And This One Matters......: Faithful Families by Julia Arnold Nalle

Friday, August 10, 2012

Faithful Families by Julia Arnold Nalle

I don't have anything to give away.

I don't have an iPad. I don't have gift cards. I don't have prizes. I don't have auctions.

I just have a whole long list of families who are desperately in need of funds.

And I have a deep desire to help them.

A deep desire.

I've been wracking my brain all week and have come up empty.

Empty.

All I can do is list the families who are deep on my heart here.

Some of them are leaving soon...

Some of them need thousands....

Some of them are discouraged and scared....

Some of them have jumped through so many hurdles and hoops that they can't jump anymore....

Yet they are still jumping...

Faithful Families.

Choosing to adopt the babes that nobody wants.

Won't you help them?

Even if I don't have iPads and Kindles and gift cards?? Even if there is nothing for you to win or gain?

Will you help them?

HERE'S MY CHALLENGE.... I'm posting a LOT of families and there are a LOT more out there.... WILL YOU PICK THREE?? Will you Pick Three Families either on this list or elsewhere and help them today?? Drop something in the buckets of THREE FAMILIES. Maybe you can only drop 5 dollars in each bucket. IT'S FIVE DOLLARS MORE THAN THEY HAD!!

If you do... if you pick three will you tell me?? Will you tell me because I am praying for FIFTY OR MORE PEOPLE who are willing to pick three families and help them!! That's my prayer.

It's lofty. This is absolutely the WORST time of the year with people finishing up vacations and schools starting back up and school shopping happening... But I'm praying for FIFTY PEOPLE ANYWAY...

FIFTY FAMILIES TO PICK THREE FAITHFUL FAMILIES AND HELP THEM!!! A win win for everyone!!!

----------------------------------------------

THE BOROUGHS FAMILY

The Boroughs family has just received a 5,000.00 MATCHING GRANT. For every single dollar they raise - they will be matched up to 5,000.00 dollars!!

You need to make your donation by check to Lifesong for Orphans in order for it to be matched. Is that too hard?? To write a check for a family so that another little one can be added to this picture. I LOVE THIS FAMILY. Love them with me!!

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40/ 202 N. Ford St.

Gridley, IL 61744

They are also selling these BEAUTIFUL NECKLACES...

Look carefully because MY FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE is on that necklace!! Micah 6:8!!!

You can purchase one using THIS LINK

And rumor has it... they are selling these cute little guys...

I don't know if they are officially for sale yet but I think a line is already forming for them.... If you want one you'd better let me know and I"ll put in a good word for you!!

THE ROWE FAMILY

Oh I LOVE this family....

They just got back from adopting a little girl who we shared about, yelled about, prayed for, on this blog a LONG time ago. Masha. Her new name is Charlotte...

and tucked into their suitcase with Masha was the cutest little guy named Atticus..

..and of course they are turning back around because there are some older kids who desperately need families and they have found room at their table.

Would you consider dropping some money in their bucket??

They could definitely use the help because they DO have room at their table and they CAN afford to care for these kids this side of the ocean but getting them here is the uphill climb!!

YOU CAN HELP THEM OUT HERE!

THE SNELL FAMILY
I LOVE this family because they live in MY WORLD! I've had the privilege of teaching some of their kids... I prayed their kids home... they prayed Aaron home... we have cried together... laughed together and cheered each other on! They are adopting again. A little one from Ch*na. Ting. They are doing a puzzle fundraiser and I would love to bless them with donations. Go HERE to donate!!

THE DEWBERRY FAMILY
You remember the Dewberry family!! We raised BIG MONEY for them to go get Taylor... Well.. while there this little guy stole their heart and they are going back. Thankfully our fundraising for Taylor rendered them MORE than they needed for her adoption so they were already over halfway funded for Steven!!! But they are still in need of thousands to get him out.

THE TWIETMEYER FAMILY
Remember my sweet Spencer... My Angel Tree Babe. Well he is going to the Twietmeyer family. They can't wait to cross the ocean to get him home. Carolyn Twietmeyer is director of PROJECT HOPEFUL.

An auction to raise funds for Spencer is HERE and it is chockablock full of cool stuff!!!
I'm warning you now... I am going to cry the day I see him in his Mama's arms!! It's going to be a blubberfest!!

THE HEIM FAMILY
The Heim family is SO CLOSE to going over to bring their FOUR babes home!!

I've been praying so hard that God would prepare these kids hearts and that NOTHING would stand in the way for them to finally be in a loving family!!
Traci is doing a GIVEAWAY for this 500.00 Lladro figurine. Any donation will enter you in to win it.
You can find the link to donate HERE.

