Sheryl and John met while supporting adults with disabilities, most of whom have Down syndrome, and married five years later. Early into their relationship, they were committed to adopting a child with Down syndrome. That plan was put on hold when their second child was born with Down syndrome. He was closely followed by his little brother. Tragically, their middle son passed away suddenly after his fourth birthday.

John and Sheryl again recommitted to parenting a child with Down syndrome, and brought home a Reece’s Rainbow child with Down syndrome in February of 2018. They tried to bring home another little boy at the same time, but rule changes went into effect which prohibited this plan. A vow was made that, if everyone in their family was adjusting well from the adoption, they would go back for the other boy. And the time has come!

The Kincinas family is excited to travel back to Asia this summer to bring home Marshall. He has been in their hearts for nearly two years and they are eager to have him in their arms. Their kids are thrilled to have another sibling to run around with, and are looking forward to another adventure in Asia.They thank everyone who has advocated and prayed for Marshall and appreciate any financial help that is given.

6/14/2019 — DOSSIER EN ROUTE

Steve, a special education teacher, and Stacy, a science teacher, have always known they would grow their family through adoption. Since first starting the process to adopt from foster care in 2008, they have walked an adoption path that has turned out to be long and winding, hope-filled and heart-breaking, and, ultimately, one of surrender. After a recent, failed international adoption of a dearly loved and known daughter, Steve and Stacy began questioning how – wait things out, switch countries, adopt from foster care – or even if they could or should proceed – maybe their dream hadn’t been meant-to-be, afterall.

And then a series of seemingly random events led Stacy to see the photos and videos of a precious, adorable, funny, mischievous, and joyful little girl named Yia. Stacy’s heart melted and exploded at the same time.

Stacy gathered up the courage to discuss this unexpected adoption possibility with Steve and the boys, Kye (17) and Kade (14). ALL of them agreed that nothing about it made any sense: Yia was from a country that would require them to switch agencies, countries, and start back at square one with their paperwork, Yia had a lot of medical unknowns (though they love that she is a heart warrior just like their son, Kye), Yia was younger than they had considered, and, financially, their failed adoption left them completely unprepared to pursue her adoption. And yet, they have decided to step out in faith because it is clear, beyond a shadow of doubt, that Yia is their daughter. They are believing and trusting that Yia has been the plan all along, and, so far, each step of this new journey has confirmed that.

The Bartletts are excited, scared, hopeful, cautious, optimistic, anxious, but most of all certain that Yia is their sister and child. They would be forever grateful for your support as they run to bring Yia home!

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. Proverbs 3:5

7/18/2019 — DOSSIER in COUNTRY

Yia has received a $5,000 Older Child Grant.
Yia has also received a Waiting Child Grant of $1,102.65.

Bryan and Dana have searched for their son for five years, and they’ve [finally!] found him in Eastern Europe! The Lankfords began their journey in 2014 when they became dual licensed, foster to adopt parents in Dallas, Texas. They have loved on and provided stability to more than 20 children since opening their hearts and home, but the child they waited for eluded them.

During Thanksgiving 2017, Bryan and Dana saw a smiling, hopeful face on an international adoption website. They inquired and, less than a year later and after a whirlwind of paperwork and travel, they were overjoyed to become the proud parents of a happy, healthy, well-adjusted 16 year old Eastern European beauty who is the light of their lives. Yet there was an empty chair at the table.. the son who remained missing. They continued to search both domestically and internationally for him.

Mario is a 15-year-old Eastern European boy diagnosed with Epilepsy who will age out and become unadoptable in November, 2019. Mario has been listed on the international adoption register for the past six years. Six years of being passed over in favor of younger, healthier children; housed in an uncaring Bulgarian orphanage and then foster home in a remote, small town where his hopes and dreams fade alongside his chance of finding a loving family to call his own. Videos and photos show the light leaving his face as the years pass. Bryan and Dana have stepped forward for this precious child, confident that funds for his adoption can be raised before Mario ages out of the system and he loses his last chance for wholeness. Your donations are working miracles! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

