One More....

Victoria is HOME!  Amazingly, she was released from the hospital last night and spent her first night sleeping in her very own bed.  

One more precious orphan, Christopher, will be sprung from the same orphanage in just 18 days.  

We still have spots in the gift card giveaway.  Let's wrap this up and get them awarded!  Someone will win $100, Folks! 

Prizes:
$100 at Shop Source
$25 at iTunes
$25 at Target
$10 at Starbucks
$10 at Target
$10 at Target

THIS GIVEAWAY IS COMPLETE! 

Entries are $10 to mamato5girls@yahoo.com.  Forward the receipt to bornagainandproud@yahoo.com.

This little boy is so valuable.  Let's push through to see him HOME, too.

Arrived

After a very long and sometimes difficult trip, Victoria has arrived in the US.  She is currently admitted to the hospital, where she will remain for days, at least, perhaps a few weeks.  Please pray.

Thanksgiving prayers for her survival through the flight.
Against re-feeding syndrome and other digestive troubles.
For comfort as she endures IV's, blood draws and other procedures.
Strength, for me.

More later. 
Love you all.

Victoria Ann......Victory is Yours!

Victoria Ann......Victory is Yours!

Sweet girl almost seems to know she needed LOVE maybe more than nutrition. 

She is such a cuddle bug.

We arrived at Victoria's orphanage on Monday after having gotten permission to make a stop to put flowers on sweet Heavenleigh’s gravesite. Such an emotional visit....but that is for a separate post.

It was about a three hour drive from her orphanage back to the capital city where we went immediately to get Victoria's passport photo taken (in her car seat as she cannot sit) . We then headed to the hospital and had her admitted and settled into her room, along with a basketful of diagnosis that the admitting Doctor seemed to think had little to do with the fact that she spent eight years in a crib systematically being starved. But I digress.

The stay in the hospital was unfortunately not a good one and as soon as Nurse Maureen arrived on Friday we were able to have Victoria released and we returned to the hotel where we are monitoring her blood sugar with heel pricks, monitoring her O2, and feeding her every three hours round  the clock via NG....

Refeeding Syndrome is a real concern for a child who is not even 10 pounds at almost 8 years old...and who's body has fed itself on its own muscles...

Today, Monday , we will go to the US Embassy and have our VISA Interview, and we will also go to a local clinic and get a complete blood panel done to see if we are safe to fly home.

It is literally unbelievable how quickly this little girl has changed.....last Monday she was a shell of a girl...her eyes dull and flitting aimlessly, her body and spirit turned in on themselves, no life to be found....no hope. Five days later her eyes are bright, she seeks me out, she coos and smiles, her body is relaxed. 

Oh Lord....how blessed I am to be able to witness this miracle unfold.

When we picked Victoria up from the orphanage her paper work stated Deep Mental Delay. When we checked her into the hospital we were told she had Severe Neurological  Impairment.

We don't know what the coming years hold for this precious girl or how her development will play out.  We do know that her development does not determine her worth, her potential does not equate to her value, the love we have for her is not dependent on her accomplishments.

She is a girl who LOVES music.....we play it for her and then we help her sign "more" .....and we play it again.

Take a look at this video....the "experts" did not account for the Power of Love.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=3IZ_yVw-0cA

Matching Grant

Great news!  Lauren was offered a $500 matching grant by the Anonymous Angels!  You can 'double' your donation AND enter our Gift Card Galore giveaway for every $5 you donate to Lauren by paypal (and don't forget to send $5 to Lynda Collicot, too!)

Donate to Lauren by Paypal to dadhorton@comcast.net
Donate to Lynda by Paypal to mamato5girls@yahoo.com

You can also help match the $500 grant by donating tax deductibly to Lauren's FSP account.

Victoria (Hope) is slowly being rehydrated and nourished. Please continue to pray against refeeding syndrome, as her body learns to digest, for extraordinary wisdom for the doctors treating her, and for the final paperwork to be finished quickly so she can endure the flight to America. 

In Hospital, Please Pray

Lauren and Victoria have reached the hospital and Victoria is getting treatment.  Her condition is very precarious and she is unbelievably tiny and fragile. Please storm heaven for this little one's precious life.  Please pray that the doctors would make wise choices in her care and that she can be stabilized and on her way as soon as possible.  

On Her Way!

Lauren is traveling now, crossing the ocean and continents to bring home a hidden treasure.  Please pray for traveling mercies, ease of transfers, safety....Please continue to remember Victoria in your prayers. May she need little stabilization before flying home.  

