One Amazing Child Whose Time is Running Out

I'd like to tell you guys about this amazing boy.  If not for the fact that S, our oldest child, has strong feelings about being the oldest, I'd bring him home myself, and that's the truth.  He is 13 and aging out very soon, in May of this year.  A family needs to come for him BEFORE his 14th birthday, or he'll age out and lose his chance for a family completely.  That's way too young to be alone in the world.  Especially when you are as amazing as this kid is.  Given the chances, this young man will truly change the world, I'm positive of that.

"This is Michael.  He was born in May of 2000.  He's very polite. Whenever he meets an adult, he always says “Good morning, Auntie! Good morning, Uncle!” If he accidentally pushes someone, he is quick to apologize. He is also very brave; if he has any tooth pain or scrapes his knee, he is quick to say that it doesn’t hurt because he doesn’t want his ayis to worry about him.  Michael likes riding bikes and exploring the world. He has excellent English speaking skills and he is very good at music, and loves playing instruments in front of people. He is very bright, he speaks English fluently and he can read both Chinese and English. He is very confident. He loves talking to new people. One of his favourite things to do is ride on public transportation in Beijing, especially on the subways and the buses-he has memorised the subway map.
As he is one of our oldest boys, he always helps around the house. He can cook a number of simple dishes by himself, and he has been helping with the younger kids by checking their homework to make sure they have done it right. He is a great boy!"

He sounds great right?  I wish my kids were so independent and eager to work.  Oh, did I mention that Michael is blind?  That's right, this amazing child does all of these things, and more, without being able to see clearly.  The doctors diagnosed him with microphtalmus, however, he can recognize large objects and several colors. Besides his visual problem, he’s in very good health.  So this does mean that he has some very limited vision.  But even without what most of us take for granted, Michael does great in school, speaks two languages fluently, plays FOUR instruments proficiently, reads and writes and lives his life.

He's also run a marathon twice!  Seriously?  I've never run a marathon even once.  

I'm serious guys, this kid clearly has the capacity to be anything, if he just has the options the rest of us have.  There's still time for a family to come forward and bring Michael home, but not much of it.  Please share him with your friends, consider him yourself, and above all pray for this young man to find a home.

Here's some interview questions he was asked at his orphanage, Bethel China, who does amazing amazing things with children who are vision impaired.   
What are your favorite subjects to study at school? Computer class and PE.
What is your favorite game? Chess!
What kind of food do you like? Fast food, especially MacDonald’s.
What subject is hard for you in school? Math! Math is so hard.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A pilot. I want to fly airplanes and helicopters!
What do you like to do in your free time? Help Mamma cook! And riding bikes.
If you could tell everyone one thing about yourself, what would you say? I’m pretty funny!

He wants to be a pilot.  Somehow, I believe this kid could do that.

He's known as Hong Fa at Bethel's site and Don Michael on Reece's Rainbow, where he has grant profile that was just put up today!

Michael is on the shared list, which is great news for a parent who wants to step forward at this point, as it means he can be adopted through any agency.  For more information, you can contact Bethel at  adoption@bethelchina.org or Reece's Rainbow http://reecesrainbow.org/72705/don-michael 



 

Current Fundraisers

I said I would include a post about our current fundraisers, and so I will.

NAME A CHARACTER 

My newest fundraiser is really a lot of fun.  I've seen how much you guys love to name children!  I've seen it everywhere.  A few of you know this, but I think most of you don't. I'm a multi-published fiction author in several different genres. I have a fundraiser that gives you the opportunity to give something truly unique to the person who has everything. It's also a great chance to honor a loved one, tease a friend, or just see your name or favorite name in print. I have four books due in the next few months. And among those four books, I need 23 names for characters. I want you guys to pick those names. For a donation of $20 you get to the pick the name, a major personality trait, and when the book comes out you'll get a free copy (ebook is the best, but if you don't have an ereader, we can work something out) sent to you or the person you named the character after.

We do have an FSP with Reece's Rainbow, but for this particular fundraiser, we'd prefer donations to be sent to our youcaring account. http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/adding-andersons/104719 Please PM me with your name! I'm really excited to do this and I can't wait to see the names you guys come up with.

I haven't had any name suggestions yet!  I can't write without them.  And if I don't write, my publishers are gonna get really mad.  And then I'll have to blame you guys ;)  So let's just make it easier for everyone and start picking names! 


ENVELOPE FUNDRAISER


We have 150 envelopes on a chart. Each envelope has a number on it. Inside the envelope there's information about our sons. We know a lot about them.  We are very, very blessed in that both of our children have advocates and volunteers, loving adults who know them personally, who are in contact with us regularly.  This is not something most people get the blessing of having.  But through these exchanges, we know so much more about our boys than a regular set of adopting parents.  We can't tell you their real names or exact birthdays, but we can tell you all about their incredibly cool personalities. The lower envelopes have simple information. The higher ones have complex information. Like stories about Wayne and Daniel. The 150th envelope has their pictures in it.  But we can not share it publicly until we have final approval for adoption from their country.

