First Families

We had the honor of sitting down to lunch with some very dear friends of ours (who just happen to be our pastor and his wife) and, as usually does, the conversation turned to orphans, adoption, and other related things.

We just can't help it.  Sorry.  :)

We talked today about different aspects of orphan care.  You know by now my heart is burdened for orphans.  I love adoption and I fully believe that adoption is Biblically based.  After all, God adopted us!  But friends, adoption isn't the only answer.  Adoption in and of itself won't solve the orphan crisis.  Adoption provides a child who's lost his family with a new family.  God designed the family structure and I believe He desires for every child to be a part of a family.  When that family is missing, it's time to step up and adopt or foster.

(Maia lived the first 8 years of her life without a family.)

According to the Christian Alliance for Orphans, there are 153 million orphans in the world today.  But listen!  Only 17.8 million of those children are what we call "double orphans" (children who have lost both parents).  (These numbers do not include children living in institutions and living on the streets.) This means that 135.2 million children in the world still have a living biological parent.

Friends. I think we are failing a vast majority of those children. We are missing a vital part of orphan care: SAVING FIRST FAMILIES.  Preventing that child from hitting "orphan status" to begin with.  We should be helping these children before there is a need for adoption.

First families come first.  At least, in my mind they should.  Whenever possible, we should be doing what we can to KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER.  What if, instead of adopting little Annie who has a Mommy who loves her, but cannot find the funds to care for her, we provide those funds?  We are still carrying out God's command to care for orphans and widows.  And we are allowing that child to remain with her first family.  To remain in her culture.  To live life with the family God first picked for her.

Obviously this doesn't pan out for every child.  Some parents don't want their children.  Some parents are physically or mentally incapable of caring for their children.  Some parents can't care for their child with major medical needs. That's where adoption and fostering come in.  But until that point, we need to be caring for the FAMILY.

(Image credit)

How do we do that?  I think one of the biggest ways we can help these kids is through child sponsorship.  Check out Compassion International for starters!  Locally, meet a need when you see one.  Encourage the single dad who just needs a kind word.  Pay the electric bill for the mom who's working overtime trying to make ends meet.  Surround the single parents in your community and provide the encouragement and resources they need to keep their families together.

First families come first.  Let's help those first families remain intact.

Longing

Ever since I first saw her sad, lonely face I felt drawn to her. The empty girl who was so carelessly held for her picture. A picture that did nothing to show off her beauty and great potential. But still, despite the emptiness, sadness, and fear, my heart connected to her.

She was to be our daughter.

And now, just over 6 months later, the paperwork has been sent. Documents have been translated, and the massive stack that represents hours of work and hundreds of dollars lies on a desk somewhere waiting for approval.

It's all becoming very real to me now. We are close.

Close to the day that we finally get to meet our eldest child.

Her biological sister is now home with her family. Another close friend just brought their new son home. And yet another close friend is preparing to travel in just over a week to meet her daughter. Those who have gone before us are finishing up their journeys. This means our turn is coming.

When? We don't really know. But we are hoping, praying, begging for our turn to come soon.

The longing in my soul to meet this child who has stolen my heart is unlike anything I have ever experienced before. Unlike our two biological children, I have not had the pleasure of feeling her move in my womb. I have not had the joy of seeing her face via ultrasound. I missed her first cries. Her first smile. Her first laugh. I wasn't there the day she was taken to the orphanage. I did not even know she existed as she spent day after day in her crib. I was not there for her very first picture - the picture that would eventually lead us to her.

We have missed 7 years of her life. For 7 years we had no idea something so great was missing from our lives. And now that we know what we are lacking, the anticipation to fill that void is almost painful.

I cannot accurately explain the longing in my soul to hold this tiny little girl. To show her love. To rub my finger across her cheek. To look into the eyes of the one who stole my heart with a picture. I cannot explain the adrenaline that surges through me as I think about buying a plane ticket to take us to her. I cannot imagine the agony of that flight as it seems to move ever so slowly toward her. I cannot explain the pain in my heart knowing that after loving on her for 5 days, I will have to say goodbye.

The emotions belong in a novel. On the big screen. On stage. Somewhere better explained than on this little blog. I cannot do them justice.

I long for the day when God gives us the chance to start making up for those lost years. I ache to bring her home to the brother and sister who already know her by name and love her. I cannot WAIT for the day we carry her into church and introduce her to everyone who has prayed and cried over her.

My heart is overwhelmed thinking about this all coming true.

And with pain, anticipation, desire, and excitement in my heart I realize: this is just a small taste of God's longing for me. For us. For the world.

Oh, how He loves us so.