We still have entries left in the Gift Card giveaway that benefits Lauren and Lynda.  Details from the previous blog:

Entries are $10; with $5 sent with the friend/family option to EACH family.  Of course you may donate more and earn more entries.  We are limiting this giveaway to 50 entries. Time is so limited, so please share this post. If you share, let me know by leaving a comment and you will get a free entry.

Paypal Lauren's donations to dadhorton@comcast.net.

Paypal Lynda's donations to mamato5girls@yahoo.com. 

Send your receipt to this address and your name will go into the drawing. I will draw for the cards in the order listed above as soon as all 50 paid entries have been claimed.

I will post pictures and updates as soon as I am able. 

Gift Cards Galore!

$100 at Shop Source WINNER-Katie L.
$25 at iTunes WINNER- Heather N.
$25 at Target WINNER-Denee L.
$10 at Starbucks WINNER-Anna K.
$10 at Target WINNER-Laurel F.
$10 at Target WINNER-Swaddles

These are the gift cards that are available in this giveaway.

It's a barebones affair.

We are all worn out.

Lauren leaves to pick up Hope in just three days.

Lynda Collicot is picking up Christopher January 15th.

Both children must be hospitalized before they can be flown to the US for more hospitalization.

Two fragile, discarded children from one orphanage in one country. Two families called by God to sacrifice greatly to bring these children home.  Two, who know no love, who are about to experience a whole new world.

Can you help these two families with their final push to fully funded?

Entries are $10. Of course you may donate more and earn more entries.  We are limiting this giveaway to 50 paid entries. Time is so limited, so please share this post. If you share, let me know by leaving a comment and you will get a free entry.

Paypal Lauren's donations to dadhorton@comcast.net. (Lauren is FULLY FUNDED!  Any donations sent now will go toward medical care here in the States.)

Paypal Lynda's donations to mamato5girls@yahoo.com.

Send your receipt to this address and your name will go into the drawing. I will draw winners for the cards in the order listed above as soon as all 50 paid entries have been claimed. The more you donate, the more chances you will have to win! 

Thank you for praying for these precious children and their families.

"God sets the solitary in families;

He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;" 
Ps. 68:6a

Gratitude and Coconut Oil

How can I be so excited about transferring coconut oil from our big jar into a little plastic container so that I can sooth our sweet girls tiny, dry feet?  Oh my goodness.....I get such joy just thinking of being able to do this in less than ONE WEEK.

Less than one week...yep, it's true!

.....we still do not have an accurate estimation of what hospitalization in country will cost us....but HALLELUJAH ...we received an extremely generous gift from dear friends that will definitely put a dent in the hospitalization fees.

I have to tell you the story. 

This incredible couple are not "rich". She is a nurse and is recovering from a serious work related injury and is in pretty much constant pain.  He is a disabled vet who drives long haul truck to make ends meet.  After years of fighting the system he received a small settlement from the VA and a slight increase in his monthly stipend.

What did they choose to do with that settlement??

Yes......that is why we now have some of the funding needed to hospitalize Victoria!  What a gift, what an honor, what a blessing !

We are $2215 from fully funded for actual adoption expenses........

Our fsp will need to read $22,900.

We have a $170 matching grant right now ...when our fsp reads 20,745.37....... The "Angel" will donate $ 170.

Would love to have all adoption expenses covered by the time I leave on December 12th.

So grateful for each and every one of you who have come alongside us and encouraged us with prayers, kind words, and financial support.  Thank you.

Cha Cha Cha

We got some amazingly comforting news this morning.

Our attorney contacted the orphanage director and we got this update. "She is doing well and is not unstable"

Oh my......the knowledge that Victoria (Hope) is so very fragile....and the lack of updates (very typical) has been stressful. So to hear those few words....sigh.... "Thank you Lord!!"

In ELEVEN DAYS we will take her from the orphanage and admit her to the hospital I country.

......and that is where the cha-cha-cha dance begins.

One step forward

Two steps back

Cha-cha-cha!

Good think I love to dance.

We had been under the impression that part of Victoria's hospitalization in country would be covered by her insurance supplied by that government. However..... Once her new birth certificate is issued she is no longer covered by that country's insurance.....and until she is an American citizen (when we land in the U.S.A.) she will not be covered by our insurance. 

One step forward ~ two steps back.

May I have this dance?

We anticipated that $22,900 in our Reece's Rainbow FSP was our fully funded number.

Now that amount is an unknown....we will have a more specific estimate on Friday.

Would you dance with us?

Would you help us finish this dance?

Our Victoria is a miracle......

I wonder .....will she love to dance?