Sweet Emmett

I posted about this precious boy over a year ago, and it breaks my heart to know he's still waiting. You can read all about him below including his latest update from January 2019.  And you must check out his videos too!  Oh, how I pray his family finds him soon!!

Emmett is an adorable, obedient, and polite boy, born in June of 2010 with Down syndrome. Emmett has the absolute best smile! He has a great foster family who takes him to all of the orphanage events and activities and he has received education through the One Sky Foundation. Emmett is able to walk, run, and use a spoon to feed himself. He enjoys watching TV, coloring, playing with blocks, and dancing. Emmett focuses well, is able to follow simple instructions from adults, and listens to conversations well. His caretakers say that he sometimes looks like a little adult when he is walking outside. Emmett knows all the names of his classmates and performs very well in school. 

An advocate met Emmett in May of 2018 and said this about him: "This little boy seemed to be a favorite at the orphanage. The lady that does paperwork at the orphanage knew him very well and he ran up to her as soon as he saw her and they hugged. The teacher bragged about him and I was told his foster mom is very good with him. He lives in a foster family that is very involved with orphanage activities and he often participates in events or field trips. He has had paperwork for years and they seemed surprised he was still waiting. He attends school with One Sky and has always lived with the same foster family. They had a computer touch screen at school and he knew his way around it really well. Another boy was looking for a song and he kept pressing a different button and running away to dance to the song he was choosing. He followed directions well and was obedient to his teacher and polite during class time. They were learning to use a pencil and he had a good grasp. All the kids in his class had Down syndrome and most of them had more delays than him."


January 2019 Written Update: Emmett has lived in a foster family at for a long time. He is very used to living with a lot of little kids. He has a very good relationship with the other kids in the house. With the children with similar abilities as him, he loves to play with them and gets really happy and excited to be with them. In other environments, like school, it is apparent that he is closer to the other kids who live in his same family. With the children with more severe disabilities, he will often help his mama and is able to help take care of them. He is outgoing and loves to smile. When he laughs we all think he is very cute. Most of the time his temper is good and he is very willing to cooperate with adults. However, he has his own personality and if a stranger pushes him to do something he is not comfortable with or difficult he can get angry. He can sometimes be impatient. Has some language delays and sometimes he can get anxious if he can’t express himself clearly. With people he knows he doesn’t lose his temper. But if a stranger forces him to do something like for example a performance he won’t be happy. He is very happy and lively most of the time. He likes to hug and kiss familiar people and hear compliments. He can walk by himself. In fact, his sport abilities are not bad. He can even help his mama push other kids on the stroller. He is pretty independent in activities of daily living. Because he has had the opportunity to go out more often, when he is outside he listens well to direction, stays close to the mama or to the teacher. He can basically cooperate, especially if it’s activities of daily life or school that he is used to. He is good at listening to his mama or teacher. He did a great performance for Chinese New Year. He always likes to dance and participate in performances.

VIDEOS:
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-emmettupdate https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-emmettupdate2
https://vimeo.com/maaspecialkids/maa-emmett

There is a $2,000 agency grant for Emmett's adoption with Madison Adoption Associates. Emmett has a Reece's Rainbow account here too: http://reecesrainbow.org/120060/emmett
Other grants may be available based on the adoptive family's circumstances. Agency grants are awarded as agency fee reductions. MAA also partners with the Brittany's Hope Foundation for matching grants, which are given out twice a year January and July) and to families that are officially matched with a child.

Emmett needs a family with an approved home study to be able to move forward with adopting him. If you have an approved home study or a home study in process and are interested in adopting Emmett, please fill out a free PAP Waiting Child Review Form, which can be found here: https://madison.mysamdb.com/SAM/Fm/FamilyInformationSheet_Edt.aspx

The Willis Family

This month I would like to introduce you to the Willis family.
Michael, Lindsey, Ella, Ben, & Molly...

They are in the process of adopting from China.  I always ask my families to share a little about themselves and their adoption story.  Here is what Lindsey had to say about theirs...

