My Fiesty Girl

Today I received a wonderful email. My friend Joanna, who it seems has endless connections, was able to get in touch with a family who has met Yelena! This is so exciting! Yelena is the only child from her orphanage listed on Reece's Rainbow, and there is very little information about her. What an amazing gift to receive more recent photos and information about this little girl who so desperately wants and needs a family.

Yelena with her head shaved short, most likely due to lice.

Yelena is described as not shy. She is sweet to adults and hungry for affection, but is the odd-one-out among her peers. She needs a family to teach her through example how to build positive peer relationships.

Yelena is also described as fiesty. She has most likely picked up some of her fiestiness as a survival mechanism from orphanage life. I know with the love, nurturing, and the modeling she will receive from her family, Yelena's fiestiness and strong spirit can be molded and refined. These  are positive attributes that God will use in mighty ways!

Yelena is listed on Reece's Rainbow due to her positive HIV status, but likely has no other delays.

Please, please, please, share this post so we can find this sweet girl's family!

Check out Yelena's profile page for more information or to donate to her adoption grant.

 

 

Daughter

In Eastern Europe, less than 50% of orphans
will live to see their 20th birthdays.
- The Orphan Foundation

Will you stand in the gap with me as I fight for Yelena? Let's build up an army of warriors for this little girl. She has waited too long to be called "daughter."

To help fight this battle for life on Yelena's behalf:

*Share this blog post or Yelena's profile so that her sweet smile will be seen by as many people as possible. Help me share until it reaches her heavenly appointed family.

*Give to Yelena's adoption grant. When it reaches $2,500 she will join the "moving mountains" category on Reece's Rainbow, which means her profile will be seen by more people. You can read more about the importance of adoption grants in the post Breaking Down Barriers.

*Remember Yelena in your prayers. Pray that God would stir the hearts of her forever family and for protection and love to be poured out over Yelena while she waits.



 

An Over-Abundance of Happy

This Christmas Dasha and Leana experienced their first Christmas at home.

Leana got to be a birthday princess for the first time.

For the first time ever they celebrated New Years with their family. Dasha had her first dance, an experience every little girl should have with her daddy.

And on Monday Dasha went to school for the first time!

I am so proud of these girls and so thankful for the amazing family that God created for them to be a part of.

Now I hope and pray that next year at this time we can celebrate these firsts for this beautiful girl, Yelena. I know it is possible!

And remember how I mentioned a missionary friend of mine who gets to hug one of my sponsored children on a regular basis? Well, there are many perks to that, and here is one:

Miss Tadiwa on Christmas. My friend said that she was undoubtedly the happiest child in the orphanage that day!

(Unlike Dasha, Leana, and Yelena, Tadiwa is not eligible for international adoption. But, she is eligible for sponsorship. This sponsorship helps her orphanage give her the care that she needs to thrive. Tadiwa still needs sponsors at the $25 and $30 monthly levels. Join Tadiwa's dream team or check out other Zimbabwe children who need sponsors here.)

Girls

Recently, as I have been praying over kids on the Reece's Rainbow website, the older girls have really captured my heart. The girls who have mild special needs, such as Yelena who is HIV+, will eventually age out of the orphanage (around the age of 16), and at that time go out on their own, most with little or no education.

Yelena is 8 years old. I am her advocate, you can give to her adoption grant here. 

Being a teenage girl anywhere in the world is vulnerable place, but for these girls, every odd is stacked up against them. I hate statistics because these children are not numbers- they are human beings, wonderfully made children of God. But the truth is that the statistics say these girls will turn to crime, become victims of sex trafficking, or lose the will to survive and commit suicide when left out on their own.

Diana is 10 years old, is described as artistic and socially active, and needs an advocate!
Update: Diana has an advocate, but she is still waiting for her family.

These beautiful girls who were created to be loved and wanted, sisters and daughters, mountain movers, most will not be given a chance to become.

Jeanette is nine years old, only has $10 in her adoption grant, and needs an advocate!
Update: Jeanette has a family! You can still donate to her adoption through the link above.

As I look at these faces and read more statistics, I can't help but think that someone needs to step in. These statistics have to change.

