My Jacob print arrived today!!!

Yesterday, was Resurrection Sunday and my husband was baptized!!! We had a great day, exhausting but great. I had spent the day before cleaning my house, each and every room. Can you say, "Old woman, achy joints?" LOL

Today, I checked my mail and my print Jacob Warner made to help the adoption fund for his brother, Joshua (click the link to see their FSP and donate to Cliff on Reece's Rainbow), arrived!!! I LOVE IT!!


I will admit it, I cried when I opened it and I cried again when I read the letter from the Warner family that came with it as well. Forgive me, Lisa, this picture does not do the print justice at all. But the print is lying on Alexander's bed and soon as I can get a frame for it--it will hang on his wall.

At the bottom of the artwork there is an excerpt from the poem The Down syndrome Creed it could not be more fitting to hang in any child's room but especially if you have a child with Down syndrome. A portion of the proceeds from the gallery will go to the Warner for Cliff family adoption fund. It does not get any cooler than that.

Why not purchase one today? As you see, I already have mine and LOVE IT!

You can click here JACOB'S ART and purchase any size print to cherish forever. I know I will. You see, Lisa, played a very integral part in our finding Alexander.

Here is exactly how it started:

Lisa Aspin Warner February 7 at 7:58pm

I have a favor to ask. I know you are in the midst of fund raising for Peter and am totally psyched for Julie. I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with her and she is a wonderful person and mother. There is a little boy on RR that will be turning 6 in 2 months and he has already been transferred. There is a group raising funds for him so that is not what I am asking. He needs to find a forever family before April 13, 2011 (his birthday) or his grant which is just over 7,000 is taken from him basically ensuring he will not be saved from the institution. I tried to see if we could get him when we got Cliff but Andrea said they are in entirely different regions but I have to try and find some family to commit to me.. his little face and the video of him haunt me. I do not have the clout to get his story out there but was hoping you could advocate for him to find parents.. not funds just a momma and daddy. Here is my blog post that deals with him http://buildingourvillage.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-you-his-forever-family.html I can send you the video via email if you do choose to maybe ask around. Thanks, Lisa

Christie Young Taylor February 7 at 9:10pm

Lisa, I most certainly will help!! My heart just sank. I did not realize he nearly six...

Christie Young Taylor February 7 at 9:30pm

Lisa, send me the video link to (my email was here)

Christie Young Taylor February 7 at 9:50pm

Nevermind, Lisa, I managed to steal your video and make my own to put on my blog. Thank you.

Lisa Aspin Warner February 7 at 10:04pm Report

thanks Christie!!

Christie Young Taylor February 7 at 10:05pm

No problem, Lisa. :) He is beautiful.

Christie Young Taylor February 8 at 12:48am

Lisa, may I ask who is fundraising for him?

Lisa Aspin Warner February 8 at 7:04am Report

one of them is Corbett Burick.. there are a few of them

Christie Young Taylor February 8 at 8:19am

ok, thank you Lisa.

Within hours, I knew in my heart Alexander was ours. I asked my husband to make the decision for our family and our journey began. Can you help this family out? I would love to see their fund explode with the financial provision they need. They will be submitting their dossier soon and I DO NOT want money standing between them and Joshua's homecoming. Please, do what you can. If you cannot buy a print. Will you donate a dollar? How about five? Ten? Twenty? PRAY???? Most of all pray and share their story. PLEASE!! You'll thank yourself for it, I thank you for it and you will be blessed because of your compassion.

FASTING, PRAYING FOR KIRILL

This is a copied blogpost from http://aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com/2011/03/will-you-join-us.html and the blogs author, a gal named Linny. 

Monday, March 28, 2011

Will You Join Us?

If you have been hanging around our Place Called Simplicity for any length of time,

you know how important prayer and fasting is to me.

Why is that?

Cause God's word says that there are some things that just don't happen without prayer and fasting.

But why does God do things like that?

I frankly have no clue, but I suspect that it has something to do with the body of Christ joining together for a common cause. Scripture is filled with verses about unity and the importance of it.

Remember Queen Esther {who by the way was adopted - how sweet is that?} and how the Isrealite nation was about to be annihilated until she calls for a three day fast? Remember how God moved and spared the nation of Isreal? Remember?

Since I started asking my bloggy friends to join in days of prayer and fasting, many, many, many of you have written and said that you have seen your life change as a result. And many, many, many of you had never fasted before!! Your letters have encouraged my heart - there is no doubt that God moves when people fast.

So sweet friends, let me tell you what is going on....

On the other side of the world {in Russia} there is a little boy....

His name is Kirill.

Kirill was found by his mommy and daddy on an adoption list. They worked feverishly to get all his paperwork in so they could bring him home. And during that time of working to bring Kirill home they found that Kirill is the first child from his region in Russia EVER to be adopted with Down Syndrome.

A birth mother keeping her child with DS is unheard of in this area of the world. Adoptions of children with DS just don't happen in this region, these children are literally hidden away from society in orphananges and mental institutions. As it turns out Kirill would be a pioneer. If Kirill's adoption was approved, it would pave the way for other children with special needs to be adopted from this region as well.