"Michael’s parents adopted his little sister from Russia when she was 18 months old, and he has always talked about wanting to pursue adoption. My grandparents adopted my uncle, and my youth minister and his wife adopted their two boys—adoption was familiar to me, but it was never something I actually considered for my own family.

We started having more friends and friends of friends post blogs and fundraisers as they began their adoption journeys. I read all of them and bought all the t-shirts. Again, I never thought this was something I’d be doing, but I was intrigued. Michael and I would talk about adoption sometimes, but it was never very serious.

We moved to our new house in the summer of 2015, and we started getting to know our neighbors. We met our (now) pastor and his wife, and one of the first things we talked about was how they were getting reading to begin the process to adopt from China. I remember walking home from their house and Michael smiling and saying, “We’re definitely doing this.” I still wasn’t convinced, because it seemed so scary and crazy and just not like something I could ever do! But as I watched these friends go through this process and bring their precious girl home, it became so obvious to me that this was what God had planned
for our family.

We started talking to our kids about adoption, and they were ready to go to China! They find things around the house that they tell me we need to save for our “baby” when he/she comes home. They pray often for him/her, and they’re so excited! We all began learning more about adoption and how it is such a CLEAR picture of the gospel. Seeing the families around us love the kids they have adopted has profoundly deepened my understanding of God and His heart for His people.

That’s a TINY part of the story leading up to our decision to pursue adoption. So why are we adopting? Because God loves us. He loves orphans. He is about the business of setting the lonely in families. He has allowed us to begin this journey, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We know that God designed our family before the foundation of the world, and we can’t wait to add one more!

Why China? 

Michael spent three months in China teaching ESL after his sophomore year of college, and I currently teach ESL online to kiddos in China. We live right down the street from our pastor and his wife who adopted from China- we had the privilege of watching them go through the entire adoption process and bring sweet Hattie Jane home! Our other friends from church brought their little girl home from China a few months later. Michael attended a seminar where one of the speakers talked about international adoption, and he suggested that one way to choose a country was to choose based on a place you already have a connection with. We definitely have a connection with China, and we can't wait to bring our little one home!" 

It is my favorite thing to hear how God stirs people's hearts toward adoption, and many times you hear that the wife starts feeling led that direction before the husband.  That's how it was in our case, but I loved hearing that Michael was on board before she was. 

For their necklace, the Willis' chose Exodus 14:14, "The Lord will fight for you, you need only BE STILL."  I love this verse so much and especially how it relates to their situation.  Adoption is not easy.  Many times it can seem impossible...the waiting, the finances, the transition, the trauma, etc.  BUT God fights for the orphans, and He fights for the families willing to open their hearts and homes to them. That doesn't mean it's not still hard, but it means He's with us every step of the way.

You can PREORDER this necklace now from the shop, and it will be delivered in 3-4 weeks.  Half of it's proceeds will be donated to the Willis family to help cover their adoption expenses.  If you would like to donate further to them, please visit their fundraising page.  Thank you so much for your support!!!

Meet the Joys

March 21st is World Down syndrome day.  For those who don't know, Down syndrome is a result of there being a 3rd copy of the 21st chromosome, so the numbers 3/21 are special to those of us in this community.

In honor of this day,  I reached out to the Joy family who I knew were in the process of adopting another child with Down syndrome from China and asked if we could help support them.  In the past (and sometimes still) China has deemed children with DS "unadoptable" so I love it when families like the Joys step up, shout their worth, and prove them wrong.

 I asked Marta to share some of their story, and here's what she had to say...

"We are Kevin, Marta, Greyson, Kasia and Mila — adopted from China last year. God opened our hearts to Down Syndrome right before we brought our Mila home last year. 

Around the same time we saw Elora's face and fell absolutely in love. We hoped there was a chance she would be ours. We began sponsoring Elora - so that she could receive a life saving heart surgery. Despite the doctors saying Elora was too old and that she was inoperable — thousands prayed and fought for this girl! Donations from followers poured in as Meredith Toering at Morning Star Foundation garnered support. Elora's surgery was a great success. 