The Major Update

I have so much to update you all on!  It all came at once and quite overwhelmed me and I had no idea how to blog about it all.  So you're just going to get one massive post.  Hope that's okay.  If not, don't read it.

• First things first: "Quinn" found his hope.  He has a family!!!!  
• All profits from Owls for Orphans are going to Quinn's adoption until Christmas.  
• Because of this little announcement I have oodles of owl orders!  We've already raised over $100 for Quinn and it's only been three days.  You guys are awesome.
• We walked in to biometrics a week early and they went ahead and did our scans.  Yay!  We were promised that our homestudy was going out to USCIS yesterday, so hopefully our application will be assigned soon.  
• We mailed our FBI results off for apostille and FedEx got them there a day earlier than promised.
• We mailed the rest of our documents off for state apostille and FedEx also got them there a day earlier than promised.  Y'all.  FedEx is rocking it!
• I received a call from the SC Department of State yesterday saying they received the documents and were already apostilling them to send to our case worker.  This means that the ONLY things still needed for our dossier are our i800a approval and our apostilled background checks.  
• We're getting so close to being able to send everything off to Miah's country!

And there you have it.

Hope

Hope.  Webster defines hope as "cherishing a desire with anticipation".   You might currently be hoping for a promotion.  Or a bonus at work.  Or even a new job altogether.  Maybe you're hoping for a new car or the latest smart phone for Christmas.  Maybe you're hoping for healing.  Or peace.  Or reconciliation.  We hope for all sorts of things.  We don't hope for things that mean nothing to us.  We hope for what's important to us.  Whether it be material, emotional, or spiritual, we hope for that which we desire.

Hope.

It has a completely different meaning for Quinn.  You see, Quinn's hope is fading.  It has been for a while.  Hope for Quinn is a dimly lit candle who's flame is barely providing light at all.  There's not much left to hang on to.

Quinn was transferred from his orphanage earlier this year to a mental institution in Eastern Europe.  He now spends close to 24 hours a day in a crib.  No eye contact.  No stimulation.  Just himself, his self-soothing behaviors, and the little hope he has left.

Quinn hopes for a family.  His down syndrome made that next to impossible in his birth country. International adoption was the hope he clung to. But transfer to an institution changes things drastically.  80% of children transferred to an institution die within their first year there.  EIGHTY PERCENT.  That statistic doesn't help Quinn's chances at all.

He needs a family.  Now.

He needs someone to step out in faith. Someone to say "yes".  Someone to be his family.  Down syndrome should NOT be a death sentence.  But without a family, it will be one for Quinn.  Children with down syndrome are shunned in this country.  They are placed in orphanages and left to die.

When did we go so very wrong?  These are children of God.  And yet we have allowed the world to corrupt our thinking as we let children like Quinn sit in an institution and die.  God made Quinn just as he is.  He loves him.  I have this image in my head of God weeping over the state of these children.  The ones He created in His image.  The ones He loved enough to give His Son for.

Quinn needs a family.  It's the only hope he has left.  Could you be his family?  What are you scared of?

 Friends, God is MORE than capable of providing.  We're living proof that He can provide the funds for your adoption.  He can provide the doctors, counselors, and support for you as you walk this road.   He can put people in your path who have walked the same road.  There is nothing to fear.

Will you pray that Quinn finds renewed hope soon?  Hope in the form of a family.  A family to rescue him.  To love him.  To provide for his needs and so much more.  A family to show him Jesus.

I was blessed to watch a video and read a report of Quinn today.  This little boy has so much life left in him!  I know he can bring so much joy to someone out there!  You just have to look at that smile above to see it.  

If you might be Quinn's family please email Nina at nina.t@chiadopt.com.

***I so desperately want Quinn to find a family that from today on, every dime I make from the Owls for Orphans project will be set aside for the family who comes for Quinn.  Our adoption is not yet fully funded, but we know God will provide.  Miah has a family coming.  Quinn still needs one.  I'm stepping out in faith here knowing someone out there will come for him.  Is it you?

Our Adoption Story (Video Style)

Craig and I were given the incredible honor of being able to directly participate in Orphan Sunday yesterday at our church.  Our family as well as some close friends of ours had the opportunity to share our adoption story and raise awareness of orphans and the role adoption plays in orphan care.  Check it out below.

Disclaimer: I've been told tissues come in handy.


Adoption-Miah from Freedom Church on Vimeo.


Many thanks to leanncannonphotography.com for the amazing video production!

Orphan Sunday

Today is Orphan Sunday.  The Sunday where churches around the world join together to raise awareness of orphans.  In fact, the entire month of November is adoption month.

