Answering the Call

Pictures of Y and I

2011-04-12T10:35:00.006-04:00

A big thanks again to everyone who helped us bring Y and I home just in time for Christmas! Many have sent emails checking on us and we really appreciate it. The first few months were a big period of adjustment (which is why I completely neglected this blog!) but we're happy to report that overall everything is going great! I've been meaning to start blogging again and post some updates but I just never made it to that task on my to-do list. Posting about Adeye's adoption fundraiser was a great opportunity to just jump back in and I look forward to being an active blogger in the adoption community. :-)

First let's just start with the most requested item...pictures! Below are pictures of Y and I taken about a month ago:

Check out this GREAT adoption fundraiser!

2011-04-12T09:45:00.006-04:00

Adeye is at it again! She's doing all that she can to advocate for a sweet child who desperately needs a family. Wow, did she ever put together an amazing fundraiser! She is trying to raise as much as possible to cover the adoption expenses for Vanya (isn't he adorable!?!).

Many in the adoption community have come together to donate over 100 awesome prizes! Although, this sweet face is really all the incentive we need to try to help Vanya find a loving family and home.

So please click on over to Adeye's blog right now and make a donation in ANY amount. Then help spread the word on Facebook, Twitter or a blog. Vanya's family is out there somewhere and just a small effort on your part could be life-changing for this little boy.

HOME!!!!

2010-12-26T10:57:00.002-05:00

After many more unforeseen obstacles we passed court on November 29th and I returned home with the children on December 23rd!!! What an amazing blessing to be home for Christmas :-) I'll post pictures later...once things are a little less chaotic and the holidays are over ;-)

Merry Christmas!!

We Have a Court Date!!!

2010-11-11T16:18:00.002-05:00

Okay, so last week I had been working on a long post updating everyone on everything the past few weeks but got sidetracked. Then my sister had a baby (a boy!) on Sunday but developed life-threatening complications on Tuesday. Thankfully, she seems to be doing better, but please keep her in your prayers!!

So I still haven't gotten around to finishing up that post. But...we got the call today with our court date!!!!!! I don't want to give too many details here on the web, but soon we'll go to court and God willing Ivan and Yana will legally be ours :-) We'll have to return shortly for the third trip to pick them up. I *think* we will have our Christmas miracle yet!

There are so many details to work out! Those of you who have adopted know what I'm talking about. Plus this comes during the busiest time of the year-Christmas, but also the best time of the year. :-) It's not too early to put up my tree, right? I need to start crossing things off of this massive to-do list.

God also showed off in a big way by arranging it so that our friends from church (adopting two children from the same orphanage) have a court date at the same time. This is a huge blessing! Not only will we have friends to travel with, but then just I will go back to Russia to bring the children home with one of the other parents. It saves us money and will be so much easier on our children at home if at least my husband is still here with them. We are so thankful that this detail has worked out this way!

Again, I'll still try to update more later. Thanks so much to EVERYONE for helping us get to this point. A month ago this really seemed impossible! Please pray that all of the details work out wonderfully. Also, the finances are still an issue so please pray for this aspect (for our family and our friends).

Blessings,

And the winner is....

2010-10-16T09:24:00.004-04:00

...Melissa Mambort!!!!

Melissa is a friend from church. She has had a difficult couple of weeks too. First someone stole her wallet out of her pack on her wheelchair. Then her computer died. I think the Random Number Generator at Random.org picked the perfect person to win the iPad!

We really didn't know what to expect with this fundraiser. We thought maybe we'd raise a few hundred dollars. Well with 230 wonderful people participating we raised $7565.18!!!! We are so grateful and really thanks is NOT a strong enough word!!!!

I have so much more that I want to say, but I'll save that for another post later today :-)

We pray that everyone is blessed for their generosity!

Blessings,

LAST DAY TO ENTER!!!!