The next hurdle would be getting her orphanage to write her file. WACAP - Elora's agency fought for a year to get her file to be written to - no avail. We waited and waited and finally we sent in a photo of us with Mila to show the orphanage that children with Down Syndrome are loved, wanted and cherished dearly. After 9 months of pleading and prayer we received a phone call --- Elora's file has indeed been prepared! We are so very excited to bring Elora Meredith Joy home! 

Isn't it awesome that because of their persistence and strong love for her, this sweet girl now has a family?!  I am just so excited for them!

Elora means God’s light, so the Joys wanted this included in their necklace.  Half of the proceeds from this "Shine Your Light" necklace and any other orders placed this month will be donated to the Joy family to help bring Elora home!  

Friends, let's rally around them and help bring her home!  Head on over to the shop to place your order!  You can follow along with their story on Marta's Instagram @chosenforjoy.  Also, if you would like to make a further donation, you can do so here.

Hundreds of children with Down syndrome are still waiting for their families to find them.  If you happen to feel your heart tugged in this direction,  you should visit www.reecesrainbow.org where you can see the precious faces and profiles of some of these waiting children.  And even if not, there are many other ways to be a part of orphan care....you should still go check out this awesome organization!    God bless, and thank you for your support!

Support The Lintons

Hello Friends.  I hope you have enjoyed the holiday season and are off to a great start this new year.  We started ours with lots of sickness along with a surgery, but thankfully we are now on the mend and getting back to business!  

I'm excited to launch a new fundraiser this month for the Lintons. They are in the process of growing their family through adoption. 

I always ask my families to share a little bit about them, and here is what they had to say.

"Hi! We are Joe and Regan Linton. As far back as when we even began talking about marriage, we knew that adoption was going to be part of our story. Now, after four years of marriage, God has made it clear through His wonderful ways that the time has come to follow through on His plan for our life. We asked God to send us and he has decided to send us all the way to India to find our daughter! We have decided to name her Gracyn Andree and will call her Gray. Y'all, she is already loved by so many. The adoption process is a scary and exciting one but we believe that where there is great love, there are great miracles. We know, because we have seen it already through this process, that Jesus is moving Heaven and Earth for our little girl. We covet your prayers for us and for Gracyn!" 

Let's help them bring their sweet girl home!  Joe and Regan selected the saying "Trust Without Borders" for their necklace, and they will receive half of the profits for each one that you order.  So head on over to the shop now and help support this precious couple. 

Also, if you would like to make an additional donation you can do so here.  

Meet Emmett

Y'all! Look at this sweet smile! This is Emmett, and he is looking for his forever family.

I recently stumbled upon his profile, and he has stolen my heart!  I am going to donate a percentage of all of our sales from now through the end of the year to his adoption grant through Reece's Rainbow.

He attends school and is doing very well.  He plays well with other kids and follows instructions.  He enjoys watching TV and focuses on it well.  He is able to follow instructions from adults and listen to their conversations.  His caretakers say that he sometimes looks like a little adult when he is walking in the yard.  He performs well in school and knows all the names of his classmates.  He colors, plays with blocks, and sometimes dances at school.

Isn't he just precious?!  I would love to help his family find them and help them with the funds.  Madison Adoption Associates currently has $6000 in agency grants available for his adoption through their agency.  You can visit http://www.madisonadoption.org/waiting-children/ for more details.

Headed to Hannah

Hey Friends.  Thank you to all who supported the Manuel family.  They are currently in China and are enjoying loving on their sweet Henry!

This might be a little confusing, but there is another Manuel family headed out next week to bring home their daughter.  I met Katie years ago through social media.  We both had sons with Down Syndrome close to the same age.  Then, we ended up going through the adoption process close to the same time.  Her son, Eli, and my daughter, Hai-Leigh, just happened to be from the SAME CITY in China!  Because of her, I was able to reach out to the foster homes that cared for my daughter and ended up with pictures of her from birth to when we brought her home.  What a blessing!

