down syndrome.  That is why we want to rescue Anastasia.  She will be a treasured gift to our family, just like Ashlyn is.  My oh my, what will we do with 2 princess girls in our home?  We can't wait to bring her home with us!

So, does anyone out there have any good fundraising ideas?  I have been thinking about maybe doing another prize give away, with maybe a laptop this time.  What do ya think??  Help! :)

Thank you all!!

Thanks to everyone who donated, prayed and shared our story with others and helped raise $$ to bring Anna home!!  The winners of our prizes are:

Apple Ipad - Jeff and Renee Clements of NC

Ipod touch - Leah Curran of Texas

$100 cash - Graybeal family of Utah

Thanks for everything!  We are a little bit closer to bringing our Princess home!
The Williams family

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New pictures of our girl!

They shaved my baby girls head!!! Why oh why? 

But she is still beautiful!

I was very surprised to find these in my email this morning.

We were told that we would not get any

more information or pictures of Anna until

we were further along in the paper chase!

Oh how I needed to see these :)

I have been on cloud 9 since this morning,

despite this awful migraine I am sporting!!

Make a donation today- ENDED

Come ooooooon, you know you want one!!!     We are taking donations to help bring Anna home.  Anastasia is a 5 year old orphan with Down syndrome, who lives in an orphanage in Eastern Europe.  She was sent to the orphanage at 17 days old where she has remained. In EE, Orphans with disabilities are tucked away in orphanages and marked by society as worthless human beings.  Around the age of 4-5 they are transferred to a "insane asylum" where they will live out their days in a crib or bed and possibly tied down.

How can you help save this precious little life? If you make an online DONATION you will recieve a hot pink awareness bracelet with "Saving Anna" imprited on it.  We will also put your name in our give away:
1- Apple Ipad 16gb with Wi-fi

1 - Apple Ipod touch

1 - $100

Please share our link with your family and friends through Facebook, email, etc.  If your friends or family make a donation, have them mention your name and we will add your name to the give away again! 

We have got to raise some serious money my friends!!  If you are able, make a donation of $5 and we will send you a bracelet with "Saving Anna" on it and also put your name in once.   Want to donate more?  Donate $25 or more and we will put your name in the give away 25 TIMES!!!  Just click on the chip in button to the right to make a secure online payment through PayPal.  You can also make a tax deductible donation by donating through Reece's Rainbow.  Just click on the picture of Anna that says"Help us bring her home" and it will take you to the RR website where you can safely make an online donation or get instructions to mail a donation.  PLEASE be sure to mention "Anastasia for the Williams family" in order for the donation to go directly to Anastasia, otherwise they have no idea who the donation is for.  Also, you must send me an email to enter your name in the drawing if you make a tax deductible donation through Reece's rainbow, as I have no way of knowing who donated to our fundraiser.  Thank you for considering helping us to bring this precious girl home where she will have a loving family who will love and cherish her!  And most importantly, remember us in your prayers!  Thank you and God bless you.
Love,
The Williams family










Grab This!

Thirty One party fundraiser

My good friend Shawn who is also a co-worker recently started selling Thirty one products.  As a fundraiser for Anastasia, Shawn will be hosting a party for me.  Dear, gracious Shawn will be donating her commission from the party towards Anastasia's adoption fund.  How cool is that?  If you are interested and are local, my party will be at our home on June 24th at 6:30 pm.  If you aren't local but would like to make a purchase to help us raise money for Anastasia you can go to this link Thirty one and click on "my events" and then "Traci's fundraiser".  Thanks for looking and please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Here are a few samples of designs that they have currently~

Can you help us rescue Anna?

Our family is trying to raise money to bring home a sweet orphan with Down syndrome named Anastasia.  She recently turned 5 years old and we are in fear that she will be transferred to an institution if we can't get to her fast enough.  To read about our plans to adopt Anastasia go to the post following this one.


