Pray for Pleven

With my 'Pledges for Pleven' fund-raiser coming to an end, I'm honestly in awe.  Though many of the numbers never got claimed God remained faithful.  During this fund-raiser I had an anonymous local donor donate nearly $300 towards Pleven!  Never before have I seen such generosity towards Pleven from someone locally, their outreach literally left me in tears and gave me hope that many do still care.  

$307 later and I am grateful for the hearts that God moved, and the hands who gave.  

I'm already at it again, a t-shirt fund-raiser this time.  Though I may have time to waste, the children in Pleven are already living on borrowed time, they needed out yesterday.  We got an update on Pleven a few days ago, many of the older children are being taken out of Pleven and being moved to a group home, which though it sounds beneficial it's disastrous.  The staff who will be running this group home are former Pleven owners, who hurt and abused the children in Pleven...they literally made it a Hell On Earth.  I'm horrified, sick to my stomach, and heartbroken for the children who are being taken to this home.

We can only pray, and yes prayer is very powerful but I still feel the urge to rescue those children from dangers grip, to take them somewhere safe where they will be harmed no more. So for now I will pray, that God will bring mercy to these children, that the US Embassy in Bulgaria will see that we are working to find families, and build a real group home for these kids where they can feel worthy, I will pray that God's hand is on everything, including this t-shirt fundraiser.  He is God, and He is sovereign, His plan is best, and I have to trust that...even when it's hard.  

If you are interested in buying a 'Pray For Pleven' t-shirt (they are available in adult, and children's sizes), you can use this link: http://teespring.com/PrayForPleven

92 Valentines

Fighting for the lives in Pleven Orphanage, in Pleven, Blugaria is where my passion lies.  For the past year I've wanted nothing more than to change the current state of Pleven...but I am just one and I can't do much.  Last night after reading some terrible news about a former Pleven child (who is now loved more than anyone could ever, ever, imagine by an incredible family.) the passion and drive in my heart were forefront and not going anywhere anytime soon.  I sat at my desk and cried, I asked God what I was supposed to do about the situation in Pleven, and how in the world I was supposed to do anything at all.  I was out of ideas, heartbroken, in tears, feeling hopeless...but I didn't give up.

Valentines Day is coming up, some are planning special dates for their wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend, others may be eating heart shaped candies, and spending the night with Netflix (which is totally fine, cause that's what I'll be doing!).  But what if you could do something more for the holiday that revolves around love, hearts, and all that gushy stuff.  What if (now bare with me, this seemed like a great idea in my head lets just hope it's as successful as I'm praying it is!) you could donate a dollar amount in honor of a child still waiting in Pleven? There are 92 children in Pleven (the last I checked that is.), and there are 92 numbers on the chart below.  If this is intriguing you, and you want to know more....well keep reading.


Pick a number, and which ever number you choose is the dollar amount you'll donate towards Pleven in honor of a sweet child still waiting (Comment after you donate so I know the number has been claimed).  Example: Jane Doe picks the number 21, so she will donate $21 to the donation button labeled Pledges For Pleven on the right-hand side of the blog.  Make sense?  It's literally that easy, no joke!  I've seen people do this fund-raiser before, it's always been successful, and I'm hoping this fund-raiser is just as blessed as others.   Though, I do want to ask you to pray for the children in Pleven when you donate.  I don't have names of all 92 children in Pleven, though I know a few faces, and I would love to see Pleven, and the children in Pleven be lifted up in prayer as a result of this fund-raiser and God's beautiful hand in it all.   I'm sorry that I don't have a spectacular prize for you to win, but I really hope that you'll consider donating out of the generosity of your heart, in honor of a child who is still in Pleven.

Once all of the numbers have been donated, and this fund-raiser ends ALL FUNDS will be donated to The Pleven Project.  These funds will help fund psychologist to evaluate the kids, as well as build the Medical fund.


When someone claims a number, and donates I will cover that number with a heart so we can see which have been claimed.  I will do my best to update the chart as frequently as possible. :)

Thank you, in advanced for every single one of you who opens their hearts, and contributes to the change in Pleven, and for Pleven.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Little Bits Made Big

With November 1st quickly approaching (1 day, 3 hours, and 38 minutes till Angel Tree Launch!!) and the excitement of Angel Tree arising I'm wrapping up my major fundraising for Pleven.  I want to be able to focus my efforts on my baby boy Charlie, as I committed to him first!  I am still doing small projects on the side for Pleven, to keep the need fresh in peoples minds, but I will be mainly focusing on Charlie Roo.  I recently asked my Facebook friends if they would be willing to collect change for Pleven with me, and many of them jumped right in and have began collecting their spare change for Pleven!