7/9/2019 — DOSSIER SUBMITTED

Brett and Jessica met 17 years ago while attending college in upstate New York. They currently live in Maryland with their 5 biological children. Clayton (13), Ava (11), Lyla (9), Allen (4) and Pierce (2), are the loves of their lives. Brett is a mechanical engineer and works as project developer at Ameresco Inc and Jessica owns an early intervention preschool for children diagnosed with Autism. They enjoy spending time as a family going for bike rides, playing board games and spending time outside. After Pierce was born they thought their family was complete, however God had other plans. In August 2017, Brett and Jessica started considering International Adoption. After working with children with special needs for over 15 years, Jessica knew that if they decided to adopt, they would adopt a waiting child with special needs. One afternoon Jessica called an adoption agency to inquire about a little girl who was diagnosed with multiple medical needs. The agency told her that she had already been matched but there was a sibling group that was available for hosting and adoption. When Brett and Jessica received pictures of the siblings, they immediately fell in love. The ages of the siblings were 7, 5 and 4. They had been in the orphanage for 2 years.

After hosting the older 2 siblings this past Christmas, Brett and Jessica knew that their story didn’t end there. After the children returned to their orphanage in January they started the journey to adopt all 3. All children, regardless of life circumstances, medical needs and disabilities deserve to grow up in a loving and stable family. The 3 siblings that Brett and Jessica are adopting are amazing. They are smart, loving and full of joy despite the circumstances that they have been through. The youngest needs medical care, medical evaluations and proper therapy for her to develop to her fullest potential.

Brett and Jessica believe that serving those who are the most vulnerable is one of life’s biggest blessings. When you pour love and compassion into those who need it the most, your dreams will start to come true. Over the 3 weeks that they hosted the children, they taught us more about the goodness of God than we ever thought possible. They were given hundreds of hugs and kisses and they can’t wait to give them more. They did more for Brett and Jessica during their 3 weeks stay than they could ever do in a lifetime. They are working hard and praying to raise enough money to bring the children home as soon as possible. The fees associated with adopting 3 children at once are extremely high.  Their country also requires 3 trips to finalize the adoption. Thank you for your support and prayers to help bring our 3 precious children home.

6/13/2019 — REFERRAL RECEIVED; TRAVELING in SUMMER

Markus and Sarah Linke met at church 11 years ago and have now been married for 8 years. A lot has happened in their 8 years of marriage; from experiencing miscarriages, to dealing with infertility, to the adoption of their miracle baby Hope in 2013.

In the beginning of their relationship, long before they experienced infertility, Markus and Sarah realized they had a common desire to adopt. And in 2013, less than 2 years after they experienced the heartache of miscarriages, their baby girl Hope practically fell into their laps. She is by far the biggest blessing in their lives. In 2015, when Hope was 2 years old, they saw the profile of a little boy with special needs and decided to try to adopt again. But just as they were nearing the end of their home study, the foster family decided to adopt the little boy.  So they decided to put adoption on hold for a little while. There is no guarantee in adoption; there are always risks. But they knew they had to try again! They have room in their hearts and home for more children, and Hope is so very excited to be a big sister!

Markus and Sarah feel so blessed and are thrilled to be on this adoption journey! They would greatly appreciate your prayers and welcome any financial support as they work hard to bring their son home as quickly as they can.

7/23/19 — OFFICIAL REFERRAL RECEIVED

Jenna and Drew met in college and have been happily married for over 15 years. After having 2 wonderful sons, Jenna suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage leaving them unsure of what God had in store for their family. They began to research adoption as a way to add to their family, but ended up being blessed with a 3rd son. However, once he was born, adoption never left their hearts. In fact, the tug only continued to get stronger. After receiving what they feel was sign after sign from God, they finally realized that His plan for them was to adopt all along, and that there was a specific child that He was leading them to. Jenna and Drew are both teachers, and children with special needs have always had a special place in their hearts. So when they saw the face of a perfect little girl living with Down Syndrome halfway around the world, they just knew she was their daughter. Everything that had taken place in their lives up until this point now made complete sense. Even though the timing was less than ideal for them financially, they immediately took the leap of faith and have been working as hard and fast as possible to get to her. They are willing to do everything in their power to bring their daughter home. She is beyond loved already and has 3 big brothers who are ready to love her, teach her, and protect her like no one else. Her oldest brother says, “We need to adopt her because she deserves to be loved, and we have a lot of love to give!” She has an incredibly wonderful and supportive extended family with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who are so excited to meet her and spend their lives showing her all the love she deserves. The Schneider’s would be forever grateful for any prayers, donations, and support that anyone can provide. They know that God has big plans for this little girl and they feel so blessed that they get to have front row seats to watch her story unfold.