Kate is 11 years old. She just watched her best friend go home with her family, and desperately longs for a family of her own

Something has to change.

Let's be that someone. Let's be the change.

Celeste is 8 years old and needs an advocate!
Update: Celeste has a family! You can still donate to her adoption fund through the link above.

I have been following this story of adoption that has rocked my world and sparked my hope of family for each and every one of these precious girls. Although raised in orphanages and institutions, they were created for family.

Olivia is 13 years old, is described as a fighter and a leader, and she needs an advocate.
Update: Olivia has a family! You can still donate to her adoption fund through the link above.

I challenge you to take a day to pray, fast, meditate on what the Word has to say about God's heart for the orphan, and listen. I hope he will break your heart like He has mine.

Octavia is 10 years old and needs an advocate!
Update: Octavia has been adopted!!

He may ask you to give, or advocate, or adopt. He may even give you crazy dreams of changing the world.

Whatever He asks, I pray you listen.

Clicking on a picture above will take you to the Reece's Rainbow profile of the child pictured, where you can learn more about them, give to their adoption grant, or inquire about becoming an advocate. 

Breaking Down Barriers

As many of you know from my recent post Calling on Angels, I am now the advocate for a beautiful little girl in Eastern Europe who is waiting for her forever family.

As part of my advocacy I will occasionally be holding fundraisers and making pleas to raise money for Yelena's adoption grant. Yelena does not have a family working towards adopting her (yet), and I just wanted to take a moment to explain why her adoption grant is so important.

As most of you probably know, adoption is expensive, and international adoption can have many additional costs. There are many families out there who are open to adoption, but the money obstacle can stand in the way. As a result, many families only search for children or only consider children who have considerable grants available to help with these often overwhelming costs.

As Yelena's grant grows, her chances of being seen and being chosen will also grow. I believe that God has a specific family hand selected for this beautiful girl. My goal is to create as much awareness and give as much financial and prayer support possible to help Yelena become visible to them.

If you feel a tug in your heart to give to Yelena, I would not only encourage you to do so, I will do a happy dance in your honor. If you would like to donate to her adoption grant now, you can do that here.

Thank you to all of you who have already shared Yelena's profile. If you would like to add Yelena's button to your blog, you can do that by copying the code from one of the grab boxes below and posting it as an html in your layout. (I made a second button that has a smaller width to fit more easily on most blogs).

<a border="0" href=" http://reecesrainbow.org/12873/yelena5904" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x376/shebecomes/Yelenathumbnail.jpg "/></a>

<a border="0" href=" http://reecesrainbow.org/12873/yelena5904" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x276/thebeccalynn7/yelenasecondeditbutton.jpg "/></a>

And if you haven't joined our facebook community yet, please, come on over!

    Linking up with...

Tomorrow

This beautiful little girl here will start kindergarten!

And this sweet one here is focusing on getting all of her medical needs taken care of.

Praise God they are home where they belong, but please continue to keep these precious ones in your prayers. 

Calling on Angels

Most of you all are very familiar with Dasha and Leana, but for those of you who are new around here, I'll take a moment to introduce you.

Dasha and Leana in the orphanage, 2011

On August 16, 2011, I became Dasha's warrior through Reece's Rainbow. Dasha was five years old and because of her special needs (cerebral palsy and HIV+), she would soon be facing an adult mental institution if not adopted.

Dasha

A few months later, when I found out that Leana is Dasha's sister and that they were available together, I also became Leana's warrior.

Leana

On August 16, 2012 (exactly one year to the day that I became Dasha's warrior) Dasha and Leana officially became part of the Friedl family.

Court Day in Ukraine- August 16, 2012

Although I did not personally connect Dasha and Leana with their forever family, and although the amount of money I was able to raise was merely a drop in the bucket of what is needed for international adoption, the experience of being part of these girls' journey was more than amazing. Being one of the many who prayed Dasha and Leana into the Friedl family was a great honor, and seeing them together as a family is a joy that I cannot put into words.

Dasha and Leana at home with their heavenly appointed sisters 

Once Dasha and Leana arrived to their new home, I knew I wanted to warrior for another child. For the last several weeks I have been praying over children on the Reece's Rainbow website, trying to select an "Other Angel" to become a "Guardian Angel" for, and so many of them have stolen my heart.

