Here we are again!

It's been awhile since I was blogging.  Guess I kind of lost momentum.  I was thinking I needed to start up again, and a few days ago I knew I had to!  

Why?  

I'll tell you why.  Because of this young man. 

This is Alex.  He was just listed on RR.  I had seen his face before, because I'm aware of a ministry that works with the institution where he lives.  

I was so excited to see that Alex is available for adoption!  But there isn't much time.  Alex was born in 1999, and will turn 16 in December of this year.  For a family to adopt him, they would have to have their USCIS application filed before his birthday.  The adoption doesn't have to be completed before then.  

So--is Alex's mama out there?  And papa? Can you bring your boy home?  

Introducing Velia

This is sweet Velia. 

 Velia has Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.  Would you believe she is 13 years old?  No, the pictures are not old.  She is tiny. 

 Velia has waited so long to know she is loved.  She has almost given up hoping. 

But she is lovable and loved.  She is!

See those little arms holding onto the bars of her crib.  Those arms need someone to hold onto.  Velia needs the arms of a loving family embracing her, loving eyes looking into hers. 

Will you pray for Velia?  Pray that the family that is meant to be hers will see her and come for her.  Could you put something into her adoption grant?  Or...is she your daughter?

Casey

This sweet boy is Casey.

Doesn't he look like such a sweet little boy?  

The thing is--Casey is fifteen years old.  Yes, fifteen.  In June he will be sixteen.  And these pictures are fairly recent. 

Casey needs a family to commit to his adoption before he turns sixteen--in about a month. 

He has cerebral palsy, and he is very delayed.  He can't walk at all.  He really needs physical therapy for his stiff muscles.  He will need a lot of help and care.  But he has a sweet nature.  And his family will surely be blessed by having him. 

He was twelve in this photo.  Look at that grin!  And the little tuft of curly hair!



You can read more about Casey and see more pictures at this blog post. You can see a video of him here.  (I will try to embed it when I can get on the better computer...)

More blog posts about Casey--Here, and here. 

Pray for this little boy, still so little even as a teen-ager.  His heart is so precious to God. 

Somebody's son...

Somebody's son is waiting for his parents to find him and bring him home.


He is longing for a family.  He wants brothers and sisters, but most of all he needs the love of parents to guide him.

Ianto 

  

(turning fifteen this summer)

He has been so lonely for so long.

Joseph

 (turns sixteen in TWO WEEKS)

He needs a dad to show him how to be a strong and kind man.  He needs the love of a mom.

Barton

 (turning sixteen in December)

He needs a brother or a sister--or two--or some cousins, who will play games and share jokes and even bicker sometimes.  He needs an aunt or an uncle or a grandparent who will share their experiences and listen to his dreams.

Simon

 (turning sixteen in October)

Perhaps he has given up on dreaming.  He needs parents who can help renew his hope in life.

Nick

(turned fifteen in February)

He needs the embrace of people who love him just how he is, who will come alongside him and give the care and help he has missed out on.

Casey

(turns sixteen in June!  and he is tiny)

His time is running out--and he needs a miracle. 

Sebastian

(turning sixteen in TWO WEEKS)

Here is another post about the boys.

Edited Monday night, April 15:  Here is another post from a mom who adopted a teenage boy.  

Promised I would!

Tell about Simon, that is...

Look at that smile!

Simon is in a wheelchair.  He can't feel his legs, but he can get around very well.  He is very interested in gadgets and technology, but is also sensitive to other people's feelings.

He needs to have a family file paperwork to adopt him by October of this year or he will age out.  He will spend his life in an institution, without a family to belong to.

Simon faces big challenges in his life, but he shouldn't have to face them alone. 

Here is a video of Simon enjoying a game of checkers...Looks like he's pretty good!

Simon could be someone's son...someone's brother...someone's handsome nephew...someone's grandson.  Pray that it will happen!


p.s.  The boy with the big blue eyes and mischievous grin who comes right up to the camera is Orion.  He needs a family too!

Edited to add:

Here is another video with pictures and video clips of Simon.  He looks like the kind of young man anyone would want to have around!

Hoping for another miracle...

Anyone want to help pray for another miracle?

Of course you do.

This is Sebastian.

He is rather shy, and calm.  He is interested in many things--architecture, for instance, and animals, and drawing cars--and he longs for a family.   You can learn much more about him by clicking on his name above. 

He will turn sixteen in just a couple of weeks.  Paperwork to adopt him must be filed by April 25th.

There is time!  With God there is always enough time.  Somewhere, there is a family who has been working on their paperwork already, and can put in the request to go and claim Sebastian as their son. 

Take courage, dear parents!  Go and get your son!

And someone needs to go get Joseph too.

(Tomorrow I'll tell you about Simon...)


Edited to add:  Here is a post telling more about why it is so important that Sebastian and Joseph find families!

And another post from someone who has met him!

And another post...

and another...and another...

Joseph

I love to dream of impossible things. 

Actually, there was a time I did not dream; I had forgotten how.  That's another story. 

But here is a young man who needs to be able to dream.  He needs to have a dream come true. 

This is Joseph. 

Joseph will be 16 on April 25.  Three weeks. 

He needs a family to file the appropriate paperwork by April 24, in order for him to be adopted. 

Joseph wants to be adopted.  He needs a family to help him on his path in life.  He has waited so long, without belonging to anyone really. 

To step forward for Joseph would be to enter into a huge adventure.  But I know God can do things we dare not dream.

And I know that lots of people who care about Joseph's life will do all they can to help him come home.  Including me.

Pray for Joseph.  Pray that God's purpose for his life will blossom.  Pray that he won't be left alone.

The difference love can make

Love can make such a difference.  It made a difference for Valentin.