I don't know the statistics.  Statistics change so rapidly I never really know how accurate they are anyway.  But did you know that there are around 147 million orphans worldwide?  Did you know that about 50 million of those orphans would benefit most from adoption?  Did you know that there are 3 year old children in Africa caring for their infant siblings because there is no family to care for them?  Did you know that there are children in Eastern Europe who spend their entire lives in cribs?  Did you know that there are children in the United States who are moved from foster home to foster home while they await a family?  For those of you who are local did you know that there is an orphanage right in your backyard where children face every day without parents?  Did you know that prior to July of this year, nobody ever wanted this girl?

Nobody loved her.  Nobody wanted to give her a family.  Nobody cared if she lived or died.  

Except for the One that matters most.  HE loves her.  HE cares for her.  HE wants to see her redeemed.  HE knows what amazing things she can do for His kingdom if she will only be given the chance.  

Friends, did you know that because of your sin you look weak, fragile, and unlovable?  At least to the world you do.  But not to the One who created you.  While you were still in your sin, Christ died for you.  God adopted you as his very own child - a co-heir of Christ.  You have a family!  You have an eternity!  You have an inheritance!

And it's because of that very love and sacrifice that we in turn should freely give our love to the orphans of this world.  

With tears I tell you now that the little girl pictured about is LOVED by so many.  Because of God grace, she has a family coming for her.  Because of His mercy she has an entire community waiting to meet her and spoil her rotten.  He has big plans for her.  And He's using us to help bring those plans to fruition.  

But this one girl doesn't solve the crisis.  There are another 100+ million out there still waiting.  

What can YOU do to help end the orphan crisis?  Would you consider one of the following as a starting point?

- Adoption.  Internationally or domestically.  Infant or special needs.  There are so many kids who need families.
- Foster Care.  Even kids who are temporarily orphaned need care and hope.
- Sponsorship.  Sponsor a child.  Your sponsorship could very well keep them from becoming an orphan.
- Financial support.  Help an adopting family financially.  Support a local orphanage financially.  Give to your church's orphan care fund if applicable.
-  Advocate.  Spread the news about orphans and how we can help end the crisis.
-  Prayer.  Friends, prayer changes things.  Pray for these kids.  Pray for the families who will potentially come into their lives.  Pray for their caregivers.  Pray for those who are doing all they can to make a difference.

How can you help?  What is God calling you to do?

An Update on the Owls Who've Travelled

If you've been following my blog, you saw a post last week where I shared pictures with you of two sweet girls and their owls.  

I received an email today from our case worker (the one who delivered the first package of owls for us) and I wanted to share with you the update she gave me.  Some details have been changed to protect privacy.

Amy,

I wanted to give you an update on the owls.  The representative that was supposed to meet with me was unable to, so I didn't have a reliable way to get them to the original orphanage and into the hands of the kids.  I decided to give the owls to some of the children I visited at a different orphanage.  This is the orphanage who cares for two girls some friends of ours are trying to adopt. They care for about 40 special needs kids and 40 healthy with most under 3 years in age.  Your owls ended up on a floor where the most severely disabled children are cared for.  One went to our friend's future little girl.  She is very shy and can't sit up.  She got the pink one.  She was very attracted to the big eyes and liked touching the texture of the toy also.  Another girl is about a size 12 months at 3 years and was parked in a stroller facing a wall with no toys.  Some people believe she is so damaged there is no point in giving her any attention.  I interacted with her for about 15 minutes and was able to get her to smile, grasp my finger and track her eyes with the little orange owl.  He stayed with her and I hope she will now at least have one toy to touch and look at!  One of the purple and green owls stayed with a little girl named P.  She was sitting in a special chair that an agency provided to support her large head.  She is 10 years old and has hydrocephalus.  The chair was parked in a dark hallway and P reached out for attention as we passed by. She smiled and hugged the owl to her face. She was very excited.   The next owl went to the little one I have been calling B on the blog.  She is an active little girl who gets attention because she demands it!  She saw me giving them to the other children through the window of her room and tapped to get my attention.  I couldn't resist giving her one!  One owl did also end up with a little girl who traveled to her new home (in the US!) this week.  She saw them on my bed and I really couldn't say NO! 

Your little owls really made some children happy.  Even in the room with the healthy toddlers there were no soft toys.  None of the children in cribs had anything soft or textured to touch.  

 Friends, this is what it's all about.  Your support of this project does not go unnoticed.  God has blessed your giving, your sharing, and your prayers in ways I can't even share!  