2010-10-15T10:06:00.004-04:00

All I can say is WOW! As of 8:30 AM on Friday, October 15th we've raised $6098.18 with this iPad raffle!!!! (the widget doesn't reflect cash or check donations) We have 167 entries so far-still great odds to win! When we decided to raffle off this iPad we certainly didn't know what to expect. We've have been thrilled with the response and support we have received! Oh, and the comments, notes, and well-wishes...all I can see is that it has truly been love poured out! So many of them have brought tears to my eyes. I plan on printing them all out and will save them for I and Y :-)

In just over 24 hours we'll be using a random number generator to draw the winner of the new iPad. Saturday is also a big day at our church. It is our MADD, INC event (Make A Difference Day, In the Name of Christ) where hundreds of our church members will be participating in many, many different types of service projects in our community. I think it's quite fitting that on Make A Difference Day we'll be drawing the name of one of the 167+ people who have made a big difference in our life!

Thanks again for helping us to bring our children home. :-)

iPad Raffle Details: Make a donation in any amount and your name will be entered in the drawing for a new iPad. We will draw the winner at 9 AM Saturday, October 16th. Donations can be made by paypal account or credit/debit card through this Chipin Widget.

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12

Blessings,

If you'd like to read more about the story behind the "Pay it Forward" Ransom iPad then check out this post and this one.

$5199.27!!!

2010-10-13T21:53:00.007-04:00

As of 9:45 PM on Wednesday, October 13th we've raised $5199.27 with 137 entries in our iPad Raffle :-) Why isn't the total a whole number? Because yesterday our nieces and nephews came over with the money from their piggy banks! How awesome is that!?! These kids want their cousins home and they mean business. They aren't just waiting around for the adults to change the world; they're starting right now on their own :-)

Guess what the friendly FedEx guy is bringing me tomorrow morning (well I don't know for sure that he'll be friendly but I'll be too excited to notice otherwise!)? Our FBI clearances!! This is the first of two big obstacles standing in the way of our Christmas miracle. Two weeks ago it looked like they wouldn't come until the beginning of November and then it would be too late to get a court date before the Russian court system closes down for their winter break. Having our children home for Christmas was impossible and this was one big reason why. There was nothing I could do about it. It was in God's hands and he decided to "show me" because I had started telling people it was impossible that it would come in time. Now...it'll be here in the morning!

So that leaves the second BIG and little obstacle...raising the rest of the money to finish this thing! It's BIG because raising another $22,800 sounds rather unheard of. Then again so was coming up with the $47,000 we've already raised/earned. Nothing is too big for God! This could also be considered a little obstacle because it could be overcome by many little donations. We don't need people to donate thousands of dollars (although I'm not stopping anyone if they feel moved to do so ;-). If people kept spreading the word and many people donated $20, $10, or even $5 we could still have the money raised by this weekend (which is pretty much when we need it to still bring the children home by Christmas).

We're so grateful for everything that has been done on our behalf already! We've also loved the kind comments and encouraging words. Prayer is very important to us and we could really use all we can get. There is a big mountain in front of us, but thankfully we serve a God who is in the mountain-moving business! :-)

Raffle Details: Simply make a donation in any amount and your name will be entered to win the new iPad. Donations can be made with a paypal account or a credit/debit card through the ChipIn widget below. We'll draw the winners name the morning of Saturday, October 16th!

Blessings,

If you'd like to read more about our adoption story and how we won this iPad then check out this post. :-)

$3555 and our Chrissie story

2010-10-12T11:37:00.009-04:00

Wow! As of 11:30 AM (Eastern) on Tuesday, October 12th we have 71 iPad Raffle entries and have raised $3555 towards bringing I and Y home!! We're so excited to see what the rest of this week brings. Lorraine was very kind to post about our fundraiser on her blog. The story behind the iPad gives me chills. I love seeing how God orchestrates so many details for the good of His children!

Although I don't know Lorriane and never met Chrissie, something happened when we were in Russia and their family was the first thing I thought of. This is what I sent to Lorraine:

I started following your blog just prior to Chrissie’s surgery. Since I wasn’t familiar with her story I looked through the archives and couldn’t help but smile. Just by looking at her pictures and video I can say with absolute confidence that she was completely filled with joy! If you look up happiness in the dictionary you will see her picture. :-) I knew that was because she had been adopted into a loving family. We prayed and prayed while she was in the hospital and felt heartbroken when she left this earth. There was no way for me to begin to imagine your grief.

About two months later we were in Russia for our first trip in the adoption process. Although the children had been here the summer before we really never learned much about their medical history. The first thing the orphanage director said was “you know about I’s heart condition, right?” No, we didn’t! My heart stopped and I instantly felt fear and panic. Not knowing what we’re dealing with really didn’t make me question whether we’d continue with the adoption, because that was a given. Although, it did make me wonder if our situation was going to be like yours. I questioned whether we were setting ourselves up for unimaginable grief. I doubted whether we could handle that.

