Family Changes Everything

This is our Sera's referral video from 2009.  It breaks my heart when I watch it.  She was a very sad little girl.   She had been brought to the orphanage by her birth mother.  It was obvious that Sera had not been touched often.  She pulled away and cried when someone went to touch her.  She was very malnourished.

What breaks my heart even more is to think about what her life would have been had she not been "REDEEMED" through adoption.   Without corrective eyeglasses Sera could only see 4 inches in front of her.  She also had seven fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.   Sera would have been considered "WORTHLESS" .    Sera's future would have been alone begging on the streets.

BUT

 

A

 

FAMILY

 

CHANGES

 

EVERYTHING
 

 

 *Photography by Nina Mullins Photography

 

 

Sera has a long road ahead of her.  We have no idea what her health will look like in the future.  She has a progressive kidney disease which could potentially lead to double kidney failure.  She will also continue to loose her vision.  There are so many unknowns in her future.  However, there is one thing that she will always have . . . .

 

FAMILY

 

WALKING

 

BESIDE

 

HER

 

ALL

 

THE

 

WAY

Lifesong "Mission Moment"

Faith. Family. Home.In caring for orphans, our hope is to instil faith, family and a sense of home deep into the hearts of every child we are blessed to serve. Please enjoy this month's Mission Moment highlighting the fruit of God's work through us.

Baptized in the Name of the ONE True God...

In a country where the worship of many gods is commonplace, lives of children are being changed and transformed by the working of Jesus Christ, the ONE true God. Lifesong India provides homes for almost 600 children who are all being exposed to the gospel of our loving, merciful and kind Father God.
Baptism has always been a powerful symbol of Christianity. This symbol is especially notable in this culture because through this outward testimony of faith, children are publicly turning away from false gods to rely only on Jesus! Witness the baptism of the girls from one of our homes below. Learn more about Lifesong India >>

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38 

Building Children's Home in Guatemala

It's exciting to see the progress of our new orphan care initiative in Guatemala. Construction has started on the family homes that will one day invite orphans with special needs into their doors to give faith, family and a future to children in need. Thanks to many of you for your support in this exciting new project!

Please continue to pray for safety and wisdom as construction continues. Learn more about Lifesong Guatemala: Village of Hope >>

Read more about Faith, Family & Home...

Orphans in Ukraine Find Forever Families -- Through Adoption with Borders, like-minded families and churches in the USA connect with Christian families in Ukraine who are seeking to adopt.  Read Full Story

Planting Spiritual Seeds in Liberia -- Our aim is to help children develop a personal relationship with the Lord and to keep that relationship growing.  Read Full Story

Mehesh, A Life Changed -- "I don't want to think about what my life would be like if I didn't have the opportunity to live at that home (Chitty Memorial Home in Lifesong India)..." Read full story

Help Reece's Rainbow win $50,000

We have two children with Down Syndrome through adoption. We are so grateful to Reece's Rainbow and their ministry to help orphans with Down Syndrome.

This beautiful young lady has written a song about her siblings with Down Syndrome. She wants to donate $50,000 to help more children with Down Syndrome to find families.  If she gets 700,000 hits on her video she wins $50,000 for Reece's Rainbow. You can read more about her quest to win $50,000 for Reece's Rainbow HERE.

Stuck

Lily Xin Da is now our daughter

We met our daughter on Monday!! We have had a hard time posting but she is here!

Internet woes

I can only access blogger through my blogger app. Unfortunately that means that it is a pain in the butt to type on this tiny phone. I also have to email myself pictures to post, also a pain. At least we have access.

It is Sunday here in Ch!na. We made it to Guangzhou last night. Today is a free day then tomorrow we meet Lily!!! Everyone talks about her funny little personality. We can,'t wait to meet her.

I leave you with this sweet face!!

Hangzhou SWI

Wednesday we were honored to visit with Isaac's orphanage. It is a new beautiful campus only a few years old. At first Isaac clung to me but once he saw his teachers he got down to play. It was obvious he was loved there.

A few things we learned about Isaac. He does not like things out of order or dirty. They said he was always cleaning up after the other children. We have seen this too. He also loves music. They have a piano in the room and he went right to it and began playing. He was not banging but actually trying to play. They said the piano is one of the few things he will do and sit patiently at.

We had a great visit. They enjoyed seeing Isaac.

Officially official!!!!

Isaac Guo Hong is our son! Today we made it official and received Isaac's adoption certificate.

We have our son

We met Isaac yesterday! He is absolutely amazing! We could hear them coming up the stairs. They walked into the room and he was all smiles. I don't think he has stopped moving except when he is sleeping. He came right to us and started playing with the cars we brought. He would run around and then come back over to me. After a few minutes he ran up to me with his arms up. I picked him up and then came the most treasured moment . . . HE KISSED ME!!