Owls In Action

I received permission last night to share some photos with you.  Katie Musser was the second child to ever receive an owl from the Owls for Orphans project.  Katie was adopted and brought out of "The Bad Place" - the orphanage where our Miah is now.  Susanna's blog is where we found our Miah, so the Musser family will always hold a special place in our heart which is why I wanted so badly to send Katie an owl.  And because it's not enough that ONE adorable child has an owl, Susanna ordered one for their daughter Verity as well.  So know you get to see pictures of TWO adorable kids with owls.  It just might make your day!  

These pictures have been taken with permission from Susanna's blog post HERE.

Brace yourself for the cuteness.  (I should also add that these pictures left tears streaming down my face.  If you've read Katie's story you'll understand why.)

Sweet Katie, with the best smile in the world.  Friends, less than ONE year ago she was trapped in a crib with no food and no love.  Look what a family does!!!!  LOOK!!!  

And here comes the Verity cuteness:

Words aren't enough to explain the joy in my heart after seeing these photos.  Everyone who is helping with Owls for Orphans - THIS is why.  

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:14

God's heart is with children.  Especially those the world sees as "worthless".  They are not worthless!  They are MORE than worthy of love, joy, family, and a little something soft to hug.  

Thanks again, Susanna, for letting me share your sweet girls.  

 

Helping with Owls

Have you seen my Owls for Orphans and wished there was a way you could help?

Have you read about the very first owls to head to Eastern Europe and wanted to participate in the excitement?

Well, I'm excited to tell you that now you can!  In several ways!  

But first I want to take a minute to get all sappy and attempt to convey how much this means to me.  (If you're a friend you've probably heard this time and time again.  Feel free to skip this paragraph.) This little project started off as a way for me to help children who have been orphaned while we wait to bring our daughter Miah home.  I can't do anything beyond paperwork and prayer for her right now.  But I CAN try to bring a smile to the faces of other kids in her situation.  Those who don't understand adoption always say "you can't save them all, you know".  Well you're right. We can't.  But we can make their lives a tiny bit more joyful.  And that counts for something.  Shoot.  Even kids who aren't orphans LOVE these owls.  Imagine how much they'll be loved by children who have no other constant in their lives!  So this little project means a lot to me.  It was my mission.  One I now hold very dear to my heart.  But I never expected the idea to spread around the country!  I have four complete strangers who want to help provide Owls for Orphans.  COMPLETE STRANGERS!  Let me share a little bit of the emails I have received to share their heart (and mine) with you:

 I was wondering if you would like some help making the owls.  I love to knit and crochet and have been looking for some way that I could help.  Let me know.

 I did something similar when I lived in Chile and volunteered at an institute/orphanage for children with special needs.  I did Ositos (Teddy Bears) for Orphans. [. . .]  My heart breaks for those that may not have money donated for them to have an owl so I was also curious if I could knit some animals to send along.  Unfortunately crocheting isn't my forte so helping make the owls is out of the question.  I would love to find an owl knit pattern.

Friends, I cannot accurately tell you how excited I am that others want to help these children!  My heart tells me that there are more out there who want to help; you just don't know how.  Well here you go.

1. If you crochet, send me an email.  amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) com.  I would be glad to send you the pattern I use for the little owls.  My only request is that if you use my pattern, the owls go to help an orphan.  You can send the owls to me to be mailed overseas or you can take them to a local orphanage in your area.  Or send them with a family you know who might be travelling to an orphanage.

2.  If you knit, can you help us find a knit pattern for an owl?  Then we can do the above with knit owls too!

3.  You can sponsor an owl.  I do not make money off these orphan owls (I make money for our adoption off the big ones).  I'm also asking that those who help with the orphan owls do not make money off of them.  But we DO need funds to cover the cost of materials.  It's not much.  I've found that here in South Carolina $10 covers the cost of materials and shipping/taxes on the owls.  Email me to get details on how to provide the funds for orphan owls.  (As we get more people involved in the project, they will also need help with covering material costs.  I may put you in touch with them if they need help.)

4.  You can purchase a large owl from me.  All profits from these owls go to our adoption fund to bring Miah home from Eastern Europe.

5.  If you are an adopting family (or have connections to a mission team that travels to an orphanage) send me an email.  amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) com.  If this explodes, we'll need a lot of ways to actually GET the owls to the orphans.  Right now they will be travelling via fellow adopting parents as they go visit their children.  We'd love to add more families to that list so we can send owls all over the place.

And, as always, be praying for this project.  God is clearly blessing it.  Thank you to all who have supported and helped with it!

Big News for Owls for Orphans!

If you're my friend on Facebook you saw some good news last night.  Owls for Orphans is growing!  I'm not sure what it will look like yet, but the fever is catching.

