God's army is needed to bring little Ethan home

We all know how tragic the life of an orphan growing up without a forever family could end up; how each year when they should be joyfully celebrating another birthday, they instead are becoming increasingly aware that each year that they live at the orphanage and watch babies and toddlers going home, their chances of being the "chosen one" gets slimmer and slimmer.

So, when my dear friend Yvonne asked if I would help in spreading the word about an amazing family needing help bringing home their 7 year old son, who waits in China, I immediately said YES! I came home tonight and read this Mama's blog and her struggle right now in bringing him home. I knew that we had to help. I'm praying hard for little Ethan and hoping that you, too, will say YES!

Please take a moment to read what Yvonne sent me to share with all whose hearts are open to helping another one of God's orphans make it home to his forever family.





"I have a good friend who needs our help. Even if you can't donate in a monetary way, your prayers are more powerful than anything else.

This mom has a heart of gold. She and her family have brought home three beautiful children from China, two of them were older with special needs, and they are in the process of adopting their 7 year old son from China as well. She has moved mountains to bring her babies home, and has not let anything stop her, even when she was told by one agency that getting the file of the child she knew was her daughter, was almost impossible. She knew this child was hers and fought to bring her home, and she now lives happily with her forever family with one of the best moms I know, my good friend! She really and truly has the biggest heart. In the past when she has read about a family who needed help, as she does now, she would donate what she could, and when Love Without Boundaries has their auctions, she gets involved and donates to the cause, anything to help the children of China.

I don't think she ever imagined that she would be bringing home a 7 year old, but this little boy stole her heart and once again, she has worked against the odds to bring him home, but now they need help.

I want to first say, to everyone who is reading this, thank you for doing so. I'm not going to share the personal details of what she is going through because a lot of it is very painful and I don't want to hurt her, but I do want to say that she is an incredibly giving soul. She would literally give the shirt off her back to a stranger. She has helped family, friends and strangers generously even when she really couldn't afford to, and doesn't want to ask for help for her family now, so I'm hoping to be her voice. She is the rock of her family, but now she needs some of us to be rocks and give her strength.

This child had some grants available to him and those were very helpful, but due to some recent personal issues, my friend and her family have had some outgoing expenses that they were not expecting. Their LOA is due to arrive any day, for those not in the adoption community, this means, they are getting ready to receive a letter that they will sign and send back to China and then they will travel to pick up their child shortly after. The grants covered the agency fees and some of the adoption fees, but it didn't cover the travel expenses which is what they need to come up with now and kind of fast. With her other adoptions she was able to sell off retirement funds and use home equity loans, but now they have depleted that. She has been with a company for over ten years that in the past allowed her to take an advance on her vacation time, but now there is new management and she was just told this week that when she goes to China this time, she cannot do that and will have to take unpaid leave. This will just add to the financial burden they're under.

She has cut every corner she can, including deciding to travel to China by herself. I know she'd like to take her 7 year old, but right now the goal is just to get her there! She has been under so much stress lately. I want to see her relieved of this and let her have peace in knowing that she has the finances she needs to bring her sweet boy home. He deserves a family. He's waited 7 long years and he deserves to know the love of THIS amazing family. He has received his package with their photo album and been told he has a family waiting for him, and I'm heart broken to think that money, oh I wish it didn't come to that, could stand in the way. I know money is tight for everyone. Trust me I know, we are a family of 7 ourselves, but if you can give even $5 to help bring this child home and help him know the love of his family, I would be, and I know she would be, extremely grateful.

If you just can't do it, I understand, please just include her and her family in your prayers. Please pray that God will provide the finances for her to bring her son home and, if it's meant to be, help with the financial strain that will be upon them with her having to take unpaid leave. She is very private and she now knows I talked to Ohilda and thankfully took it well. She does not like to ask for help and I had to beg her to put the chip in on her blog. I woke up this morning and knew this is what I needed to do. I can help her, but I am only one person, so I'm calling for back up!

I need God's army to get behind this mom and family, whether it be through a financial donation or prayer, please help me. Help my friend bring her son home!

Go check out her beautiful kids! Please prayerfully consider making even a very small donation. These small amounts add up and together, we can all make a difference in the life of a little boy that has waited so long to call a family his own. Click on the link below to go to her blog.

MOONCAKES AND MUDPIES

Thank you again to Ohilda for allowing me to use her blog to pour my heart out! Your love of our Lord is tremendous, O.! Thank you for showing us what it means to let Jesus shine!"

Dear God,

We know You have a plan, you set this child on my friend's heart and she felt your calling and answered without hesitation. She has gone against all human odds to bring this child home, but we know what You have planned is greater than any human odds she is and has been up against. We know you will provide a way for Ethan to be united with his family. We pray that you hold this child tight in Your arms and surround him with Your love until his mom can get there and wrap her arms around him.

We pray and ask all this, always, in Jesus' name.

Amen!

Love and Peace,

Yvonne

The Waiting Child

by Debbie Bodie

I saw you meet your child today

You kissed your baby joyfull

yAnd as you walked away with her

I played pretend you'd chosen me.

I'm happy for the baby, yet

Inside I'm aching miserably

I want to plead as you go by,

"Does no-one want a child of three?"

I saw you meet your child today

In love with her before you met

And as I watched you take her out

I knew it wasn't my turn yet.

I recognize you from last year!

I knew I'd seen your face before!

But you came for a second babe.

Does no-one want a child of four?

I saw you meet your child today

But this time there was something new

A nurse came in and took MY hand

And then she gave my hand to you.

Can this be true?

I'm almost six!

And there are infants here, you see?

But then you kissed me and I knew

The child you picked this time was me.

Copyright 1997