TEAM BARNETT ADOPTION 2014 ~ Felix's Heroes Wall

The following people have graciously donated to our adoption fund and have made Greta, Felix, & Romeo one step closer to becoming "An Orphan No More"!
Greta's, Felix's, & Romeo's Heroes Wall:
Linda Wade ~ TX; Tammy Johnson ~ TX; Brian & Carol Miller ~ NC; Karl & Beth Brennan ~ TX; Sammye Smith ~ TX; Barbara Balthrop ~ TX; Jeri Newman ~ TX; Shirley Bowman ~ TX; Anonymous ~ TX; Kelly & Chay McClellan ~ TX; Heather Farester ~ VA; Terri Mauldin ~ TX; Sherry Hamby ~ TX; Laura Homan ~ TX; Cindy & Kelsey Cregar ~ MD; April Jurisch ~ TX; Danni & Rhaya Edison ~ TX; Brenda Baswell ~ AL; Anonymous ~ TX; Keshia Melton ~ New Zealand; Mistie Sutko ~ TX; Amy Epley ~ TX; Annie Trenda ~ WA; Jenny Raspberry-Martin ~ Canada; Amber Gilchrist-Anderson ~ NM; Bianca Montelaro-Oliver ~ LA; Sasha Fera-Schanes ~ CA; Gigi Glynn ~ NJ; Cordie Teddlie Everman ~ TN; Clydene Moore ~ TX; Peggy McAdams ~ TX; Kayla Groen; Kristen Abel ~ TX; Dandy Rivas Fleming ~ TX; Colleen Salinas ~ TX; Katy Pyle ~ LA; Sandra Lizcano ~ LA; Reby Lawler ~ TX; Charlette Flowers ~ TX; Mary Anne McCartney ~ TX; Colleen Krizak ~ TX; Rhonda Jackson ~ TX; Heather Woodall ~ TX; Heather Johnson ~ TX; Sherwin & Ann Lee ~ TX; Stacie Lee Mercer ~ TX; Anonymous; Wesley Barnett ~ MS; Anonymous ~ TX; Shirley Massey ~ TX; Jeremy & Mandy Danielson ~ TX; Anonymous ~ TX; Debbie Goff ~ TX; Jamie Discher ~ TX; Carol Miller Wise ~ NC; Cherrisa Shelton ~ TX; Sheilah Chisum ~ NM; Debbie Marks ~ OH; The Stokes Family ~ TX; Wanda Oldag ~ TX; Lisa Smith ~ OH; Michelle Hughes ~ VA;
Reece's Rainbow: Andrea Roberts, Nancy Thornell, Debbie Hannon, Michelle Zoromski, & Lucille Brown
WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE!!! WE ARE FOREVER BLESSED AND HUMBLED!!!

Friday, December 5, 2014

Update ~ Prize Giveaway and Name Reveal ~ Update

WOW, what a difference just two and a half days make!!  We are now on day three of our final adoption fundraiser.  Our Prize Giveaway and Name Reveal drive is moving along quite nicely.  We started with $2918.59 already in our Reece's Rainbow Family Sponsorship Page (FSP) adoption grant fund and now it has grown to $3427.84!!!!!!!  That is $509.25 generously donated to our adoption grant fund in order to bring Greta, Felix, & Romeo home!!!  

As a result of this amazing outpouring of love from our many donors, NINETEEN letters have been revealed in Greta's, Felix's, and Romeo's names!  I imagine that by now at least two names among their first and middle names can be guessed correctly...but, I'm not embellishing on which names those might be and I am NOT giving anymore hints.  I'll just continue to let the letters speak for themselves.  So, carry on with your guessing.  Only time will tell if your guesses will prove correct as more letters are revealed!

The second part of our fundraiser, our favorite, has been extremely rewarding to David and me.  So far, we have had the honor of conducting two separate prize drawings from among our list of donors.  It has been absolutely awesome to be able to give away TWO prizes so far!!!  We CANNOT WAIT to give away the remaining thirteen prizes to our future winners.  The first prize, a $25 AMC Movie Theatre gift card, was drawn on Monday night and won by Amy Epley of Texas.  The second prize, a Christmas Cake Pop Bouquet, was drawn on Tuesday and won by Jay and Angela Ghormley of Texas.  When our FSP reads $3668.59, we will draw for the next prize!!



I am excited at how much our four prize pots (there are pots for each level of prizes ~ regular, mid-level, reserve grand, & grand) has grown since this fundraiser was launched on Monday.  It is humbling & certainly beautiful to see the love that is reflected through each and every single name within these pots.  I am completely blessed to know that my Greta, Felix, and Romeo are loved by so many and that they have an ARMY working diligently alongside their mama and daddy to bring them home.  Words cannot even begin to  describe the emotions that I will have on the day that OUR journey is made complete and we are able to declare these precious children who are wonderfully and perfectly made Orphans No More!  Oh what a glorious day that will be!! 

