Angel Tree ornament shipment has begun!

The assembly and shipment of the Angel Tree ornaments is in full swing!
Anyone who donates $35 or more to the grant fund of a waiting child on the Angel Tree will receive a porcelain ornament with the Angel Tree logo and the sponsored child's photo on it. These ornaments are beautiful and also make great gifts.

Here's the result of the first 12 days of donations. Over 70 ornaments were assembled and shipped this weekend.

The goal of the Angel Tree is to raise $1,000 for each of the waiting angels on the tree.
A few children have already reached this goal, but many others are still waiting on sponsors.

THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF FAMILIES WISHING TO ADOPT CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME, only a shortage of funds to do so!

Donate today!

BLESSINGS raining down!

In just 13 days, ELEVEN children on the Angel Tree have found families and Timosha is going HOME to his birth family!

In addition to that great news, several children now have large grants:

TONYA has a $4,239 grant
(includes waiting child grant and angel tree grant)

ARTYOM has a $4000 grant
(includes waiting child grant and angel tree grant)

ANNA has a $5000 grant
(includes waiting child grant and angel tree grant)

TANNER has a $5000 grant
(includes waiting child grant and angel tree grant)

ANNA and TANNER can be adopted together, and with their combined grants of $10,000, the facilitation fee is nearly completely paid for! (only shy by $500)

All of these children are in the same country, requirements listed below:

Married couples only may apply
No more than 45 years between at least one parent and child
(one older parent OK)
No stated family size restrictions
Total with travel approx $24k
Both parents for 2 1/2 weeks to attend court
Both parents return home for 3 weeks, and only one must return to complete the adoption for approx 10 days
No history of mental health conditions or infectious diseases
May adopt multiple unrelated children

Interested families should read carefully through http://www.reecesrainbow.org/newfamily.html to determine their eligibility and financial preparedness to adopt internationally.

Serious inquiries and commitments for any of these children can be directed to Andrea.

Blindness....

I have always had a desire to adopt a blind child. Admittedly, when we took that first step and committed to adopting a little girl who is blind we knew very little. I have found this site to be most helpful.

It is full of great articles not only on blind children, but ideas for other disabilities as well. I have been reading a lot about orientation and mobility, something that the little girl we are adopting has not had any focus or help on. Here is a good article to start with.

Orientation and Mobility

Did you know that it's never too early to begin teaching your blind baby orientation and mobility skills? Even if your blind infant is barely holding up her own head, let alone moving anywhere on her own, orientation and mobility is still a key factor to future independence and many of the basic teachings can begin as early as infancy.

Reeces Rainbow has many children with vision impairments waiting for their forever family to find them. Could you be the one God is calling?

Friday the 13th

Usually, we all get silly nervous about Friday the 13th. But so far, THIS Friday the 13th has turned out to be an incredible day. So I had to blog about it!

First, we got confirmation of a committed family for Lera in Russia.

Then TATYA in Ukraine finds her family.
Then LILYA in Ukraine finds her family.
And the most amazing thing...little Timosha's (in Russia) birth family, who I have built a lovely personal relationship with, has decided to take their most loved son home with them.

Every child Reece's Rainbow has had the honor of serving, every child saved has beena reason to rejoice! But for a birth family to be so moved, to see new light and have renewed hope and faith in their Savior and His plans for their family through His gift of their child with Down syndrome...that is a true VICTORY! That is when I am the most moved, and I wanted to share this most joyous news with the world ;)

The message from Timosha's mother, who has also committed to serve the other children with down syndrome in his orphanage, and to help us get new photos and find families for them!:

"Andrea, I thank you for your prayers. Yesterday my husband has told that we will take away Timosha home!!!!!!! Since Monday we will start to make all papers. Also I hope that Christmas we will meet all together. I yet don't know, what will be our life, but I trust the Lord and I believe that with the Divine help at all of us it will turn out. All not casually also can children from our region can find family. I will do the utmost to update photos of other children. This smallest that I can make for them. I thank you, Andrea and if the help which I in forces to render is necessary to you, I will make it with pleasure."

This is why we do what we do!

Andrea Roberts, Executive Director
Reece's Rainbow
bamaroberts@comcast.net

We Were ALL Orphans Before that First Christmas...

Well this is perhaps one of the best posts I could be so privileged to make.

