Adopting Asia – Page 9 – trippingdifferently

March 22, 2013

A Family for Them…

i came across this blog called All Things Colbry and their family photo grabbed me… i said to myself, “i want to see my sweet Wesley in a photo like that!” And my thoughts flew to all the other orphans too.

The Colbrys came home with Eli, their newest family member, last summer and it has been a wonderful adventure for all of them. Go here to read about their journey.

Today i want to specifically highlight 6 boys who currently share 3 times; one, they are all orphans, two, they all have albinism, three, they are all in Asia. My hope and prayer is for them to share a fourth thing… four, that they all have a family…

You all know my Sweet Wesley. He has a sad story but he still maintains a sweet disposition. He loves playing outside and is polite and sensible. He ages out in less than 17 months. So he needs a family to step forward today! Read more about Wesley here.

Here is Shane. He is an active boy who loves to sing and easy-going and helpful. He too ages out in less than 17 months. His vision is getting worse and he needs treatment he isn’t getting. His forever family needs to come forward real soon! Read more about Shane here.

Meet Reid. He has a ready smile, loves to be outdoors and is caring towards younger children. He has only a couple of years before he ages out. Read more about Reid here.

This is Jason. He is outgoing and helpful but nervous with strangers. His mental development could be slightly delayed. His vision seems to be very minimally affected by his albinism. Read more about Jason here.

Here is Andrew. He is a bright boy who is sometimes shy. He is very helpful with chores in his foster family and studies hard. His vision problem does not affect his daily life. Read more about Andrew here.

Last but certainly not least, Kevin. He is a happy, healthy boy who attends regular kindergarten. He does need sunglasses when outside. Read more about Kevin here.

i have nominated all of them for a really cool fundraiser.

There is a guy, Jake, whose heart is for the orphans, who is on a one-year journey to quit drinking soda (soft-drinks or carbonated drinks) as he realises his dependence on them isn’t doing him any favours. He blogs here. But he is making this journey to a healthier him not just about him but about the orphans too. For every day that he goes soda-free he is asking for pledges for 3 specific orphans who are listed on Reece’s Rainbow. Read about his cause here.

i have challenged him to go 100 consecutive days without soda and in return my pledge is 1 cent (or penny in American speak) for every consecutive day. You can simply pledge a fixed amount like 5 cents a day and at the end of a year (March 2014) you will give the total amount (5 cents x the number of days he made it soda-free) to the 3 kids. Read more about making a pledge here.

He has given us the privilege of helping to pick out one of the kids through a Pledge-a-ton. Since i already pledged, i get to nominate and these 6 precious boys are my picks (i have also nominated a 7th boy – his name is Alban and he is just such a nugget… see here for more info on Alban. If you want to see a video of Alban, comment below and i will post the link.).

Now i need your help to help the boys grow their adoption grant.

1st, pledge a small amount and put your votes towards the boys i have nominated.
2nd, go and like the Soda-Free Facebook page and you get another vote. Again, please vote for one of these 7 boys. Plus, for every like on the Facebook page, Jake will give a $1 to the kids nominated (total number of likes shared between all nominees), so every kid who is nominated already has something going to their adoption grant.
3rd, spread the word about this great, fun fundraiser so more can take part and the kids can benefit from all the added support and pledges. Remember every share is another vote for you to use and every blog post is 3 votes.

i hope i have explained clearly. If not, ask away and i’ll try my best to answer your questions.

i do hope and pray for your support for the boys! Now go over to Soda-Free, pledge and vote! Remember to comment on either the Soda-Free blog or Facebook page to get your pledges and votes recorded.

Thank you very much.

syc

PS: you could also join Jake and go soda free yourself or try to give up whatever other thing which might be unhealthy. Check it out here.

March 20, 2013

Many Hands… We Need…

Yep, that’s what we need… many hands and hearts… you have heard the saying, “Many Hands make Light Work.” and i’m sure you would agree it is true – yes?

Recently i have been full on helping families who are adopting and shouting out for waiting children who need their families to step up for them. And it is hard work and a lot of the times, it seems like it has no effect, it made no difference. But it does! i was reminded by Char at Joy in the Moments:

When we are kind to others, our teaspoon fractions add up to delicious overflowing honey. We don’t have to wait for big things to pool our efforts (like natural disasters). We can make a difference each day through small, compassionate acts (a smile, a kind word, a listening ear). Think of what a great impact millions of these acts done around the world each day would make.

She speaks about what we can learn from bees in this post. Did you know that a single bee can only produce 1/12 teaspoon of honey? Wow, that really is a tiny bit. But have you seen how the hives are stock full of honey?! It is because every little bee did their teeny little part and it all adds up.

So i’m asking you today to lend a hand, help with your small compassionate act; help Jon and Angela bring home not just one little boy but TWO! That’s right, they are now bringing home Jensen as well as Jack.