It is also important to mention that we are also honored and grateful to those who have joined our journey through prayer and encouragement.  Each of you are just as important.  I sincerely mean that ~ from every fiber of my being.  We DO NOT take prayer lightly!  We know that it has been through the countless number and hours of prayers said on behalf of David, myself, and our family that we have been able to continue on this joureny with the end result always on our minds and completely seared into our hearts.  These words, lovingly and earnestly spoken to our God, have been what has sustained us through this whole crazy beautiful journey.  For we KNOW and we RELY on the Promise that He made to those of us who have been called according to His purpose.  He has promised us a hope and a future.  Our family's hope and future is found in adoption and Down syndrome.  And, our purpose is to remain obedient to Him in all that He asks of us and in all that we do so that He alone will be glorified ~ for it is not us, but Christ living in and through us.      

So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for willingly joining us on our mission, our ministry, to build our family through adoption and the beauty that is Down syndrome!  We are forever blessed and humbled!  We really do love each of you.


Exaltation of the Afflicted
 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness, 
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. ~ Isaiah 61:1-3, NASB
      

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Prize Giveaway & Name Reveal Adoption Fundraiser

Romeo
Felix
Greta

As the final fundraiser for our adoption of Greta, Felix, and Romeo, David and I are launching a NAME REVEAL & PRIZE GIVEAWAY DRAWING.  Our goal is to raise $3500 during this fun & exciting fundraiser!!

Here is how it will work:


































ALL DONATIONS MUST BE MADE TO OUR REECE'S RAINBOW FSP GRANT PAGE.  AS A BONUS, YOUR DONATION IS COMPLETELY 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE!!  So, it's a win-win, right?!?  Click HERE for our Reece's Rainbow FSP Grant Page.  100% of our RR FSP Grant will be distributed to us once we receive travel dates ~ which should be, by the Grace of God, in JUST A FEW WEEKS (!!!!!) ~ and will be used toward travel and in-country fees for our adoption of Greta, Felix, and Romeo.

If you make a donation of $25, you will have one (1) entry in the the drawing for the Grand Prize & the Reserve Grand Prize, two (2) entries for the Mid-Range Prizes, and three (3) entries for the the Regular Prizes!!  If you make a $50 donation, you will have two (2) entries in the drawing for the Grand Prize & the Reserve Grand Prize, five (5) entries for the Mid-Range Prizes, and six (6) entries for the the Regular Prizes!!  Each additional $25 in your donation will double the respective entries!!

Once you make a donation, message me on Facebook or reply to this blog post so that I can give you my email address in order to send me your donation receipt from Reece's Rainbow.  Prizes will be mailed or hand delivered (if you live near me) once they are drawn, so I will need your address as well. 

It is also important to note that David and I are choosing to honor EVERYONE who has contributed to our adoption fund ~ NOT just those who will donate through this last fundraiser.  Each and every donation is precious to us and we want to extend our gratitude and make sure it is reflected through an attempt to give back a little of what we have been blessed with in order to bring our Greta, Felix, & Romeo home and make them Orphans No More.  Therefore, those of you who have donated to our FSP since it has been up, bought t-shirts during our two t-shirt drives, and personally sent us a monetary gift for our adoption, please know that your names have DEFINITELY been entered for the prize drawings in the same manner that new and repeat donors are being added during this drive.  (If you have any questions, please feel free to message me on FB or leave a comment on this blog.)  

Our Reece's Rainbow FSP currently has $2918.59 in it.  Once it reads $3168.59, the first drawing will be made.  The second drawing will be made once it reads $3418.59.  This will continue until it reaches $6418.59, at which time, the drawing for the Grand & Reserve Grand Prizes will be made.  

Please feel free to message me on FB or reply to this blog post with questions.  Good luck, my wonderful friends!!  Thank you in advance for joining us on our journey to bring our precious Greta, Felix, and Romeo home!  We remain absolutely humbled and grateful for your outpouring of love and support.  We are truly blessed!

Side note:  to remain above reproach and show that we are good stewards of the donations made to our RR FSP grant, David and I will gladly provide specific information concerning our adoption costs and how our grant money was specifically used once we are home with our children.  Just ask!! 

Now, let the fun begin!  Ready...Set...Go!!!!

Praise for the Lord’s Mercies ~ a Psalm of David:

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.  2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;  3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;  4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;  5 Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.  6 The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed. ~ Psalm 103:1-6, NASB