Elizabeth C. and her NEW FAMILY!

I just realized I hadn't updated my blog with respect to the beautiful Elizabeth C. yet. Her family found her (which I had noted), and what a darling family they are! Click on their blog to meet the Clark family...a family with three brothers for Elizabeth (they're keeping her name!) and two sisters. Both sisters have that extra chromosome, and one of those sisters just came home from China in September. Isn't that incredible?

I hope you will follow their family blog as they move quickly forward to claim their daughter and reclaim her and the abundant life the Lord has for her. I was searching my blog for pictures of Elizabeth that they may not yet have and found my prayer for her. What an amazing blessing to see how God answered that prayer with this fantastic family. My only complaint is that He didn't bring a family that lived a little closer to me, but who can really quibble with God's divine plan?

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever!!

Memorial Box Monday: Elizabeth C. and George Mueller

SpIGoT--Where Learning Flows, was started with the intention of being a homeschooling blog. I remained focused on that intention for exactly as long as it took me to set up and name the blog. My first posts were blurbs on each of our children. I discovered that they were much more fun to write about than our school work and I never looked back!

All to say that I do still homeschool my children. On Wednesday of this week, I was reading to Alex and Anna about the amazing Mr. George Mueller. If you haven't read of Mr. Mueller yourself, I suggest you stop reading my blog and immediately locate a copy of his autobiography and read it, then come back. To say that reading it has been life-changing for many, many people would be putting it mildly.

George Mueller is most famous for his faith and his praying on behalf of the 10,000+ orphans he housed, fed, clothed and educated over his adulthood. His goal, however, was not only the housing, feeding, clothing and educating of orphans; his goal, his overarching purpose, was to show a watching world that God is real, God is trustworthy, God answers prayer [John Piper, sermons].

Back to Wednesday, we were reading what is arguably Mueller's most famous day at the orphanage. He and the hundreds of orphans had awoken to a new day that contained no food, no milk, and no money to purchase any. One of his friends was visiting with his little daughter, whom George took with him to the cafeteria where the orphans were assembling. George led the group in a prayer of thanks for their daily bread, knowing none was in front of them.

In no time, a baker knocked at the door. He said God had awakened him at 2 a.m. and told him to bake bread for the orphans and he was just delivering it. Moments after that, a milk wagon broke an axle in front of their building. The driver had to unload all the milk to fix the wagon, meaning the milk would go bad before he could sell it. Would the orphans have use of his milk?

So, on Wednesday morning I challenged Alex, Anna and myself to take a minute and pray like George Mueller. We did so, and then we talked about the times we've prayed and seen God work immediately and the times we've prayed and God hasn't answered the way we would like, but we still know we can trust Him for our good.

Thursday morning, I got up and started scrolling through facebook updates on my phone. I didn't get far at all before seeing an update from Andrea Roberts, Reece's Rainbow founder, that said we need to get busy finding homes for all the other older girls with Down syndrome now that Elizabeth C. had her family find her.

I dropped that phone like a hot potato and ran into the kitchen were John and the kids were gathering for our morning family devotional. "Alex and Anna! Guess what I prayed yesterday? I prayed that Elizabeth would find a family and guess what!!! I just found out she did!!!" I think overjoyed would be a good word.

In one day, God had strengthened the faith of my family and found a home for a girl who desperated needed one. He's very efficient that way, our God.

My challenge to my readers and to myself is to continue to pray like George Mueller, trusting that God cares, God loves, God is real, God is trustworthy and God desires to make His Name known in a fallen world by answering our prayers.

I know that this isn't Monday but I don't think it matters. I'll post it on A Place Called Simplicity next Monday. I was gone all day yesterday and couldn't post this wonderful news and I just couldn't wait any longer to share the news.

How great is our God?

Now, where's the family for Elizabeth's best friend, Angelina? I believe it's time to pray.

 Angelina R., July 8, 2004

UPDATE: Here is the link to the family blog of Elizabeth C's family! They just returned from China in September with a new blessing, also found on Reece's Rainbow. What a lovely, God-honoring family He found for our sweet Elizabeth!!