6/5/2019 — LOA RECEIVED

Steve and Kim Tiller have been married since 2005, but their story began long before then. Not really running in the same circle of friends initially, both Steve and Kim have been active Kingdom workers in New Hampshire and globally since the 1990’s. They even got to spend the turn of the century serving together with others on a short-term mission trip, helping to clean up and prepare an orphanage building in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Not long after, Kim trained for and transitioned to working with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Kyiv, Ukraine. While applying the love of Jesus through volunteering, she felt God’s calling to adopt a young boy with Down Syndrome named Taras (Ty). Kim and Ty traveled back to the USA in late 2004. Very impressed by God’s provision and Kim’s faithfulness, Steve was blessed to spend lots of time with Kim and Ty in the early weeks of 2005 (which resulted in them getting married in August of that year).

In July of 2006 their son, Jacob, was born with Down Syndrome. Jacob’s path of visiting doctors, being helped by feeding & swallowing specialists, and receiving Early Intervention was blazed beforehand by his older brother. Jacob is the Tiller family’s little director and has been acknowledged as well to be the king of the schools he has attended (starting in preschool)!

A few months before Jacob turned 3, the Tiller family was expanded by another son, Zachary. Though not having Down Syndrome, Zachary is compassionate, a great friend and advocate for his brothers. The Tillers have been blessed beyond measure by these three boys & the community of friends and family that surround them.

Kim has always had a desire to adopt more children, especially kids with Down Syndrome. The impact of her first-hand experience of seeing what institutional life can be like for children with special needs and the corresponding challenges in their early years has motivated her to be an adoption prayer warrior. In 2012, she stepped up her prayer efforts with the help of Reece’s Rainbow website, spending significant time lifting up the children in the various stages of adoption and those yet to be adopted. The Tiller boys would also join her by praying for specific children and would rejoice when some would come home with their new families.

The Tillers are excited to share the news that one of these precious children will be joining their family. They have agreed that it is time to welcome home a little girl with Down Syndrome. Julie’s sweet smile drew them right to her! They are looking forward to sharing in God’s upcoming blessings with her and showering her with the love of a family. Ty, Jacob and Zach will be fantastic big brothers. Zach in particular is especially ready for her to come home soon!

Your prayer & financial support has a huge impact in God’s Kingdom and is a true blessing to the Tillers!

7/26/2019 — LOA RECEIVED

We are the Winslow family; a family of 4 who is working towards becoming a family of 6, by adoption! Our story began in 2007, when I met my husband, Dan. Dan was an active duty PFC in the Army and was a very proud soldier. Sadly, and proudly, the day came when Dan received orders for his deployment to Iraq, and it was scheduled to be an 18-month long tour.  When Dan deployed that day, I was about four months pregnant with our son; whom was named after his dad.

Unfortunately, Dan’s deployment did not go without complication. During a mission, one of his battle buddies dropped a very large and heavy tailgate onto the top of his head. This injury was not properly treated by the medical team and sadly everyone went on with their mission, Dan included. Over the next several months, Dan continued to serve in Iraq and did have many complications arise that were going untreated.

When our adorable baby boy was born, Dan was unable to make it home. Dan was not able to officially meet Daniel until a “rest and relaxation” was allotted, which allowed Dan leave Iraq for 18 days to be home. At that time, Daniel was 2 months old. During the 18 days home, we were officially married. After returning to Iraq, two years after the initial accident, a brain scan was even completed and we learned Dan suffered a traumatic brain injury. Due to this, Dan’s “planned out future” of staying Army until a 20-year retirement turned into becoming medically retired from the United States Army at the age of 25.

Dan and I were absolutely thrilled being parents, we always wanted a large family. We became pregnant again but lost the baby in a very early stage; this happened again during pregnancy number three and four. These losses were very hard on our family. In January of 2014, Daniel was 5 years old and we were once again blessed to learn that I was pregnant, but also absolutely petrified. Our beautiful little girl decided to come none the less; at only 25 weeks gestation; we named our tiny girl Joslynn.

Throughout our marriage, Dan and I have always had discussions about adoption, our goal has always been to have a blended family of biological and adoptive children. We always had this image that when God spoke, we would know it was time to start the process to adopt from foster, but little did we know the plans He had in store for us.