And so just two weeks ago, Kirill's mom and dad were there in Russia headed to court to fulfill the necessary steps to bring Kirill home...

and they were loving on Kirill....

and after enduring five agonizing hours of difficult questioning before the judge...with strong statements on their behalf from two doctors, two social workers and the Minister of Children's Services fighting on their and Kirill's behalf...and prepared for the court's stamp of approval,

the Judge gave her ruling:

"Your application to adopt is rejected" 

The Judges reasoning:

Kirill is "not socially adaptable" due to his "medical condition" and he is better off in an institution than in a home with a family. The Judge did state several times that Greg and Tesney were a good family, that they met all the criteria to adopt a child, but that she would not approve our adoption because Kirill has Down Syndrome. She told them that they could adopt another child, because legally our application had no problems according to Russian adoption law. She said she would approve their adoption for a 'typical' child, but not this child.

The ONLY reason?

Because Kirill has Down Syndrome.

{Home study approved and Immigration approved for a child with Special Needs}

BUT 

and so here's where we come in...

I just can not believe for ONE second that Kirill is supposed to stay in an

institution in Russia for the duration of his life.

NOT A CHANCE.

Almighty God's heart is for the orphan and it is attentive to their cry.

Almighty God's heart longs for every child to be in a forever family.

"He sets the lonely in families" Psalm 68:6

Soooooo

If God's heart is for the orphan and He longs for every child to be in a forever family...then God wants to and will move to bring Kirill home.

But some things do not happen without prayer and fasting....

So I wrote to Tesney and asked if I could call for a fast on Kirill's behalf...

Her response:

Linny,

Yes! We would LOVE this...Wednesday is better for us; and it coincides with our appeal being filed at the Supreme Court. It should be filed on Tuesday of this coming week, so the Supreme Court will hopefully begin the review shortly thereafter.............and we are humbled and honored....

THANK YOU!

Would you be willing to join with us in a day of

prayer

and

fasting?

{possibly a meal, two meals, all day}

When:

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Will you do battle on your knees for Kirill?

For the other families who are in the process of adopting treasures with DS from this same region....

one even going to court on Thursday for a daughter with DS...

Will you please pray {and fast}with me?

Please spread the word to every one you know

{Bible studies, small groups, bloggy friends, relatives, your children}

a world wide fast this Wednesday to set Kirill free!!

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." Prov. 24:12

Labels: Fasting, Orphans, Prayer, Prophetic Words

Prayers for a soldier

Yesterday, Shawn and I spent 10 hours out of our house with no kids! That was certainly different. We went to lunch at Hacienda for some rockin' chips and salsa and then chowed down on some truly unauthentic Mexican food...........YUM!! From there we headed over to a going away party for a very close friend. Bill Watson is his name and he is leaving for Afghanistan near the end of July or first of August for a year long (maybe a tad longer) tour.

Bill was one of Shawn's bosses, while they worked together they became very dear friends. Our families are similar; we both have a special needs child. Bill and April have two kids and their daughter has Autism. Of course, as you know, one of our twins has Down syndrome. Bill totally understood some of Shawn's challenges and vice versa and the two just hit it off. Last year they took a motorcycle trip to the Dragon in Tennessee. And when Bill returns home, safely, they will be going on another trip to the Black Hills (I think).

April worked her booty off and many people came to have one last revelry with Bill before he heads off for his tour and I am sure we will have one HUGE revelry when he safely returns!! I was honored to make his send-off cake. While we were there I was able to see and reminisce with some old friends from Chrysler too. Double "D" showed up with his buddies, stepdaughter, and gorgeous little boy. Then later in the evening Carlson came with his wife. It was great to see those guys again. April and I sat and chatted, once she was finally able to sit down (which was not until 10 or so in the evening).

Some of the kids there were swimming, some were in the hot tub, some just ran around the yard having a grand time. It was good to see so many people who love Bill and April and their kids show up to send him off with fond memories of his last days at home before he leaves for a year or so.

I cannot imagine being in April's shoes. I have such respect for her and her family. Trevor is a teenager now and such a great kid, I am sure he will be a great source of help to his mom. I can say this, I am so eternally grateful for the men and women like Bill; those who willingly choose to serve and protect no matter the cost. He is going away, sacrificing family time with his wife, son and daughter. Why? Because he is proud to be an American, because he is proud to protect you and me, because he is a man of exceptional selflessness.

You do not have to support this war but how can you not support and pray for a man or woman willing to sacrifice of themselves when they don't even know you? This is as thankless a job as it is a thankful one. A soldier's job is never done. I am not asking for debates here, this is not a political thing. I don't care if you support our government in this war, all I am asking is prayers for a man willing to risk it all for you.

I will be praying for Bill Watson and asking everyone I know to do the same. He is a good man, a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a cousin, and a friend to many. He deserves our prayers. This pic is Bill in the mountains on the trip to the Dragon with Shawn.

This pic is Bill and Trevor on the April 2008 "Ride for the Troops".
God speed, Bill Watson.

We love you....