Once someone picks the number and donates the amount written on the envelope, we will share the information about one of the boys that is inside. We will share it on our blog and on our Facebook page, Adding Andersons. At the end of the envelopes, everyone will know so much about why we chose these two amazing boys, believe me, it will be obvious, and we'll be able to show you their pictures.

Once we have all the envelopes filled, we will do a random drawing for a Kindle Fire, a 100 dollar Amazon gift card, or another prize of an equal value, just because we love all of you guys so much and appreciate all that you do.  This isn't a raffle.   It's just a nice thank you. 

Maybe some of the bigger envelopes you could get donations from friends and donate together.  Even if you can't fill the envelope immediately, commit to one, and try to raise the number on the outside by Valentine's Day.  Please comment on which envelope you would like and plan to send your donations here to http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/adding-andersons/104719?utm_source=widget


Just for reference, these are the envelopes that have already been chosen and filled. 1, 2, 17, 19, 20, 40, 50 and envelope 150.  So that's A LOT of available envelopes and a lot of really fun information we can share about two of the coolest kids in China!  I will start a permanent post with the information from these envelopes already chosen tomorrow as well as adding a visual. 


 BUMPER STICKERS

I don't love bumper stickers, to be honest.  But these have my favorite quote in the world on them.  They are perfect for teachers, daycare workers, adoptive parents, bio parents, people who love their parents, people who love children, anyone at all, any day, everyday.  

It's really that basic of a bumper sticker.  White with plain black writing, so that you can easily read an appreciate this incredibly deep quote by Frederick Douglass that explains why we do everything we do.  We hope to build strong children, who will grow into strong men and women.  If you, like us, feel like this is everyone's best contribution you can make to the world, slap one of these bumper stickers on your car.  $5 a sticker, free shipping, sent all at once, so it might be a few weeks while we complete the order.




Thanks again for reading and for following our journey!

A 

It's Twins...Kind Of

Big, big news in AndersonLand.  IT'S TWINS!  Except they are six years apart in age.  And also over a thousand miles apart in their country.  And technically they aren't related at all...  But still! 

Today we got PA on our second child, sweet, precious Wayne.  Wayne is four or five years old.  That isn't clear as he wasn't abandoned as a baby, but as a slightly older toddler.  Wayne isn't a healthy guy.  In fact, the bitter truth is that the doctors think Wayne probably won't last out 2014 without American medical care. 

He has something called Beta Thalassemia Major.  In America, it's typically referred to as Cooley's Anemia.  Much like Sickle Cell Anemia, Cooley's Anemia developed as an evolutionary response to contagious diseases common in Asia.  Wayne's bone marrow doesn't work to produce red blood cells in the proper way.  As a result, he needs a blood transfusion every 21 days, and chelation to prevent iron from those blood transfusions from building up in his organs and killing him.  China is experiencing a major blood shortage, all over their country.  He's not getting the transfusions he needs.  As a result, Wayne's organs are getting enlarged.  Eventually they will fail, if he can't get on a regular course of care. 

Because of this, Wayne will need to be expedited medically.  Daniel will be expedited too because he was our first child and their paperwork will be processed together.  We are so excited to have these boys home and in the circle of our family.  In a way we are thrilled that this will be so quick.  But in the rest of the possibly conceivable ways, we are beyond stressed that we need to come up with $30,000 dollars in just a few months.  We are confident that this is the path the Lord wants us to take.  The reason we elected to call our blog "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go" is because we started this journey with the intention of being led by the spirit to the children Heavenly Father was calling us to adopt.  But now we are in the position of needing to call on others to help us do that. 

To be frank, I planned to use the little over a year we would have had to raise all of the needed money myself.  It was less when it was just Daniel, and we had a long time, possibly up to eighteen months, before we would travel.  I thought I could do it without ever really asking for help.  I don't like asking for help.  I'm not good at it, and I don't enjoy it.  I've been largely silent on the subject of how much money we would need and have taken extra freelance jobs to pay for things.  When we were taking classes to foster in America, they made a point of saying that we couldn't do it all alone.  We would need help.  Later, we were asked to fill out a form about what we felt our biggest weakness as a foster parent would be.  Separately filling out the form, Mike and I both said, "asking for help"  This isn't something that has changed for either of us.  But this is bigger than us.  This is about Daniel and Wayne and being like Nephi so we can go and do the things the Lord commands. 

With that in mind, we would please ask you to prayerfully consider helping Wayne and Daniel find their forever family.  Here's a list of fundraisers we are doing and ways you can help these boys, if you feel so inclined. 

1. The Novel Name Fundraiser.  Please read the subsequent post for more info on this very fun and unique fundraiser. 

2.  The envelope Fundraiser.  We have so much information about Daniel and Wayne.  We can't show their pictures for a few more weeks, but we are so blessed to be in contact with people who know them well, and we know so many cute things we can share.  I will also include deets in another post. 

3.  Buy my novels, Glitch, Into Darkness Peering, & Rules of Engagement.  All of the proceeds from these novels are going into our adoptions.  Plus you get a book out of the deal!  Feel free to buy a copy of The Tell-Tale Con if you like, but those monies are both smaller, because of the particular publisher, and longer before they come. 

