Making my Giveaway even better!

Ok so I was all ready to do a giveaway but I learned about this

sweet little treasure. 

So I have a way for you to help and get something in return.

           Look at this little sweetie.  She is just precious. 

She is 2 1/2 just like my Max.

except she doesn't have a family. 

She doesn't have cuddles, love and security that every child

deserves.  Her name is Anika.  I was introduced to her by

Lovelyn she is a friend who also happens to write one of my

favorite blogs.  Lovelyn decided to start fundraising so that

the cost of adoption wouldn't be the reason that she isn't

adopted.  She is a waiting child in Russia.  As many of you

know Russia is not a good place to be a waiting child. 

Children who are considered unadoptable usually end up

growing up in institutions.

You may be wondering why doesn't this treasure have a

home yet?  Well there are a few barriers that may scare most

families away.

The first is that Anika is HIV positive

if you haven't heard the truth about HIV, you have to visit

Project Hopeful.

the truth is that there is ZERO risk of transmitting HIV to

someone else through casual contact.

this includes: hugging, kissing, biting, sharing food,

taking a bath, sharing a toilet seat.

HIV is very manageable and with proper care,

people with HIV have a normal life expectancy. 

Children with HIV need to take medication twice a day 

and see their pediatric infectious disease

doctor every few months.

that's it.

The other hurdle for Anika is that her adoption is going to

cost $33,000.  Lovelyn decided to start fundraising so that

the cost of adoption wouldn't be the reason that Anika isn't

adopted. She proposed to have 150 people sign up to have a

party where they invite 9 people.  Everyone has a great time

and gives $20 each to Anika's fund.  This will quickly add up

to $30,000.  Anika's adoptive family won't have the financial

hurdle in the way of bringing their daughter home.

Those of you who have adopted know how hard it can be to

raise the funds needed for adoption.  This may sound like a

crazy amount to expect to raise.  But trust me we serve a

mountain moving God and I know from my own personal

adoption journey that God provides even when their seems to

be no way.  Our adoption was expected to cost around

$39,000 but through financial aid, adoption grants and

selling fundraising items we ended up only paying $11,300.

Seriously all these things happened out of nowhere after we

committed to adopting our children.  With trust and faith

God will provide. 

So I had been selling my fundraising items to

pay off our adoption loan but my children are home, safe and

loved.  The loan will get paid off.  

On the other side of the world Anika waits.

So here is my party give away.  I have added a chip in button

on the side of the page to raise money for Anika.  %100 of

that money will go to Anika.  If you donate an amount of $20

or more you can pick any of my fundraising items and I will

mail it to you free of charge.  I will even pay shipping as long

as it is to the US or Canada.  Mother's day is coming and the

necklaces are beautiful.  For just a $20 donation to Anika you

can get a $36 necklace for your mother with a great story

behind it.  After you make the donation email me which item

you would like and your address.  The items may go fast.  I

will update my page as often as I can but remember there is

only one of each item left so please contact me right away to

hold an item for you.  Also the t-shirt sizes vary so email me

with what size and color and I will let you know what I have

in stock.

Let's work together and show God's love for sweet Anika. 

Let's show her we care about her and that there is a Father in

heaven who loves her even more.

Remember no donation is to small.  Even a dollar will help. 

You will be amazed with how quickly it will add up.

Can't wait to watch this unfold.

My email is growingwithjoy@yahoo.com

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What's Next

Ayla decided that she wanted to play with play-do [naked]

I convinced her to put some clothes on [it's chilly]

and didn't know where the play-do would windup

not what this post is about but we have been doing some serious play-do playing this morning

and she cracks me up

We have made a decision and we are going to do a domestic adoption.  We are still in the process of foster adoption and waiting for a match but that could be years.  I have more to say about the kids that are slipping through the cracks of the foster care system and the sadness it brings me that I can't do anything about it but I will save that for another post.  I have learned that there is a great need to adopt African American and biracial babies. We had not planned on doing the whole newborn baby thing again since we had been planning on adopting an older child.  When Ayla was one I sold and gave away nearly every baby item we had. Now for some reason we are over the moon excited to bring a baby home and maybe that is why God had us go through the tragedy we did with an older child so that we would open our eyes to the babies that need homes.  Most of the parents that adopt babies in America are Caucasian couples that want Caucasian babies that look like them. To Eli and I the color of skin has absolutely nothing to do with love.   We are called to care for orphans (not just orphans that look like us).  Sometimes there are AA babies born that don't have adoptive parents lined up yet and they need a home fast.  I just read a blog where a family adopted two AA babies and they were the only option that the birth mother had to pick for her son. You can read more about her view on domestic adoption here.  Anyhow this babies are put up for adoption so that they are not aborted or put into the foster care system.   Because [thankfully] they are not yet part of the foster care system they are usually placed through an adoption agency which means it is very expensive.  We unfortunately do not have 20k laying around.  A couple weeks ago I filled out an application with an adoption agency to get the process started.  We got a call only a couple days later with a possible match that we could pursue.  The birth mom was due in only two weeks!  I have been on this adoption journey for 9 months submitting my home study to any child that was in our age group getting nowhere and she is sitting here on the phone telling me that I could be a mother to this baby in two weeks! 

Unfortunately this baby came with a 20k ransom.  I hadn't even started fundraising yet.  20k needed in two weeks.  We were not prepared and we had to pass on this situation.  I immediately cried when I got off the phone.  I prayed for that baby to be adopted into a loving Christian home. To say no to a baby that needs a loving home because of money did not feel right.  So I am going to do every and anything to save the funds so that we can pay the ransom needed to bring our baby home.  I realized about 90% of people that adopt do fundraisers to raise the money for part of the adoption cost and God blesses there fundraising efforts so that they can bring their child home.  So keep your eye out on my blog I have lots of jewelry from Uganda on the way.  This jewelry helps support families in Uganda and will help bring our baby home to their forever family.  I am also in the process of creating a t-shirt. So please spread the word and be a part of giving a child a family.  As soon as we raise the funds our baby could be home in just a couple months

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