A Birthday Challenge

This Sunday (April 20) marks Caleb's 10th birthday.  In 10 years we have never once had a party to celebrate his birthday.  He has been to parties for friends (we minimize those to just the closest friends due to costs of birthday presents) and seen lots of pictures on Facebook of kids having parties with fancy cakes, cool decorations, treat bags for all the kids, and of course tons of presents for the birthday child.  Yet despite seeing the fun celebrations of other kids Caleb has never once complained about not having a party for himself.  He knows we don't throw parties because of the cost and our need to save money for all the adoptions we have done.

This year to celebrate Caleb's birthday I want to throw him a "virtual party."  Everyone is invited!  For a gift all you have to do is give a tax-deductible donation to Reece's Rainbow to help bring home Caleb's newest brother.  Here is the link:  http://reecesrainbow.org/75910/sponsormurray

People often asked what Caleb (our bio son, the first child in our family) thinks about us adopting "so many" kids, especially special needs kids.  Some people even suggest that by spending so much money to adopt these children and then both time and money to raise them once they are home we are taking too much away from Caleb.

The fact is Caleb LOVES what we are doing!  In fact, he has already asked if we could "go ahead and choose another child to adopt after we get Jonah home."  As to what he thinks about the fact Jonah has Down syndrome he asked us after the Buddy Walk last year when we would finally adopt a child with Down syndrome so he is really excited about having a little brother with Down syndrome.

Caleb is a very tender-hearted and loving child.  He has tons of energy just like any other little boy, but he also has an amazing heart with lots of compassion for those in need.  He cried when we visited Micaelyn's orphanage in China and he saw all the children left behind.  Likewise he has cried when seeing homeless people on the streets, even going so far as to give his own money to them and begging me to give them more.  He also has a great desire to help children with special needs.  At his last school he was specially chosen to be a buddy to a child with special needs (I'm almost certain the child has Down syndrome), and even when the other kids made fun of the child with special needs and also of Caleb for being a friend to the child he stood firm in his friendship of this special child.  When Caleb changed schools he was very concerned about his friend not having him there to help him, and he started asking right away if he would have an opportunity at the next school to help kids with special needs.

So this birthday I wanted to honor Caleb by having people donate to our account on Reece's Rainbow to help get Caleb's little brother home.  We are very close to having our travel approval, but we can't travel until we have the money for the $6,000 orphanage donation and the money for the travel expenses.  If just 100 people give $10 each we would be $1,000 closer to bringing Jonah home.  Just $10 for his 10th birthday to help get his little brother home - how great a gift is that?  And of course the more people that give the closer we get to travel!

Once again, here is the link to donate:  http://reecesrainbow.org/75910/sponsormurray
Don't be thrown off by the fact Jonah is known as "Breck" on Reece's Rainbow.  He was listed for quite some time on Reece's Rainbow before we committed to him, and "Breck" is the name he was given for his photolisting.  Remember, your donation is tax-deductible!

 

 

Let's get this little angel home!!!