Williams family adoption journey: Anna's first Christmas with her family

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

"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

"Remember those…who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (Hebrews 13:3)

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…defend the rights of the needy." (Proverbs 31:8,9)

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:40

This is our journal to rescue an orphan with Down syndrome who lives in an orphanage in Eastern Europe. Anna was left at the hospital by her parents, who refused to take her home because she was born with Down syndrome. In Anna's country people with disabilities are looked down upon and are typically hidden away in orphanages from birth and their outlook for life is not very good. Once the orphan turns 4-6 depending on the region they live in, they are then transferred from the orphanage to mental institutions or insane asylums. Our family desperately wants to make Anna our daughter before she is transferred as she is already 5 years old. We will love her and give her the family that she deserves and give her a future full of hope, despite her disability. When our family stepped out in faith and committed to adopt Anna we didn't have the money that it would take to get her here. God has worked miracles in so many aspects of our adoption. The biggest miracle is that I have had faith all alone that God would send the money we needed to adopt Anna. Through many answered prayers, God made sure we had every penny we needed to make her our daughter!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Anna's first Christmas with her family

So I am waaaay behind on posting and I really need to do an update since Halloween, BUT for tonight I will just start with some of our Christmas happiness!!

Secrets with Santa

Anna with Mawmaw

Sisters!

Yep, what was I thinking...trying to get Christmas pictures......

Anna's first Christmas parade

Anna holding her Reece's Rainbow Christmas ornament. A family that had made a donation

to her account before we committed to her, sent this Christmas ornament to us last year,

So last year she was on our tree and this year she was in our arms :)

These girls LOVE Santa...I think he had a good time too :)

Seriously, I don't know why I attempt this EVERY year...it NEVER works out!

NEVER!!!!

EVER!!!

3 comments:

Katrina said...: I love all the pictures and seeing her home this Christmas. Thank you for sharing and for making me laugh at your attempt to get the perfect Christmas picture of the girls.

Katrina
Carlene's soon to be momma :)
www.operationorphannomore.blogspot.com; December 24, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Unknown said...: thats so lovely to see! love your christmas pictures xxx

i am now following my blogs in google reader so hopefully i will be more organised in commenting and reading. thankyou for your blog over the year and have a blessed new year. lots of love from jane at the flight platform xxxx; December 31, 2011 at 4:29 AM
Unknown said...: I came across your blog from browsing the Reece's Rainbow website - my husband and I have four children and our youngest was blessed with an extra 21st chromosome. :)

We are feeling the call to bring another little one home (in my heart I want to bring home ten children), and have only just begun this incredible journey. Any advice or wisdom or anything you'd have to share would be so very appreciated. (I have goosebumps every day. I honestly cannot wait to bring our waiting child home.)

God bless you and your beautiful family! Love your pictures. Thank you for sharing.; January 4, 2012 at 6:27 PM