Then my thoughts turned to Chrissie and her undeniable joy! I think she was trying to remind me that it wouldn’t be about the possibility of heartache, but instead the guarantee of happiness. It wouldn’t be about a scary medical diagnosis with an unknown prognosis, but instead the blessing of living life aware of just how precious it is. Because of Chrissie I realized it wouldn’t be about giving of ourselves and resources, but instead receiving an endless amount of love and joy. I realized that it wouldn’t be about an earthly future of unimaginable loss and grief, but instead a future with a direct connection to an angel in Heaven.

There is still a lot we don’t know about I’s heart condition and we’re praying it isn’t severe, but thanks to Chrissie I’ve been able to feel peace. We don’t know the future; only God does. We do know that these children are meant to experience the love and joy of a family…and we are that family!

Thanks again to all who have donated and are helping to spread the word! The iPad raffle continues the rest of this week. By making a donation in any amount your name will be entered to win the iPad! :-) Donations can be made with a paypal account or a credit/debit account through this ChipIn widget. If you'd like to make a donation by check instead, then please contact me at japplin at buckeye-express dot com.

Blessings,

Please scroll down to read more about the amazing week and a half we've had in this adoption journey...or should I say faith journey :-)

Celebrating Chrissie!

2010-10-08T18:39:00.002-04:00

Today is Chrissie's 5th birthday! She's celebrating it with our loving Father in Heaven. Stop by Lorraine's blog and participate in Chrissie's birthday celebration. Be sure to check out the pictures from the party they had for her before the surgery. Nothing can compare to a smile like that! :-)

Blessings,

2330 steps closer!!

2010-10-07T12:29:00.026-04:00

Wow, we've already raised $2330 in our iPad raffle! That's 2330 steps closer to bringing I and Y home that didn't exist even a week ago. We feel so blessed to be supported by so many of our friends, family and even complete strangers. We've even started receiving donations from people we don't know because others are spreading the word!

A little over a week ago I was trying to accept what was becoming more and more evident...that we wouldn't be able to bring the children home until the spring at the earliest. I felt devasted and like I have let these children down! They have waited for us to come and bring them home ever since they returned to Russia 14 months ago. If we don't bring them home until the spring that will be about 19 months they will have waited to return to the home and family they are missing. They know they have parents here waiting to give them more hugs and kisses than they can stand. They have siblings ready to resume their games of chase, reading stories and playing with toys. There are tubs ready for bubble baths, comfortable beds with warm blankets and cupboards full of food so they'll never feel hungry again. There is a large group of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins ready to welcome them into the family. There is a large supportive community and a great church that lives by the Gospel and goes to great lengths caring for "the least of these." There is even Max who is waiting for his friends from the orphanage to start arriving and join him in his new life. While it has been very difficult for us to wait, their waiting has been much worse!

These are the thoughts I was consumed with last week. You see the Russian courts shut down for most of December and January. We were told that we need the last of our paperwork and the rest of the money within about 2-3 weeks to be able to get a court date before they close. We were faced with two huge obstacles. The first was getting back our final FBI clearance. They are no longer expediting them for adoptions. We were told not to do them until after our first trip, otherwise they may expire before court. It was beginning to look like they were going to arrive too late to still be able to get a court date yet this year. A friend passed on a number to call and check. The man on the phone sounded sympathetic when I explained why we needed them ASAP and he said we should have them in about two weeks. Then yesterday I noticed that our account was charged the fee to process the clearance. I'm praying that this means it will be sent out soon and we'll receive it on time. So I'm feeling good about the first hurdle.

That means raising the rest of the money we need may be the only thing stopping us from having an amazing Christmas with ALL of our family together. A week ago I would have said it was impossible. Yet, I kept hearing a little voice in my head saying "God can do this." Now here we are with the opportunity to raise the rest of the money we need through this raffle.