Jensen is a sweet quiet yet friendly child who is calm and loves people, animals, nature and crafts. He has CP but that does not define him. Jensen has told visitors that he is worried he will not get a family by his next birthday (July this year). You see, Jensen is aging out – he is only 13 years old but in a few months he will not be adoptable!

BUT… NOW he has a family coming for him and they are working their very very hardest to reach him and Jack in time.

Jack is also living on borrowed time. Jack does not have the medical care or protection his needs for his skin condition, which has likely led to cancerous lesions already. He needs to come home asap and get treatment! Most children with his condition do not live to adulthood. But he has survived all these years without treatment, he needs it now more than ever. (You can read more about Jack in my interview-post here.)

Would you please lend your hand and help these boys come home to the family they so richly deserve and need?

Here’s how you can help:

Fundraisers – you can take part in the following fundraisers:

1) Jack’s 8th Birthday Bash – celebrate the life of this little boy by giving him a little boost in his adoption grant! There is a whole array of thank-you gifts for your generosity, including a brand new iPad! Ends 31st March.

2) Tupperware Fundraiser – i LOVE Tupperware! They are such amazing products and so useful to have around. Please do some shopping here and Jack & Jensen will get 40% (plus 15% which is the normal commission of the lady hosting this but she is also giving this to the boys so it is a total 55%) of the sales. End Date – uncertain at time of writing.

3) Springtime Fundraiser – It is time to celebrate new birth. How appropriate that Jack & Jensen will, in a way, be birth into their new family. Please show the boys that they are loved, contribute to their adoption grant and give them a colourful Easter egg wall to remember you by. There are also lovely thank-you items for this fundraiser. See here. Ends 1st April.

4) Masterpiece Quilts are giving 20% of their sales to Jon&Angela when you purchase from them and state at check-out that it is for the Jon&Angela adopting Jack&Jensen. Please go here to see what wonderful quilts they make! The young girl who makes these has Down Syndrome and therefore would like to help other special needs children. (Note: they are currently on holiday but will be back in a week so do check back.)

Giving – you give directly to their adoption grant here.

Praying – please please pray for the expedited paperwork to go smoothly, for the officials handling the paperwork to have compassion and do their work right so Jack & Jensen can come home really quickly!

Sharing – please share this post far and wide so many more hands can help.

Thank you so much for your kindness, compassion and generosity.

syc

March 15, 2013March 15, 2013

Not Limited…

i read this amazing article about a family with 4 children with albinism; that’s right 4 out of their 6 children (including an adopted daughter) have the condition. But that in no way limited them in life and successes.

Their oldest, who was declared legally blind at birth, has beaten the odds and now is married, a mother of 2 and a successful photographer! All because she had parents who believed in her, who supported her, who loved her, who was able to get her the medical treatments she needed.

All their children have not let their disability stop them or even slow them down. Their mother’s motto is :

‘Your only handicap is the limit you put on yourself,’ … ‘You can accomplish great things if you put your mind to it.’

i wish for my sweet Wesley to have that kind of mother, that supportive family and all those opportunities and medical treatments which would enable him to get the most out of life and to show the world everything he is capable of doing!

My sweet Wesley thanks you for your very generous contributions to his adoption grant. — Help sweet Wesley find his forever family. Help him grow his adoption grant.

TODAY is my sweet WESLEY’s DAY on Forty to Forever, the Lent Fundraiser and Journey i am a part of. The aim is to give Wesley as much visibility (no pun intended) as possible and to raise at least US$400 for his adoption grant.

Didn’t i just raise money for him in November? Yes i did! Why do i keep raising money for him?

Because he has only 17 months to find a family! In August 2014, he will turn 14 and then become un-adoptable!

So what has money got to do with it? Well, in the country where he is in, he will have little to no chance of getting a family because he is already 12 years old and because his condition is not socially acceptable there. He sticks out like a sore thumb because of his fair skin, white hair and vision problems. So international adoption would be the way for him to have a chance at a family. BUT international adoptions are very expensive! There is a whole ton of paperwork to do and pay for, medical exams, travel expenses and compulsory donations to the orphanage, costing US$30,000 and up.

My hope and prayer is that if his adoption grant has a bit more, then his forever family would not be deterred by a lack of funds and also it would help them race through the process to get him without worrying extra over fundraising. It is indeed a race against time to reach him before August 2014.

Now i’m know i’m not going to be able to raise that US$30,000 for him overnight (although i know God can if that is God’s plan, for His Glory). But every little bit counts.

So would you please help? Please go over to Forty to Forever and give whatever you feel led to. There is also a fabulous giveaway you can enter with 40 different great items to choose from. See here for giveaway details.

Please also share this post far and wide so that we can truly give sweet Wesley the best chance of finding a forever family! You can read Wesley’s profile on Reece’s Rainbow here.

Thank you so very much.

syc