12 Days & Counting

this post was taken from a blog friend and you never know who might see this through another friend of a friend.  please pass it along, share it with everyone you know.  you can tell from the date that it was posted....this sweet boy has 12 days and counting now.  time is running out, but nothing is impossible with god!

december 20, 2010

twenty days is all this handsome young man has left to find his forever family.

just. twenty. days.

and then--he will never have the opportunity to be adopted again.

oh my heart.  i cannot stand the thought.

look how sweet he is....



i cannot even imagine being in his situation.  seeing countless "little kids" leave the orphanage with their mom and dad and wondering, wondering, wondering, if his turn will ever come.

sadly for this young man, time is about to run out.  he has waited for such a long time on waiting child lists--but no one has ever said "yes" to him.  can you imagine being passed over so many times?

absolutely heartbreaking for any young person.

according to the agency that has his file, apart from a history of hep b (just like our girls--very easy special need) he is healthy, smart, and a great thirteen year old kid.

goodness, i just know that his family is out there somewhere.  i know someone will go.  why?  because i believe with all my heart that there is a family for every child who waits.  they just have not found him yet.

unfortunately, there's a catch...

he absolutely must be adopted before his fourteenth birthday in february.  that means that his family must already have a dossier in ch*na.  they must be in the process of adopting another child from this country and are willing to add this boy to their adoption.  or, their dossier is in country and they are waiting on a referral.

one of my favorite lines from the movie, "faith like potatoes" is when angus buchan says, "the condition for a miracle is difficulty, however the condition for a great miracle is not difficulty, but impossibility."

god loves to show his glory through seemingly impossible situations.

it's time to stand a trust the father for a great miracle for this sweet guy.  as time ticks by and things become more and more impossible, i ask myself again, "is anything impossible for the lord god almighty?"

i know the answer all too well.  so do many of you.

nothing is impossible!  nothing at all.  not even this.

please, friends, can you help us to spread the word about this young man?  post him everywhere you possibly can in the hope that his mom and dad will find him soon--before it is too late.  once he turns fourteen he will be considered unavailable for adoption.  he will never know what it feels like to be loved and treasured by parents.  he will remain in the orphanage until he is sixteen...and then...well, who knows?  it is the sad reality of any orphan who ages out of the system.  hopelessness.

twenty days...that's all we have to get the word out there on the internet.  will you please help?  will you pray with us for the great miracle that he so desperately needs this christmas?  will you help to spread the word wherever you can?

i so appreciate your help.  you guys totally rock.

let's give him the best christmas present ever...a family!

if anyone wants more details, reply or leave a comment to this post, or e-mail me at renealynch at yahoo.com and i can put you in touch with the ones you need to talk to  regarding this sweet boy!

Widows & Orphans - WIPHAN

One of my bloggy friends, Andrea, is wanting to spread the word about their organization called WIPHAN. They are in need of sponsorships and we want to share with everyone we know (or that reads about us!) what you can do to help!

I know first hand what sponsorship can do for a child. We love our sponsored child in Haiti and it's such a blessing to see her and know what we are doing to help change her life and her family's life. But even greater is the blessing she is for our family. We have changed hearts and changed lives because of Smerelda and children like her. We needed Smerelda as much as she needed us. This week I'm going to be sharing nothing but sponsorship blogs and posts! So fasten your seatbelts! It's going to be a bumpy ride! But one you'll enjoy I'm sure!

From Andrea's blog:

Wiphan was started just 3 years ago…and we’ve just had our 501 non-profit status for TWO years. It went from one friend of ours—to our family—to 3 more families…and we had a board! For awhile—it was just us + 450 orphans + 150 widows. We trusted the Lord to provide the thousands of dollars of month we would need to run–and He has always provided. Last year we started our sponsorship program to invite OTHER FAMILIES to join us! I would LOVE to see all TWENTY of our children who still don’t have sponsors sponsored by Friday!

OK—so how can you help?! We need voices! We need others who have hearts for orphans to speak with us! And if you have a blog—well, you have a voice and you probably have lots of readers!!! The MORE people we refer to the Wiphan site…the MORE people will find out about Wiphan and our sponsorship program!

Zambia isn’t really open to adoptions…so for these kids–the only hope is for them to be cared for in country. We have TWO schools and 450 kids—with MANY MORE who would LOVE to be in our program. BUT before we can grow–we need to find sponsors for the children on our list. Many of our children waiting for sponsors are “older children”. Maybe you don’t qualify for adopting an older child–but you could sponsor one!Maybe your budget really is too tight–but you could blog about them and be their voice!