Please continue to spread the word about our fundraiser and pray that God will be glorified by this story! It's all Him! It has been the moment we said yes to adopting these children and will continue to be as we rely on Him for strength and guidance when we begin the new journey when our children come home. We believe that God doesn't call the equipped, but that he equips the called. We're trusting that his ways are always the best. :-)

If you'd like to participate in our fundraiser the details are easy. Make a donation in any amount and your name is entered to win the iPad. Donations can be made via this ChipIn widget with a paypal account or credit/debit card. If you'd like to make a donation by check please contact me at japplin at buckeye-express.com. We'll draw the winner's name the morning of October 16th. Thanks so much!

Blessings,

Hope, Faith, and...an iPad!

2010-10-02T15:15:00.028-04:00

Wow, I feel like God has really spoken to us this week! My 36th birthday was a few days ago. People kept asking me for gift ideas and I really didn't know what to say. All I really want is to have this huge invoice paid to my adoption agency and have the money I need for two more trips to Russia to bring my children home for good! The problem is I don't think people were looking to spend quite that much on my birthday...

I'll admit, I've been feeling a bit down and at times desperate about this. We have come so far in this adoption process and we're nearing the end, at least in terms of paperwork. Still, the money isn't there to finish this. I've literally been waiting on God, trusting that his timing is perfect, even if it's not what I had in mind.

For some reason this week has been particularly hard and I've been losing hope that we'll have the money in time to get the children home by Christmas. One evening I was praying and asking God for a sign of hope. Then I started reading MaryBeth Chapman's book, Choosing to See (which is amazing!). Beth Moore wrote the prologue and at the end she included a Bible verse. Isa. 43:5 says, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west." My eyes widened and I instantly felt peace.

Also, this week I noticed some of the blogs I follow were trying to raise money for a sweet orphan named Yulia. :-) I was able to watch something amazing unfold. They were able to raise over $20,000 in just 5 days! They raffled off a new iPad as an incentive. I was inspired and thought that would be a great way to raise the rest of the money we need for our adoptions. The problem was that I didn't have an iPad or the money to get one. I debated using my birthday money and my husband's overtime money (which I had planned to put towards the adoption) to buy an iPad and try to raffle it off, bit it seemed a bit risky. I decided to wait and just pray about it.

So you can imagine just how thrilled I was when I found out yesterday that I won the iPad they were giving away!! Now, some may wonder why I donated to the adoption fund for another child when we’re short the money we need to complete our adoptions. The truth is I believe we are ALL responsible for ALL of the orphans in the world. Making a donation to Yulia’s fund was a no-brainer and had nothing to do with thinking we’d actually win.

If you're not familiar with our story, here it is: We met I and Y through an orphan hosting program in July of 2009. We were looking into adoption at the time but decided to try to adopt from our local foster care system because we felt there was no way we could ever afford an international adoption. When we heard about the orphan hosting program through a wonderful charity (FORO-Friends of Russian Orphans) affiliated with our church, we thought this would be a good way to help out an international orphan by giving him or her a sort of vacation experience. What we didn’t know was that God had His own plans.

Not only did He plan for us to adopt Y, the 5-year-old little girl we hosted, but He wanted us to adopt I, a 4-year-old little boy being hosted by another family at our church. We spent nearly three weeks with the children and then had to put them on a plane headed back to Russia. We had no idea how to overcome all of the obstacles to adopt them, but we knew we had to try. Of course everyone thought we were crazy! We already have four young children. With I and Y added, we’ll have 6 kids in a 5-year span (currently between the ages of 4-9). Crazy? Maybe, but we knew they were meant to be in our family and we needed to get them back as soon as possible.

The other neat thing is that 9 of the children who participated in the hosting program are being adopted by families in our community! Seven of the children will attend the same church and school system. FORO brought over 10 more children this past summer for a hosting experience. All of those children are being adopted too! To these children their friends from the orphanage are their family and now they’ll be raised here together. :-) I also think the long-term impact on our communities’ awareness of the needs of orphans will be huge. :-)

God has been so good! He has opened doors that seemed impossible to open. One of the biggest hurdles has been coming up with the nearly $70k it’s costing to adopt these two children. When we started the process we did not have a single cent to put towards it. Through very generous donations by others and extra work opportunities for my husband and I we’ve gotten this far. We still have around $40k yet to pay out (an invoice here for over $23k from our agency and two more expensive trips to Russia). We are still short about $28k of that to have these adoptions paid for. To us this is a HUGE amount, but we know our God is BIGGER! We need the money very quickly too. Everything has been completed and we’re just waiting for the last of the paperwork. Once that comes in a few weeks (and if we have the money ready to go) we will receive our court date and can bring our children home shortly after.

