WE HAVE TRAVEL DATES!

I realize that as I have posted on my blog, that blogging is not yet an easy thing for me....I LOVE reading others blogs, but I have found that it is hard for me to blog myself...probably the main reason is that I need a lesson in exactly how blogger works..tomorrow night that is happening....it is happening because in only 4 days, we will be leaving on our first trip to Russia!

WE WILL GET TO MEET OUR LITTLE GIRL!

ANASTASIA

We are excited and nervous too....I am not in the least bit packed, but CANNOT WAIT to hold my little girl....It seems as though you work so long and so hard on paperwork, and then some more paperwork, and then you give someone money, and then some more money.....you begin to wonder if it will ever end. And then.....you finally get the call.

YOU HAVE TRAVEL DATES!

OUR TRAVEL DATES ARE
APRIL 3, 2011 - APRIL 9, 2011

We leave this Sunday...please pray for us during this time and please visit our blog as I am hoping to post pictures and videos of our visits with Anastasia.

PS...these are our latest pictures of her....notice the green bow in her hair. A bow is supposed to mean that she is an orphanage favorite....she is definately a Lynch favorite!

Thank you for your prayers!

Stephanie

CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!

For Immediate Release

March 29, 2011

PATRICIA HEATON TO DONATE $1 FOR EVERY FOLLOWER, UP TO 10,000, THAT FOLLOWS REECE’S RAINBOW, AN INTERNATIONAL DOWN SYNDROME ORPHAN MINISTRY, ON TWITTER

In an effort to raise awareness for Reece’s Rainbow, a non-profit that aids in the adoption of children with Down syndrome, and celebrate passing the 10,000 followers mark, actress Patricia Heaton has volunteered to donate one dollar for each person, up to 10,000, that follows Reece’s Rainbow on Twitter (@reecesrainbow).

Patricia Heaton, best known for her EMMY award winning role on “Everybody Loves Raymond” and currently starring on “The Middle”, found out about Reece’s Rainbow through Twitter and has since been inspired to get involved. As an active member of Twitter, Patricia (@patriciaheaton) feels the power of social media will help bring much needed awareness to this organization and make people conscious of the difference Reece’s Rainbow is making for Down syndrome and other special need orphan children around the globe.

Reese’s Rainbow

Reece's Rainbow is a 501(C)3 that was started in 2004 as an outreach program serving new families with babies with Down syndrome at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. By 2006, the program expanded to include promoting the international adoption of those children. They raise money to offer adoption grants on waiting children and are able to give adoptive families the extra financial help they need to bring a child with Down syndrome home from a miserable existence in overseas orphanages. In only 5 years, they have found adoptive families for more than 500+ orphaned children with Down syndrome and other special needs around the world. More than $1 million in grant funds have been disbursed to make those adoptions possible. In June, they will be celebrating their 5^th year anniversary with their first family reunion to be held in upstate New York. For more information and opportunities to get involved please visit: http://reecesrainbow.org/ .

MY CHURCH IS DOING SOMETHING FOR CONSTANCE!

WOW....I am finally getting to be a part of what God has laid on my heart so heavily. So heavily that it gets me down, makes me go to bed crying, and ask God why it has to be this way. I see EVERY picture of every sweet child on the Reece's Rainbow website and wonder why, we as the body of Christ, don't do more.

Alice needs a mommy and daddy.

Antonio needs a mommy and daddy.

Kyle needs a mommy and daddy.

Why we are able to, yes, read about the plight of these children, and yes, get a feeling that they don't deserve this, but we go on about our day and do nothing....why are we so complacent? What will it take to move us? As Christians, we are here on this earth to do God's work....

We are instructed to care for the orphans, to be a father to the fatherless, to do for the least of these. Everyone can do something. Pray, Give, Go, or Adopt!

This past Sunday, my church did do something. We are a small church, but we did something. We had Orphan Sunday and we choose a child off of the Reece's Rainbow website to help raise money for. Her name is Constance. Constance is set to be transferred to a mental institution in the next couple of weeks. She is needing her family to step forward. She is also needing a larger grant fund so that her family, when she finds them, can help get her out of the institution.