My new favorite Christmas card

Yesterday, when I visited my new friend Renee's blog, I found she had left me the most wonderful Christmas card. Of course, I had to show it to you! As you can see from the video, Renee is adopting a darling little girl, but those who are still waiting weigh heavily on her heart, as they do mine.

Enjoy...but don't forget the tissues!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I can't say I didn't know

Proverbs 24~~

¹⁰ If you falter in a time of trouble,
   how small is your strength!
¹¹ Rescue those being led away to death;
   hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
¹² If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
   does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
   Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

...but what have I done? How small is my strength?  



Micah 7:7

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD,
   I wait for God my Savior;
   my God will hear me.

Elizabeth C.--my prayer request

Today at A Place Called Simplicity, Linny is calling for a day of fasting and prayer, as she occasionally does. We've seen God move some big mountains when His people pray and today I'm adding my request to the many she will gather on her blog today.

I found out yesterday that Elizabeth C. was moved to an institution. A mental institution. In a former Soviet country that has never recovered its value of human life, much less disabled human life, since its repudiation of communism. I have written many times before about mental institutions in Eastern Europe. Today, I'll share what someone else has written about them, someone who was just there, someone who saw a teenaged boy with Down syndrome whose daily job was to wash out the toilet pots, who daily had excrement smeared all over his hands, who daily smelled overwhelmingly awful, who daily smiled at her and tried to interact with gentleness, who daily reminded her that a mental institution is no place for such a gentle soul.

That situation may be better or worse than where Elizabeth was sent; we don't know. If it's worse, it's not by much. In the USA, our institutions, relics of our own misguided past, are often in the news after yet another flagrant abuse is discovered. Their institutions don't even make the news; no abuse that is discovered will ever even be known, prosecuted, championed. The caregivers over these defenseless children wield enormous power inside the walls of the institution. I feel sure some use it judiciously and others use it maliciously.

So my prayer request: I ask for prayer that someone would step forward today and claim her for their very own. I pray that someone could move quickly with her adoption. Even in that situation, it will take months for her adoption to be completed, so I pray that God would send some mighty fierce angels to guard her innocence, guard her heart, guard that sparkle in her eyes until her parents can remove her and escort her safely home.

I pray for a kind-hearted caregiver for Elizabeth, one who treats her gently and who has a kind word for her every day. I pray for friends in the orphanage. Elizabeth has been ripped away from her very best friend, Angelina. They spent their days playing dolls together. I've never heard of nor seen a doll in an institution. Not a toy. Nothing. These are the places where active and imaginative children are tied to too-small cribs.

As I'm typing, Vera just came in to give me a big hug and good morning kiss. I'm weeping now. This is where she was headed. I cannot imagine Vera's spark being snuffed out by life in the institution. What a loss to me. What a loss to Vera.

I pray that when Elizabeth is adopted that God would restore the years the locusts have eaten, that He would meld her into her family as seamlessly as if she'd been born to them.

Isn't she beautiful?

She's been put into some awful glasses but that sweet smile just shines through, doesn't it?

Here is the info from Reece's Rainbow:

Elizabeth C.

Date of Birth: August 2003
Gender: Female
Eyes: Gray
Hair: dark brown

HELP! I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TRANSFERRED ((

This sweet girl is 7 years old. We are so hopeful to find a family for her! Elizabeth is so beautiful, and she loves to care for her baby dolls. She is active, intelligent, social, helpful, and an orphanage favorite. She does wear glasses, but who knows if they are the right prescription for her? Elizabeth will do very well in a family setting, and I hope someone will "baby" HER very soon!

From her medical records: Down Syndrome, moderate mental deficiency, atopic dermatitis; delay in growth, amblyopia of high degree, congenital myopia with astigmatism

FULL MEDICAL RECORDS AVAILABLE
LOTS MORE PHOTOS AVAILABLE
I AM ELIGIBLE FOR AN OLDER CHILD GRANT (which currently stands at $975, but a fundraiser that has raised $990 has not been added, or at least has not been added in its entirety)

If you are her family then please contact Andrea Roberts at: andrea@reecesrainbow.org to get started. Today.