The children desperately want to come home! They’ve been here so they know what they’re missing. We made the first trip to Russia this past July. It was great to see them and we were told that they constantly ask when we’re coming for them. The sad part is that they thought they were coming home with us then. Every 5 minutes one of them would say, “Okay, let’s go home to America!” We asked the translator to explain it was just a visit but she wanted to wait until the end. It was heartbreaking to leave them again.

So since we've been blessed with this new iPad we are hoping repeat the same miracle that's already occured...raise all of the money we need to bring our children home! The details are easy: From now until 11:59 PM (Eastern) on October 15th any donation you make to our adoption fund will enter your name to win the iPad. You can make a donation by clicking on this ChipIn widget.

If you'd like to make a donation by check please contact me at jennifer@jenniferapplin.com.

We're praying that all of you wonderful supporters of adoption out there who understand the need and struggle will help us bring our children home!! I used to think that it would be so much easier if we were just wealthy and already had the money. Then I realized that this testimony for these children, who have only known rejection and abandonment, will be so much greater knowing that it was a loving God and the care and concern of many, many people who understood their worth that brought them home.

God has already used this iPad to ransom one child. We're praying it can be used to ransom two more!

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Blessings,

Adoption Process: One Year Later

2010-10-02T11:15:00.003-04:00

Well, as you can tell I wasn't able to keep up with this blog once we started the adoption process (not that I was doing a lot with it prior). Once we said "Yes!" to God regarding adopting these children that also meant saying "Yes!" to a ton of paperwork and working as much as possible to raise the money we need to bring our children home.

It has been a very challenging year. I really had no idea how difficult this process could be (more on that later). Through it all we have relied on God as our source of strength...especially when we've reached points where there was NOTHING else to rely on (I'm learning that God likes it this way :-). God has been GOOD-better than good, through it all! Over and over we have experienced miracles that only He could manage and our faith is so much stronger because of it! I have so much to share, but right now I want to start a separate post regarding a GREAT fundraising opportunity!

Blessings,

Our Leap of Faith

2009-08-31T20:05:00.003-04:00

It’s funny how you can be cruising along in life with plans made, working towards your goals and then BAM!!...everything changes. That is what we’re experiencing in the Applin household. We have jumped on the “Russian Adoption Rollercoaster” and we’re in the process of adopting a little girl who just turned 5 and a little boy who is almost 5. Some of you may recall that we already have four children between the ages of 3-8. So this will give us six children in a 5-year-span! How did we get to this point? What are we thinking? Well, let me explain…

I posted below about the Russian orphan hosting program we were participating in this summer. Through a local charity thirteen children between the ages of 4-14 were hosted by ten different families for almost three weeks. We were matched with a spunky little girl who turned 5 just two days after she left (we initially thought she was already five). We also got to spend time with the other Russian children, including a sweet little boy who will be 5 this fall. The purpose of the program was to provide a sort of vacation and adventure to children who have only known abandonment, rejection and loneliness in their short lives. Like most orphans the statistics for these Russian children upon leaving the orphanage is heart-breaking. Only about 10% are able to make anything out of their lives. They are literally kicked out around the age of 17 lacking adequate resources to survive (money, food, job, housing, family support, etc.). The other 90% turn to a life of crime, drugs/alcohol, prostitution/sex trade, or commit suicide. Through this program we wanted the children to see that there is a world beyond the orphanage doors. Through ongoing communication we wanted them to know that there are people who care about them and hopefully they could strive to “make it.” For our family, as well as some of the others, this hosting experience turned into something entirely different. To put it simply, we fell in love! They are already a part of our family in our hearts and now we’re trying to make that official and bring them home!

