It's the Last day of the Miracle of Adoption Christmas Campaign!!!

Hello all!

I just wanted to share with you an update on the Reece's Rainbow adoption agency's Miracle of Christmas Campaign that I have been sharing throughout the month! The goal for this campaign was to raise $1,000 for each of the little ones on the angel tree, to help their future families in the adoption process, and to raise awareness for their need for a home. You can learn more on Reece's Rainbow's site, but I wanted to share a special little boy with you one last time; Scott.

Scott is the little boy that I have been advocating for this year, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help that you have been to this little one. We have raised over 600 dollars for his account, and that is truly amazing. THANK YOU for all the money, prayers, and shares that you have given for this little man!

Scott is about five years old now, and has many special needs... But the most important special need? He needs a family. 

And for a family to adopt him is going to mean adoption fees and for them to see his page, and we have the ability to help that happen! Scott is still under goal, as are many of the children this year, and he needs just over $360 more to get to goal, by midnight tonight. Would you consider helping one more time? A donation of a dollar, five, fifteen, twenty-seven... Whatever you could spare, it has the potential to change this little boy's life forever. And that is amazing! And every time you share Scott's page, it has the potential to change his life forever. So today, would you please consider doing that? Donate to his account, or tell someone about this campaign, or pray for Scott to get the funds and family he needs. We have less than 13 hours left to make a difference for Scott during this campaign! His account can be found here: https://reecesrainbow.org/104445/scott-2 . And thank you, so much, for your help! I appreciate each and every one of you!

And a happy New Year's Eve to everyone <3! 

Rejoicing in Hope,
Bri

Miracle of Adoption Christmas Campaign ✽ Meet Scott

Lookie who's back already ;). You knew you couldn't get rid of me, didn't you?! Haha :). I wanted to share some news with you today, so I hope you don't mind very much ;).

Welcome to November! I always love the start of a new month, but today is extra special, because the Miracle of Adoption Christmas Campaign is open as of today!!! This means that from now to the 31st of December, Reece's Rainbow Adoption Agency is trying to raise 1,000 dollars for each of the sweet babies on the "Angel Tree"! This is something I look forward to each year, seeing all the awareness raised for each of the children and watching their accounts move up the tree, from 0 to 100 to 500 to 1,000... and knowing that it's helping each of those children have a better chance at being placed in a forever family to love them and protect them <3. In the past, I have donated to an account or two (usually the one furthest down on the tree, because it makes my choice easiest, because, in the words of Abbi, how do you choose how to help?!). But this year, I really wanted to do something a little more involved, and so, I am little Scott's advocate this year! You've already seen Scott on my blog last week, but please be introduced to him a little more formally...

You can visit Scott's page for more information HERE.

How do you choose who to help? It's so hard, truly, and I would love to see all of these children climb the 1,000 dollar wall this year, so please, help wherever you want! But, I chose to sponsor Scott specifically for a couple of different reasons. I started out looking through the files of 0-5 year old boys with "other" special needs on purpose because I knew that 1. Reece's Rainbow is known for their down syndrome focus, so many people would be choosing from the down syndrome pages, and 2. it's a known fact in adoption that boys are harder to place than girls, and so I wanted to up one of these little guys accounts, so that when a family came along for him, they had as much help as possible :). Then I combed through the pages, opened several accounts, narrowed down to the three who touched my heart with the least amount in their grants, and asked to be assigned one of the three, haha :). Scott's story definitely touched me - he's a little fighter, that's for sure! He'll be about 4 years old now, and I would love to hear that this little one who has been through so much was placed in a home!

I would be thrilled if any of you would like to donate to Scott's account - or to pray that he would find a loving, godly family to call his own! When you donate to a child's account, 10% of the money is dispersed in other children's accounts, as well, so you will really be helping multiple children :)! The goal is for Scott's MACC account to be at $1,000 by December 31st, and I can't wait to see what God will do with this year's campaign, not just for Scott, but for all of these little ones on the tree this year! And I want to thank each of you right now for every bit of help that you give <3!

Rejoicing in Christ,
Bri <3

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." James 1:27

Praying for Pleven

Some of the former caretakers from the Pleven orphanage, those who were in on the situation when funds were being stolen and children were being starved, are trying to get some of the older children, who are just about aged out of the adoption system, into a group home -an unfinished, unequipped, group home- because they want to get hold of the children before the Pleven Project has adequate funds to build their own group home where the older will be treated as human beings created in the likeness of our maker. There is news that things are moving in the right direction, but prayer would really be appreciated right now!

