Can't get the orphans off my mind….

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -- James 1:27




As you may know, it all started with Carla and Henry, and then Malcolm.

I became obsessed compelled by Reece's Rainbow and the beautiful special needs orphans who have really thrown me for a loop this Lent. I honestly don't think I will ever be the same, and that's a good thing. I will do whatever I can in my limited power to advocate for these sweet children in their urgent quest to find a forever family.

If you spend even a little bit of time on the RR website, you will get a feel for what these special needs orphans are enduring and the dark futures they face, and if you follow the blogs of the families who have brought their children home, you will witness how powerfully and quickly sacrificial love can transform their lives.

I completely understand if you need to skip the "orphan posts" that I will be compelled to write from time to time, but as for me, I am unable to turn away now.

A few of the children who are in desperate need (click the photos or names for more information):

Brent

Dear, sweet Brent. He has already been transferred to the institution*. Though he's been listed on Reece's Rainbow for three years, no family has come forward to take him home. He needs an earthly savior. Please pass his name and information around until someone realizes they can't live without him as their son. Because he sure as heck cannot live without them.

Heath

And then there is Heath. He is now ten years old, and in the three years since he was transferred from the baby house to the adult institution, he has not seen a book or a toy. His only crime for this imprisonment is that he has Down Syndrome.


And please consider Nicholas, a sweet and quiet boy who cries in his sleep:

And these lovely little girls, who need a home and a mommy before it's too late:

Lizzy

Masha

Carina

There's Lizzy, with a calm personality and hazel eyes; Masha, who captured countless hearts on this ABC News piece when she threw her arms around the reporter and questioned, "Mama?"; and poor, forlorn little Carina, who so needs a family to love her, as she is almost four years old and faces the institution soon.

All the children I've profiled above have what Reece's Rainbow calls "sizeable grants". Meaning, they have thousands in their individual adoption funds already, used to offset the cost of their adoptions. If money is an issue for a potential adoptive family, looking on the sizeable grants page could make all the difference. For example, Danila G. already has over $12,000 in her fund, Preston has $15,000 and Megan has almost $24,000!

I believe with all my heart that if you make the commitment, the money will come.

The biggest obstacle to getting these children home is not lack of funds (there are many creative ways for family and friends and even strangers to raise the money), but rather lack of exposure. People don't know these kids are out there. I didn't!

Fair warning: You may become addicted to RR. Ask my facebook friends. Working together, we were able to raise almost $3,000 for Oliver in eight days time last week, bumping him into "sizeable grants" -- when we started he had only $13! And remember Malcolm, whom Carla brought to our attention? His fund is up to almost $6,700! The work to raise funds for these kids is incredibly joyful.

Many on RR have Down Syndrome (the most loving children you will ever meet!), while others have HIV+ status, cleft lips/palates, cerebral palsy, dwarfish, etc. All with varying degrees of severity, and all of whom can be helped greatly by the American medical system.

I want to do more to help these children, but I'm still thinking of how to proceed. I know that I will profile one or two of them whenever I do a Quick Takes, and I also hope that you wonderful folks will help spread the word through social media. If you feel called, you could link this post (or the RR site) to your facebook, or tweet it out to your followers. If you are able to help financially, you can go to RR and donate to a child's fund (or a family's fund). I welcome any other thoughts and suggestions in the comment box.**

We are the Body of Christ and we are His hands and feet. Let's work like crazy to get these children noticed, and of course, please, please… PRAY for these little ones who are at the mercy of people like you and me!


But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. -- Luke 18:16




*In some Eastern European regions, children spend their younger years at a "baby house" orphanage, but are transferred to an adult mental institution once they turn five -- whether or not they have cognitive delays. They will live the rest of their lives in conditions that I don't want to detail here.

**Kara had a great idea for helping these orphans on Pinterest! Check out what she is doing, here. Anyone with a Pinterest board can do the same. :)

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