One of my hopes through this adoption process is that God will use us to open the eyes of others to the reality of orphanage life for children.  That God will use us to open the eyes of others to the reality of special needs adoption.  That God will use our story to open the eyes of others to His amazing grace and ability to save.

Friends, our sweet Miah is already leaving a legacy.  After reading our story, a fellow adoptive mom (and good friend) was given a renewed passion and urgency for adoption and is heading down that path again.  After sharing our story with the clerk at Walgreens (while taking my passport photo) I was able to encourage her to not let the finances surrounding adoption to continue to scare her away, but to follow her heart and God's heart.  God has used Miah and our adoption story to lead a friend to step out in faith and share what was on her heart - even if it might not be received well.

And God is using Owls for Orphans to bring smiles to the faces of sweet kids who need to know they're loved.  (The very first shipment of owls should arrive in Eastern Europe this week!)

In the last two days I have received two THREE! messages from complete strangers asking how they can help with Owls for Orphans.  Their hearts have been stirred for orphans and they want to be a part of showing love to these kids.  Friends, this is what it's all about!  BEING the church and loving these children who believe with all of their heart that they are unworthy of love.

We are not sure how it will look yet or how we can grow Owls for Orphans and incorporating outside help without having to deal with additional taxes, government fees, etc, etc.  But we're working on it.  If you think you might want to help with the Owls for Orphans project, send me an email at amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) come and we'll see what we are able to come up with!  I'll post an update soon with specifics on how you can help.

In the meantime I'm excited to announce that thanks to a very sweet woman named Susan, our future owls will come with Jingle Bells inside so that children who are blind can hear them and enjoy them as well!  Thank so SO MUCH for the idea, Susan, and for donating the bells!

Stay tuned!  Things are happening!  It may be small, but we CAN make a difference!

We Can Make a Difference

I've said it before and I'll say it again: we are surrounded by supportive, encouraging, Christ-following friends who are behind our adoption journey 100%.  We are blessed more than most with the amount of support in our lives.  Miah is going to be loved by hundreds of people.

But every adopting family has at least a few people who just don't get it.  We have a couple of those as well.  People who have told us "If you want to help this child, sent some money to her.  You cannot sacrifice your family for one girl."  And "You'll be throwing your lives away by taking her in." And the one everyone hears at least once in their journey: "That's just your emotions talking".  Some think we're just plain crazy.

I'll admit it: the first person who didn't "agree" with our role in this journey crushed my spirit.  There were tears.  And some anger.  I was dumbfounded.  How can people not see how important these children are?!  But it's true.  That's why they're in an orphanage to begin with.  People look at them and see them as worthless.  I sought counsel from my dear friend (and our Pastor's wife) and was reminded that special needs adoption is VERY new, even to most Christians.  Maybe God will use us open the eyes of some of our friends.  We are to extend grace to those who don't understand.

So with no hard feelings or judgments, I'd like to address the above statements.

You cannot sacrifice your family for one girl.  Well, we can.  But we're not.  We don't see it as a sacrifice AT ALL.  If I were to get pregnant tomorrow and our child were to be born with cerebral palsy and be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, would we still parent her?  Love her?  Or would we tell her the sacrifice is too much and send her on her way?  An extreme example, yes, but that's how we see Miah.  She is our daughter.  Raising her, loving her, and caring for her will not be a sacrifice.  EVERY child is worthy of a family.

Just send some money to her orphanage.  Well, we can.  But there are no guarantees how or where that money would be spent.  In the past it has gone straight into the director's pocket and not a cent has gone to the children.  We WILL give the orphanage a donation after the adoption is final, but that's not the only way we have chosen to help Miah.

You'll be throwing your lives away by taking her in.  I guess it could be seen that way.  It's true, the next several years following Miah's arrival home will probably consist of multiple doctor's appointments, therapies, schooling, and interventions each week. We will most likely have to change our family's diet drastically to boost Miah's immune system and detox her poor little body.  We may very well end up a gluten free, sugar free family at least for a few months.  Our lives will no doubt change by leaps and bounds.  But we don't see that as "throwing our lives away".  We see it as investing in something far beyond ourselves.

It's just your emotions.  True.  I'm emotional.  There's no denying that.  But we've given this a lot more thought than just an emotional commitment.  Hours, days, weeks of prayer have gone into this decision.  It was not made lightly.  I fully believe God can use our emotions to draw our attention to the things that break His heart.

And for those of you out there who might think that these children are "too far gone" to be helped, hop on over to Adeye's blog and watch her video of Hasya.  Hasya has only spent a few hours a day for 5 days with her soon-to-be Mommy.  And she is making eye contact, smiling, and LAUGHING.  Don't ever doubt the power of God to change a person's life.  Especially in regards to the least of these.