We need to raise $30,000.  Yes that's right $30,000 fat smackers. **Remember, no donation is too small***  I don't look at this like we are "paying" for a child.  As someone stated on another adoption blog, the money we have to raise is like a ransome that we have to pay in order to rescue her.  God tells us :   Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27  So see, God wants us to take care of the orphans.  Can you please help us?  You may not be in a place to adopt and we realize that we as a family can't save them all.  BUT we can save one and you can be a part of that rescue mission!



Okay here is how the fundraiser will work.  Remember, no donation is too small!  Donate $5 and we will send you  an awareness bracelet with "Saving Anna" on it and also put your name in one time in the drawing.  If you donate $25 we will put your name in the give away 25 times (yes 25!!) After the bracelet sale is over on August 31, you will be entered in our giveaway for the following:
1 - Apple Ipad 16 gb with wi-fi
1- Ipod touch
1- $100 cash

You can donate by clicking on the ChipIn button to the right OR you can make a tax deductable donation by clicking on the Photo at the top right that says "Anna, help us bring her home".  If you make a tax deductable donation please make sure that you mention Anastasia for the Williams family so that they will know who the donation is going for.  ***Also if you donate through Reece's Rainbow for a tax deducation you will need to email me and let me know so that I can enter your name in the give away for the Ipad, Ipod touch and $100.  Everyone who donates online will receive a hot pink awareness bracelet with "Saving Anna" imprinted on it.

There is one more way to have your name in the give away!  If you spread the word about Anastasia's rescue mission to your friends, family, coworkers, etc and they donate YOU will have another entry for the give away!!!  Tell them to mention your name when they donate so that I can give you another chance.  Even if you aren't able to donate please pass the word on and you can still be entered for the drawing by your friends donation.  We also ask for your prayers that God will guide us on this journey and provide a way for Anna to be free!!  Thank you!!



The give away for the Ipad and other prizes will be on August 31, 2010.

This is Ashlyn. She is a 10 year old Princess, beloved daughter and a ray of sunshine to our life. Ashlyn was born to a mommy and daddy who love her and accepted the fact that she was born with Down syndrome and took her home to love her and help her grow. She has always known love and been smothered in kisses and hugs. She is cherished and loved from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. She is Queen Bee and knows it.

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me Matthew 18:5

This is Anastasia. She is 5 years old. She is a Princess but doesn't know it, yet. Anastasia was born to a mommy and daddy in Eastern Europe who have no idea what a ray of sunshine she is. Her having Down syndrome is not acceptable in her country. They did not take her home to love her and help her grow. She hasn't known love or been smothered in kisses and hugs. Instead she was taken to a baby orphanage and left there to be raised by orphanage workers who don't have time to love and cuddle with a baby house full of orphans with various disabilities. She doesn’t know it yet but there is a family who is longing to bring her home and love her and cherish her and smother her with hugs and kisses.  There is a mommy and daddy who want to bring her to America and love on her and help her grow.

If Anastasia isn’t rescued soon she will be transferred from the baby orphanage to an institution for people with disabilities, AKA an insane asylum.

This is a RESCUE MISSION!!

Our family would like to make Anastasia a part of our family. Could you possibly help us save her life? There are many families who would love to adopt but don’t have $30,000 lying around to be able to rescue the life of an orphan. We want to be able to rescue Anastasia and rescue her as fast as we can. We don’t want her to have to suffer another day in an orphanage or a mental institution. We will be doing various fund raisers and raffles to assist in our adoption of the little Princess. You can also make a tax deductible donation if you would like.  The link at the top right with with Anna's picture on it will allow you to make a tax deductible donation.   Remember to specify the Williams family adopting Anastasia when donating.  We understand that everyone is not able to help financially but ask for your prayers for our family as we begin this journey to save a Princess!!  $30,000 is a lot of money for you and me but to my God, $30,000 is nothing!  We have faith that God will provide for Anastasia!!

The Williams family

Reece's Rainbow is where we found Anna!  There are many children with various disabilities listed on RR that are for adoption and are waiting for their Forever Family to find them!!


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