Human - and moving to different blog

Firstly - Vinnie's new family fundraising blog is: http://sheffieldadoption.blogspot.com/
Secondly - I will be doing my future blog posts on my own family/adoption blog for awhile: http://breezysunday.com/blog

On to a cross post with my family blog to get you going!

Something that fundraising for Vinnie has made more real for me is the REALness of the children on Reece’s Rainbow. Of all waiting children. Of orphans. Of men, woman, and children, of families… in need. In distress. Vinnie is a real, live boy. A real live child that I stood within a hundred feet of, divided only by a few walls. Maybe he even looked out the window at us. It was my own camera that was permitted to take photos and videos of him. It was my own heart that grieved the loss when we declined to adopt him.

Why did I grieve?

Because he is real.

And he isn’t getting younger. And he has never had a mommy or daddy. Time is not waiting for him. He needs somebody NOW. PRAISE GOD, a family is going to cross the ocean and bring him home!!! Oh my goodness, that just thrills me to my core!

I didn’t plan on advocating for another child after Vinnie. My kids keep me busy. I am also preparing to bring home our son. But as soon as I considered that Vinnie had a family coming for him, my heart turned to a little boy named Valenz. Valenz. He’s in the same country, he’s 4 1/2 years old, and he has so little going for him.



His profile was received by Reece’s Rainbow’s partner agency at the same time as Vinnie’s. At one time, a family had committed to adopt him (and Vinnie! And two others; Oh my!) That family had to back out. That was months and months ago. And Valenz is without a family. Without a story. Without somebody able to take photos and videos. We only have two partial pictures of him. And he’s six months older than Vinnie. Is he too OLD at four?! He only has $10 dollars in his grant. That won’t even take our small family out to lunch.

That he is forgotten breaks my heart.

Even if a grant is not raised for him, even if he is never adopted… I am going to perform one honor for him.

I am not going to forget him.

Join with me in praying for him. Step forward to be his prayer warrior. I am stepping up to be his Christmas Warrior. Starting today, if you donate $35 or more to Valenz’s grant, you’ll receive a beautiful Christmas tree ornament in the mail with his photograph on it. Remember him throughout the Christmas season… the season of loving others!

Click on our Angel Tree page for more details.

I’ll be blogging about Valenz once a week until December 31st!

Vinnie's Family Announced!

Hello!

I'm so excited to be updating about Vinnie! I have the pleasure of introducing Vinnie's family. And in a few days, I'll have the honor of introducing Valenz to you a bit more. I have heard that there is some sort of fundraiser under wraps by Vinnie's family... and we have a goal of selling 35 of Valenz's Christmas ornaments! You'll notice my little fundraising thermometer going up for him soon. Thirdly and lastly, if anybody would like to donate to help our son Jordan's orphanage and those children left behind, I have a chipin on the sidebar... goal is $1000!

To the fun part of this post!!! Vinnie's family has made it through the initial hurdles and their commitment papers are in flight (literally)! Within a few days, their profile will be up on the Reece's Rainbow page (New Commitments). I'm excited to see their bio there soon!

Now, they've promised me an official family "scoop" but here is what I know for now:
Christine has six children and one grandchild. That is, she has two teenagers and a 5, 3, and 1 year old and one sweet son home with Jesus. (correct me what I've gotten wrong, Christine!) Her one year old has, you guessed it, Down Syndrome! Seems like once somebody is blessed with a child with Down Syndrome, they just want more! Aren't you just so excited that Vinnie has brothers and sisters (and a teeny nephew) waiting to love on him!?

So yep, Vinnie's family is super excited. They're announcing on their own blog soon... but their family and friends do know about their newest addition and I have permission to share. :-) Let's pray that their paperwork is completed in record time and that people will rise up around them to cover the adoption expenses. They'd love to just pay for the adoption out of pocket, but their house keeps flooding and sucking their money away. Really. But it's time for Vinnie's wait to be over. Time to "flood" his family with congratulations and blessings!

Here is: Vinnie's Family Blog>
Here is: Vinnie's adoption grant

Vinnie... here's your Mommy and Daddy and most of your brothers and sisters! At last! Soon, my little one; soon!

WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Yippee!!!! Gifts for all! I will try and contact you all by email soon to get shipping information. Thank you all so much for making this fundraiser successful for Vinnie AND his family. Over $1400! Vinnie, it won't be long now!

Scroll down to see what you won!

Your prizes!:

$100 Best Buy Gift Card
PATRICK SCHMIDT!