Do you have more questions?  About adoption in general or our specific journey?  I'd love to answer them.  Email me at amybmoss (at) gmail (dot) com.

And They're Off!

Early this morning I packed up a very special box.  I lovingly taped it up and said goodbye to hours and hours of work.  I carefully wrote down the name of someone who has quickly become one of the greatest people I know.  The kids said their goodbyes as I set the box by the door. 

And with great joy I tell you that these little guys are on their way to Washington state.  Once there they will be packed into the suitcase of my dear friend Nina, who is graciously taking them to Eastern Europe with her.  Nina is our case worker for our adoption.  She is amazing.  Not a day goes by that this woman isn't working - even when she's supposed to be "off".  (We got the email that we had been officially matched with Miah at 6 AM her time.  I don't think she sleeps!) And now she's offered to make room in her suitcase for my owls.  

Once they are packed the owls will board a plane and be on their way to Eastern Europe.  More specifically, to Miah's country.  They will leave Nina's hands and be given to a woman who can deliver them to Miah's orphanage.  We're praying they will then make their way into the arms of the children who need them most right now.  

A little bit of light in a very lonely place.  How I pray God will use them to bring joy to a few sweet kids who need to know they're loved.  

Sophia

We're taking a break from our "regularly scheduled programming" to ask for your help.  Many of you know how very blessed we have been throughout our adoption process.  Blessed by the people working with us, blessed by the support of our friends and family, and blessed financially by your sacrificial giving.  Not a day goes by I am not in awe of how smooth things are going and how well we are cared for.

Things aren't usually this easy, as my friend Ann can tell you.  

Ann is trying to adopt a sweet girl, Sophia, from Eastern Europe.  I actually know Ann because we are adopting from the same country using the same agency.  Ann is a single mother trying to make a difference in the life of a child who may otherwise never have a family.  You have already read how orphans are treated in Eastern Europe.  You've seen from the pictures of Miah how neglected these kids are.  In addition to that, Sophia has spina bifida - a condition that, in her home country, leads to children being shunned and placed in orphanages.  Heartbreaking.  How amazing that she has a Mommy trying to get to her as fast as possible!  

It was brought to my attention today that Ann needs our help.  She is saving every last penny to bring Sophia home, but it is still not enough.  I can't imagine trying to save $30,000 on my own!  If she can't raise the money Sophia will go without a Mommy.  Again. 

So here's what we're going to do.  I'm changing our giveaway a little bit.  You can still get entries for donating to our adoption fund and sharing about our giveaway, but you can also get entries by donating to Ann's adoption fund and sharing her blog with your friends!    She still needs over $1000 to cover the cost of her home study.  Just comment here and let me know if you've donated to Ann or if you have shared her blog.  We'll be extending the giveaway to the end of September to help Ann raise the funds for her home study.

Will you please consider donating to Ann's adoption?  Simply visit her blog and use the paypal button on the right side of the screen.  Every $10 or $20 helps more than you know!!  If you were planning on sending money to us, please send it to her instead.  Let's get her home study paid for so she can start applying for grants!  

Comment back and let me know if you've helped Ann and I'll get you on the giveaway list for the Crafting Mommies gift card and the Carrabba's gift card!  

Happy News!

You remember the Owls for Orphans?  If you've been following from the beginning you'll remember that the orphan owls right now are going to former orphans who have found their families.  The first owl was sent to my friend Lindsay, who is bringing her son Gavin home within the next few months.  The second owl went to a sweet girl named Lina who has been home for a few months now.  The third and fourth "orphan owls" are going to Katie Musser and a child Katie's mom knows.

You'll also remember that my goal for the owls was that they would eventually be going to current orphans who don't yet have families.  Logistically that looked like a nightmare, so I started sending the owls to former orphans as a reminder to them and their parents that they are VALUED and LOVED all the time.  I prayed over the children as I made owls for them and wrote their parents a note that was mailed with the owl.  It's been a huge blessing to be able to honor these kids and the legacy they are leaving.  But sending owls to former orphans was not my original goal.  My original goal was to send owls to current orphans.  Orphans who don't yet have anyone telling them how much they are loved.

With that said, I'm excited to announce that the logistical nightmare is not such a nightmare!  Owls can be sent to MIAH'S ORPHANAGE!  To current orphans!  These kids will have something soft to hold and squeeze! 

Our case worker is taking a trip to Miah's country next month.  She has graciously offered to take some owls with her.  The owls will be given to a woman who works with the "grandmothers" and the "grandmothers" will deliver the owls to the children.  (Don't worry, this is all legal!)  When we take our first trip to visit Miah (probably in February or March) we will also be able to take owls with us as gifts for the children.