Kara H. and her beautiful family have this sweet jar collecting their spare change! :) 

I have a jar sitting on my desk that is about 1/4 of the way full with spare change, and my family has joined in on the fun too!  I have to say that I am thankful for willing, and generous hearts who want to help in the small ways.  I actually came across a Facebook post that fits these small actions perfectly.

"If you keep your "little", it will remain little.  But if you step into the exchange zone ready to offer what little you have to be used by God in moving the baton forward, your little will be multiplied as you run." 
-Christine Caine 

I can't even begin to express how true that is!  We often think that what we have to offer isn't enough, or is "too small", but God reminds us that no matter how big or small He can take it and make it into something miraculous!  So yes, even collecting a jar of loose change is benefiting the lives in Pleven and is getting us closer to our goal of $100,000! YOU are making a difference, and I think that is AMAZING!  If you would like to join us, grab a jar, can, container, box, anything really, and collect your loose change until it's full!

Another wonderful praise that I want to share with you is, the outcome of the t-shirt fundraiser! (Which is still up and running until November 1st, so be sure to grab your tee here: http://teespring.com/Pleven)  I jumped on TeeSpring today to check on the fundraiser, and see the total amount raised at this point, and was pleasantly surprised to see that *we* have raised $102 for Pleven!!  Yes, 12 T-shirts sold, and $102 raised!  I am so grateful for every single person who has bought a T-shirt, for every single person who has shared this fundraiser, for every single person who has prayed over Pleven, this fundraiser, and the hands that would help us reach this goal! I AM GRATEFUL.

I subtracted the $102 from the $100,000 and the new total that came about is $99,898!  WE are making progress, it may be tiny progress but we're closer than when we started!  Seeing that total drop brings me JOY, so much joy!  Please, know that I am thanking God for each of you!  I could not do this on my own!

If you are wanting to help raise this $99,898 but aren't sure how, please! Email me! or Facebook message me!  I would be so happy to hear from you, and share with you the different ways that YOU can benefit the lives in Pleven!

My email is linked on the right hand side bar of the blog, but I'll list it here too.
AlyssaGoodhue@hotmail.com

Again, I am thankful for every.single.one.of.you.  Whether you've been following my blog for years, or whether this is your first time reading.  You are the reason that I could ever even imagine raising $100,000.  You are all blessings!

The Love That's Shared

I may or may not be crying as I'm typing, but I honestly can't help it.  so.much.love. has been shown to my kiddos these past few days!  Both of their funds have grown by generous amounts, and that bring such joy to my heart.  I love, love, love, these two so much and when I see others sharing their pictures, profiles, and donating it's a happy sight.  I know these two are so close to having families, I can just feel it and I'm so ready to help FIGHT to get both of them HOME.

Roo, Sunshine Girl?

  You two have completely stolen my heart, I'm head-over-heels captivated by both of you.  You deserve so much, and I promise to get both of you everything you deserve, I'll give up anything to see you in the arms of a family, being loved, cherished, and chosen.

Aria's Angels

I may or may not be insane, but I can't not advocate for this little girl.   From the moment she was listed (literally the moment) till the late night when I found her in a database, I've been smitten.  Meet Aria, my sweet girl!  Miss Aria is 6 years old, and was born with Spina bifida, Hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, deep mental delay, congenital deformity of the hip, congenital ptosis, optic nerve atrophy, iron and protein deficiency. Her Reece's Rainbow profile also states that she has spent a lot of time in the hospital, which just broke my heart into millions of tiny pieces.  Yes, that is quite the list but I promise you her sweet face (that I cried over for a good 30 minutes) will steal your heart away.

When I found her database photos from early 2012 my heart sank to my stomach, *how* could this be sweet Aria?  How could this gorgeous girl be living like this?  I just couldn't quite wrap my mind around it.  I messaged my best friend Kaitlyn with Aria's pictures, and just told Kaitlyn, over, and over, and over, "She needs to be seen, she needs out!  Oh Kaitlyn, I need help, we need to find her family!"  So, I began brainstorming trying to figure out what I could do to potentially find her family, and help raise her grant fund.  After many failed ideas I came up with Aria's Angels.  Aria's Angels is a project I've created to raise awareness for Aria, and raise her grant fund.  The first 5 people to donate $10 to Aria's grant (Found here: http://reecesrainbow.org/82060/aria), and forward/email their receipt to me (AlyssaGoodhue@hotmail.com)  will become a part of Aria's Angels, and I will mail you a necklace like the one below, for you to wear in honor of Aria.  Once a month you will have a chance to join Aria's Angels, and help find her family! (I chose once a month because necklace making supplies are pricey, and I'm also focusing on my Angel Tree boy Charlie.)