† Support For Haiti's Orphans

Joint Heirs Adoption Ministry will be providing relief aid to Canaan Orphanage in Haiti. With the connections that we have through Haiti we've learned that Canaan is taking in more children everyday and has been providing relief to as many as they can in Port. Making trips into Port to provide food and water to those in need. They have begun rationing their own supplies at the orphanage which are obviously going to be depleted soon. There is not enough fuel to continue making trips to Port but as people are depending on others for transportation or just walking, more and more are coming to Canaan to seek shelter and care. Canaan also provides a medical clinic for malnourished children and I'm sure with the disaster situation they can expect to start seeing additional children very soon.

I have met some of the workers and staff at Canaan and know that with donations provided Sister Gladys and Pastor Henri can be trusted to use donations in a necessary and honest manner. If you are interested in supporting the Orphanage at Canaan with us you may use the Chip-In box below or feel free to click through to the Canaan Orphanage support page and make your donation directly through their site.

These are just a few of the children we met at Canaan.

We continue to pray God's blessings upon the people and children of Haiti. If you have questions, please feel free to contact one of us directly or leave a comment below. Thank you for your continued support of our mission to care for "the least of these".

On one of the outer walls at Canaan you see this painting. Tet Kole Nan Kris means Togetherness in Christ.

† Prayers & Aid for Haiti

* UPDATES INCLUDED *

Have you ever gone somewhere and felt like you had been there before, or like it was a home away from home and you didn't want to leave? That's how we felt about Haiti this summer. After yesterday's earthquake we're left heartbroken today for the people of Haiti. Not just the ones we know, but the ones we don't know that are still God's people.

To most yesterday was just like any other typical day. Even myself. I got up, took my shower, did household chores, sat down to work at my computer and spent my day in a normal routine. I checked my e-mail around 4:30 and started discovering messages about earthquakes and Haiti. Huh? There's no earthquake in Haiti..... then I discovered the news. I don't turn my television on during the day and once I clicked into yahoo I saw the home page and the news releases. Instantly my heart sank.

My mind raced with all the faces of the people I met, those I didn't meet but passed on the street or drove by along the road. One can't begin to imagine the fear and devastation they must be facing. It's one thing to live in a world like we do where disaster may strike but there are plans in place and methods to follow to ensure we don't stay 'down' for long. We're America after all. Power gets restored, telephones work, there is more than one airport..... Imagine being in a country that has no regular current of electricity. You live on generators on a normal day and now your world has collapsed and there's not even a source to bring fuel to your country to run your generator (which believe me is the least of their worries!). No phone, no electricity, no roads left to get through.

We made new friends and found family in Haiti. Not just the other missionaries but the native people of Haiti. Roberto and Alex who spent every day with us from sunrise to bedtime. Marjorie who cared for us and fed us. Celissa, Claudia, Linda, Smerelda, Miko, Stanley, Mackline...... the list goes on and on. Where are these faces? Where are these loved ones?

Marjorie was our 'mom and grandma' in Haiti. We love her beyond belief. ♥

Leslie and Chris are missionaries living in Haiti with their adopted Haitian daughter Olivia. Chris went to port to have the truck worked on. The last time Leslie spoke to him was 45 minutes before the quake. Imagine wondering where your husband is in the middle of a natural disaster with no phone and no way to communicate. Luckily, after countless hours..... he made it home last night.

* Chris made it home, but the 'countless' hours before his arrival he had spent in Port after the quake trying to help others. He was near a 3 story school full of girls that collapsed and was trying to pull them from the pile of rubble and debris. You can read his heartbreaking story on their blog that is linked below. My heart breaks for Chris as he had to leave some girls behind to find help and wasn't able to return til morning, only to find the girls had died in the night. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Leslie and her daughter Olivia
Kevin and Olivia

Keith's new wife is in Haiti while he is stateside right now. Imagine not just being away from your spouse and knowing of their safety, but being in another country.... across an ocean. There is no 'coming home' to the arms of the loved one. Luckily, before bedtime last night Keith was notified that his wife was alive and safe. Yet he still had to go to bed with his arms empty.
Those of us here (and in Haiti I'm sure) began to pray. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Have you ever literally stopped what you are doing and fell to your knees and prayed?