Katie and her husband are about to head back to China to adopt again and are in need of some extra funds before they go.   We decided to throw together a quick fundraiser to help them.  Here is a little bit of their story...

"Hi there! We are Michael and Katie Manuel and we are the proud parents to 5 (about to be 6) amazing children.  Feeling like our family was complete, but still desiring to make a difference in the lives of orphans, our family decided to host a special 12 yr old girl over the Christmas holidays. We saw her picture and knew she was special. Her name is Hannah.  She is 12 years old and rocks an extra chromosome just like our son, Carter! We had a plan to share her story daily so that the world could see how amazing she is, and she could find a forever family during her time in the U.S.   Little did we know, she would steal our hearts.  From day one, both our family and this sweet girl made a life changing connection with each other. We also found out that she would be the very first child with Down syndrome to ever be adopted from her orphanage!   We are so excited that a life in America is so bright and beautiful and full of opportunity for this sweet girl.   We are trusting the Lord for the provision to bring our daughter back home as quickly as possible. We will actually be traveling very soon! Funding another adoption was not the game plan for our family, but we know the Lord will provide through overtime, fundraising, and grants. We are beyond thankful for the opportunity to adopt again, and have our friends, family, and community rally around us with support and love.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!" 

 Y'all, isn't this awesome?! I am so excited for them and am eager to help them out!  I have updated the inventory in the shop to what I have in stock.  The only necklace that will be a PREORDER is the "LOVE CROSSES OCEANS" China necklace.  It only seemed fitting to add it even though it's not in stock.  Between now and August 21st, half of the proceeds from all orders will go to this family to help them bring home sweet Hannah.  So head on over to the shop and support this family! Thank you in advance for your purchase with a purpose!!
 

Meet the Manuels

Y'all, look at this face!!!

This is Henry! Isn't he precious?! He has a forever family that hopes to have him in their arms by the end of the summer. They are the Manuels...

And here is what they had to say about their adoption:

"An international adoption was something I've always said that I personally wouldn't do.   Too much paperwork, the expense, the time and energy....but over the last 3 years,  adoption has grown stronger and stronger in the hearts of all our family members.   We hoped if we ignored it, the idea would just go away (and we prayed it would)   Then in September 2016,  we finally surrendered to God's continuous, persistent voice and took the first step of finding a local in-state adoption agency but all the doors were closed so we timidly and with extreme caution, checked out an adoption from China and the doors were thrown wide open.  And I can say that since that time in September, not one obstacle has blocked this path towards adoption.    We were quickly matched in November with a little boy, Henry Joshua,  who will be turning 2 in Fall 2017.  And now, we will be traveling in late summer 2017 to pick him up and we can't wait to meet him.

I chose the quote "Love is Brave" for our necklace, because I feel like my Christian life hasn't been very brave.  I have done a lot of ministry and taken risks, tried new things, traveled to countries but have never actually stepped out in complete scary faith, obeying God's voice and done something that didn't really seem to fit into my plans or make sense.  We've seen adoption to be extremely costly, painful, emotionally taxing to families, so it took us about three years to really submit and get over our fear and step out in faith and love, no matter what the cost will be.   However,  as we have stepped out in faith,  God has come alongside of us and eased our fear and reassured us every step of the way.   I can honestly say that I am not the same person I was last year at this time. 

  

Adoption is definitely a huge leap of faith.  It is challenging, but so rewarding.  We want to help Mindy & John with their remaining adoption costs, so we have designed this "Love is Brave" necklace.  Half of its proceeds will be donated to the Manuel family.  Would you please consider helping them bring home sweet Henry?  Just visit our shop to make your purchase with a purpose.  Thank you so much, and God bless you!

Also, if you would like to further support this family, please visit www.Gracehavenhome.com and specify that you are giving to John & Mindy Manuel.