THE COLE FAMILY
The Cole's started across the ocean a few months ago but halfway there had a family emergency and HAD TO GO HOME. It has been a rough road for them but God has paved the way and they are soon heading back over. They are a few thousand short and so Beth has been going crazy making hair bows to raise funds. She also has been helping EVERY OTHER FAMILY OUT THERE who is in need. Please consider helping them out... Or go buy a bow to get these kids home!!

THE GARDNER FAMILY
Their Dossier was just submitted and all they are waiting on is a travel date. They are thousands short but longing to get their sweet little Keegan!!

THE SHARP FAMILY
PLEASE help the Sharp family. They need a whole ton of money to get these babes out. They have NO FUTURE in their country!! They will be well-loved in the Sharp family!!

The Sharps have an auction going on there is HERE
And if you want to see some updated pictures of these babes click HERE!!

THE PHELPS FAMILY
Hurry up and help this family because today is the LAST day for their iPad Giveaway!!

Click HERE to enter to win the iPad!! See... I am Giving away an iPad!!!

THE MORSE FAMILY
I'm actually giving away TWO iPads because donating to the Morse family enters you into another Giveaway!! They are bringing home this cutie... PLEASE HELP THEM!!

You can click HERE to enter in to win the iPad.

I KNOW THERE ARE MORE FAMILIES... tons more... All the families on THIS PAGE are close to travel and some of them are very short of funds.

So... PICK THREE OR SIX OR NINE OR TWELVE.... PICK THEM ALL...

Off my list or off another....

And let me know because I am praying for FIFTY FAMILIES to stand in the gap!! Fifty!!

Oh MY!!!

No comments:

What Does Nicole Mean By Advocating For Orphans?

So glad you asked! In Ukraine many hosting programs are shutting down. The reason being is boarding schools (orphanages) are being condensed the more the foster care system grows in Ukraine. This leaves the school Directors in fear of losing their jobs if they do not hold a specific number of children in their boarding school. Then the threat of shut down looms over their heads. The second reason is with hosting programs that means many children will find their forever families which means again the number of children falls under what is required for the school to remain open. It is a double edge sword. You have many Directors that want their children adopted but then they know if they loose their job they cannot support their family. It is not easy in Eastern Europe to find a job in a couple days. Especially with the current climate Ukraine is in with war at hand.

5 years ago Nicole started to notice the decline in hosting programs being allowed to continue to bring children over to America. With the adoption of their children, especially their 2 littles ones Nicole & Joe knew they did not have the allotted time needed to dedicate to volunteer with NHFC and not be able to give it their all like they had done in the past. They did not want to fail the NHFC team. So they resigned and Nicole went freelancing in Ukraine. On Gods timing, when she was able, wherever God lead and with the team God put together. On these trips Nicole, her son Kolya and/or the team would teach children English, teach them about Jesus, love on them and then fight for them. Meaning if a child or boarding school staff came to Nicole and said this child wanted a family Nicole would interview them and spend as much time with them as possible to get to know them personally. Nicole would do this in an effort to learn as much as possible to help advocate for the child in hopes their forever family would come forward. Nicole would learn the good and bad in an effort to be upfront and honest with a potential adoptive family.

Nicole is not an adoption agency, a hosting agency, nor a professional and she does not work for anyone accept God. She is a gal after God's heart and children, a stay at home Mama that has worked with teens for 20 years and this is her heart and passion.

Why Ukraine Nicole?

In Eastern Europe it is very different then America. In America if a child is in the foster care system they can remain with their family for care until they are 18 years old. In America there is opportunity for just about everyone even if it is working at McDonalds. You are not labeled as an "Orphan". In Eastern Europe an orphaned children is basically wearing a stamp his/her their forehead that says "Orphan". It is like a permanent tattoo that is with them for life and never washes off not only in their mind but to others. They are not wanted or welcomed in many cases. On a trip to Ukraine a sign was spotted that stated "No orphans allowed" that was posted up on the door of a store. At the age of 16 these children age out of their boarding schools and have a choice of trade school or the streets. Most of them have no family to turn to. So just imagine a 16 year old child left to their own with NO accountability. With the economic crises and war in Eastern Europe the children that have extended family like Grandpa, Grandma, a sister or a brother cannot afford to take in the child so they only visit. If the child should choose to go to trade school it generally consists of coal mining, hair dressing, etc. Even with that in school the kids again are accountable to themselves and if they do not hold up their grades they are on the streets. If they graduate they still are stamped "Orphaned". So should they apply for a job with many other folks they will be the ones tossed because of this label. So their chances of graduating trade school and then getting a job are slim to known unless they are one determined child. The trade school housing for the kids is old hospitals that are now used as dorms. If a child is not back to their dorm by 10PM they are locked out for the night and they will call the streets then bedroom. Many children have been noted to say that they are scared to be in the trade school dorms because of the violence, rap, prostitution, drugs and alcohol. One child was noted to say that he would find kids shooting up drugs in the hallway and passed out. He bought a gun illegally in order to be able to protect himself of the unknown there. Then you have the rebels that take the world on by themselves that either at this point in their life want to live independently and not report to anyone or just cannot handle the trade school life and want nothing to do with it. So they take the streets to make it. They generally fall into becoming thieves, go into prostitution or commit suicide in order to survive. No matter how you flip this coin the statistics are grim from these children. They are all survivors doing just that.......surviving.

