~ "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." ~ Matthew 25:40
If not us, who will be like Jesus to the least of these?
Meet Frank. He’s 13 years old, and is curious, busy, fun happy and bright. He has a mental delay, but that doesn’t stop him from being friendly, engaging and kind. He’s also an orphan in Eastern Europe. This means he is in an institution. If he is not adopted by age 16, he will be thrown out on the street with nothing but the clothes on his back and his “disabled orphan” status. Let me tell you more about Frank.
He’s little, about the size of a 7 year old. And he’s smart. He is in a group with teenage boys ages 16-24. He does puzzles and he does his chores diligently. He is very kind to the younger children. Frank is friendly and engaging. He likes being with the boys, but is happy being alone too. He plays appropriately with toys and is “all boy”. He could very easily function in a family. Frank is curious, smart, fun and sweet. He likes to play in the dirt and jump on the trampoline. Frank is independent, a good eater, is happy and content. Frank is physically healthy. He walks, runs, feeds himself, speaks, does puzzles and interacts with others well. He's a sweet boy who seems rather unaffected by his surroundings. He has no future where he's at, and without help, he's never getting out.Institutions are a one way ticket to nowhere.And this little boy deserves a future. This little boy will be a blessing to any family.
The Baker family has committed to adopt Frank and another boy, Emmitt. But international adoption is pretty expensive. The adoption would cost about $30,000. Reece’s Rainbow is an organization that helps with this cost. They set up grants for children in 25 countries around the world, and any money that is donated to these funds is given to the families to help with adoption fees. With Reece's Rainbow's help, the Baker family only needs about $10,000 to bring home both boys!
It's that time of year again. You can see it all over stores, all over TV. All the stores have the Christmas music blaring, all their big sales advertised everywhere. Every ad on TV is another thing the kids "can't live without". They are making their Christmas lists of everything they want. The new video game console, a TV to go with it. They just HAVE to have the newest American Girl doll, and all the accessories. And it has to be American Girl, not an off- name brand that looks exactly the same but costs half as much. They take the catalogs and circle everything they want, and expect to get. I admit, I was the same way as a kid. We wanted all those walking, talking stuffed animals, all those new video game consoles that we would lose interest in in a week. I asked for a puppy every year, even though we had two dogs, and two cats (and a fish at one point). Did we really NEED that new video game, or those stuffed animals? No, but we thought we did.
But some kids don't have the chance to make a mile- long Christmas list. Some kids, they want that stuff, but they have a bigger wish.
143 million kids this Christmas are asking for something more. They are asking for a family.
Please watch this video. I think it really speaks for itself. Listen to the words of the song. This is Frank's Christmas wish. Save him before it's too late.
It seems that stores start decorating for Christmas a lot earlier every year. Thanksgiving gets pushed to the side. Thanksgiving isn't commercialized, it's the day after that is.
Isn't it funny how right after giving thanks, we rush to buy all this "stuff" we can't live without?
Isn't it funny that we didn't even wait until the day after this year?
Isn't it funny that this year, stores started their "Black Friday" sales Thanksgiving night?
Isn't it funny that we spend the day eating an insane amount of food, when there are people even here that don't have enough to eat?
Isn't it funny that we say we don't have enough time to help orphans, yet we have time to spend hours in line to go Black Friday shopping?
Are you laughing?
Thanksgiving is an important holiday. It's not about planning your Black Friday shopping marathon, and how to avoid being trampled over that perfect pair of shoes for Jill, or that new football jersey for Jack. It's not just a day off to sleep the day away. It's about spending time with those you are thankful for. It's in the name. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. Maybe you are thankful you didn't burn the turkey, or you made enough mashed potatoes. Be thankful for those little "helpers". Look around, you will see a lot to be thankful for. A fun family project would be to make lists of what you are thankful for.
First, I want you to make a list of 25 things you are thankful for. I'll do one too.
