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Sunday, January 22, 2012

How You Can Help....

A big part adoption expenses are from the actual traveling and facilitator fees.  Therefore, you may want to know what a facilitator does.  A facilitator is the person who will take ALL our documents (tons of them) and translate them into their language, translate for us while we are there, make sure that we have accommodations such as travel within the country, lodging, and directions to wherever we need to go.  They will be with us when we have court so they can make sure that the judge understands us and we understand any questions the judge has for us.
For a detailed list of all the expenses, please click on the tab at the top “Understanding Adoption Costs”.  If you are able to, please donate to help reduce some of these expenses. We still have $25,000 to raise by April when we will be traveling. As always, please pray. Pray that Sydney and Lucien will be ok until we get there. Pray that Sydney's and Lucien's hearts will be ok and that they will not have any heart trouble, (a common issue for children with Down Syndrome) Pray that we will be able to raise the money in time.
Thank you so much!

LUCIEN & SYDNEY for the Jenks family — Vancouver, WA






Rebecca and Mark have four wonderful children between the ages of 13-21. They knew they wanted more children and that adoption would be the way they would find their baby. It wasn’t until they stumbled onto Reece’s Rainbow that they considered a little one with Down Syndrome. After a year of reading books and following blogs of families going through the process, they prayed about moving forward. The very next weekend at church a group of teens and adults with Down Syndrome came and sat down in front of them. God just doesn’t get much louder than that.

When they brought up the subject of adopting with their other children, the vote was unanimous. Mark and Rebecca were surprised when the kids ran around the house finding any loose change, even their own change, to start saving to bring home their little sister and brother. 

The feeling Rebecca and Mark felt when they first saw Sydney and Lucien was just like when your child just born and they place them in your arms for the first time. They just knew these two beautiful little ones were meant to be part of their family.

They can hardly wait to bring their little blessings home and would appreciate your prayers and donations as they work towards bringing their little one home “Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” Mother Teresa

The Reece's Rainbow Voice of Hope Fund covers the Paypal fees for family donations under $500. Larger donations will have a 3% PayPal fee deducted before it is applied to the family's adoption fund. We encourage donors who are sending large donations to send a check so that the full amount of the donation goes to the family's adoption fund.
Please include a note telling Reece's Rainbow the donation is intended for the Jenks Family.
Reece's Rainbow
PO Box 4024
Gaithersburg, MD 20885
 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Which Path?

 
Where you are in your life, depends on your choices. Sometimes, it seems easier to take the path that everyone else is on. Sometimes, however you take a different path. Sometimes you take a path, uncertain of the outcome, because you feel like the path everyone else is on has turned into a treadmill of life. Or you feel like there is something more important that is yet to be seen on the other path. Sometimes, if we stop and look at that path that most people take, it is filled with a lot of self serving and very little brotherly love. Somehow, we have lost sight of the big picture. We are so caught up in the American dream that we forget about the other paths that are there. We get caught up in material things, we forget what means the most. We become vain and filled with self indulgence. We focus on that extra car, that bigger house, the bigger tv. Is that what is really important? People often get so caught up, that they fail to see what is really important. 
How can we place more importance on objects than we do living things?
My passion is helping people, I want to rescue orphans.
You do not have to choose my path.
Maybe that is not your path, maybe you are better with animals, or wildlife, or being environmentally friendly.You can make a difference, in some way, to make the world a better place.
Your path lays before you, in one direction you can make a difference that will help many, the other path is one that will make a difference mostly in your life. 
Don't buy into the American dream so much, that you forget what is really important.
Which path will you take?

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Stepping Out in Faith

Every year as the new year rings in, people decide on a New Year's Resolution. It usually involves losing weight, excising more,  eating healthier, or things like that. At first, I was going to make that kind of resolution. But then I started talking to a friend of mine who is also adopting. Their family is also short on their funds for their adoption. We found out that another family is as well. So instead of making a New Year's Resolution that was about me and my life, I wanted to make one that would help others. 
This year my New Year's Resolution is to set up a fundraiser for not only our family but for other families that have more than $10,000 to raise and are facing a travel date in the very near future!
I am praying that this fundraiser will work, and if it does, I will continue this fundraiser once EVERY YEAR as long as Reece's Rainbow is running, to benefit three families who are struggling to get their funding. I want to be the stone that creates a ripple effect that can continue from person to person. I want to make a difference not just in the life of one family, but in the life of as many children and families as I can. I want to help these families bring their children home! There are also some other families that while they do not have as much to raise, still need all the help they can get. I will become an advocate for these families as well. You will see their beautiful children on the side of my blog. Please, take a moment and look at their children, look at their name, look into their eyes, and do not turn away. Learn more about these families who have also stepped out in faith and offer them your prayers and support.
Why is this important to me?