On a morning that seemed no different than any other day, I was scrolling on Facebook of all places and came across a post that a friend made. This post showed a picture of an adorable little boy with the sweetest grin.  I learned that this sweet child was in Eastern Europe and I learned this child was an orphan and had a lot of the same special needs as our Joslynn! I can’t explain it in any other way then that I felt God speak to my heart. It was as if He said, “this is your son.” Then we came across a little girl with adorable curls and it was as if we could hear her laugh through her photo. Dan and I just looked at each other and we knew.

Feeling so called, we started praying very fervently, this was such a big cost and a scary one to boot. How could we possibly think we could do this? When speaking to Daniel and Joslynn regarding the children, they were both so excited. Daniel yelled out “I will make a lemonade stand! We can raise the money” and our hearts just melted. Just today, our little Joslynn found a penny in a parking lot and excitedly exclaimed “this is going to help bring our babies home!” Its such a big leap of faith, but as a family it’s a faith walk, we feel God is calling us on. We are trusting in Him to provide and doing all we can to be open vessels for that providing.

7/29/2019 — DOSSIER COMPLETE

Silas and Patricia have each received a $2000 grant! 

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Jon and Ellen have been married for 27 years and God has richly blessed them with 10 children; 9 biological and 1 adopted. Ten years ago, their 8th child was born with Down Syndrome. It was a difficult and dark time between both trying to meet the overwhelming physical needs of their baby as well as working through numerous feelings of grief and fear related to raising an “imperfect” child.

But our God has a beautiful way of reshaping hearts and minds and “working all things together for His good.” About four years ago, after being made aware of literally thousands of children abandoned in China with Down Syndrome, Jon and Ellen began to pursue their first adoption. In early 2017, the Lindbloms welcomed home Naomi, a sweet four year old girl with DS from China. They have once again sensed God’s prompting and the whole family is very excited to be bringing Ayla Hope home to become part of the Lindblom family!

8/14/2019 — WAITING for TRAVEL APPROVAL

We are adopting. In those three little words, there is so much meaning. They are the words that send our hearts soaring — it’s so surreal, has been SO long on our hearts, and the journey we’ve taken to this place looks nothing like we originally intended. But so it is with God. ⁣
⁣
His panoramic view has smashed our Polaroid at every turn. We can see only what is in front of us—the virtual snapshot of the life I’m living—and yet in his gracious goodness, He sees it all and is not shaken by the tidal wave of any one moment. His plan has been perfected in the waiting, and it is with great thankfulness and JOY that we find ourselves back here, in this space….waiting on His timing.

We are adopting from Eastern Europe. We plan to name this little girl Saylor – a name that means ‘rope’ or ‘tether’. Her name has become a metaphor for this entire adoption journey. Our hearts are tethered to a tiny baby living half a world away. We’re tethered by the promise of what is to come, by the permanence God has already spoken over our family and the intention with which He’s chosen us for one another.  God has anchored this little girl to our very souls and she is a part of us–even now. The need is great and the families are few, and we believe she is worthy. We desire to proclaim God’s gracious goodness and intention over her precious life. She is worthy of being wanted. We have chosen to pursue this little girl as our beloved daughter with deep, loving intention.

We have four kiddos, ages 7, 5, 3, and 1 – two boys and two girls. I am a public school kindergarten teacher and my husband works for our state government. We aren’t uniquely qualified in any way to pursue an international adoption, but we love Jesus with all we’ve got and our steadfast faith is in Him alone. We believe that He will light this path as we walk forward to bring our baby girl home!

We are stepping out in bold faith and brave love. International adoption is daunting, on so many fronts. The financial implications – especially for our big and blessed family of six – are substantial. We know this will stretch us, but we also know that God is so much bigger. We know He delights in bringing orphans into their forever families, and we raise our arms to Him knowing He will make a way for us in this season. He’ll light the path, and we’ll walk it in JOY as we bring our girl home.

I always tell my three year old, as he’s running around the house at lightning speed with his eyes on the floor, “LOOK UP! Look up, so you can see where you’re going”  Friends, will you look up with us? Will you fix your eyes on the One who adopted us ALL into His family as orphans, and will you help us bring this precious baby girl home?

7/26/2019 — DOSSIER SUBMITTED

The Breitenstein Family has a $5000 matching grant from RODS Racing!  When their grant reaches $5315.20, they’ll receive an additional $5000!