Roberto, Me and our sponsored child Smerelda

Roberto and Alex let us know last night that they were safe but they have family in Port that they cannot contact and don't know of their safety or whereabouts. They have become our family. When someone you love is hurting, you hurt. I may not know their extended family but I pray for them. My heart aches for them.

* Roberto and his father traveled to Port yesterday and were able to find his brothers and they are okay. Last we heard he was still searching for his mother. They have brought members of their family home with them to Montrouis.

Roberto, Taylor and our sponsored child Smerelda

Alex! These men have a heart of gold. I believe Alex had found his siblings and they are okay.

Remember the wedding we just went to in December? Bobi and Marcus flew home to Haiti YESTERDAY! Only by the grace of God did they arrive, make their routine trip through the airport, out of Port and traveled to Canaan safely. They were far enough away from the point of the quake that they were safe and unharmed. Can you imagine just arriving home from a long vacation only to be thrown into disaster within hours. Can you imagine being their parents and not knowing how they are just hours after you've said good-bye at the airport? They had no way of contacting their parents. Luckily through the wonder of internet and before they lost power they were able to get a message to friends to notify their families. We praise God for their safe return home. Now they are caring for the dozens of children at the orphanage where they live.

* Bobi and Marcus have updated their BLOG from Canaan Orphanage on their account of the earthquake as they were driving home when it happened. There are also links if you are interested in supporting Canaan Orphanage and their relief efforts.

My 'sister' Diane still has regular contact with her children's biological mother in Haiti. Can you stop for a moment and imagine having your son turn to you and want to know if his Momma Cheri is okay? How do you tell your children you don't know for sure? How do you comfort them? (sorry Diane..... don't cry. Know that I love you and I'm still praying for Cheri and the kids. We know they'll be fine. xoxo)

Diane with Momma Cheri and Brian and Kristi's siblings.

* Diane received word that Cheri and the kids are fine. Roberto went out and found them to let Diane know of their safety. Many prayers have been answered. =) There are many more in need of prayer.

I can't tell you how much I want to be there today. I've yearned to go back for the past 6 months. But never so much as the last 24 hours. You can't live with someone for the period of time we did, sleep under the same roof, share all your meals together, pray together, worship together, work together, play together without loving together. A part of my family is hurting today. So please, when you know of someone in Haiti who is safe, don't stop your prayers there. Be grateful for their well being and praise God for that blessing. But remember there are still thousands of others who need your prayers still.

Me and Mackline (she's 7 and has brittle bone disease)
Roberto, Kelsey, and her sponsored child Claudia
Diane and one of her sponsored children Miko (Michael)

Kevin and another girl they sponsor Alexandra
Taylor made MANY friends with her long blonde hair. ;o)

These aren't just faces in the crowd.... not only do they belong to someone here on earth, they belong to our Lord. If you are wondering what you can do to help the people of Haiti.....the very first thing you can do is pray, and secondly you can click on the link in the sidebar (or below) for the mission and donate through paypal or click on the chip-in box and funds will be sent to Leslie and Chris' mission Clean Water for Haiti (which they are so desperately going to need now more than ever, and gas alone to run vehicles to transport people and water and food will be in short supply) and a portion will go to the Heartline Ministries and Life Connection Missions to help any in need. We may not know who they are right now, but God does. These are reputable missions and people we know that are working for the people of Haiti. You can read updates on their blogs and here. Thank you for your prayers.

* Please also keep Britt & Kris and their family in your prayers also. You can read her blog and updates HERE.

If you'd like to read more about our trip to Haiti you can click HERE.

All Donations will be provided a receipt for your contribution. Thank you!

† Shopping With a Purpose

The Christmas season is upon us! I don't know about you, but I have yet to dive into my shopping! I dread it for so many reasons. We no longer buy gifts for the adults in our family and only buy for children (our own and nieces and nephews). This year I want to do something different, when I shop and buy something (if I don't make it myself) I want it to be something with a deeper meaning and purpose than just something I grabbed at the last minute from the shelf at the department store. Below are some links and photos of items that would make great gifts but also support wonderful charities or families adopting so .... shop without guilt!!!! Know that money you spend not only buys a gift for your loved one, but provides funds for others to bring their loved ones home to forever families. :) Shop till you drop!!! I dare ya! :o) (and just a little heads up.... soon to come, we're making our own little boutique shop with goodies for the same purpose! Future gift giving ideas will be found at Pish Posh Tots too!!!)

