Heart Attack Fund-raiser

A momma friend of mine used this fund-raiser when they adopted their sweet daughter.  The outcome was beautiful (you'll see why in a moment), and they were able to raise money to bring their little girl home.  They asked friends, and family to donate $1 towards their adoption and in turn wrote the name of the family, or person who donated, on a heart and stuck it to a wall in their house.  This may sound silly, but once you see the photos you'll be amazed. (Thank you, Mrs.Wimmer for letting me use your pictures.)

Absolutely stunning, right?  Every single name on those hearts is someone who cared about their little girl, and wanted to see her come home.  The total number of hearts on their walls at the end of this Heart Attack? 3,251 hearts.  Over three thousand people that loved their little girl right along side of them.

We want to have a Heart Attack For Charlie.  For $2 you can have your name written on a heart, and it will be placed on our living room wall, for all of our visitors to see.  We want to see how many people are willing to love Charlie right along side of us.  Will you donate a $2 (or more if you'd like.) in honor of Charlie?  We will post progress pictures as our wall fills with hearts.

You can make your donation to the donation button on the side of the blog, or you can follow this link here: http://www.youcaring.com/adoption-fundraiser/bring-charlie-home-/315865

(If you're local, you can always just drop the donation by the house. :) )

I'm excited to see our wall fill with love. :)
We're coming baby Roo!!

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.

He'll Wiggle His Way Into Your Heart

So, with it being the beginning of the year and giving my blog a "face-lift" I felt like we needed a new 'addition'.  I wasn't sure whether to pick a family, or another child but after some praying I chose another sweet boy to add to I Am His' focus. You'd think that with all the brothers I have that I would be partial to girls, but that is so not the case! Two darlings, two sweet boys, to lovely smiles that will one day have families of their own! :) 

So who is this second little one? Well, I would love for you all to meet Cameron!  I must warn you that his smile is very contagious, and that is not to be taken lightly.  Prepare to swoon, and keep swooning over this gorgeous soon-to-be 3 year old curly boy (you'll understand the curly part when you see his picture).

Cameron's Reece's Rainbow Profile: http://reecesrainbow.org/57168/cameron

If you're not swooning over this absolutely gorgeous little boy, well I feel bad for you.  His darling curls, piercing blue eyes, and that smile! Oh my, I do not understand why or how he is still waiting.  But I hope and pray that he will not wait much longer.  His profile says that he is in need of urgent medical care, which worries my heart.  Cameron, has congenital hydrocephalus, paraplegia and tetraplegia (spastic tetraparesis), partial atrophy of optic discs of both eyes, additional chord of the left heart ventricle, and a hernia.  He will be 3 darling years old next month, and I would love for this to be his last birthday in an orphanage, next year I pray he'll be in a family who adores him to the max!

Do you understand my love for him now?  Or maybe why I've been continually swooning over him on my Facebook, and Instgram?  HE IS DARLING.  If you are interested in Sweet Curls, have any questions, or just want to swoon over him with me, please don't hesitate to email me: AlyssaGoodhue@Hotmail.com I love, love, love, hearing from you guys and I love this boy! :)

Someone see Cameron!  Choose him, be his mama!!  I cannot wait to see what the year holds for Curly Boy (hopefully a forever family!) and the same goes for Charlie Roo.  Let's make 2015 a great year for these boys!! :)

Transferred: Abner

I could start this post off with a touching picture of what it would look like to have Abner in your family, or what his life would have looked like if he were born into a family in the U.S. but though I may have time for that...Abner doesn't.  Abner is 5, and today we were told that he has been transferred to a mental institution.  

This means that Abner is running out of time.  Every day that passes is another day where he will become more malnourished, and his needs will not be met.  Abner, needs out, and he needs out now.  He has no more time, he has run out, and a mental institution is not where a baby belongs.  

You may not be in the position to adopt Abner, you may not be able to financially give, but sharing Abner, sharing his need, his picture, cost nothing.  Abner's life is priceless, and he deserves much more than he has been given. 

http://reecesrainbow.org/36175/abner

I Am An Orphan Advocate

I am an orphan advocate.

I've said that sentence so many times, to people who are curious about my "hobbies" and want to know about "Alyssa". I tell them that I advocate, that I blog, all for children who have no hope, children that I love immensely. The response I normally get is somewhere along the lines of "Oh how cool!" and that's typically where the conversation ends.  Every time, after one of those short conversations, I'm left feeling sad because to me advocacy is so much more than just "cool".

I mean, I don't expect someone to have input on advocacy when they nothing about it, but I do wish people would ask more questions.  To me advocacy is currently my life.  I spend all of my time fundraising, sharing, blogging, donating, brainstorming, and praying over these kids.  I strive daily to know more about the orphanages, the living conditions, the needs, the outlets that I can use to help the urgent situations.