This past week has seen a flurry of blogs and emails posting about a little girl named Lera! As you can see by her photos, she is a gorgeous little girl full of LIFE! She lives in an orphanage in Russia, presently.

But her time was literally drawing to a close THIS WEEK. Without a family committing to her able to move forward quickly with an adoption in Russia her fate would be sealed. Life in a Russian mental institution that does NOT allow adoptions.

Andrea asked people to help and within a couple of days her grant grew from $1000 to $5000 but still she needed a family. The people able to donate the money to her adoption grant were not able to adopt her but thankfully because of that grant another family is!


So, the wonderful news is that Lera has a family! Now that she has that official commitment she will be spared from the transfer to the institution. Her new family were not the ones to bring her into this world, but indeed they are the ones who will be giving her LIFE!

This is a perfect example of how Reece's Rainbow and all of you work. There are families ready and willing; qualified and able to adopt a child with Down Syndrome. Families that share the passion to bring these children home and give them life. The only thing standing in their way are the costs of the international adoption.

The Christmas Angel Tree Project is the biggest fund raising event of the year for Reece's Rainbow and many families find their children through seeing them on the Waiting Angels page.

Lera is a gorgeous and lovely example of how important your donations to these children are! Without her grant, her new family may not have been able to commit to her adoption but because of it, Lera is going to be given the most amazing Christmas gift any orphan could ever hope for, or even know to hope for!

Please, also watch our Official Ministry Video and feel free to share it on your own blogs.

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

As well, if you have a blog, have you chosen your Christmas Angel Tree bauble to put on it?

We also have the 2010 FREE 'Redemption' Calendar and this button is another way you can help raise awareness for Reece's Rainbow and these precious angels!




Grab This Button
Those of you on twitter can also put this on your blogs or if you don't have a blog, just follow us on twitter!








Grab this! Be sure to right click on the box below and then select all.



<center><a href="http://twitter.com/ReecesRainbow" target="_blank"><img width="120px" src="http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s62/WilliamtheOutlaw/RRTwitter.gif"/></a></center>

For those interested, the qualifications again for adopting from Lera's Region (2), Russia are:

• 2 trips
• Both parents for first trip, about one week
• Both parents travel for 2nd trip, approximately 14 days (One parent may leave after the court proceedings are finalized, after about 5 days.)
• Total program and travel fees under $25k
• Fee includes a $1000 orphanage donation
• Only one child can be adopted at a time
• Married couples and single mothers may apply

Friday Focus on Down Syndrome - Brought to You by the Letter E

Well, I could hardly do a Friday Focus this week without it being somehow related to Sesame Street could I? If you have been using Google's homepage or reading the Reece's Rainbow blog, you already know what I'm talking about.

10 November 1969 was the very first episode of Sesame Street. One year later a brilliant young woman started her career with Sesame Street. One that would span 39 years and counting!

(Happy 40th Birthday, Sesame Street!)

This woman's name is Emily Perl Kingsley. In 1974 she had a son, she named him Jason. Soon after Jason Kingsley was born, a doctor recommended that his mother institutionalise him and tell her friends that he had died in childbirth. Jason, the doctor predicted, would "never read or write or have a single meaningful thought or idea," he has Down Syndrome, you see. Well, he most certainly is able to walk and talk and he has plenty of meaningful thoughts and ideas AND has also written a book!

Over the years of writing for Sesame Street, she has done much to include children with disabilities on the show. There have been many beautiful children with DS that have been part of the show over the years and many children in wheel chairs (including a character on the show) and other disabilities, as well. She was honoured in October 2008 with a special award from the U.S. Government Department of Health and Human Services in recognition of her ground-breaking work including individuals with disabilities on Sesame Street. She has won 12 Daytime Emmys and 9 nominations through her work with Sesame Street, three EDIs and a Grand EDI from Easter Seals, and an award from the National Theatre of the Deaf.

As well, if you have ever known someone with Down Syndrome you have probably read the very well known 'Welcome to Holland'. It was written in 1987 by none other than Emily Perl Kingsley. This written work has become the face, if you will, of Down Syndrome. 'Holland' has become part of the 'lingo' that parents with a child with Down Syndrome use.

Read 'Welcome to Holland' Here

To know that Jason is also a gifted writer should really come as no surprise and to those with children with Down Syndrome, well, it isn't a surprise. To the doctors that initially told Emily her son had Down Syndrome it may be a surprise.

