~ "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!
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."