When we committed to Sydney and Lucien they did not have any grant money, no angel tree money, no warrior money. However, we did receive a blessing that before we had become "official" in our commitment, Lucien did get a little bit of angel tree money, and people can still donate to him, even though he is not able to get any of the angel tree benefits such as matching donor money. 
The whole purpose of the angel tree is to help children FIND their families and since we have found him, that extra help is gone. Some children have been listed a long time, they need the extra boost to help encourage a family to reach out and open their hearts to a child. 
It is very scary stepping out in faith, and wondering if you will be able to raise the money in time. When stepped out, we stepped out knowing that we would have to put all our trust in God for this one. $30,000 is NOT easy to raise. We have raised (counting our money we have saved) $5000. We still need to raise $25,000. We have until around April to raise this. 
We hope to encourage other families and be an inspiration to families who see children who have little or no grant money or warrior/angel tree money. We want these families to know that they can step out in faith and others will be willing to step up and help them. 
YES, it is scary! This is the scariest thing I have ever done. Each day I have to force myself to NOT compare our fsp to others. I have to tell myself to NOT get discouraged. I have to tell myself that God works on HIS time NOT mine. And I have to believe that we WILL be ok, we WILL be able to make it to Sydney and Lucien, and we WILL be holding our babies and bringing them back home sometime in April/May.
One of the hardest things for me is that I feel like I am having to step out of my comfort zone. I am normally a somewhat quiet person who just really loves to spend time with my family. I would rather sit down and play Scrabble or Sorry Sliders with my family than go out shopping or to parties. I find myself putting myself out there now, trying to tell everyone about the wonderful work that Reece's Rainbow is doing and how children with special needs ARE worth it. They are so very worth it! 
I want others to find their special little love too. I want to see other families bring their little ones home. I have to give everything to God, put it all in his hands, because this is one of those times when there is only ONE set of footprints in the sand. God is carrying me today, I am leaning on him. And I know, he will see us through.
I am so blessed to have him to lean on, and I know that it will all work out, I am certainly having to learn patience and taking an extra helping of faith. Please keep us in your prayers. Please pray that we will be able to get our little ones home and in doing so, we will inspire others to set out in faith as well, and be willing to commit to children who have little to no funds to start with. Let's show that it CAN be done!
Please pray! 





I want to tell you about a little girl. Shannon is only five years old and has already been transferred to an adult mental institution. Her family is VERY close to their goal and just needs to raise $3000. Stay tuned to hear more about Shannon!! I will be featuring her in our blog tomorrow along with an amazingly adorable picture of her!! I can hardly wait to share her story!!

Become a Warrior for Orphans

Will YOU be a Warrior for Orphans??

Every day, orphans at the age of 4-5 years old are transferred to adult mental institutions. These children need hope, WE are their hope! They need our help! They need a family! Let us work together to bring them home! Let's work together so they NEVER have to go to an institution!  Right now, Sydney and Lucien are WAITING for us to get there and bring them home. Can you help us get them home??
Will you be a WARRIOR for them??

 

Thank you so much for the love and support you have shown Sydney and Lucien. Please fill out the form so we can always remember who helped give Sydney and Lucien a chance to be part of a family and loved just the way they are. 

WARRIORS FOR SYDNEY AND LUCIEN

 

Become a WARRIOR

for

SYDNEY AND LUCIEN

and change their lives
FOREVER!

The goal:
50 Warriors, $500 each 
Each warrior commits to attempting to raise a $500 donation for Sydney and Lucien. 
All donations are tax-deductible.  
We want you to know how much your hard work means to us! 
As a special Thank You, each Warrior will recieve*:
A special Warrior photo mug
Sydney and Lucien's Warrior Magnet
A
personalized Thank you letter and 4x6 of Sydney and Lucien AND  you
will receive a SECOND update letter once they are home along with a
wallet size portrait 

One of a kind homemade cross
And a delicious treat from Sydney and Lucien's Kitchen!



How to become a WARRIOR FOR SYDNEY AND LUCIEN:

Fill out this form 

to indicate your interest in helping bring Sydney and Lucien home.
You can hold a fundraiser, donate the money yourself, have a bake sale, host a giveaway... the choice is yours!
If 50 people commit to raising $500 each,
We will be FULLY FUNDED to bring Sydney and Lucien HOME!!
$25,000 is a lot of money.
$500 is a much more manageable figure don't you think?
Can you find a way to raise $500?
If you can, will you do so?
Will you be a warrior for two orphans that so desperately want to come home?

Fill Out This Form


to say ...
YES, I WANT TO SAVE SYDNEY AND LUCIEN FROM A LIFE AS AN ORPHAN, 
I WANT TO BE THEIR WARRIOR!

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE



*Warriors who donate or raise the full $500 will receive the full thank you 
package. Those that do not may receive a smaller version (depending on 
funds and availability of items.) Gifts will be ordered and distributed
in bulk (so as to save on shipping costs,) so please wait patiently for
  your thank you gifts. Thanks for your understanding!





THANK YOU 
to
SYDNEY AND LUCIEN'S WARRIOR!