Oh my heart. He is so beautiful and fun and smart and happy. Well, I could go on and on.

We have Travel Approval!! Here we come Lily & Issac. We will be leaving in a couple of weeks to meet our beautiful children.

New ShowHope Video

One Final Giveaway - The BIG One

We are approximately 6-8 weeks from travel to meet and adopt our two beautiful children.  Of course I am praying it is closer to the 6 week mark. 

 

Our total final fees will need to be wired in country a week before we travel.  We were given an estimate of $25,000, plus airfare costs.

 

If you don't know our story and how God moved our hearts towards adoption you can read it HERE.

EVERY donation of ANY amount and EVERY time you share our giveaway your name will be entered into the giveaway.

 

 

 

 

 

How to donate:

We still need $1,000 in our matching grant fund through Lifesong for Orphans.  Directions are on the right sidebar.  When making a donation please indicate "Preference Maas #2852".  When we reach our goal we will have a $12,000 grant!!!


We need our Reece's Rainbow Family Account to read $8,000.  Donations can be made using the link on the left sidebar. 

You can also donate through our FIG Account with Project Hopeful.  Just click on the donate button below.

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Prizes:

I am real excited about these prizes.  Honestly, I think they are the best I have seen in any giveaway!

PRIZE 1

 

 We will forever be grateful to you for your generosity

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRIZE 2

 

These children will know the love of a family.

 

 

 

PRIZE 3

 

These children will know the love of a child with Down Syndrome

 

GRAND PRIZE

Our Heavenly Father will say "Well done, good and faithful servant"

 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40

 

 

 

 

Update on Isaac and Lily

We received pictures of Isaac recently.  These were taken back in the spring.

Our most recent information about him says he is 34 inches tall and 24 pounds.  He is saying Mama and Baba.  They say he is a very active child.  It also mentions that he is afraid of stuffed animals :(

Isaac is living in a foster home in Hangzhou Ch*na.  Hangzhou is named "The Most Beautiful Place on Earth".   We will be in Hangzhou for one week when we go to adopt Isaac.  I can't wait to spend time in this beautiful city.

We also received new pictures of Lily.  These pictures were actually taken this week!

We don't have any recent information on Lily.  We are hoping to have updated measurements before we travel.  Last November she was 36 inches tall and weighed 28 pounds.  She was so tiny for a 5 year old.  I wonder how much she has grown this year. 

Lily is in a foster home in Maoming Ch*na.  We will be saying in Guangzhou but we will travel to Maoming for a one day visit.  I have read they have beautiful beaches in Maoming where many people vacation. 

We have LOA's!!!!!!!!!

We have officially been approved by China to adopt Lily and Isaac.  The rest of the process has been moving pretty quickly.  We expect to have our Travel Approval in the next 7-8 weeks. That means we could be meeting our new blessings in about 9-10 weeks!!!

We also received a new picture of Isaac.  He is so darn cute.  We can't wait to meet them both!

Giveaway Winners!!!

First let me say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has donated to our matching grant.  We are currently at $3,300.  We are half way there!!  You can still donate to our matching grant. I have placed a DONATE BUTTON on the right sidebar to make it easier to donate. 

DRAWING WINNERS

I have emailed all the prize winners except for two I need contact information. 

Kathryn Lee and Ashley Tucker

Please email me @ maasfamily1@gmail.com so I can get your prize to you!

Matching Grant & Giveaway!!!

We have been blessed with a $6,000 MATCHING GRANT through Lifesong for Orphans and Orphan Care Alliance.  Donations will be matched dollar for dollar up to $6,000. 

Did you hear that? 

$6,000 + $6,000 = $12,000!!!!!!!!

We still need $25,000 for our adoption to be fully funded.   $12,000 will get us half way there!!  Our dossier has already been submitted and we are currently waiting for our Letter of Approval.  We will need the remaining $25,000 by the time we receive our Travel Approval. 

There are two ways you can make a donation for the matching grant.  You can donate on the Lifesong for Orphans website  @ www.lifesongfororphans.org/donation In the "purpose section" please write "preference Maas #2852 adoption" If you choose to make a donation using PayPal a 1.9%-2/9% service fee will be deducted from the donation for PayPal fees.

Second, you can make a check donation made out to "Lifesong for Orphans".  In the memo section of your check please write "preference Maas #2852 adoption".  You can mail donations to:

Lifesong for Orphans

PO Box 40/202 N. Ford Street

Gridley, IL 61744

All donations are tax deductible.  In following IRS guidelines, your donation is to the named non-profit organization.  This organziation retains full discretion over its use, but intends to honor the donor's suggested use.

Now the GIVEAWAY prizes !!!!!

 

For making a donation towards our matching grant you will be entered into a giveaway.   Please leave a comment on this post letting me know you made a donation.  Please make sure you give me your email address in your comment in case you win something in the giveaway.  Donations will be confirmed prior to the giveaway drawing.