Jason was on roughly 50 episodes of Sesame Street as he was growing up. He completed High School and he lives in group home and he and his mother have made great strides in changing the perceptions people have of disabilities.

To purchase Jason's book through Good Search so that Reece's Rainbow will be automatically given a donation CLICK HERE

As well, check back for information on how you can see Emily and Jason speaking at the Buddy Cruise in July! As both Meredith and Andrea can tell you, they are absolutely lovely in person and very inspiring speakers!

Lordy, Lordy Look Who's 40!

Happy Birthday to Sesame Street!

As the curtain opens on the 41st season of Sesame Street we wanted to take pause to wish all the residents, past & present, a Happy Birthday!

As an artist, Carroll Spinney is one of my favourites, as he is also an artist! I know this because a little Big Bird told me! This is a lovely interview with him regarding the 40th Birthday!

Please take time to visit their web site and did you know they have an official Sesame Street Youtube channel? You can watch Sesame Street from anywhere!

Find out more this week about Sesame Street and their connection with Reece's Rainbow! (In other words, stop by often!)

So, Happy Birthday to the entire gang at Sesame Street!

Being from England, I thought I would share this interview with the BBC's Kevin Connolly which you might enjoy!

And, for Five Minutes with Sesame Street and  Matthew Stadlen Click Here!

As One We Can Families Of The Week: The Bedford's & The Lackamp Family

100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFTS CAN BE GIVEN HERE: Many thanks!
www.reecesrainbow.org/familysponsorshipalmostthere.html

The week seems to move so quickly! Here we are again with two more wonderful families who can really use our help. The Lackamp family have already submitted their dossier & their famiy fund isn't looking to fat right now. What ever gift amount you can give will be a blessing to them, I'm sure.
Our other family is one that many of us know well. The Bedford's are a family who've given much of themselves and now, with their dossier submitted for their boys I'm hoping we can be of service to them. Please be prayerful in your givings and as always...
****MAY GOD STRETCH OUR GIVINGS IN A MIGHTY WAY FOR EACH OF THESE FAMILIES**** :) Blessing to you and your week! Alysha~one blessed mama





GARRETT for The Lackamp Family--Oak Ridge, MO
The Lackamps were high school sweethearts and married soon after. They live in MO and have a grown daughter, Amber, who works with children with special needs. While doing research, she discovered Reece�s Rainbow. God led her to Garrett and when she showed him to her parents they fell in love with him! They are all very excited to add to their family and are anxious to bring him home!



11/2/09---DOSSIER SUBMITTED, HOPING TO TRAVEL IN JANUARY



I have $0 in my FAMILY grant fund towards the cost of my adoption!







VANDER & RYAN for The Bedford Family---Ft. Rucker, AL
Well, they're going back for a THIRD and FOURTH angel with Down syndrome! Robert and Shelley Bedford adopted our little Naum from Ukraine in August of 2007. Then they adopted Jovan from Serbia in April of 2008. Now they're going back to Eastern Europe for Vander and Ryan!



11/2/09---DOSSIER SUBMITTED



We have $880 in our FAMILY grant fund towards the cost of our adoption!



Follow the adoption journey of the Bedford family on their blog at http://chroniclesofhousehold6.blogspot.com/
MILOS for the Stolz family--Cleves, OH

Achondroplasia / Dwarfism

Achondroplasia is a disorder of bone growth that causes the most common type of growth hormone deficiency.

It affects about 1 in 15,000 to 1 in 40,000 births, and it occurs in all races and in both sexes (1).

People concerned about the condition in their families may wonder, "What causes achondroplasia?" In most cases, this common type of short-limbed dwarfism is related to a genetic mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene. However, one or both parents passing the altered gene to their children is also what causes achondroplasia.

***There are currently 3 children listed on Reeces Rainbow with dwarfism. They are all beautiful and very much need a family to give them unconditional love and acceptance!

Friday Focus on Down Syndrome - Kellie's Book

This is one of several artists that I've come to know of over the past few years. She's absolutely lovely!

You can read more about Kellie and her book HERE!

If you'd like a copy of Kellie's Book, CLICK HERE to order through Good Shop, where your purchase will also help raise donations for Reece's Rainbow!

To learn how to order through Good Shop click to