Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The Sorrow In Their Eyes

I remember the day they first met him.
 
Our little Brady.

 

 
Our sweet little Houdini who always had someone hanging on to him so he wouldn't run.
(That is Brady at the back of the line)
 
 
 Aaron's table mate and bedroom buddy.
 
Their Judd.

 
Denis.


I remember their e-mail and those first pictures...

Even though I wasn't there - it was obvious in the pictures...



He was a wild child! Bouncing off the walls in the director's office.

It was obvious that in the nine months since we had last seen him that he had deteriorated.
 
They traveled across the ocean to find their son and all he could do was bounce crazily around the director's office.
 
We knew he would be hard.
 
We were as honest and upfront with the Hartmans as we could be that he was in a place where staying sane is a craft that few could manage.
 
Sitting in a shed every single day takes its toll.
 
When I first talked to Melanie on the phone after she saw his picture and heard the Holy Spirit  screaming to her heart - I was painfully honest - to the point where they were forced to really think through their desire to get our little Brady.
 
They didn't go in blind and for that I am very thankful.  They went in well prepared for what to expect...

Even so....

He was hard.

Shed sitting is hard on the soul.

But God redeems what was stolen.

And time does heal.

And love does make a difference.

And this little boy...


 
 This little newly nine year old boy is doing so very very well...
 
 
 
 
To see him surrounded by his brothers...
 
 
To know that he is growing and learning and thriving...
 
 
To know that he has a PAPA and a MAMA..
 
 
I just can't even put it into words!
 
He was Lost. 
 
He was destined to spend the rest of his days sitting in a shed.
 

 
Drugged in order to keep him contained.
 

 
 
Hidden away.
 
Now he can run and play and grow and learn.
 
 
Found.
 
PRAISE GOD HE WAS FOUND...
 
Oh Praise God he was found!
 
-----------------------------
 
They have not been found.
 
These boys.
 
30520132428 30520133548 Porter 2013 30520133224
 
Do you see the sorrow in their eyes?
 
I do.
 
These boys.
 
They are LOST.
 
They stare blankly at the camera in the same way they stare blankly at the walls in the shed.
 
They have been locked away - most likely drugged - hidden.
 
Lost.
 
Lost Boys.
 
Not one boy is smiling in the pictures.
 
Not one.
 
Look at them.
 
See the sorrow in their eyes.
 
30520132428 30520133548 Porter 2013 30520133224
 
They have nothing to smile about.
 
All they have known in their lives is abandonment, loneliness and despair.
 
They are little boys who have SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
 
Desperately in need of Mamas and Papas who will cross the ocean for them.
 
We are raising money to remove the financial barrier.
 
We are raising money so they can be SEEN.
 
PLEASE SEE THEM.
 
Hear their songs.
 
Listen to the screaming in your heart.
 
Replace their sorrow with joy.
 
Give them the chance to run free.
 
Oh please give them the chance to run free!



IT IS A SEPTEMBER SYMPHONY....

WE HAVE $20,700 IN MATCHING GRANTS..

WE NEED TO RAISE:  $16,700.00
(To match the 20,700 in matching grants being offered)
 
WE STILL NEED:  $885.00

WE HAVE RAISED:  $22,425.00
(This includes the money for the Rowes, Dobrovits, Tam's, Deutsches and Brenton that is over and above the matching grants.  It does NOT include the hundreds of dollars that has been donated to the Hortons, Taylors, Unroes and Grace Knuth)
 
 PRAISE GOD!!!  DAGMAR MET HIS MATCH!!!

WE ARE SO CLOSE.... SO SO CLOSE....

PLEASE JOIN IN AND HELP IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY!!

TAKE PART - COME ON!
 
 THESE MATCHES HAVE NOT BEEN MET...
 