This brings me back to my point about changes. While we had been looking into adoption for a while we figured we'd be adopting from our local foster care system. Coming up with the money to adopt internationally just seemed impossible! We didn’t plan on adopting two children from Russia (one of the most expensive adoption programs). We didn’t plan on needing a bigger van this soon because ours only seats 7 people. We didn’t plan on growing our family this quickly to the point that it would be very difficult for me to work (at least until they are all in school), as we deal with adoption-related issues and meeting the needs of all of our children. But that is where we are. We said yes with our hearts, not sure how to work this all out. I guess that’s why they call it a “leap of faith!” As we considered the possibility of adopting these two we initially talked ourselves out of adopting both of them. We felt we just didn't have the necessary resources. Most of those resources needed are financial to pay for the adoptions and bigger van, as well as allowing me to take the time off from writing to be the mother these children need. But after a lot of discussion and prayer we realized that we needed to trust in God to handle those provisions. If it is His will it will be done. We realized that just because we don't have those resources now doesn't mean they won't be there when we need them. Even as I type those words, though, that walk by faith is still the hardest thing we've ever done. There is so much at stake-most importantly these two precious little lives.

Right now I’m busy working on the massive list of adoption paperwork and working as much as possible. My husband is taking on all of the extra sides jobs he can. As I write this he has returned home from work and has headed off to earn extra money by cutting down trees (I just hope he remembers that he’s 38 and not 28!). He doesn’t complain. As he puts it he’s a man on a mission to bring home his children who are half-way around the world.

So those are the big changes at our house! Are we crazy? Well,…yes, but I'd prefer to say obedient! More importantly we’re just excited to start this new chapter in our life. Through research I’ve learned that globally there are over 143 million orphans, and this number increases by the thousands daily. I know that when it comes to the orphan crisis we can’t change the world. But I am hoping that at least for these two children we can change their world, and they’ve already changed ours.

We know we can't do this alone and we already feel so blessed by the offers of help we've received! If you'd like to help would you please consider:
-Praying for us and the children! As with any adoption there are many obstacles to overcome. Prayer is the one thing that is bringing us peace and keeping us from feeling panicked that something will go wrong and we won't be able to adopt them.
-Letting me know about any programs that help with adoptions (grants, fundraisers, etc.).
-Making a donation to our adoption fund. I hesitated even putting the button on the top of this page. I'm not very good with asking for or accepting help. But I am learning that this is bigger than "me" and my comfort zone. Any donation would be a HUGE blessing!

So that's the news about our exciting leap of faith! I'll keep you posted. :-)

Tonight we get to see her little face!!

2009-06-17T13:52:00.005-04:00

This summer we are participating in a Russian Orphan Hosting program. There are ten families from our church hosting 13 Russian orphans (there are three sets of siblings). The children, along with the two chaperones, will be arriving exactly one month from today from the Arkhangelsk region! They will be visiting for nearly three weeks. We have been matched with a 5-year-old little girl :-) Our other kids are 8, 6, 4, and 3, so she'll be right in the middle and our daughter (the oldest) can't wait to have another little girl in the house to play with. :-)

Tonight we'll be attending a meeting to go over some of the details, have a quick lesson in speaking Russian (the children won't know any English!) and finally see pictures!! Initially we weren't supposed to find out who our host child is until tonight's meeting. So it was a great surprise when we found out on May 8th! But...for some reason I was mistaken and thought we'd see pictures before today, so I've been patiently waiting (or NOT patiently waiting according to my husband ;-).

I can't believe it is only a month away until she arrives. I feel like I'm nesting. I first started "nesting" back in the spring when I thought we were preparing for our home study through the county (more on that later), but now I'm really feeling the push to clean and purge, clean and purge. I must admit though that it is a lot nicer doing it this way than when I could barely waddle around with my very large pregnant belly!

Fellowship of the Unashamed

2009-06-05T17:17:00.001-04:00

This text was found on a scrap of paper in the home of an African pastor shortly after he was martyred.

This Beautiful Boy Needs a Family!!

2009-06-04T11:53:00.006-04:00

I was checking out some blogs and was immediately stopped in my tracks when I saw this picture. He is absolutely adorable! Actually something about his smile reminds me of my youngest son who is about the same age. He needs a loving home, which every child deserves. Please pray that he gets one. If you'd like to learn more you can check out this information.