*** Naheeda has received a for a $2,000 Grant! ***

Adam and Siri Caudill enjoy life in beautiful rural WA. They are blessed with a biological daughter, Pia, born in September 2016. She is a sweet, smart and delightful girl who loves dolls as much as dinosaurs and trucks. Adam is a stay-at-home father and Siri is a veterinarian. They had both long felt the call to adopt a child, Adam having an adopted sister. Their hearts were reminded of this in an unexpected way.

They were overjoyed to become pregnant with a second child, a boy named Riku, who they lost in the second trimester of pregnancy. Riku had Down syndrome. Siri and Adam were prepared to parent a child with special needs and were devastated by this loss. As a result, they were made aware of the need for international adoption of children with special needs. They are thrilled to be in the long process of welcoming a young boy (“Myrtie” on Reece’s Rainbow) into their family from Eastern Europe. They found his profile and immediately felt drawn to him. He has spina bifida and associated hydrocephalus. Even though he is unable to walk and does not yet have a wheelchair, he does not let this hold him back. His spirit has captured their hearts. His personality is often described as sunny and he exudes a great joy for life. As every child deserves a loving home, they long to give him the love and medical care that he needs to continue to be such a happy boy.

They are deeply appreciative of any support they receive in the efforts to bring their son home.

7/29/2019 — DOSSIER SUBMITTED

When she traveled in 2018 to adopt her son, Campbell, Sara had the opportunity to speak to the Director of her son’s Orphanage. Sara learned that of the approximately 500 children in Orphanage’s care, almost 1/5 of the children had Down Syndrome. Even more staggering was the revelation that her son was only the 7th child with Down Syndrome to be adopted from that Orphanage. After learning about these children, Sara committed to advocate and help them find their forever families.

Upon returning home with her son, Sara started to read a collection of folktales to him each night. One of these folktales, “Holding Up the Sky”, followed a little hummingbird that was determined to do her part to save the sky from falling. Her friend, the elephant, laughed at her attempt to hold up the sky with her little hummingbird legs, but the hummingbird was determined to do her part.

Sara was moved to tears by this tale and shared it with her older children, Elise and Luke. They saw themselves as the hummingbird and decided that they were ready to go beyond advocacy and do their part to bring home another child with Down Syndrome from Campbell’s Orphanage.

Sara, a Middle School Special Education Teacher, has already begun fundraising with bake sales, garage sales, auctions, and more to come. The Croasdaile family, Sara, Elise, Luke, and Cam, welcome other hummingbirds to join them in supporting the journey to bring home their beautiful treasure!

7/8/2019 — DOSSIER COMPLETE

In 2010, Sam and Aaron met because two mutual friends found it strange that they both wanted “a lot of kids”. Their friends immediately introduced them. Within a few weeks, they were dating. Not long after, they had a serious talk about their future. Sam had grown up as a foster sister (her family had done foster care since she was 13). Her dream was to carry on that legacy. She wanted to foster and adopt. Aaron was fully supportive of this dream. Two short years later, they were married in July 2013!

They have carried out this dream already twice! They welcomed a son by birth, then adopted a 5-year-old boy, gave birth to a baby girl, adopted a 13-year-old girl, and then welcomed another boy through birth. Their kids are currently 14, 9, 5, 3, and 4 months. That makes 5 kids in 5 years!

Shortly after their second adoption, Sam found Reece’s Rainbow. She started researching and scouring websites full of waiting children all over the world. She read about “seeing the one” and “just knowing”. She asked Aaron many times about children she saw to see if maybe it was time to start an international adoption because they had simply found “the one”. She was heartbroken each and every time it was a “no”.

In December 2018, they welcomed another baby boy, Maverick, to the family. This put them at five kiddos in five years and they were sure they were done for a while. But then on January 25, 2019, just a month and a half after Maverick was born, Sam saw a picture of a little boy that made her heart skip a beat! She immediately started emailing his agency to find out more. She knew for certain that this was “the picture” she had been waiting to see! She approached Aaron with hesitation as they had just discussed waiting to add more kids to their family. He said “no” again, but this time she asked him to pray about it because she was certain he was their son. One month later, she asked again. This time, he asked questions about the boy, his country, and the process. Two weeks later, they submitted their first documents to adopt him! God sure does work in mysterious ways!! They welcome your prayers as they begin this long process to bring home Odegaard baby #6 in just 6 years.