Sugar Plum Orphans

Need hair bows, look no farther! So cute and so unique and for a great cause!

Beads For Life The beaders and tailors are primarily impoverished women who are hardworking, intelligent, and strong in their desire to improve their lives. They make gorgeous handcrafted paper beads from recycled paper and turn them into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Because the beaders use recycled, colorful paper, the beads help prevent environmental degradation. What was trash becomes beauty, money, food, and hope.

Light Gives Heat

Last year I gave these SUUBI beads as end of the year teacher gifts and for Christmas! They are very cool and go with so many things and support the women of Uganda! There are also other items for sell here.

Small Wish

This talented mom has the cutest baby slings I have ever seen and they are affordable! Stock up even if you don't need on enow because they make great baby gifts and help fund their adoption!!

JUNKPOSSE

This talented adoptive mom and grandma makes beautiful jewelry and You can keep up with her on her blog as well!

Sseko Designs

These are the cutest shoes ever!!! You buy one pair and then purchase straps is additional patterns! Go and read about the wonderful things they are doing in Uganda and support them by SHOPPING!!

What a WIN-WIN

Bacon Bit Knits

Hand knit in Alaska and 100% goes towards their domestic adoption fund. If you are aware of a mother looking to place her baby for adoption this family's profile can be seen here!

It's Poppy Dip

Here you will find some of the cutest and most affordable outfits for your little girls! Sallee is the blessed mom of 5--3 bio and 2 adopted from Ethiopia! She is sewing these beautiful clothes to raise money for their 3rd adoption! SHOP! SHOP! SHOP!!! These are photos of my girls enjoying their Poppy Dip outfits!

James 1:27

Need cute Christmas cards, birth announcements? This creative mama is using her gifts and talents to raise funds for their adoption. All you have to do is pick out what you like, insert your photos and info and them have them printed! SOOOOO Cute!

GOBENA COFFEE

who doesn't like coffee..... even if you don't buy it knowing that 100% of proceeds are reinvested into the lives of orphaned children!

147 Million Orphans

Here you can find cute hats, shirts sweats, bags, jewelry....and each purchase tells you how many orphans in Uganda will be fed with each purchase! Knowing that makes shopping fun!! Adopting families can also sell their shirts as fundraisers for their individual adoption!

This family is beading their way back to China for a little sister because their son has convinced them that is where she is!

JUSTLOVE If you love coffee you can buy free trade coffee here and part of the proceeds help build a school for older children in Ethiopia. If you are an adopting family you can also sell their coffee as a fundraiser!

Ethiopia's Calling

This family is selling some really cool shirts, bracelets ,etc to raise funds for their African adoption!

† Where Does the Time Go?!

I apologize for the absence! Sometimes life just gets too hectic for us and blogging can tend to take a back seat. I encourage everyone to continue with the 40 days of prayer. The list can be found on the orphansunday.org website. I know we've all been praying everyday for God's children, we don't need a list, but it's got some pretty good topics to share your heart with God about.

Now.... onto our latest share! We've recently received a couple of donations that were very surprising but greatly appreciated! We said it was our dream to become a non-profit and I think the Lord is leading our steps in that direction without us even knowing it. It's such a blessing and very exciting to know that we will be able to help a family bring their child home. We don't know who that is right now, or when that is..... but God does. And we wait for his guidance with our organization and all the red tape.
We'd also like to encourage you to check back in the next day or so as we're going to be posting links to some awesome stuff! You'll be able to do your Christmas shopping from the blog!!! Something for everyone, and the best part of all..... the proceeds will help families and orphans all over funding their adoption expenses. God is good. We give Him all the praise, glory and honor for our many blessings.

† Can You Help?

Please visit this sweet family's blog and if you feel led to give, please donate to help this mama get to her sweet baby boy. His name is Keshawn and he is such a cutie. I found their link through another bloggy friend and discovered they will be traveling to pick up Keshawn in just a few short weeks but still need a bit of funding for travel expenses. They need $2,500 to cover their travel to Ethiopia on the 28th. If you are unable to 'chip-in' financially through the fundraiser link on their blog at least take the time to stop and pray for their family. Pray for the funding to come, for travel mercies and for a safe journey home with their beautiful son. Thank you!!!