$50 Amazon.com Gift Card
VINKEMULDER FAMILY

$50 Gift Card to place of your choice (must be able to purchase online for you)
STACKPOLE FAMILY

Stunning purse or tote by Tote-Ally Blessed w/ magnetic snap and inside pocket
13"W x 16"H (plus handles)
MARK HELLWEG (Please contact me, I don't have an email for you! davis.adopt@gmail.com)

Lovely Fall Mesh and Fabric Tote by Saint Child
SUSAN BLACKWELL

Large Diaper Bag - Purchased in Beijing by Morning Star Project
Very attractive silky black
MELISSA MELLINGER

TWO Prayer Shawls (like this but with fancier scalloped edge)

#1: LYNSAY LEWIS

#2: ED THOMPSON
 

MP3 Bible on 4 cds - ESV - Like New
URAILAK LILJEQUIST

See it and Sign it - Introduction to ASL
SWART FAMILY

SET: Two adoption memory books:
Baby Book for Adopted Children
and Adoption Journal
KATHRYN LEE

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Floral Celebration
ANA GIORDANO

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Botanical Lace
ROSEANNA AHRENS

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Harvest Floral
CHRISTINE SHEFFIELD

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Circle Spiral
KATHY O'ROURKE

Wet bag by Assunta Store to support Little Flower Project
Snow Leopard Pattern - with extra zippered pocket
CLAUSE FAMILY

Wet bag by Assunta Store to support Little Flower Project
Cow Print Pattern - with extra zippered pocket
(Folded in photo - same size as Snow Leopard)
SEVERSON FAMILY

 

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Pastel Stripes
SHANNA BRANCIFORTE

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Blue 'Floral'
DEROSS FAMILY

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Light Blue 
GRETCHEN RADEMACHER

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Pink Stripes 
KELSEY WILLARD

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Pink and Brown 
BUCK FAMILY

Yippee!

Praise God! $1420 was donated to Vinnie's grant. You'll see the rest of the dollars show up in his grant fund as the donations are manually entered one at a time. Right now his grant shows $4639 (http://reecesrainbow.org/vinnie-21-6) but you should see it get up to about $5300 in the next couple days! I have been in awe as I have had the honor of watching the church come and love on a little orphan boy on the other side of the world.

We'll have so much fun drawing winners tonight! I said only one prize per person... that means that many different people will be receiving "thank you gifts" for their part in helping Vinnie home. I will draw the most valuable prizes first, giving the people who donated the most the best chance at those items. Stand by!

Vinnie's family has promised me a "scoop" on their family... and they also have a blog... good news all around!

Just so you know, we signed up to be Christmas Warriors for a little boy named Valenz. I'll share his story and we can pray a family comes for him too... more on that in October.

What would you buy if you got the $100 Best Buy gift card?

VINNIE HAS A FAMILY!

I am so excited to share this with you!!!

Vinnie has a mama and papa coming for him and brothers and sisters waiting for him! It blesses my heart so much and brings such peace to my soul. It makes me feel SO GOOD. I can't tell you who his family is quite yet, but will tell you soon! We have to wait for certain paperwork to get to certain places so everything is all official. And they probably want to tell their own family first too.

If you haven't entered his giveaway yet or looked at the auction: head over now and bless the socks off of Vinnie's family!!!

(I just love saying that! Vinnie's family. VINNIE's family. Vinnie's FAMILY. Orphan no more.)

Links:

• Giveaway
• Auction
• Vinnie on the MFFM (My Family Found Me) page

Wait just a little longer, buddy! I am praying you home to your mommy by next Christmas!

Did you Donate or Share?

UPDATED: I am rejoicing to have made our goal! Praise God! Thank you so much, everybody, for loving on this little boy who touched our hearts and lives. YES, we are still accepting entries/donations! Every little bit helps to bring him home! Also, I have some very exciting news that I will share as soon as I have permission!

THANK YOU! Thank you to all of you who have donated or shared this fundraiser! I am so excited to see people coming together to help a little orphan boy on the other side of the ocean! Click on over to the giveaway if you want to get in on the giveaway last minute! Entries close Sunday night and we will announce winners early next week!

Please, if you have donated or shared... leave a comment on this blog and/or send me an email. I am unable to contact at least one person who donated!

Vinnie - Last Days

It's the last seven days of Vinnie's fundraiser! We have $715 left to reach our goal... $285 already raised!

