Angel Tree 2015

Finally. Finally it almost my favorite time of year again. It is so close that I can almost taste it. Just kidding, that would be kinda weird. Anyways, this years Reece's Rainbow Angel Tree starts in just 3 days!!! And I am super pumped about it. 

This year, I have agreed to raising $1000 for not only one but two boys with Down syndrome. Marlowe and Nicholas have already got me wrapped around their little fingers.

Nicholas is four years old. He is physical developmentally on target for his age. He plays well with others and walks while holding onto something. He is very responsive and would THRIVE in a family.

Marlowe is fourteen years old. He has Down Syndrome, Inborn cardiac malformation – persisting arterial channel, Lung hypertonia, Severe lagging behind in his development. He walks with help from an adult. Marlowe is nonverbal. He is a very calm young man. 

All donations between November 1st and December 31st count towards the $1000 goal I have to raise for each child. 

All donations go directly to their adoption grants that will be accessible by the family that commits to adopting them.

If you make a donation of $35 of more you can get an ornament with a picture of them on it. 

I have God on my side for this and I have no doubt that He won't get me through this. He put it on my heart to do it and He will get me through it. 

If this is your first time reading my blog, Reece's Rainbow is an orphan advocacy site advocating specifically for orphans with special needs. Every year they do an Angel Tree which is just a way of fundraising for the children's adoption grant. This is my third year in a row doing it and I just love it. I have reached my goal every year so far. God gave me a burden to help the fatherless and this is one of my favorite ways to work through that burden. 

Come back soon!

God Bless,

Dakota

Another Tee-Shirt

I am still warrior-ing for the Chaves Family. I have done one shirt fundraiser and just launched another one today. This one is great for fathers day. Our goal for this fundraiser is 25 shirts. There are unisex shirts, womens fitted shirts, youth shirts, sweat shirts, and long sleeve shirts. I know it is getting warm outside here so it is time to treat yourself with a new teeshirt. This one is perfect. Grab one for you and one for your husband or daddy.

https://www.bonfirefunds.com/be-strong

Two year Blog-avirsary

Two years ago today, I started this blog, with two missions. One, to raise money for my first mission trip, two years ago. And two, to raise awareness for orphans with special needs. I did both of those things. Since I started this blog,

• I went on one mission trip fully funded by friends and family's generous hearts
• I went on another mission trip funded by myself
• Got a job
• Salome found a family
• Nathaniel found a family
• I was a successful Angel Tree warrior for Silvia and Leilani
• Had two successful t-shirt fundraisers
• My relationship with Christ blossomed
• Rita found a family
• Collier found a family
• Simon and Samuel found a family
• Silvia is no longer available for adoption
• Brenton has a family
• Emil has found a family

And these are just the kids that I advocated for here on this blog. God works in amazing ways.

Currently, I am the family warrior for the Chaves family whom are adopting Nathaniel/Zebadiah. Next year, I will be able to add that to my list of things that I have successfully done.

I cannot wait to see even more kids find families in the next year. God works in amazing ways and I can't wait to see how God works in my life and others life in the next year. I hope that my blog will change someones life. Open the eyes of the world to what actually goes on inside the walls of an orphanage. An orphanage of children with special needs. 

When I found out what actually found out what goes on inside the walls of orphanages for children with special needs my life completely changed. One hundred percent changed. For the better. I have met so many amazing people who have the same ultimate goal as me. Finding families for orphans with special needs and bringing them home as fast as we can. 

Can't wait to see what God is going to do within the next year. :) 

URGENT!!!! NEED OF A FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, I know, every orphan urgently needs a family. But this one, in my opinion, needs a family ASAP. The care takers in his orphanage have put him in a MEDICATION SLEEP because he has frequent seizures. He need out to get the medicine that can control the seizures but not make him sleep all the time. This little boy is Christian. Christian is four years old. It is quite possible that he has been sleeping for all four years of his life. He has Congenital brain malformation, epileptic syndrome with frequent polymorphic seizures, cranial bones deformation, chest deformation, knee- and elbow-joints contracture. That is a long list of disabilities but it is manageable. Please pray for this sweet little boy. Christian needs a family. Pray for any families who may be considering him, that they will feel led to bring him home. 

I am.....

Today, during youth group we were talking about who we are. When someone asks you "Who are you" what is the first thing you would say? I am a child of God, a daughter, a sister, a preschool teacher, a high school student, an orphan advocate, a family warrior.

I am a child of the One true King and he has burdened me with orphans, those specifically with special needs, even more specifically, urgent special needs.