There is such a significant need all over the world even in America. Joe and I were foster parents and have served with youth in the US for our entire marriage and Nicole prior to marriage. God steered Joe and Nicole on a different path when they were introduced to NHFC and adopted their first son, Kolya from Ukraine. God has continued to call them to Ukraine in an effort to reach the voiceless and give them a voice, hope and love. God calls each of us to a specific place, time and season to do His work as Christians. God has shifted their call to Ukraine.....for the time being. Again they go where God leads where ever it may be.

Meet The Dewberrys

The Dewberrys came together as a family after hosting their now 18 year old now son, Kolya from Ukraine during Christmas 2010 through an International hosting program called New Horizons For Children, Inc.

In the midst of hosting Kolya, Joe and Nicole felt the Lord was going to lead them through more then just hosting in Ukraine. Nicole and Joe was were blessed to work with NHFC as a volunteer Regional Directors in North Carolina for the orphan hosting program. Nicole realized that in time there seemed to be a decline to host children from Ukraine with all the politics that was abounding in Ukraine. So she felt a lead to break away from hosting and go where God leads to travel to Ukraine and be wide open to God to lead her to orphanages to met children that could no longer be hosted and advocate to find them forever families that were aging out. For the last 6 years Nicole has been traveling to Ukraine several times a year to teach English in orphanages, teach the children about Jesus, show them the love of Christ and advocate for true orphans that want a forever family. Nicole brings aid to the Ukraine military, visiting the military in the hospitals as well as meeting active duty and on the field military and serving with mission teams the local folks that remain in regions that are devastated by war with her oldest son Misha. The Dewberrrys children have returned with Nicole to Ukraine on many occasions to serve the people of their country.

Kids are Joe and Nicole's love and passion. Nicole has worked with teens for 22 years. Joe and Nicole together have done mission work with youth and have specifically worked with at-risk youth and in church youth ministry for 17 years. The Dewberrys arms are wide open to show the love they have for the lost and forgotten youth.

The Lord lead them back to Ukraine in 2012 to adopt Tania, 10 years old & Stopha who is 8 years old and are HIV+. In 2014 the Lord lead the Dewberrys back to Ukraine to adopt Bogdan 12 years old who is HIV+ and Angelica 19 years old and Kristjan 16 years old. Then in 2015 the Dewberry's returned for Vova 16 years old and Viktor 12 years old. None of the Dewberrys children would not be home without the prayers and the hands of feet of Christ of folks coming alongside their family to see their children home and also all the mission trips Nicole has been on.

Nicole and her children continue to return to Ukraine to do mission work advocating for orphans that want forever families, teaching them about Jesus, teaching them English as well as doing doing mission work with the military and regions of devastation by serving those left behind.

With the greater increase in adoptions which is amazing there is also a greater need for support for adopted children and their families. Nicole is now working with Hope Connection International holding classes and support groups to teach pre-adoption classes, connect families that have adopted within the US and abroad and work with families in crises to help prevent disruption.

Our family prayer is to go where God leads.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27

About This Blog

This blog is dedicated to our heart and soul, the orphans that cannot speak out of Eastern Europe. This blog is about our journey of the adoption of our children, the mission work we do in Eastern Europe, advocating for orphans and wherever God leads our family.

This blog is also about the trials and tribulations we have faced with hosting, adopting, missions work already and yet to come. The grace, mercies and restorations of our hearts and minds. The incredible friendships God has provided along the way. About our missions trips to Ukraine working with orphans. The blessings of when Nicole volunteered with New Horizons For Children as Regional Director. All our crazy stories & adventures we have had along the way here in America and in Ukraine. And oh how we have adventures and stories! This blog is a dedication to our Lord and Savior encompassing the one thing he treasures more then anything, His children.....the orphans.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Faithful Families by Julia Arnold Nalle

Faithful Families by Julia Arnold Nalle

No comments:

Post a Comment