I have had the honor of talking with different families who wish they could adopt him... and they all wonder, "but how could we afford it?" It's not that they don't have the medical resources, the emotional fortitude, the room in their house, or the support of their family... it's the money. People who are adopting have normal lives, normal expenses, normal children; they experience pay cuts, illness, and busy schedules. They are ready to bring a child into their home... a child forever. No longer an orphan, never again. But how can they manage it?

With the support of the church?

Please, donate to Vinnie's grant. The chipin on the sidebar goes directly to his personal grant. Share his need. In hopes of getting more people involved, of getting Vinnie closer to being brought into a family, we have all the prizes below to give away. Drop in and leave comments when you share the fundraiser on facebook or donate to his grant. Have some work to do? Drop into our auction here and every dollar you pay for your project will go instead to help bring Vinnie home, thanks to great sponsors.

Vinnie, we have not forgotten you!

(I can't wait to see some meat on those little legs...)

Give-away for Vinnie! Sep 1-18th!

Take a look at Vinnie's grant on Reece's Rainbow. $4000! Isn't that incredible! God has been generous! If a family was ready to adopt Vinnie, but didn't have the thousands required to pay his ransom, that's a big bite out of it! The total cost to bring him home is about $22,000. I would love to knock another piece out of that mountain. Donate to Vinnie's fund and be part of our great giveaway or click on over to the silent auction (selling handy-man services, construction services, and more!).

PLEASE - double check that i know how to contact you! At least one donor has an old email address and has not commented, so I don't know how to contact you if you (probably) win a prize!

Giveaway details:

• Each dollar donated will give you one chance to receive a gift!
• Each place you share this giveaway (twitter, blogs, facebook, etc.) will grant you another five chances!
• Our goal is to raise $1000!
• The give-away will end September 18th, 2011 at midnight.

More donations = more gifts:

• If less than $100 is donated, we will give away one of the Thermal Totes by "31 Gifts"
• If $100-$149 is donated, we will give away the $100 Best Buy gift card.
  
• Every additional $50 donated will add one or more items to be given away, depending on the value of the item(s). The order of gifts to be given is yet to be determined, but we will be fair! Remember, if $1000+ is donated, all prizes will definitely be given away!
  
• Only one prize per person!

How To Participate:

1. Donate and/or electronically share.
2. Leave one comment for each thing you've done. (donated, shared on facebook, twitter, etc. You do not have to state how much you donated in the comments)
3. If you have additional questions, check the FAQ at the bottom of this blog post

Your prizes!:

$100 Best Buy Gift Card

$50 Amazon.com Gift Card

$50 Gift Card to place of your choice (must be able to purchase online for you)

Stunning purse or tote by Tote-Ally Blessed w/ magnetic snap and inside pocket
13"W x 16"H (plus handles)

Lovely Fall Mesh and Fabric Tote by Saint Child

Large Diaper Bag - Purchased in Beijing by Morning Star Project
Very attractive silky black

TWO Prayer Shawls (like this but with fancier scalloped edge)
 

MP3 Bible on 4 cds - ESV - Like New

See it and Sign it - Introduction to ASL

SET: Two adoption memory books:
Baby Book for Adopted Children
and Adoption Journal

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Floral Celebration

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Botanical Lace

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Harvest Floral

31 Gifts Thermal Tote - 14.5” L, 9.5” H, 4.5” D
Circle Spiral

Wet bag by Assunta Store to support Little Flower Project
Snow Leopard Pattern - with extra zippered pocket

Wet bag by Assunta Store to support Little Flower Project
Cow Print Pattern - with extra zippered pocket
(Folded in photo - same size as Snow Leopard)

 

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Pastel Stripes

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Blue 'Floral'

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Light Blue

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Pink Stripes

Cute crocheted bag - 10"W x 16"H
Pink and Brown

FAQ:

1. How to donate?

Click on the chipin on the sidebar. Donations are through paypal. You can use your credit/debit card without having a paypal account. If you would like to donate by check, let us know that you're participating in the giveaway and write Vinnie on the subject line before mailing it to:

Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 4024
Gaithersburg, MD 20885

2. How to find out if you are being given a prize?

I will notify the winners by email and also post the winners on the blog not long after the fundraiser closes.

3. Do I pay shipping for my prize?

We are going to pay the cost to ship the prizes to the winners. If you would like to help cover the cost of shipping or if you are local, let us know!

4. Can I donate an item?

Yes, you can! We can do another giveaway later or we can add it to this fundraiser right now! Thank you!

5. How do I contact you?

Email us at davis.adopt@gmail.com