I am a family warrior. This is new to me. I have been orphan advocates, angel tree warriors, family advocates but now I am officially a family warrior. Orphans is who I am, it is what I do.

I am a family warrior for the Chaves Family. They are adopting Nathaniel, also known as Zebadiah. Zebadiah has hydrocephalus. It has gotten so bad that he can not even lift his head. His head has grown to be the size of a basket ball. And incase you didn't know. A basket ball has a diameter of nearly a foot inches. His needs are URGENT.

This is what happens in orphanages/mental institutions. They do not get the children the medical care that they need. Zebadiah will be turning 5 in August. He has had excess fluid in his brain and it has been building up for over four years. HE NEEDS OUT.

Since I am their family warrior, I am going to pray for them and help them fund raise. One way that I am trying to fund raise is a tee-shirt fundraiser. I absolutely love this shirt, but sadly, it isn't selling as fast as I had hoped.

https://www.bonfirefunds.com/bring-zebadiah-home

I would love it if you ordered one of these shirts. A portion of each tee-shirt ordered is going to be donated directly to the Chaves family. 

Praise the Lord that the Chaves family has stepped up to rescue this little boy and get him the care he needs and deserves.

Valentine's Day

I am loved.

I have never lived a day in my life feeling unloved.

Sure, not everyone likes me,

but..

I have enough people who love me.

More than the people who don't.

People I love.

I hope no one that I love ever lives a day thinking that they are unloved.

Love.

Something that most people take for granted.

Something that thousands of kids live with out.

Something many people die without feeling.

Foster kids...

I work with many foster kids, some who have been in foster care their whole short life.

Some who are new to this situation.

Some who you can tell just feel completely destroyed and abandoned.

Some who keep to themselves.

Some that you can tell are dying to vent to someone but just aren't ready.

We have to assure them that they are loved.

That there are people for them to talk to.

People who won't judge them.

Or start rumors...

Some who understand the terrible things that are going on in their families.

For them, my heart breaks.

Shatters.

Completely shatters.

Orphans.

Who have never been loved.

Never kissed good night.

Never had their favorite meal on their birthday.

Never had a mommy kiss their boo boo to make it all better.

Only know the walls of their bedroom.

Some were abandoned unwillingly.

Like when their parents unexpectedly died.

Some were abandoned because they had a disability.

 

GOOD NEWS PEOPLE!!!
WE CAN CHANGE THIS FOR THEM.

We can help people bring them home.

We can bring them home.

We can fight for them.

FIGHT

FIGHT

FIGHT

for them

THEY ARE WORTH IT

Absolutely and totally worth it.

100% worth it

We can fight for foster kids and orphans in our country.

We can fight for orphans and foster kids in other countries.

Wherever they are,

WE CAN FIGHT FOR THEM

WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR THEM

They do not deserve to be forgotten.

 

So instead of spending money on flowers tomorrow,

take that money and give it to an orphan's adoption fund, a family who is adopting, a foster kids, foster families, foster homes.

Flowers only last a few days.

Love lasts forever.

Money helps children get the love that they deserve and have been missing out on.

Do your research.

Find a cause that you support.

Donate this Valentine's day instead of wasting money on flowers for a loved one.

 

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Share your favorite cause with us!

Where I feel Led

Angel tree is over. I raised $1,516 dollars. Not I, God raised $1,516 dollars. $1,324 for Silvia and $192 for Aria. I wanted it to be split more evenly but anonymous donors blessed these girls with the amount that is currently in their grant fund. All I can say here is GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD. That is all.

I was praying, asking God what He wanted me to do next. He led me to the Morse Family. I don't even know what exactly made me think that this was the family I should support but I knew it was the right decision. I found myself messaging Mrs. Morse on facebook about my idea. And she hoped right on board with my idea. I had seen a saying floating around Facebook and I LOVED it. It said "The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us." I wanted it on a T-Shirt. But I wanted it to support a child or a family. So I got to talking to Mrs. Morse and she loved the saying too. We got the fonts just right and after having many issues with the tee-shirt building website, I finally got it to something I would actually purchase.

front

back

 

 

This shirt is only available for 21 days (AKA January 24th). Reserve yours NOW before it is too late. You won't want to miss this one.

 

I am so thankful that the Lord has led me to the Morse family. They are adopting a little boy named Cliff. He is 6 years old, weighing in at 11 pounds.  He has infantile cerebral palsy, microcephaly, club feet, congenital megacolon, and hypotrophy.

 

Hang in there Cliffers. Mama and Daddy are working HARD to bring you home.

 

 

Remember, YOU are LOVED.

NEVER forget that.