Can I even begin to tell you how excited this makes me?!  Probably not.  I have a geeky smile on my face right now because I'm so happy about this!  Yay!

Some changes will be made to the Owls for Orphans pricing, sizing and such soon to accommodate for this exciting news.  I'll update you soon!

Meet "Boo"

Isn't she a cutie pie?  

Sadly, she doesn't have a family.  This little girl NEEDS A FAMILY.  I thought about not even publishing this post.  I've never advocated for a child before.  Our blog is not hugely followed, and those who follow most likely aren't planning to adopt any time soon.  And that's okay.  Maybe there's ONE of you who will be touched by this post.  If so, this post has served it's purpose.

Boo is listed with Children's House International - the adoption agency we're using.  I cannot say enough good things about this agency and our case manager, Nina.  Boo has been lovingly nicknamed "Boo" because she looks so much like the little girl in the movie Monster's Inc.  According to Nina, Boo has a mild form of Spina Bifida.  She had surgery in June to repair her back.  At 2 years old, she is pulling up, crawling, and trying to walk on her own!  She's doing SO WELL!  She does have scoliosis, and will need surgery at some point in the future.  But y'all.  Surgery is not a big deal when you look at the big picture!  Her cognitive skills are good and her CT scans were normal.  She's going to be the perfect daughter for someone out there.  It's actually hard to believe she doesn't have a family yet.  She's so sweet!

Would my friends with blogs be willing to share this post on your blog?  Who knows - you might have a reader who wants Boo!  Would my friends on Facebook and Twitter consider sharing this link?  The more we can get Boo's picture out, the more likely it is that her family will find her.  

If you might be interested in adopting Boo, you can email Nina Thompson at nina.t(at)chiadopt(dot)org.  She can answer any of your questions and send you a sweet video of Boo!  

If you might be interested in adoption in general, feel free to email me and I'll answer what questions I can.  If I don't have answers, I'll find them for you!  amybmoss(at)gmail(dot)com.  I'd love to talk with you.  

  

We Are NOT Heroes

I feel that this post is needed.  It's one of those awkward posts because we're bringing attention to exactly what we don't feel deserves attention.  But it must be said, so here goes.

Since we announced our decision to adopt a special needs child, we've heard a lot of the following:
You guys are amazing to do this.  
I think it's great that you are going to give her a family.
This is such a great thing you're doing!
And the list goes on.

I know everyone means well.  And if you're one of those people who's said similar things to us, thank you for your encouragement.  But really...we don't feel we are doing anything "special".  And we are certainly not trying to draw attention to ourselves to make us look good.

A fellow adopting parent shared this analogy with us the other day and I think it's fitting:
Imagine your husband/wife/child/parent is somewhere far away from you.  What if they are stuck there and you can't get them back?  Wouldn't you go through EVERY possible scenario to bring them home? Of course.  That's all we're doing.  We have a daughter over there and we are doing everything possible to bring her home.  It's that simple.  

Sure, bringing her home will require some sacrifices.  It has the potential to require a lifetime of sacrifices.  But in our hearts she is our daughter, so no amount of sacrifice can come close to the blessing of having her here with us.  

Also - we are not doing this to bring attention to ourselves.  Frankly, I'm still overcoming shyness from childhood, so the amount of attention we will be getting over this is going to get uncomfortable.  But we're sharing our story with you all so that you can see the bigger picture here.  So that you can see how many orphans need families, care, love, and advocates.  So that you can see HOW BIG GOD IS and how great He is.  So you can see the miracle He is going to work in Miah's life.  

So there you have it.  We aren't heroes.  We are no more special than every other person on this planet.  We're just doing what we need to do.  We're stepping out in a big way to make a difference in a child's life.  

If you want to encourage us, can you do it by praying with us, sharing scripture and motivational words with us, and supporting us financially instead of telling us that "we are amazing"?  We're only as amazing as God allows us to be and we don't need to be getting inflamed egos.  :)  God is the amazing One.  He is the famous One, and HE is the One deserving of your attention.

Sam and Gavin

Over the past three weeks Craig and I have been blessed with a new community of friends thanks to Facebook.  There is a group out there created just for families adopting through our agency in the area we are adopting from.  I've made some great friends through this group and have received so much encouragement from them.  We're also gaining loads of information regarding travel, fundraising, adjusting once you're back home, and so much more.  It's amazing to see God pulling it all together.

I want to share with you two of the children being adopted by my friends Lauren and Lindsay.