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families...
Psalms 68:5-6

Why I'm Boycotting Warner Bros. "Orphan" Movie

2009-06-04T10:48:00.004-04:00

I recently heard about the new movie, "Orphan" that is to be released in July. I was definitely bothered after watching the trailer. Especially because there is a line where the adopted child says "It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own." I then heard about a new group on facebook called I Am Boycotting Warner Bros.' "Orpan Movie" and I knew I had to join. Here is the group's description:

On July 24, Warner Bros. is releasing a horror/slasher film titled "Orphan" (http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com/). The messaging in the trailer perpetuates misinformation about adoption, and it serves to reinforce the perception that older adoptees are very troubled. Those of us in the adoption community face these very real prejudices and misconceptions from the general public on a daily basis.

We encourage Warner Bros., Dark Castle Entertainment, and Appian Way to consider very carefully where and how they market this film, as the potential for emotional damage to children is great.

This group was launched by concerned parents to let these film companies know that this film is reprehensible to us, and we will be boycotting it. We will not allow children to be maligned while these companies profit from preying on the public's unfounded fears.

We ask anyone who joins this group to share this information widely, and to discourage your local theaters from showing this film.

The good news is that this boycot is having an effect. Here is an update from the moderator of the protest group:

First off, thank you for adding your name to the “Orphan” protest Group on Facebook. The membership has reached almost 1,000 in the course of just a few short days, which goes to show how very important this issue is to many.

I wanted to share with you that I just got off the phone with Scott Rowe, Sr. Vice President of Corporate Communication at Warner Bros. You will be happy to know that they have changed their marketing materials and have removed the offending statement “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own” has been removed from all future trailers.

A few items of note:

• The current trailer (with the offending statement) will still be used during the previews of the horror film “Drag Me to Hell”, which opens this week-end. Unfortunately, on such short notice, there was nothing that can be done about this.

• The next movie that the trailer will be shown at is “The Hangover”, which comes out June 15th. By this time, the current trailer will be replaced with the new trailer (sans statement).

• They will swap out the trailers for all television advertising. They have not yet begun advertising for this film yet, so there should be no worries of children seeing it.

• The current trailer is still on the Web site, but they are working to rectify that immediately and Scott has spoken with the Warner Bros. Web team about this again this afternoon.

• Because the film is Rated-R, it will only be shown as a trailer for other Rated-R films. The trailer will also only be shown on television after 10 p.m. (i.e. not during times when young children would be expected to watch).

As I am sure many of you have assumed, there is a hook to the film that ultimately removes the child/orphan stigma, which is neither here nor there as it relates to current public positioning of the film -- and that issue is no more.

The producers and distributor took your concerns to heart and have made the changes in the public-facing marketing materials that we had hoped.

I would like to add that Scott mentioned that Warner Bros. employees get death threats for things as trivial as changing the release date of the new Harry Potter film. “Yet, the adoption community, who are protecting their children and who have every right to be angry, has been nothing but respectful.” he said.

Kuddos to all of you! Please do pass this information along so that others can know that their voice was heard.

It looks like sometimes voices are heard! :-)

Blogs for a Cause

2009-05-27T23:54:00.006-04:00

When I first thought about starting a new blog, there was no question about the design. I knew I wanted to have Nikki at Blogs for a Cause stylize it! A great looking blog AND the money goes towards her humanitarian efforts...that's pretty much a no-brainer for me. :-) Of course the design turned out way cuter than anything I could have done! So if you ever want to give your existing blog a fresh look or start a new blog with a great design, contact Nikki!

What's This All About?

2009-05-27T23:07:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting to start this blog for awhile and the thing that has held me back was figuring out how to describe it in the introductory post. So here I am, just winging it.

When most people start a new blog they are usually doing so for one of the three P's...payment, pleasure or purpose. It's great if it can work out to be all three at once, but that's not always the case. As a freelance writer I mostly write for payment, including blogging. Whether there is any pleasure in writing for payment really doesn't matter a whole lot to me. It's just what I do to help support my family and stay home with my children. I've had other blogs from time to time that were used as an outlet strictly for the pleasure of writing. These were always a little of this and a little of that, but as life has gotten busier they've become neglected. That's why this blog is different for me. It is all about purpose.

I have always been a Christian, but in the last few years my walk with God has changed. My life no longer feels like MY life. Certainly I still have free will and choices, but I've found that the best choice is to turn my life over to God and His will. That's what this blog, Answering the Call, is all about. There is a wide, wide world out there that is absolutely filled with those hurting and in need...real need! I think God calls each and everyone of us to a life of service. It's just up to us to listen.