Carlene

This sweet little darling is Carlene. She is 5 years old, and unfortunately she lives in a mental institution in Eastern Europe. There is no reason that Carlene should waste away there for the remainder of her life. She can be adopted out of there. She just needs a family. To want her. To love her. And to take a leap and commit to bringing her home.

Carlene needs help fast! We have seen the challenges that children in an orphanage face, and the struggles are many. Ana had completely withdrawn into herself by the time we got there. She is just starting to blossom. All of this is far worse for a child in a mental institution.

Through our adoption, our family is learning not to see what makes us different, but instead to focus on what makes us the same: we are all created in the image of God. Trey, Luke, Sasha and Ana are all His creations, created in His likeness.

Carlene is His creation too. She was perfectly made, yet she sits. And she waits. She waits for someone to see her worth. To see Jesus in her.

My kids memory verse for this week is 1 John 3:18, which says, "...let us not love with words or tongue, but with action and in truth." Please do not love Carlene with your words, but love her with your actions. If you are not her mommy or her daddy, please help her to find them.
1. Pray. Ask God if Carlene is your daughter. And ask God to make it clear to whoever they are. (This is how we ended up committing to Sasha)
2. Spread her face and her bio on your FB pages, your blogs, anywhere you can.
3. Donate to her grant fund. Carlene has nearly $10k in her grant fund, but the higher we get it, the faster her family can get to her.

I realize that I often use my blog as a plea to help waiting children or families in process, but right now, this is what I can do. I am not content to sit and do nothing while children waste away in institutions.