For more on the situation, you can read this blog post:  http://theblessingofverity.com/2015/02/urgent-help-and-prayers-for-pleven-requested-guest-post/


And for an update that looks highly encouraging, you can read this post: http://theblessingofverity.com/2015/02/the-helper-of-the-fatherless/

Prayers and Praises

We were so thankful for all of the ways that our friends encouraged and prayed for us during the week of Josiah's arrival! And I do thank you again! I was wondering if some of you would also consider praying for the needs of these families who are in need of encouragement and pray?

"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;  and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."

~For one of the families that we helped with a Hidden Treasures auction for, who brought their little boy, Adam, home last year. Last Saturday five year old Adam, who had a brain disease and did not respond well to surgery, went to be with the Lord.

~For Mommy's friend, who's little boy, Andrew, has a rare health problem, and has been in and out if the hospital for most of his life, and has recently been hospitalized again. And if you would like to help with the expense as his family tries to figure out how to help this little guy, his donation page can be found at the link above.

~For Meriam Ibrahim, who is in prison right now for her Christian faith with her two children, a newborn daughter and a twenty month old son, and separated from her husband, who is dependent on her for his care. There is a chance that she may be set free, praise the Lord! But if she is not, than she is to be executed as soon as her little girl is weaned.

And I have some praises to bring to you, as well :)! The Lord is so gracious to us. Praise him who gives us "Blessings untold, with ten thousand, besides..."!

~Our old SC house is finally out of Mommy' and Daddy's hands! This is a huge answer to prayer, and we thank you for those of us who have continued to pray with us for these many months on that account!

~The P.L.E.V.E.N. Project is up and running full time! There is a giveaway going on here, or you can just simply donate to the Leyla fund here. They are also trying to raise money to get some therapists into the orphanage, and there are five children with files waiting to be found by their families!

Thank you for taking the time to read this :). Blessings to you all!

Ready, Set...

...Go bid :)!
The Hidden Treasures auction is open to help bring home Brandi :)!!! Prayers and bids from all are very much appreciated, and I believe that Miss Amy is willing to continue taking donations the next few days, as well :)!

Today, as We Prepare for Tomorrow, a Day that Our Nation Sets Aside to Give Thanks on...

... to give thanks for family...
...and friends...
...and love...
...and salvation...
...and so many other things...

Barton  still needs a family. 

Please, pray for him. Help spread the word. He needs a family just as much as any of us! And his time is running out! May the Lord use this situation for HIS glory!

Imagine...

...that you had lived without a family for almost sixteen years.

...that nobody told you that you were needed (or wanted...).

...that, instead of a cake with candles on your birthday, with a family singing around you...

...instead of celebration, you lost all hope of anything ever changing.

December 1st will be an important day for two little ones without a family. The Hidden Treasures auction will start up to bring sweet Tony home.

But for Barton, it will mean his last chance of a family has come and gone.

Unless! Unless his family finds him and sends in their paperwork by tomorrow night.

That sounds impossible. But God can do all His Holy will!!!!

Please share his story! Pray for Barton! That he would become part of a family, that the Lord will wrap a hedge of protection around him, and that no matter what happens, God will receive all glory and honor and praise!

An Update of Sorts...

We received news that Uncle Jerry went to be with Jesus Tuesday night... We loved Uncle Jerry, and are going to miss him, but it is a joy to know that we'll meet him again at the throne of God! So, we'll be in upper SC over the weekend, and are praying that the Lord would comfort Aunt Donna, this is especially hard on her :(...

As far as house news goes, Daddy left to go back up to VA last Tuesday. There is another house that is a *very* big possibility in VA, and we are fairly sure that, Lord willing, we will be moved by the beginning of next month :)! What a blessing that would be!

In garden news, we had a yard work day yesterday, have chased two frogs out of the house since Sunday, and are harvesting snap peas like crazy... a handful a day isn't bad, haha. The cucumber plants have cucumbers on them, and the lettuce can't be eaten fast enough!

Finally, the Hidden Treasures auction ends tomorrow! If you haven't visited yet, or might be out bid, you'll want to check it out before midnight tomorrow!