1. Jesus
2. My family
3. My friends
4. My church
5. Food and drink
6. Internet
7. My phone
8. My bed
9. My house
10. Clean water
11. Rain
12. My camera
13. My puppy
14. Clothes
15. Headphones
16. Music
17. Books
18. My writing skills
19. Duct tape
20. Education
21. Job
22. Health
23. Sun
24. Snow
25. Chocolate
Was that hard? I want you to make another list of 25 (50 total).
26. Stores
27. Language
28. Lights
28. Heating
29. Air conditioning
30. Swimming
31. Animals
32. Shampoo
33. Soap
34. Indoor plumbing
35. Computers
36. Blankets
37. Medicine
38. TV
39. Movies
40. Waterfalls
41. Cars
42. Airplanes
43. Boats
44. Clocks
45. Audio theatre
46. Imagination
47. Mission trips
48. Sight
49. Hearing
50. Expression
We have so much to be thankful for. Remember that this year.
He was only seven years old. Seven. What did you do when you were seven? You were probably in second grade. Expanding your reading, checking out library books for the first time. Were your days spent at school, then coming home to do homework, then play outside with your friends or family? Or maybe if you got your homework done early, you got to play a game on the computer or watch one of your favorite shows.
But he didn't. He spent the days in a cold, dark room. Lying in a cold crib. Surrounded by the cries and moans of other children. Drugged so he was "easier to take care of". At seven years old, he weighed only 20 pounds. He wore diapers because he was left in the crib all day. He had no stimulation. No chance to walk, talk, or even move.
He was transferred to the institution when he was four years old. He struggled on for three years, but by November of 2010, he couldn't do it anymore.
He died on November 16, 2010. He was only seven years old. No one was there to witness it. The workers probably didn't notice until they went to feed him the next day. Then he was buried in an unmarked grave behind the mental institution he died in.
Dakota was an orphan in Eastern Europe. He had hydrocephalus. Most children have this corrected as an infant and go on to live a normal life. But he didn't. Because of having hydrocephalus, he was put into an adult mental institution. When he was only four years old. He went from being a normal functioning child to a frail shell of a child, who only weighed 20 pounds. He struggled to move, or even to breathe.
It's too late for Dakota. But it's not for some of the other children at his institution. Please save them before it's too late. Don't let them become a statistic. Don't let them be a nameless grave in back yard of the institution.
All of those children are waiting for families in the institution where Dakota died. Please, let's not let them become a statistic. For Dakota.
Meet Frank. He’s 12 years old, and is curious, busy, funhappy and bright. He has a mental delay, but that doesn’t stop him from being friendly, engaging and kind (plus he can rock a batman* hat!). He’s also an orphan in Eastern Europe. This means he is in an institution. If he is not adopted by age 16, he will be thrown out on the street with nothing but the clothes on his back and his “disabled orphan”status. Let me tell you more about Frank.
He’s little, about the size of a 7 year old. And he’s smart. He is in a group with teenage boys ages 16-24. He does puzzles and he attends school. He does his chores diligently. He is very kind to the younger children. Frank is friendly and engaging. He likes being with the boys, but is happy being alone too. He plays appropriately with toys and is “all boy”. He could very easily function in a family. Frank is curious, smart, fun and sweet. He likes to play in the dirt and jump on the trampoline. Frank is independent, a good eater, is happy and content. Frank is physically healthy. He walks, runs, feeds himself,speaks, does puzzles and interacts with others well. He's a sweet boy who seems rather unaffected by his surroundings. He has no future where he's at, and without help, he's never getting out. Institutions are a one way ticket to nowhere. And this little boy deserves a future. This little boy will be a blessing to any family.
He needs a family. But international adoption is pretty expensive. His adoption would cost about $25,000. Reece’s Rainbow is an organization that helps with this cost. They set up grants for children in 25 countries around the world,and any money that is donated to these funds is given to the families to help with adoption fees.
During this Christmas season, Reece’s Rainbow sets a goal,for every child on the “Christmas Angel Tree” to have an Angel Tree warrior.This warrior’s goal is to raise $1,000 or more as the adoption grant for their Angel Tree child. This is my goal. So, I am selling duct tape wallets to help fill Frank’s freedom fund (adoption grant), and help get him freedom and a forever family! 80% of the funds from these wallets go to Frank’s fund. The other 20%is used for supplies so I can continue to fund raise for Frank.
