Help Bring Jonathan Home

I am writing in hopes that you will help me help the Mickschl family. Tim and I met the Mickschl's in Ukraine last year while we were adopting Anastasia. They were adopting a little girl with Down Syndrome from the same orphanage. We leaned on each other and prayed for each other as we both journeyed thru our adoptions. We were very blessed by them.

They are now adopting again!!! In December, they said "Yes" again to God's call to care for orphans when they heard of a 16yr.old boy named Jonathan who was aging out of the orphanage in Ukraine. Without the Mickschl's step of faith, Jonathan would already be on the streets without the love and guidance of a mom and a dad. I can not fathom any of my children being unprotected outside cold, hungry, and all alone not knowing where they are. This is the case for orphans all over the world, but it doesn't have to be! God loves them all! He created them! They are His children! God is running after Jonathan with the help of the Mickschl's hands and feet!

However, there's a huge financial mountain the Mickschl's are trying to tear down with their bear hands,so they can get to their son! They could be traveling as soon as next month and they still need to raise at least 13,000! Because Mr. Mickschl is self-employed they will have no income coming in while they are in Ukraine bringing their son home.

Please help this family in any of the these 4 ways:

1.Pray! Pray! Pray! Pray for their family and for Jonathan(when Jonathan was told a family wanted to come and adopt him,he was stunned. He didn't know how to respond because he said no one had ever wanted him.)

2. Visit their blog http://www.1blessing2another.blogspot.com/ to learn about their I-Pad Giveaway! It ends April 24th

3. Purchase Thirty One products at www.31bydana.com now thru April 29th and 50% of all profits will be given to the Mickschl's adoption. Click on the above link then click on My Events. Look for the Hansina Mickschl Adoption Fundraiser then click shop. If you spend $31 or more you can get any purse 1/2 off!! Happy shopping -knowing your purchases will help bring Jonathan home!

4. Give a tax-deductible donation to the Mickschl's adoption through Project Hopeful at

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=H9J6M3MJXX5BJ



Please pass this info on to your email contacts. Please post it on your blog and facebook and help change the course of Jonathan's life.
If you will pass this link http://www.31bydana.com/  on to your email contacts, or post it on your FB and/or blog about the Hansina Mickschl Adoption Fundraiser , and you let me know via email allent05@netzero.com or leave a comment saying you posted, then your name will be entered into a drawing to win a Thirty One Large Utility Tote ($30 value)!!
The party closes April 29th! Only 7 days left to bless the Mickschl's thru this 31 fundraiser, and receive this month's special. The Large Utility Tote winner will be notified April 29th via email. Products will be shipped directly to buyer within 10 days of the party closing date

Here's a picture of Jonathan,the Mickschl's son waiting in Ukraine. You can also visit the Mickschl's blog http://1blessing2another.blogspot.com/ to follow their adoption journey.
Thank you so much for your help!

Home 7 months Today!!

It has been so long since I've posted, I don't know if anyone is still reading. LOL

Blogging has just taken a backseat. I don't know if everything I want to do doesn't get done because I'm a slow Southern Belle or I am just not a good time manager. Whatever the reason, I'm always wanting to blog and share whats going on, but as you see I haven't. I did realize yesterday, through Holy Spirit conviction that many people reading have cared about, prayed for, and donated funds, so Anastasia(aka Annie Belle)could call us Mama and Papa. Therefore, in thankfulness for everyone who helped change the course of her life, I want to share about this blessed journey.

She is such an amazing child! In the 7 months she has been home, she has never once seemed sad or afraid. She is very independent and catches on to new things very fast. After her first cleft palate surgery in Nov, she was such a trooper. She was the best little patient and so cooperative. The time I had with her in the hospital and her recovery period at home, served to be a great bonding opportunity. When we first visited her in the orphanage, she jumped when I touched her shoulder. When I tried to sing to her, she just looked at me like "what are you doing." As time has gone on, she has slowly been allowing mama to be her comfort. You can almost see a sigh of relief on her face as I hold her and touch her face. As I have experienced the blessing of her attachment, I have wept. She is trusting me and enjoying being loved on. . When she grabs my hand and puts it on her face, I thank my Heavenly Father. Sometimes it's a long time before she will give me my hand back. LOL. She is thriving with the power of human touch! Now that she has it, she doesn't want to let it go. My heart is overwhelmed. On one hand, I grieve for what she did not have and on the other hand, I'm in awe that God has allowed me to be a part of this miracle. I am one blessed Mama!

Irina is doing fantastic! Adopting Anastasia definitely helped her blossom. She was beginning to loose her Russian. It seemed like too much for her to learn English and keep her language at the same time. But once Anastasia got home, it sparked something and the Russian started flowing! She continues to speak only Russian to Anastasia, and she is like a little mama to her. I am so proud of her!! We have friends adopting a little boy right now in Ukraine. Irina will be able to communicate with him and help them if he is ever scared or they don't understand him. The power of love and the security of a family has totally impacted Irina as well. She is not the child I brought home 1yr and 6 months ago.

Seth keeps us laughing daily. I want to use this blog to record and remember all the funny things he says. He calls Anastasia "The baby" when in reality,he's the baby. He's the only one in the family that pronounces her name in Russian "Annastaseeya"

Amy,Samuel, and Seth are all learning and communicating Russian with Anastasia. It so cute to hear the boys saying the few Russian words they now know. Since Annie's surgery, she has been in speech therapy and she is understanding so much.She is learning to articulate sounds and is learning English all at the same time I am certain that if we stopped communicating with her in Russian, she would have no problem understanding us.When she first came home all she could do was point, grunt,and play charades. It was her only way to communicate for so long,but we are encouraging her to say the word she is acting out. When she is able to speak clearly, I wonder what all she will say. I bet she won't stop talking. However, I will miss playing charades with her. LOL.

Praise and Glory to Our Lord and Savior for this journey. Thanks be to God for everyone who helped us "place the lonely in families." Psalm 68:6