I need all the warriors I can get, because by myself I wont be able to save Aria, it takes a village. So, who wants to be the first to play a part in Aria's Angels? :)

Charlie Roo's

Okay, so I am finally gearing up for Angel Tree.  Since I've signed up to be Charlie's warrior I have, opened a little shop called Charlie Roo's, created multiple necklaces, been to Hobby Lobby an unhealthy amount of times, burnt myself countless times with a hot glue gun, become obsessed with making hair bows, and spent too much time on Pinterest...which by the way Pinterest's App wasn't working this morning and I had a mini heart-attack.  After everything I've done this past week I think I am finally ready for Angel Tree to start!

I'm still so in love with little Roo, and am excited to share his face everywhere in hopes of finding his mama, and papa that he so deserves!  If you're reading this and are just as in love with Charlie as I am, and are wanting to know more about the adoption process please, oh please, email me! AlyssaGoodhue@hotmail.com I would be more than happy to answer any questions, and point you in the right direction. :)  

If you want you can also click through the link below and "Like" Charlie Roo's on Facebook!  It would mean so, so, much. Let's get this baby boy HOME. 

Charlie Roo's Facebook Page

Angel Tree, Angel Tree, ANGEL TREE!!!

Yes, it is that time again...Angel Tree time!!  I love, love, love this time of the year and was a little worried that I wouldn't know which child to choose.   In my confusion of not knowing which child was "my" child, I sat for a little bit and prayed, I told God to bless me with the little one that needed me most, and He did just that.  I was so eager to sign up, and be this little one's warrior that this morning, when I woke up and saw that the sign ups were open early, I nearly fell off my bed trying to grab my laptop... Yes, I am that excited, and READY for Angel Tree!  I've waited all day, eagerly checking my email to see if I was indeed this little ones warrior, the anticipation  was really making me go nuts, so you can only imagine the joy that filled my heart when I saw that I was officially Charlie's Angel Tree Warrior!!  I would love for you to meet "my" cutie:

Charlie's Reece's Rainbow Profile: http://reecesrainbow.org/81243/charlie-2

I am head over-heels, so in love, constantly swooning, over this baby boy, and am SO ecstatic to be his warrior this Christmas season!  Sweet Charlie will be 2 years old in December, he was born with Down syndrome, and is clearly adorable!  I am working on some fundraisers to kick off the Angel Tree project, there will be more blog posts about those fundraisers as they finish and become ready for the public eye. :) 

I really, really, hope that you will consider following my blog to be updated on fundraisers, Charlie's cuteness, and out progress during Angel Tree!  I love my followers, and I love it when I can make an impact in other lives, so please consider joining us this holiday season as Myself, and little Charlie raise $1000 towards the cost of his adoption (Because without Charlie's adorable face, I wouldn't raise any money.). 

Really Picture It

Last November while I was with the Unroe family on their "Gotcha-Trip", Mrs.Unroe had shown me a little boy on Reece's Rainbow who was waiting for a family, his name was "Robert".  An 11 year old boy, who was born with Down syndrome, and he happened to be located in a country that is really close to my heart. Well today, close to a year later his little face popped in my head, and I wondered if he was still waiting for his family to find him, and much to my surprise he still is.  When I found him still listed on Reece's Rainbow, my heart broke a little and I longed to reach through the screen and hold him.   He'll be 12 this year, yes 12 years old though he is about the size of a 4 year old, in December he will have been waiting twelve years to feel anything other than rejection, being unwanted, unloved, always lost in the shuffle, he waits for a hope to come along.

I want to be Robert's hope, I feel like the worst advocate for waiting almost a year to realize that no one is shouting for him, he has no one.  But I, I am someone and I have the power to find his family.  I always manage to fall in love with little boys, and they are typically "older", but I feel like those kids are the most over looked.  Most families want a cute baby, or maybe a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, not everyone, but most families.  But this darling, Robert? Is a sweet brown eyed, boy who has all the potential in the world, imagine what his smile is like, I bet he lights up a room, and I'm sure he has the most irresistible giggle.  I remember when we picked up the three newest Unroe's from their orphanage, I remember Jonathan's reaction to seeing birds, and being able to walk around his country that he'd lived in for years but was never able to experience.   I remember Jonathan singing, and singing, and singing, oh and he loved to whistle too, and when I think of Robert I picture that he'll be just as excited to finally have a chance, outside of an orphanage, and inside of a family.

Can you picture Robert as your son?  I mean really picture it, first trip of visits, getting to know him, nurturing his broken heart, and rebuilding him into the person God created him to be, longing to hold him while you wait for court dates, and final trips, travelling for Gotcha-Day, and finally walking away from his orphanage with him in your arms forever, can you see it?

Robert needs you, he needs me.  He has little hope, and I would really hate to see him wait much longer, I will be your biggest fan, advocate, fundraiser, I'd even travel on gotcha trip if you needed me, I would climb mountains for this child, I really would.  Please, don't let fear stop you, because I can assure you that Robert is worth more than everything that comes with an international adoption, I promise you he is.

Robert's Profile: http://reecesrainbow.org/50708/robert