Like Presley who is four years old, who- in addition to his special needs- also has leukemia (and is not receiving the necessary medical treatment he needs for survival).

Presley needs a family, and a Guardian Angel

Or Shaun, who is going to turn five next month and has Trisomy 18. This is the same disability that my brother was born with, and passed away from just days after birth. Children with this condition rarely live past infancy, so if every life is a miracle, Shaun is a super miracle.

Shaun also needs a family and a Guardian Angel

But when I started having dreams about one particular little girl, just as I had of Dasha, I knew she was the one.

I would like to proudly introduce to you "Yelena."

Yelena is from Eastern Europe and is HIV+. There is not a lot of available information for this cutie, but she is eight years old and according to her profile she really wants a family. I am sure many or all of the children on the Reece's Rainbow's website really want a family, but rarely do I see it stated on their profiles. I am guessing that Yelena has really expressed this desire and that she is very aware of the family shaped hole in her heart for it to show up in writing.

When I became an advocate for Dasha and Leana, many people expressed their doubt that finding a family for these older girls was possible, especially because of their HIV status. But I really had faith and I knew in my heart that their family was out there. Now, once again, I have faith that Yelena has a safe home, a warm bed, and caring parents out there, they just don't know it or just have not found her yet.

Although I did some to spread awareness and raise money for Dasha and Leana, God really impressed on my heart that my biggest role in their adoption was prayer.

Now, for Yelena, I feel like God is really impressing a need for spreading more awareness and raising major funds to get her home.

I would love if you all would join me in this mission to find Yelena's family and get her home. The first step you can take to do this is to help me spread around Yelena's picture and profile to everyone you know, and if you would be willing, to ask others to pass it on as well.

You can do this a few ways:

1. Share this blog post on facebook, twitter, your blog, and other networking sites.

2. Add Yelena's button to your blog by copying the code in the grab box below her picture and pasting the code into your layout as an "html" code.(This button contains a link to Yelena's Reece's Rainbow profile.)

<a border="0" href=" http://reecesrainbow.org/12873/yelena5904" target="_blank"><img src=" http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x376/shebecomes/Yelenathumbnail.jpg "/></a> 

3. "Like" the She Becomes community by clicking on the link below. This will be my main source of sharing information about fundraisers and events for Yelena.

Thank you for joining me in being a voice for some beautiful and amazing children.

Also, take a moment to read Breaking Down Barriers and the importance of adoption grants.
 

 

Happy Beginnings

It is with overwhelming joy that I introduce to you:

Craig and Bree Friedl with their daughters Darya Joy Friedl and Olena Faith Friedl.

Bethany's real name is Darya, and Erin's real name is Olena.
Reece's Rainbow changes names to protect the identity and privacy of the orphans that they serve.

In a little over a week Darya (who goes by Dasha) and Olena (who goes by Leana) will be traveling home with their mom and dad to be with the rest of their forever family.

Over the last month the legal process has been completed successfully, and Craig and Bree have been able to spend much time getting to know their daughters.

It has been such a joy to be able to share in this experience through photos and updates. From having my heart break for these girls, to many nights of prayer and tears, to finally seeing them in the arms of their momma and daddy (which meant many more tears- but the happiest kind), it has been one of the most beautiful things I have ever been a part of.

Meeting Day:

Leana meeting her dad

Dasha meeting her mom

Dasha's reaction to learning that Craig and Bree are there for her and Leana!

Dasha is described by her mom as a leader (although she needs some guidance in channeling those leadership skills in a positive direction).

Leana is described by her mom as being intuitive, quiet, and kind.

Thank you so much to all of you who have followed along on this journey of "Bethany" and "Erin" finding their forever family. Each prayer, share, and dollar have come together to make a difference in the lives of these amazing sisters.

Please keep praying for Dasha and Leana, as well as the entire Friedl family, as they make this huge transition. This story is just beginning. There are so many changes ahead, and surely there will be some bumps in the road, but let's pray that with every bump they grow stronger as individuals and closer as a family.