This is Sam.  Isn't he a cutie pie?!  He's five years old and desperately needs to be home with his family.  He's been very neglected over his five years of life, but with the new changes to this orphanage, is starting to do a little better.  We did find out though that Sam does not have a Baba.  (A baba is a "grandmother" type figure who comes in during the week to spend time with the children.)  Because Sam doesn't have a baba, he's not receiving the interaction and love that he needs.  He needs to come home.  Will you pray that mountains are moved and he is able to make it home quickly?  You can read more about Sam and his family on Lauren's blog here.  

This is Gavin.  Gavin only has one kidney, and that kidney is failing.  He is not receiving dialysis and has no hope of a transplant until he makes it to the United States.  His family is fighting HARD to get him home as fast as possible to start treatments.  He's very sick and needs help now.  Will you pray that the powers that be will rush the process to get him home?  To read more about Gavin you can visit his family's blog here.  

Will you please lift Gavin and Sam up in prayer right now?  We know God answers prayers - so let's pray bold prayers for these little ones.  

Both families also have a place on their blog that explains how you can give to their adoption fund if you feel called.  

P.S.: Gavin has an owl being made RIGHT NOW for him.  (It's brown and teal!) And Sam is on the list to receive one soon.  :)  

Birthdays

We celebrated this special boy's third birthday tonight with family and a few friends.  I've never seen a little boy so happy as Nathan was watching his friends hit the pinata.  He had a blast.  We had a blast watching him have a blast.  The joy on his face will not soon be forgotten.  

But in the back of my mind the entire night I couldn't stop thinking about her.  Our "Bianca", in an orphanage across the Atlantic, laying in a crib by herself.  There was nobody there to celebrate any of her seven birthdays.  She's never seen a pinata.  She's probably never even received a present.  Nobody gathers around her with joy to celebrate her life and how precious she is.  

We're coming for you, daughter.  We love you.  We celebrate your life, and we promise to ALWAYS celebrate your birthday.

 God loves you, sweet girl, and takes GREAT delight in you.  We know He has great plans for your life.  

Would You Like to Meet Her?

Well now that we've officially been "matched" with our little girl, we want to share a little more about her with you!  We were hesitant to share details at first because we didn't know how the meeting in her country would turn out.  They could have turned us down.  But they didn't!  After loads more paperwork, fees, travel, tears, and prayer, she will be ours!

Please meet our future daughter, "Bianca".

(Picture removed for privacy reasons)

First note: Her name is not really Bianca.  But we cannot use her real name, and will be giving her a new name anyway.  So for now we're referring to her as "Bianca".  

Second note: This picture doesn't do her justice.  We have newer ones of her and she is SO BEAUTIFUL!  

Do you see how small she is?  Look at how tiny her arms are.  :(  She is SEVEN years old.  When this picture was taken, she was 19 pounds and 30 inches long.  And so, so sad.  She's smiling in the new pictures we have.  She's gained a little bit of weight and looks like she's being fed a little better.  Her medical report says she even smiles and laughs!  Oh how I can't wait to hear her laugh!  

We will have a long road ahead of us once we are able to get her home.  But I KNOW that God will provide for us as we provide for her.  He loves her more than we ever could and HE will be our strength through this process.  

By the way: the kids have seen her new pictures.  Alex has no idea what she's looking at other than "it's a baby", but Nathan sees her picture and says "she's my new sister!"  He wants to name her Twinkle Star and bring her home now.  :)  We're working on it as fast as we can, Buddy.  

Wanted

Can I ask you to do something?

Go visit my friend Susanna's blog.  http://theblessingofverity.com She adopted a little girl named Katie from an orphanage in Eastern Europe last year.  Because her daughter had down syndrome, she was deemed "unlovable" and placed in an orphanage for her entire life.  When she was 10, Susanna's family adopted her and brought her home.  At 10 years old she weighed TEN POUNDS and was 29 inches long.  That's how malnourished these poor children are.  

While the little girl we are trying to adopt doesn't have down syndrome, she is still in very poor shape.  She is almost as tiny as Katie was.  She is around 20 pounds and 30 inches long - at seven years old.  My heart breaks.  But look at how Katie has grown already after being surrounded by such love and care!  That's where the urgency comes in.  We love this girl God has placed on our hearts.  We want her out of there!  As soon as possible.  It's not us being selfish - it's us wanting to get her the care she so desperately needs.  My daily prayer is that God will give me the opportunity SOON to whisper in her ear how much He loves her, and how much we love her.  How valued and wanted she is - for just being her.

Please continue to pray that things will move quickly and smoothly forward.

And please pray that hearts will be CHANGED and that the people in Eastern European countries will see how loved, cherished, and valued these children are in the eyes of God.

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they? - Matthew 6:26.


These children have value and worth beyond measure.  They just need someone to show them it's true.