I started when I was 13 and I have been dedicated ever since.  My best friend Kaitlyn, and I have raised thousands of dollars for adopting families, and waiting children over the past 5 years.  We have gained no money, no publicity, no "higher rank", we have done this purely for the children and their families.  We fight, daily for these lives, because they matter and we see their potential.

Advocacy isn't easy, you can ask any advocate.  It's hard because sometimes you fight tirelessly for a child and they wait year, after year and sometimes their family never comes.  It's heartbreaking, and tiresome, to fight for a child and then to see them age out... Advocacy is not for the faint of heart.  Being an advocate means having your heart broken, picking up the pieces, and loving the next child.

There are joyful moments too.  Those joyful moments, when your child has a family, or when you get updated pictures and know your kiddo is doing 'alright', or when your kiddo finally makes it home after months of praying their family through the adoption process.  Those joyful moments make all of it worth it.  Because, you see, watching a child go from malnourished and broken, to restored, chosen and LOVED does something extraordinary to your heart, and makes you want to do it all over again.

Being an orphan/adoption advocate changes you.  It gives you a different perspective on life, and is a constant reminder of just how lucky we all are.  I know that for me, I am always cautious of the best way to use my money.   "Do I need this $12 shirt? No, this money can go to a child/family/urgent need."  I have literally had that conversation with my self hundreds of times, and I'm thankful for the heart, and mindset that God has blessed me with.

Advocacy has changed me, and I am grateful for that.  I am a proud orphan advocate, and I wish everyone could experience having a love, so strong for a child that you have never met, never held, never spoken too, never kissed, or loved on, but yet you fight, every day, for that life.  Because these children, they matter.

The Pleven Project

So, I've given myself the task of raising as much money as I can for The Pleven Project. For those of you that don't know Pleven is an orphanage in Bulgaria that houses 92 children. The living conditions are outrageous, and many of the children are extremely malnourished. Keith U. came out of Pleven at 5 years old weighing 10 pounds. He spent most of his time in an isolation room for no valid reason, he was also tied to his crib which left marks on his wrists. Keith is just one of the many children that have been forever damaged by that wretched place.

Recently a group of wonderful ladies devised a plan and jumped into action to better the lives in the Pleven Orphanage. They have provided funds to hire Leyla's (Grandmothers, or Nanies) that are each assigned a child, and get to spend one-on-one time with the kids. Which is absolutely wonderful, and they have already seen and heard that the kids have benefited from this tremendously! The next project that the Pleven Project team is wanting to fund is a Day Home this will benefit Pleven Orphanage, and Pleven's Community. This day home will serve as a Day Care for families who would like to continue to care for, and parent their children with special needs, and it will serve as a benefit to Pleven allowing the kids to have access to more Therapies such as Music, Art, Physical, ect.

The Pleven Project team really wants to empower families, and equip them to care for their children with special needs in their own homes, so that they don't have to give their children up. This will be so beneficial in many ways, to multiple families, and children. There's a little bump in building this Day Home, and that is that it is going to cost $100,000 to buy the materials, and build it. As I said above, this Day Home will be extremely beneficial, and is really needed at Pleven. 

Alone, we can't raise that $100,000 and that is just a fact, but with the help of generous hearts we can raise that $100,000. This money could be raised in a week if Pleven's need went viral, and hearts were moved, or it could take months or even a year, but that all depends on whether you are willing to share the need, and possibly donate too. So, if you are even just willing to share the need, and pray God's blessing over it, that would be amazing in it's self. But if you can donate $5, $10, $30, to this project, and help better the lives of families in Pleven, Bulgaria that would be a blessing too. 

Like I said, this all depends on generous hearts, who are willing to help in any way. If you decide to donate, in the notes section please specify that you would like your donation to go to the Day Home so that the team knows to set it aside. I'm extremely grateful for every single person who will pray over this project, and the children in Pleven, for those who will share in hopes to gain more awareness, and those who choose to donate and make this possible.  I will have a Youcaring set up soon so that we can track our progress, and others can donate if they feel inclined (Thank you Shelley!!), but right now if you would like to donate you can donate directly to The Pleven Project, just add a note with your donation that says "Day Center" :) 

This is intimidating I'm not gonna lie, especially with it being Angel Tree season and needing $1000 for Charlie, I'm taking on a lot. This money could be raised in a week or a month, or it could take 6 months or a year, it all depends on the number of hearts that are moved into action,  but God sees the desires of my heart, and I know He will provide the $100,000 in one way or another...God's got my back, and my faith is in Him.