They are so excited to meet their son but need help to get there! If you are able and feel called to do so, please pray for their journey and consider donating to help them get their son HOME.

9/6/2019 — DOSSIER COMPLETE

The Odegaard family has a $5000 matching grant from RODS Racing!  When they’re FSP reaches 6,283.10, they’ll receive another $5000!

*** Dominik has received a $2,000 Grant! ***

The Scotts are a family of 5 living in South Carolina. With 3 boys at home ages 5, 8, and 10, Dan and Abby always knew that someday they wanted to add a sweet girl into the mix. After joining Reece’s Rainbow’s Facebook group they saw a precious young girl being advocated for and knew that she was meant to be their daughter. Through pursuing this adoption they have learned more about what it means to have special needs and how to care for their soon to be daughter who has moderate to severe Cerebral Palsy. What they used to see as a disability they now see as special abilities, she is so able and the special needs community has shown them that different abilities are something to be celebrated! They hope that their adoption will inspire others to step out in faith into the unknown and care for a child that will bring so much joy and open the mind of others to how capable special needs people really are. We hope that you join us on our journey in bringing our precious and wonderful daughter home!

9/6/2019 — AWAITING TRAVEL

For those of you who know Jode and Kelley, you know they have felt for years that their family was not yet complete. Yes, they already have seven beautiful children at home, but when God laid it upon their hearts to once again adopt, they could not ignore the calling.

Inasmuch, they are pursuing a child (or two) from an Eastern European country – one which they have loved dearly and missed greatly. They look forward to going back and seeing those who have become like extended family.

Having completed five international adoption, they know that adoption can be expensive. However, they also know that God is faithful. Experience has proven that where He leads them, He will also supply all that they need. If you would like to support their efforts, please hit that donate button. Your generous financial gift is tax deductible and greatly appreciated.

The Robinsons will be adding updated posts to their blog as things progress. If you would like to come along on this journey, please follow their blog. As always, your fervent prayers are greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance for coming along with us on this amazing journey!

8/29/2019 — DOSSIER SUBMITTED

You’ve guessed it… the Richardson Tribe is growing again! This time the Lord has lead them to 2 boys.

“Preston” is 9 and “Kaysen” is 15, both having cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Jaime and Chris are rushing to get paperwork done and get to the boys ASAP. Kaysen will be 16 in June however he weights less than 30 lbs and spends in life confined to a crib, receiving 300 calories of nutrition a day. He is wasting away. Preston on the other hand is thriving! He was on the brink of death before some missionaries were able to get him medical care and through a series of God sized events, he was able to enter a loving foster home. The government, however, is stating that he has to return to the orphanage where he almost died in June!

The Richardsons need to get to the boys as soon as possible and they are praying for God to open the situational and financial doors to do so quickly.

Kayson and Preston will be joining their 10 siblings, all adopted, and parents in Indiana, where they will have a wonderful church and local community to help support their growth and development.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support in getting these precious children into a family where they will be cherished and belong.

9/7/2019 — DOSSIER COMPLETE

We are the Fox family from a small town in North Carolina. Craig and I have been married 20 yrs! We have 6 children; Zoe (18), Gabe (16), Eli (14), Lillyanne and Colby (11), and our sweet Kinsley (10) who has been home 1 year from China.

Our adoption journey was a complete shock to us! We had decided what our life would look like but God had other plans! We had met a local family with 2 son’s (C-bio & Z-adopted) with down syndrome when our twins entered kindergarten. Lilly quickly became C’s best friend, helper and protector. Everyday she shared school day stories with me and I relayed C’s day to his mom. Lilly and C were inseparable and our families were becoming great friends. Lilly began talking about adopting a special needs child in kindergarten and we assured her that we would definitely support her when she was much older. Well, the conversation continued for years, her friendship grew stronger, and in fall of 2016 I finally said,” Lilly, if God wants us to adopt, He will place a little girl younger than you, from China with pigtails and pink bows on our front door steps!”

Guess what? My friend who was involved with hosting from Eastern Europe text asking if I had girl clothes! She text me a picture and … a precious girl, younger than Lilly with, yes, pigtails and pink bows! I laughed and announced that God sent us our daughter!

After being home with our sweet God sent daughter, Kinsley, we decided one more precious jewel was in our future! God had placed a sweet little face on my heart that I had watched being advocated for while we were adopting Kinsley. I couldn’t believe no one had started their adoption journey for her and knew God was preparing a way for us to bring her home.