$10.00 = 1 entry

$20.00 = 2 entries

$50.00 = 5 entries

$100.00 = 10 entries

Autographed copy of Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman

Pampered Chef Chocolate Carmel Sauce & Recipe Book

Panda Bear Gift Set

Mary Kay Gift Certificate

Thirty-One Demi Purse

Thirty-One Organizing Utility Tote and Littles Carry All Caddy

Thirty-One Organizing Utility Tote and Littles Carry All Caddy

Beautiful Bracelet with a Dawn Bigler Patterson(Funky Fish Designs) Pendant

(bead color not guaranteed)

More Giveaway Prizes to come!!

 All donations must be received by Lifesong by close of business Monday July 16th

to count for giveaway drawing.   Drawing will occur as soon as donations can be varified.

THANK YOU!!!!

Shop for Isaac & Lily

I have some beautiful and generous friends who are throwing Lily & Isaac a party!  Oh wait, not just one party but FOUR PARTIES!!!  Commissions from ALL four parties will be donated to Lily & Isaacs' adoption fund.

PARTY ONE

The Pampered Chef

PARTY TWO

Tastefully Simple

When you check out make sure you choose "Rebecca Maas" as your host.

PARTY THREE

Thirty-One

The special for May is for every $31 in retail order, you can buy an All-in-One Organizer for just $5

PARTY FOUR
Ordinary Hero
Make sure you choose Rebecca Maas in the Affiliate Menu
OH will be giving away THREE $500 Grants to the top 3 sellers over the week time frame!
If I am the top seller THIS WEEK I will get an extra grant for $500.00!!!!
Plus the 40% revenue from my sells. 

HAPPY SHOPPING!!!!

Adoption Update

Here is the low down on the adoption news . . .

Home Study Complete

I800a Mailed

Dossier Done well done except for I800a approval

Authentication Process Started

Now comes the ranting . . . .

We filed our I800a on April 10th and had receipt notice issued April 12th.  I thought WOW that was fast!  We were supposed to receive notice of fingerprinting in 10-14 day following receipt notice.  Well it has been 17 days and we have not even been assigned a fingerprinting appointment yet.  Oh, wait it gets better.  The reason we have not received an appointment is because the Louisville USCIS is SOOOOOO BUSY they do not have any appointments available for at least the next three weeks.  They won't even send out an appointment letter unless they have an appointment available within a three week period of time.  HELLO!!!  You have got to be kidding me.  I have been to that office four times and I have NEVER been there when there was more than one other person waiting to get fingerprinted. 

So normally this would not be a big deal we would just sit and wait.  HOWEVER, we need to move and we can't move until we get fingerprinted and dossier out of here.  If we move BEFORE our dossier leaves than we would have to redo documents, pay more fees, etc. 

So there you have it we are stuck.  Thankfully our USCIS officer says our case is ready for approval as soon as our fingerprints are done.  You know the most stupid thing about this whole process.  We were just fingerprinted two months ago for our home study.  We have actually been fingerprinted 5 TIMES in the last four years.  They DO NOT keep fingerprint records on file. That is absurd!!

So here are our prayer needs:

1.  Fingerprinting Appointment and FAST

2.  We have to make a big payment when our dossier goes out.

3.  We can get our dossier out of here by the end of May.

New Picture of Isaac & Update

UPDATE:

We have given our kids learning combined with therapy. Our main purpose is to help children with their speech and muscle of lower limbs. He can walk alone but not quite stable. He is easy to fall down. He can hold to walk up and down stairs. He can climb up and down of crib or couch. He can take his shoes off and put his shoes on with a little help. He can use cup to drink water. He is learning to feed self. He is always happy and he loves to do therapy with his teacher.

He can imitate very well. He can follow teachers to do many simple actions. He even joined the performance of “I Love You” during our show. He can wave to say bye. He loves to go to class very much. He knows how to follow the routine during class time, such as find his seat to sit down first, raise his hand when his name is called. He knows his pictures, tilt his thumb to show good. He can say Baba, Mama. He likes to pick up the phone and pretend calling someone. He can understand many simple instructions, such as “sit down, stand up, go there…” and he knows the meaning of NO. He will stop when you say No. He is in the process of potty train. He knows to sit on baby potty to pee.

He is a very active child. He loves to play ball. He is also very curious and wants to try every new thing. He doesn’t like stuffed animals. He feels scared when he sees them. Since the therapy program, He has changed so much. We will keep working on his speech, physical development.

Look at that smile!  I could just eat him up! 

Package for Isaac

We have always sent packages to our children ourselves but this time I decided to use a service.  Ann with Red Thread was recommended over and over again.  Now I understand why!  She was so nice and prompt.  She spoke with our son's orphanage the same day she received our request.  The package will be in his little hands in a couple of days.  She also sent us a picture of the package she is sending to Isaac.