I was going to do another big post, but I'm a little busy, our huge neighborhood is having a garage sale, and i'm running one to get some money for Frank!
So, instead, I'll melt you heart with three more pictures of Frank, and ask you to please vote for him!
http://reecesrainbow.org/my-own-little-starfish
Well, before I get started on my next installment about "my" boys, I
need to announce that ZACK has a family! I am excited, as I have been
his GA, and so happy!
So, a while ago, Spud posted a little post about Noel being available for Angel Tree. Sadly, she didn't make it on.
For those of you who don't know, The Christmas Angel Tree is a Christmas Fundraiser Reece's Rainbow does every year.
Historically, it only included the kids ages 0-5 with DS. This year, it
is being expanded to allow three children from each other category to be
on the Angel Tree. Every week, 11 children from that week's category
are picked by the RR staff. Then, throughout the week, people vote for
who they want to be on Angel Tree.
It's a very big fundraiser, and this week, one of "my" boys is up for voting! Let me introduce Frank.
Frank is 12 years old. He was born in May 2000. He is in an institution.
His only "disability" is a mild mental delay (which is expected, he has
been in an orphanage/ institutional setting for 12 years). There is a
mom who met him, who has written about him and shared about him on her
blog.
She sees potential in Frank, and so do I! Here is some of what she has said about him. On his RR page:
"Of all the other boys there, Frank was the one who stole our hearts.
He’s little. About the size of a 7 year old. And he’s smart. He is
in a groupa with teenage boys ages 16-24. He does puzzles and we
believe we saw him reading and writing. They have a very basic school
room at his orphanage and he attends. The boys in his groupa are given
chores and he does his chores diligently. He was very kind to the
younger children. Frank is friendly and engaging. He likes being with
the boys, but is happy being alone too. He plays appropriately with
toys and is all boy. He’d come with us on walks and talk to us, and
then just as quickly, run off to go play. Honestly, we have no idea why
Frank is where he is. I think he could very easily function in a
family. If someone does not go get him, his future looks very very
bleak. Please someone, make Frank your son. He is as awesome as he
looks. He’s a curious, busy, dirty, fun, happy, bright little boy who
somehow got sent to the wrong place. He desperately needs someone to
get him out."
More she has told me about him:
"He's about like a 7 year old and is such a good kid. He is a complete fish out of water there, although he is happy...
I don't want Frank to have to wait. His chances are slim, because of
his age and where he's at. And that's completely silly because he'd do
so well in a family...
since I have a love for Frank, he makes guest appearances quite
frequently [on the blog]. I even have a couple posts devoted to him. I
think of him many times every day. He is the one that was hardest to
leave behind..."
And on her blog.
"This Boy...
This little guy is my friend "Frank". Frank isn't his real name. I
know his real name, just like I know many other things about him. I
know Frank is curious, smart, fun and sweet. I know he likes to play in
the dirt and jump on the trampoline. I know he is all boy. I know he
has brown eyes and brown hair and that he usually needs a bath, as most
boys do. I also know he needs a family. Badly. Frank is 12 years old
and living in an institution in Eastern Europe. I know what Frank's
future is going to be like if that family doesn't find him soon.
While we were adopting Seth, Frank quickly became one of our favorites.
Jeremy and I think about Frank every day. Frank is on my mind. A lot.
Frank is a little boy who ended up at the wrong place. Frank is
independent, a good eater, is happy and content. We never saw him lose
his temper or act out. He's in with an older groupa, teenagers ages
16-24. The institutions highest functioning groupa. Frank is
physically healthy. He walks, runs, feeds himself, speaks, does puzzles
and interacts with others well. For the life of us, we can't figure out
why he's in an institution. But he is.
Today, Frank received something he's never had before. An advocate.
Really, a team of advocates. People who are willing to fight for him.
People to help him. I've agreed to be Franks "Zero the Zeroes Hero".