We are so excited about our new journey to bring our precious Jewel home. We look forward to our new adventures as a family of 9!

9/8/2019 — DOSSIER EN ROUTE

*** Felicity has received a $20,510.66 Waiting Child Grant ***
*** Felicity has received a $5,000 Older Child Grant! ***

From four to seven all in a year. Only God can move mountains like the Kingsleys have seen. Some would call it a miracle. The completion of their family has been a marathon and a sprint all wrapped into one.

Their endurance fueled by love will carry them to the finish line, and bringing home sweet Wyatt will be their reward.

Aaron and Gretchen recently completed the Eastern European adoption of two older teenage sisters, Maliyah (16) and Mira (15) after God led their family to the girls through an orphan hosting program. Maliyah and Mira joined Natalie (11) and Nolan (9) and made their family six.

But God wasn’t finished with them yet. Just when they thought His plan was complete, God showed them a sweet boy from the other side of the world that tugged on their heartstrings.

Growing up with a brother who had special needs and is now her angel, Gretchen knew there was something special about Wyatt when she saw his sweet face. It rang deep within her, the need to bring him home.

Gretchen had been praying for months that Aaron’s heart would open to Wyatt, but she kept her desires quiet. If it was God’s will, she knew he would do the hard work. On the evening before her birthday, Aaron saw Wyatt for the first time and insisted he should be a Kingsley. God delivered on a miracle that was previously presumed to be out of reach. But isn’t that what He does! He was paving the way for this beautiful family!

Building a longer table and not a higher fence was their motto, but were they taking on too much, they wondered. Were they capable of raising one more? Was a child with Down syndrome out of their league? After much praying, it became clear they were not equipped, but that God had indeed called them, and so with their faith, they knew He would equip them!

Weeks later, the family committed to Wyatt on his fifth birthday and have been on a sprint ever since. Filling their days researching, completing paperwork, visiting GiGi’s Playhouse, and meeting with families of children with Down syndrome has been their new normal…and they are loving it!

The Kingsley family feels so blessed to have seen Wyatt and is so grateful to Reece’s Rainbow. With the recently completed adoption of their oldest daughters, they understand they will have to get creative with their fundraising. Any support through prayers, words of encouragement, or financial contributions will never be overlooked or forgotten. The family is forever grateful for your support. Please help them bring Wyatt home!

9/10/2019 — AWAITING LOA

We are the Umstead family and we are so excited to add Caroline to our family! I am Heather and my husband is Tom. We have been married 26 years and have 4 biological children, 3 boys and a girl. One adopted son, and are in the process of bringing Caroline home to our family. Our biological children are all grown up and all but one are out on their own. That’s when God put adoption in our hearts. December 4th 2017 we traveled to Asia and brought home our son Samuel. Samuel has doubled the joy in our family! While we were in Asia we met Caroline who happened to be Samuel’s “bunk mate”. They had been together a long time and cuddled together during the cold nights because there wasn’t heat in their orphanage. We knew that one day we would return for her and we will name her Joy! The joy God has allowed us to experience on this journey, that is hard and sometimes ugly but also full of love and joy at sometimes.

9/10/2019 — ARTICLE V RECEIVED

Hugh and Janet Berckmueller were college sweethearts and have been married for 26 years. Hugh and Janet always knew they wanted a big family, and they were blessed with six biological children. Their sixth pregnancy was medically complicated, and after his birth, it was determined that little George had Down syndrome. He spent two months in the NICU, but since that time, he has grown to be a healthy and energetic little boy, and a very special addition to the Berckmueller family! George’s diagnosis opened up their view to the plight of children around the world who are abandoned because of Down syndrome. In August 2016, the Berckmuellers brought home sweet little Elsa from Asia, who also has Down syndrome. Watching her bloom and grow with the love of a family over the 2 1/2 years since she has been home has been truly amazing. After seeing firsthand the conditions of children in orphanages, particularly children with special needs, and seeing what the love and care of family can do for a child, it made Hugh and Janet want to pursue adopting again. They decided they had a little more room, a lot of love to share, and the heart to add another child to their family. Jaxon is living in the same orphanage where Elsa grew up, so they already feel a special connection to him. The Berckmueller family is so excited to welcome home this precious little boy!

9/16/2019 — AWAITING TRAVEL APPROVAL