Please visit their blog:

Nations Around Our Table

Romans 12: 8

If it is encouraging, let him encourage;

if it is contributing to the needs of others,

let him give generously;

if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;

if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

† Orphan Sunday • Day 9

Was an incredible day. Joy, Melinda and I have worked so hard to bring this day together with our open house and sharing with the community what we had planned.

We started our day at First Assembly where we were invited to speak. The message given by Pastor Randy was awesome. I was so impressed that we made such an impact on his heart and his church that he shared a message devoted to God's heart for the orphan and widow. It was a perfect morning spent with family and friends.
We were just a bit nervous to say the least but people told us we did a great job and thanked us for coming. It really means a lot that Pastor Randy invited us to speak at First Assembly.

My son Tyler loved this slide from the overhead presentation during the sermon.

Pastor Randy Cowart at the open house. My son loves taking pics when people least expect it. :)

Once we left the church we headed to the Open House to set up and decorate. There was a LOT to do. We had lots of help (our boys are big boys), the kids helped move tables and chairs, Joy's mother had made cookies for us and helped decorate, my mom was there to help and let us use her 'yearly' employee use of the center for our event. We didn't have to pay for a space this way and really appreciated it more than she knows. My daughter helped set up displays and Cindy (our friend) was kind enough to do some babysitting duty while we worked. Everything could not have been done without the help of these people. :)
When you entered our event the first thing you saw was the guest book and a poster with our pictures and the proclamation from the mayor. Since we've only been working together for about a month this is us... we will be building a scrapbook soon from our times spent together and our advocating activities! :)
We collected information from various agencies and sponsorship advocates over the last month. We had a whole row of tables dedicated to adoption agencies for international adoption and sponsorship through World Vision and Life Connection Mission (our trip to Haiti) and had pictures and items from our trip displayed.

We had a row dedicated to domestic services and foster care/foster adoption where a specialist from Family Services set up. We enjoyed having Becky with us.
We had a 'coffee house' with a lending library where visitors could sit, enjoy coffee and cookies and check out books that we have collected through our own research and reading. My favorite area was the Christmas area where you could shop from the Christmas Tree of Hope, share in our donation jar or make purchases through World Vision for children around the world. Unfortunately my photographer son forgot to get a pic of that side of the room! lol :) I didn't want to worry about pictures yesterday so some of the things I wanted got missed, but we still have great shots from our event.
We worked really hard and enjoyed spending the day together with our families and a few friends. We missed Melinda and are keeping her and her family in our thoughts and prayers. I'm sure she'll be able to join us soon.

Joy & Jia

Being our only 'officially' adopted sweetheart Miss Jia was the star of the show! The kids all enjoyed playing with her and so did a few of us adults!!! She's precious to say the least! My kids even said they discovered their new 'favorite 3 year old'. She just makes you happy! Her momma would tell you how incredible she is and what an impact she has had on their lives. But I can tell you she's made an impact on so many more people that her little heart realizes. We ♥ u Jia!

Tyler & Jia
And look.... my daughter who favors little boys fell in love with Jia yesterday. Maybe a little sister isn't out of the question. ;)

Then, before our day came to an end we had a pleasant surprise. Ron & Beth Tucker showed up with little Lucy Lu!!! We totally forgot she mentioned wanting to come and meet us and see the open house. Her and her husband drove about 2 hours to come to our Open House. Beth and Joy met through the internet while researching the special needs they had in common with Jia and Lucy. It was so nice to meet them and visit for a while. Lucy is totally adorable too and we loved watching all the kids playing together. When God tells us to become like little children it's so true. Something we need to remember as our kids remind us it doesn't matter where you come from, how old or young you are, or what color your skin is.... we're all God's children. He loves us all the same and the least we can do is to love one another.

Joy, Jia, Jory, Beth & Lucy Lu
Beth and Lucy Lu - We ♥ You!

We had no idea what to expect for our open house but we know God has a plan for us. If only one person was introduced to adoption that will make a difference yesterday and provide hope for God's children then our work was well worth it. We hope everyone else that had an Orphan Sunday event had a terrific day and maybe we all played a part in changing the life of orphans around the world. Thank you to everyone that made our event possible and promoted it for us!

What did you do yesterday? Share your Orphan Sunday event or link in the comments section please!! We'd love to see!

• Day 9 of Prayer •
Today, pray that God would break the heart of your city’s pastors with the plight of orphans. Ask that He would convict them to lead their churches to pray, go, and love in Jesus’ name.