No, it’s not because it is the start of a new school year (here in our village we started 3 weeks ago). No, not the significant other’s birthday. No, not the son’s birthday either.
It is significant for a number of reasons – one of which i will tell you now (the rest will be revealed as the month goes on).
This is the very first photo i have of Heather – she is about 9 here? Now she is 11.
September is my lovely Heather’s birthday. She turns 11. i don’t know the exact date. It only states “born September 2001” in my little Heather’s profile on Reece’s Rainbow. No date; that makes having a specific day for a celebration rather difficult.
So i’m holding a month-long celebration for her. i’ll be writing a special post for her every Monday of September. i’m hoping and praying that this weekly highlight will bring her more exposure and eventually bring her forever family to her.
My lovely Heather has been waiting for many many years now. A little girl should have a caring family around her, celebrating her 11th year of life and not in an orphanage waiting.
My little Heather has Down Syndrome but is otherwise healthy. However, where she is from, it means her future looks dim; she is cast aside, without a chance to blossom and grow into the wonderful person i know she is inside. See that sweet shy smile on her face. It hides so much potential.
This is an updated photo – about a month ago… she would be a lovely addition to a loving family.
So today i am her “family” and i wish my lovely gal a BIG
i love you and am praying for you and for the family who comes for you.
Would you join me in wishing Heather a Happy Birthday? Join me in praying for the best birthday gift ever – a family for her.
Do you feel a tug at your heart? Could you be her family?
Would you consider sharing her story so she gets more notice and her forever family might find her? You can also help by donating to her adoption grant so that when her family does come for her, they will be able to reach her faster.
Click on her picture or name to go to her profile page. Thank you for caring for my lovely Heather.
What is a Fortress? Well, the Collins English Dictionary online defines it as:
— n
1.
a large fort or fortified town
2.
a place or source of refuge or support
i like the sound of that – a place of refuge or support. Don’t you?
Some time ago, i read about a place of refuge and support, a stronghold for everyone. That’s right for everyone, for everyone who would recognise that it is a great fortress. It is a source of comfort i have known for a while now.
What am i talking about? i’m talking about Prayer! Prayers to the Lord God Almighty, to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is my fortress. And it can be anyone’s fortress who will and can pray to Him, who will and knows how to bring their problems to Him. He is there for us, day and night to protect us, if we accept Him and let Him into our lives.
But what about people who don’t know about God? What if they live in a place where God is not mentioned? What if they themselves can not understand enough to accept God? People like the little orphans i pray and advocate for.
Well, that’s where we, the people who can pray come in, we can pray for these precious ones who are unable to or don’t know how to raise their voices in prayer. We stand in the gap for them. We pray to God on their behalf.
Little Brandi will turn 5 in a few days and needs her forever family today.
And today i pray specifically for little Brandi. Isn’t her smile absolutely radiant? i smile just looking her laughing face.
However, life isn’t all that rosy for her. She will be turning 5 on Friday, this Friday, August 31. But she will have no one who will celebrate it with her and for her. She lives in an orphanage, in a country where orphans with disabilities are transferred to an adult mental institution when they are between the ages of 4 and 6. Which means Brandi faces transfer to a place where there is no future for her, a place where there is only four walls and nothing else. Such a place is not for children! It is not even suitable for mentally disable adults. It is a place where they will regress. To put it bluntly, it is a fortress of despair.
Brandi would do so very well in a loving family environment, they would be her fortress of refuge and support. She has CP (Cerebral Palsy) and microcephaly, but is physically active. She has hearing problems and developmental problems. But these are all treatable and manageable if she lives in a country with better medical care and better understanding of her conditions.
So i stand in the gap for Brandi today. Will you stand with me? Will you pray with me for her daily needs, for her forever family to come for her today?
Maybe you feel that tug in your heart – are you her family?
Or maybe you can give hope by donating to her adoption grant, which is really low at the moment. A higher adoption grant means that she will get more notice and the family who does come for her will reach her faster. Click on her name or picture to go to her profile page.
This is a double whammy post… i’m hesitant to write such posts because i don’t want one point to have more emphasis over the other. But i think these 2 work well together.
Not too long ago i read a very very encouraging article written from the heart of one mummy to all the mummies out there (by April Perry). Her opening lines got me right in the gut…
“There’s this crazy phenomenon going on right now. Good, devoted mothers get on Pinterest . . . and blogs . . . and Facebook . . . and Twitter . . . and then they flip through parenting magazines and TV channels (full of advertisements and media hype) . . . and they’re convinced they’re not enough.”
Do you feel that way… sometimes? i certainly do… many many many times and sometimes i take it very hard and other times i can talk myself out of this trap. Yes it is a trap because… this is what April says of her own mother (which i believe to be true of most mothers):
“My mother didn’t specialize in home decor or gourmet cooking, and she didn’t lift weights or run marathons. But she makes me feel like I am the most important, wonderful person ever born. If I could pick any mother in the whole world, it would be my mom.”
i would pick my own mummy too – my mummy who is neat and tidy and a great cook, who loves us to bits and pieces and gave up so very much to give us everything she could, who is always always there for us in her quiet ways. i hope i am such a mummy to my little guy too.
The whole point of the article is this:
“Can we remind each other that it is our uniqueness and love that our children long for? It is our voices. Our smiles. Our jiggly tummies. Of course we want to learn, improve, exercise, cook better, make our homes lovelier, and provide beautiful experiences for our children, but at the end of the day, our children don’t want a discouraged, stressed-out mom who is wishing she were someone else.”
So let’s encourage each other that we are the best mummy for our children, just the way we are.
Now i want you to hold that image of a mum who loves her children, who cares for her children, who tries her best to give the best to her children… got that in mind?
Little 7-year-old Kristina waits for a family to come for her.8-year-old Samantha needs a family to help her along in life.
Aren’t they lovely little girls?
They don’t want a mummy – they NEED a Mummy to come and love them, hug them, do their hair, and make them the most important persons in a Mummy’s life. They have had so very little in life. And they have been transferred to an institution which means unless they get adopted, they will likely live the rest of their lives behind those four walls and never know the love and support of caring family.
Samantha (8 years old) has brown hair and stunning green eyes. She has Microcephaly which has resulted in mental retardation. She is physically capable, is a friendly and affectionate girl. She would do well in family environment. Her medical report also states a high likelihood of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Her younger sister Kristina (7 years old) is cognitively delayed but physically capable. She is said to be helpful and friendly.
These girls would only be able to reach their full potential if in a supportive, loving family. Please do pray for them, for their daily needs and most importantly for a family to come and give them a caring home.
They have a very small amount in their adoption grant (click on their names or pictures to go to their profile page on Reece’s Rainbow). They would get more notice with a sizeable grant like US$2500. Please consider donating to their grant. This will also help the family who comes for them to reach them faster.
Have you ever thought about growing your family? Would you consider adoption? If yes, then do consider the possibility to adding Samantha and Kristina to your family.
Should you donate to Samantha’s and Kristina’s grant, do leave a comment so i can send you a personal thank you. Or if you decide to pray for them regularly, you can join us at RR Official Prayer Warriors FB page. And if you are considering adoption, click here for more information.
trippingdifferently 