 
PORTER - $1,000 + 1,000 matching grant   - Raised $529.00 
STILL NEEDS $471.00
(Reece's Rainbow grant needs to read $8888.00)
 
PEARSON - $1,000 + 1,000 matching grant  - Raised $782.00
STILL NEEDS $218.00
(Reece's Rainbow grant needs to read $6224.00)

GRADY - $1,000 + 1,000 matching grant  - Raised $804.00
STILL NEEDS $196.00
(Reece's Rainbow grant needs to read $6215.00)

THESE MATCHES HAVE BEEN MET...

DAGMAR - $1,000 + 1,000 matching grant - Raised $1036.00 

 Janice and Tim Rowe - 3,700 matching grant - Raised $4,124.00
 
 Renee and Steve Tam - 3,000 matching grant - Raised $5,061.00
STILL NEED $3,000 TO BE FULLY FUNDED!!
 
 Val and Bill Deutsch - 2,500 matching grant - Raised $3,279.00
STILL NEED $1,308 TO BE FULLY FUNDED!!
 
Carla and Paul Dobrovits - 2,500 matching grant - Raised $3221.00
STILL NEED $2,279 TO BE FULLY FUNDED

 BRENTON - 1,000 matching grant - Raised $3,589.00
 
 
 
The Heroes of this Symphony....THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Jacquelyn, Tiny, Andi, Cathy, Cathleen, Arnie, Kenlyn, Andrea, Jennifer, Robin, Kim, Guy, Nicole, Christina, Gentry, Theresa, Cortney, Pamela, Laura, Tiffany, Holly, Amanda,  Rebecca, Penney, Sherry, Cheryl, Nancy, Samm, Hannah, Alex, Susan, Jennifer, Amy, Jamie, Leah, Victoria, Debbie, Pam, Robin, Kathryn, Lisa, Tina, Carolyn, Pam, Nicole, Rob, Julia, Annette, Ivy, Stori, Deanna, Hansini, Elizabeth, Michelle, Trish, Neil, Christine, Katherine, Jennifer, Renee, Janice, Carla, Amy, Frankie, Brooke, Tanna, Christina, Elizabeth, Brooke, Jessica, Christine, Sonja, Sara, Edith, Beth, Beth Ann, Missy, Csilla, Sue, Jessica, Nancy, Tracy, Andrew, Ben, Kim, Emily, Kim, Molly, Trina, Katrina, Tea, Constance, Rosie, Amy,  Christina, Mama, Andrea, Cindy, Martha, Emily, Erin, Robin, Laura, CareB, Salem, Frankie, Kayla, Coll, Heather, Elizabeth, Jamie, Carrs, Lynette, Deborah, Cheryl, Lisa, Amanda Amy, Amanda, Emily, Lisa, BB, Michelle, Naomi, Amanda, B family, Brooke, Rebecca, Jessica, Kelly, Karla, Deb, Teresa, Kim, Beth Ann, Jenny, Dee, Ryan, Luba, Sierra, Eric, Benjamin, Emily, Kayla, Crystal, Corina, Alicia, Karen, Lisa, Emily, Susanna, Corina, Jenny, Julie, Stephanie, Sonja, Ben, Heather, Angela, Lance, Nicole, Kari, Ann, Alyssa, Naomi, Kim, Andrew, Valerie, Celeste, Anne

5 comments:

  1. $25.00 for Porter from Cynthia Campbell at cynthia1313@msn.com

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  2. I (Holly Deutsch) just donated $20 to Pearson's account. And I donated $15 to the Taylors acount yesterday (don't know if that counts.)

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  3. I donated 10.00 to Pearson and 20.00 to Grady. Naomi Kelly

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  4. Donated $40 to Pearson :) ~ Jenny Pohl

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  5. Julia, beautiful symphony!! I had to wait for 1st of month payday, so am glad you ran this past 10/1! I just donated $10 each to Grady, the Horton family, and the Dobrovits family. Blessings, Julie Rolffs (jrrolffs@aol.com)

    ReplyDelete

Loving words from kind people make our hearts glad!