That means I'm helping to raise awareness and grant money to help Frank
find a family. I'm actually quite happy to be doing this, because I
know what an amazing little boy he is. I can't imagine him spending the
rest of his days where he's at. I want to see him in a family,
building airplanes with legos, going to school, joining boy scouts,
playing soccer. This little boy has so much potential. But first, he
needs a family.
You can help Frank find a family by donating to his grant fund. Our
goal is to get Frank to $100.00. That's all. And if you go to donate,
and he's already at $100, it's okay to get him to $120.00, or $150.00.
Every little bit helps. Because Franks chances of finding a family are
slim. He's older. He's a boy. And he's in an institution. He has
three big strikes against him. Statistically, his chances are not good.
But Frank now has people fighting for him. I know him. I know the
little boy in the picture. He is real. Tonight, he's going to bed on
the cruddy mattress in the hot hot building with 70 other boys and men
who are all in his institution, and he has no way out unless we help
him. Frank deserves more.
Can you be a part of helping Frank? If so, please click on the link
below and donate to his grant fund through paypal. Or, you can mail a
check to Reeces Rainbow (address is on the website) and mark it with
"Frank". Let's help Frank reach his first goal- $100.00 in his grant
fund. (MADE!)
If you are interested in adding an amazingly sweet little 12 year old
boy to your family, please feel free to leave me a comment here with
your email address. I would be so happy to tell you more about Frank. I
moderate all comments before they are published and won't publish your
email address."
"The two boys weighing heaviest on my mind are, of course, "Frank" and
"Francis". Last week, I asked you to vote to get "Francis" on Reeces
Rainbow's Angel Tree, so that awareness for him can be raised, so we can
increase his grant and help him find a family. Thank you to all who
voted. Francis made it onto the Angel Tree.
The next category is Boys 10+ and I was thrilled to see my friend
"Frank" as one of the boys who has the chance to be on the Angel Tree.
Frank's chances of being adopted aren't good. He's a boy, he's older,
and he lives in an institution. That's a lot of strikes against him.
Raising his grant is the best way we can help him. Overcoming the
barrier of finances is sometimes all it takes to motivate someone to
take that leap of faith for an older child.
I can tell you a little about "Frank". Jeremy and I fell in love with
him. He's little, he's spunky, he's smart. He's a sweet boy who seems
rather unaffected by his surroundings. He runs around a lot, likes to
play ball, play on the trampoline, and do puzzles. He interacts well
with the caregivers and other boys. Everyone seems to like Frank. We
never saw anything that concerned us about him, and quite honestly,
we're stumped as to why he's there and not at a boarding house.
Sometimes very random decisions are made. Who knows how he got there?
I just know he needs out. He has no future where he's at, and without
help, he's never getting out. Institutions are a one way ticket to
nowhere. And this little boy deserves a future. This little boy will be
a blessing to any family.
This little boy just needs a chance. I have so many more pictures,
stories and even videos of Frank. If you want more information, please
ask. I will contact you and answer any questions I can.
I can tell you a little about "Frank". Jeremy and I fell in love with
him. He's little, he's spunky, he's smart. He's a sweet boy who seems
rather unaffected by his surroundings. He runs around a lot, likes to
play ball, play on the trampoline, and do puzzles. He interacts well
with the caregivers and other boys. Everyone seems to like Frank. We
never saw anything that concerned us about him, and quite honestly,
we're stumped as to why he's there and not at a boarding house.
Sometimes very random decisions are made. Who knows how he got there?
I just know he needs out. He has no future where he's at, and without
help, he's never getting out. Institutions are a one way ticket to
nowhere. And this little boy deserves a future. This little boy will be
a blessing to any family.
This little boy just needs a chance. I have so many more pictures,
stories and even videos of Frank. If you want more information, please
ask. I will contact you and answer any questions I can.
He's behind the kid's hand
Here is the link to Reeces Rainbow's Angel Tree for Boys 10+. Please
take just a moment to scroll down, find Frank (listed first) and click
"vote" above his pic. That's all you have to do to help Frank find a
family. That's how you can help an orphan, today, right now. Just a
click."