I don't know about you, but I think Constance is the cutest thing ever!

Oh my goodness, she has the most amazing smile.

Look at her skinny legs...she needs a mama to spoil her.

Can you believe that in her country they just throw this kind of blessing away?

The best part of seeing these pictures was seeing how many she is smiling in.

Seriously? How do you say no to this face?

Or this one?

The more pictures I see of her, the more I wonder how on Earth it's possible that she doesn't have a family already.

In the next couple of weeks, they will wake Constance up, get her dressed, and may even feed her. After they feed her, they will take her on a ride. On the ride, Constance may see many things that she has never seen before, she may see the sky, the trees, birds chirping, and I bet she will see many animals that she has never seen before....I think she will enjoy the ride. She will enjoy the ride until it is done and they take her into the walls of the institution where there are no toys, no play sets, nothing. She will be assigned a crib or bed and this will be her new home. She will spend most of her time in her crib only getting a human touch for diaper changes, feedings, and maybe an occasional wash. She could go into shock. She will wonder what has happened, but no one will tell her, but she will know...she will know that something is wrong. She will be given no love, no attention.

This past week our church raised money for Constance. Our official totals are not out yet, but I was excited to see how the people gave to save little Constance. My church in De Queen Arkansas is doing something to save Constance. What can you do?

Burdened for these little ones,

Stephanie

COOL GIVEAWAYS. NO REASON NOT TO GIVE!!!!!

Giveaway Heaven

I have copied this cool giveaway from a fellow blogger.....No reason not to help one of these precious children now....here is her post.....

Giveaways are fun if I am not doing them!! Right now there are a ton of Giveaways going on that are worth checking out..... By participating in any or all of these.... you get not only a chance to win really cool prizes but you also get to help needy children and families in the process.....

Here are a few that I am highlighting this morning.....

GIVEAWAY NUMBER 1: IPAD 2, A MINO HD FLIP VIDEO AND TUTU DRESSES!

MEET LERA

HELP I HAVE JUST BEEN TRANSFERRED

She has been waiting FAR TOO LONG for her family to get her. In her short life she has had two families commit to her and then drop out of the adoption. Which means she has waited and waited.... she has waited so long for her third family to get to her because where she is the cost of her adoption is absolutely ridiculous that she was JUST TRANSFERRED. The cry for help has reached the ears of a whole bunch of loving people (some who are trying to fund their own adoptions) and they have come up with an awesome Giveaway - Go to this link to get more details and to meet Lera's family....

GIVEAWAY NUMBER 2: NEW IPAD, NEW ITOUCH, NEW WII, $300 Target gift card

MEET EASTON, SASHA and NIKO

HELP - WE HAVE ALL BEEN TRANSFERRED!!!

These three little boys all had families commit to them but lost them. They are now LOST BOYS. They have all three BEEN TRANSFERRED but are still available for adoption. The cry for help again reached the ears of a loving group of people. They stepped forward to raise money for these little guys so that they can find families again. You can go to THIS LINK to read more about these three precious boys and how you can enter their Giveaways. I am blown away by what has been donated to help rescue these little ones from living locked away in institutions!

GIVEAWAY NUMBER 3: A NEW IPAD

MEET LYDIAH

This little one is going to be a blessed part of a really neat family. Last year they brought home one treasure but knew that God was calling them to go back and they have answered that call. Go to THIS LINK to enter their Giveaway for a brand new IPAD!!

GIVEAWAY NUMBER 4: Nikon D3100 CAMERA

MEET NOAH

The Silva family is working hard to raise funds to cross the ocean to get this little guy who is in one of the poorer orphanages. Click THIS LINK to check out their cool Giveaway!


OK....this one should be easy.....giveaways galore.....leave me a comment if you have given to one of these precious children and wonderful families who are WORKING VERY HARD to get them home and out of the institutions!!!! GOOD LUCK!

Stephanie