Love can make a difference for Giselle.

Love can make a difference for Ivan--love, and nourishment, and physical therapy. 

Actually it seems to me that all those other things are part of love.

Love feeds the child yummy food that nourishes his body and brings a smile to his face.

(Eldridge, age 3, with cerebral palsy)

Love gently encourages the tight muscles to uncurl--and brings the child to physical therapy for more help.  



(Kiril, soon to turn 9, with cerebral palsy) 

Love shows the child all the wonders of the world around him (or her!). 

(Chantelle, aged 5, with cerebral palsy)

Love helps the lonely heart to blossom. 

(Emil, aged 13, with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy)

Love can make such a difference. 


(p.s.--who wants the honor of being first to put something in Miss Chantelle's grant?)

In the New Year

I haven't blogged much lately, for various reasons...but here I am again today!  Looking forward to seeing what the new year will bring. 

A year ago I was thinking of Valentin, alone in a crib, waiting...Now when I think of Valentin I smile, knowing he is with his family, he is safe, he is loved. 

He is getting to experience the wonders of his world--like fish swimming gracefully in the aquarium...

and like sweet, gooey marshmallows! 

I could never tire of telling you how this little boy's world has been changed...but today I'm thinking of someone else who is waiting in a crib, who has never tasted a marshmallow, who doesn't have parents to take him to see wonderful things. 

This is Ivan. 

Ivan is five years old.  He's living in an orphanage, and he has cerebral palsy.  He's not able to walk, but he's loved by his caregivers.  Looking into his big dark eyes, you can see why they would! 

How much difference could a family make in his life?  What if Ivan had a mom and dad to hold him close, to encourage him and help him learn to use his muscles?  What if loving eyes looked into his eyes every day? 

We've seen it happen for Valentin. 


p.s.  Go see Valentin's mom's blog for an update...scroll down for a video! 

Little tough guy

Here's Nathan.

With his buzz cut, he looks like a "man's man."  I bet he would like helping his Dad with projects around the house and yard.  But I know he would love having a Mom to hug him and read to him too. 

What kind of life could Nathan have outside the orphanage? 

still waiting...

Valentin is home forever! 

But Kirill is still waiting. 

(Kirill has cerebral palsy--like Valentin.  He is in an institution--like Valentin would have been.  The picture doesn't show the smile that lights up a room.  Kirill needs a mom and dad.)

But...

Callum is waiting. 

(Look at those glasses--pretty irresistible!  Callum is seven.  He was born prematurely and has many developmental delays.  But he likes to build and construct things, and do puzzles.  Callum needs a mama.)

But...

Irina is waiting. 

(Big dark eyes!  Irina is seven.  She has a cleft palate and is cognitively delayed, but she's a lively little girl.)

But...

Edward is waiting.
 

(Look at that expression!  You can tell this one is full of fun.  Edward is seven.  He is small for his age, and has developmental delays, but he's making lots of progress!  Edward needs a mama to smile back into those sparkling eyes.)

Kristopher is waiting. 

(Kristopher has cerebral palsy--like Valentin--but see how his spirit shines!  His smile would light up your day.  And who knows what progress he can make, with the love of his parents and family to help him?

Sawyer is waiting.

(Sawyer turns five this month!  He should be getting ready for kindergarten...He needs a mama to look into his blue eyes and say, "You're mine.")

Valentin is home. 

They all need to come home too. 

Home!!

 Like a dream ...

 But then you awaken and find that it's true!!

Valentin is home forever. 










(Look at that smile and the peace in his eyes!  And see how he's sitting up, on the carpet!)

My heart rejoices...

...because he is going home.

Valentin is going HOME!!!

Alleluia!

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute...  Ps 150:4

A wonderful thing happened over there...

...Valentin was legally declared to be a son. 

I was going to say he became a son.  But it wasn't the judge's word that did that. 

From the time they determined to bring him home, Tyler and Jamie became his parents.  When they met him they were already his mom and dad, and as he got to know and trust them he began to become their son.  

But now a judge has confirmed what began in the hearts.  Valentin is legally their son.  He has brothers and a sister.  And when the ten-day waiting is over, when all the papers have been chased down--

Valentin will be going home. 

He loves bubbles!

Valentin loves bubbles!

Look at the wonder and delight on his face.

On his family's blog, you can see a video and hear him laughing, too!  Go see!

I'll bet Sawyer would love bubbles too...



I'm sure Emmitt isn't too old to enjoy tossing a ball with mom and dad, or watching bubbles float in the air...

And Ivan.  Wouldn't you like to see him break out in chuckles?



Pray that their families will come for them soon.

Sweet faces...

This is Kristopher.

His smile could light up your day!  Kristopher has cerebral palsy, like Valentin.  We don't know how severely he's affected.  But it doesn't seem to have kept him from finding joy in life!

Since he's sitting in a stroller, it's likely that he can't walk, or not very well.  Physical therapy could make a big difference for him.   And surely Kristopher's smile would be a delight to his family.

This is Galen.  He turned seven this month.

Galen has cerebral palsy, but he is able to walk and get around.  He likes people and enjoys helping.

Galen would love to have a family of his own!  He could benefit from physical therapy, and glasses to help with his strabismus.  But most of all his heart would blossom in the love of his own mom and dad.

Brandon also has CP.

What thoughts are going on behind those eyes?  Brandon isn't able to share his thoughts very well.  His speech is delayed, and he's said to have mental delays.  He is able to walk on his own, though.

Brandon could probably benefit from speech therapy.  But most of all he needs a mom and dad to look into those eyes and tell him how much he is loved. 

And this is Joey.

Joey has CP, but as you see he can walk.  But Joey is going to be someone's brother!!

Can you guess whose?