What can you do?

If you've read here a little, you've seen Valentin's
sweet face...you've been charmed by him, at least a little, and you've been troubled--at least a little--at the thought of this beautiful boy (and others like him) with no families to care for them, and no prospects except being sent to an institution, bedridden without opportunities for education and therapy and fun.


But what can you do about it?

What are you willing to do?

I will tell you some things...

Pray.

You can pray for him. Pray that he will be well cared for. Pray that his family will come. Pray that the light won't fade from his eyes...

You can pray just when it crosses your mind--little prayers, just going up. You can ask for prayer for him (and other children) at your church or your temple or your small group. Just simple prayers...

Bring him home!

Perhaps you've thought about adoption. Or perhaps you haven't thought of it (until now). Maybe you didn't dare think it was a possibility.

But what if it is?

Think about it. Ask God...

Not everyone can adopt Valentin, but there are other children, too, who need love and a family.

Give.

Even without adopting, you can help a child (or children) come home.

Is there some small expenditure you can give up for a week, or a month, and give to Valentin instead? Or one of the other children on Reece's Rainbow?

(The money we donate on RR goes toward adoption grants, to help families bring these children home. I will post more about all that soon!)

Think about it--even if it's only $5.00...A thousand times five dollars is five thousand dollars! How many times in a month do we spend five dollars? Maybe sometimes we can bless it toward a child who has nothing.

Whatever you may choose to do, I would like for it to be with peacefulness and faith. Because I know that God is able to bring everything about in His way, without anxiety.

But ask Him. Is there something He wants to do, in company with you?

This is why--

Far across the sea, in Eastern Europe, in Asia, Africa and South America, there are a lot of little children (and bigger children) without parents. They are living in orphanages, where they are looked after; but it's hard for one caregiver to parent a whole group of preschoolers. They really need--they really want--a mom and dad of their own.

So they wait. Three years old, four...They're old enough to want a family, to think about it and wish for it. But people don't always think about adopting an "older" child, who doesn't speak their language, who may have additional challenges on top of it. People may think they just can't afford it.

A ministry called Reece's Rainbow helps bring together orphans with Down Syndrome and other challenges, with the families who want to adopt them. One of the things Reece's Rainbow does is provide grants to help offset the costs of an international adoption.

Reece's Rainbow has been around for five years now, and to celebrate, they're focusing particularly on the five-year-olds listed on the Web site. The purpose is to bring these children to your attention; to ask you to pray; to ask you, if you feel led, to give toward their adoption grants--and to ask the scary exciting question, Could one of these children be yours?

So. That's why this blog is here. I'm a warrior for Valentin. I'm hoping that, if you're reading, you'll pray for him. Just a short prayer, as you're thinking about it. I'm hoping that some might decide to give something toward his adoption grant. Even a little. And I'm hoping that if you were thinking about adopting internationally--or even if you weren't--that you might consider Valentin. Or one of the other five-year-old boys and girls on Reece's Rainbow.





(And if you're surprised--even taken aback--by what I'm doing on this blog, feel free to talk about it! I mean, with anyone! "I can't believe what that girl's up to these days! She's writing on a blog about a little orphan boy who needs a family!" I don't mind at all. You can ask me questions, too, of course.)