4.  Please, please, please pray.  Pray for Daniel's spirits as he's getting close to aging out and doesn't know we are coming.  I pray he isn't getting scared, defeated, that he doesn't believe he isn't worthy of a family.  Pray for Wayne's health.  We are going as fast as we can, but even with a medical expedite, these things take time.  A little girl has recently died in Wayne's orphanage from the same kinds of complications from Beta Thalassemia Major that Wayne is currently experiencing.  She was the same age as well.  I don't know if he knows, or if he's scared.  But the little girl in question had a family coming for her, and she didn't make it.  Please, please pray that his little body will hold on and we can get him the care he needs!

5.  Spread the word.  Please share our blog and our donation information with your friends.  You never know when someone might have a heart for children, for adoption, for children with hematological issues or brain injuries, for China, or for orphans.  We need every prayer, every good thought, and every penny or dollar that anyone would feel inclined to share. 

6.  Donate.  If you feel so inclined, please consider Wayne and Danny and donate to our Youcaring adoption account.  This is certainly not the only way way to help, though it's the quickest way.  http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/adding-andersons/104719?utm_source=widget We have so little time to bring these little guys home.  If you don't have the money to donate, please don't worry about it.  Pick one of the ways above instead.  We can use prayers every bit as much as we can use money. 

Thank you all of you for following our journey and bless you for reading the novel I just wrote lol.   

(Nothing is) Better Than Ezra

This face right here belongs to Ezra



Seriously, this is one sweet boy.  Ezra is an orphan in an Eastern European country where you really would NOT want to be an orphan.  But his smile doesn't tell you that he minds. 

Ezra has hydrocephalus.  For those not in the know, that's why Ezra's head looks the way it does.  He was born with too much fluid around his brain which kept getting worse until it malformed his skull.  He has been shunted, meaning no more fluid is building up, but obviously Ezra will need a surgery to reform his skull to the way it should be.  That Ezra has been shunted already is a miracle.  They rarely shunt in his country, leaving many children with blindness and profound mental delays.  Ezra has probably been saved that fate, though he does have some issues with his vision.  I have never seen his file, but in all likelihood, his side effects will be mild, once his skull is fixed.  Daniel, our soon to be son from China, had hydrocephalus.  It doesn't mean Ezra will never live a full life.

At the moment, I'd guess that Ezra can't move around much because he's just a little guy, just barely two, and he's been held back because of his large head.  But once it's been reshaped, I'm guessing nothing much will hold this fellow back.

The most interesting thing about Ezra, and the reason why I'm sharing him with you today, is right there on his face.  Have you ever seen a smile like that on a sick child, confined to a crib day and night because his head is too heavy to carry?  I've seen a lot of orphans.  Literally thousands.  I've been struck by some because of the profoundly severe conditions in which they live.  I've been struck by others because of how beautiful they are, or how striking their needs have left them looking.  But almost never have I gone back to look at a child over and over because of their smile.  Ezra is that kid.  He's a child who clearly is infused with a joy that isn't from his earthly existence, which is likely grim, whether he's loved by his nanny's or not.  This little guy knows.  He understands that God has this, that he's loved, that he's bigger than a crib in Ukr*ine, and bigger than a medical condition.   These pictures are from just a few month ago.  It's still in there. 

But eventually, he's going to start to forget.  He's going to forget that he's better than haphazard attention and substandard care.  He's going to forget how to smile. 

I would never want to see that happen to kid with a smile like that.  That's where all of you come in.  Ezra lives in an orphanage.  He's available for adoption right now, this minute.  If a family started soon, it's entirely possible he could be home by the end of the summer.  It's almost completely assured he'd be home by Christmas.  Ezra's country has a quick process, and it's relatively cheap by international adoption standards.

Best of all, Ezra's got a head start at fundraising.  That sweet face comes with a grant of over $2230.00.  That's a lot of head start.  You can learn more about Ezra here, at Reece's Rainbow.  http://reecesrainbow.org/52542/ezra-2

Ezra's sweet face is just waiting to be a part of your family pictures.  He's so young and the perfect age to join a family, get the surgery he needs to reshape his skull, and begin the therapy that will catch him up to his friends.  Can you imagine a little pair of glasses on this guy so he can see like everyone else.  Adorable!  

Check him out.  If you feel inclined, tell your friends about him.  He has a family somewhere.  Every orphan does.  Maybe it's yours.  Maybe it could be one of your friends, your sister, or brother, or cousin.  Somewhere, Ezra belongs.  But his family will never see him where he is.  Then it falls to us to share him.  So go ahead and share that smile and someone, somewhere is going to fall in love with it, like I have, and their soul will perk up and say, "That's him.  That's my son."

I'm sure that, like the rest of us who aren't confined to a crib, Ezra could use your prayers and good thoughts, if you have some lying around.  I'm pretty sure he'll be able to feel them.  Maybe that's why he's smiling like that. 

Amber