RESPONSIBILITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday we took Sam out for his birthday which will be next week.  Our favorite family restaurant is Olive Garden and Sam was happy!  They even sang to him:)    We had some errands to run and then we went by the new house.  On our way we noticed a bunch of deer in a fenced in area.  They were somewhat tame, as I got out of the van to take their picture.  I had noticed the 20 foot high chain link fence but just in passing.  In the country, some folks like lots of privacy but now I'm wondering if it is some kind of animal reserve.  

 

Well in my last blog, I got a comment I thought I'd share with you all and  then comment on.....

 

Wow so awful stuf! Well in my personal opinion I feel bad for you 2 healthy boys Steve and Shad (knowing Shad isn't 100% healthy) but any how just them 2knowing that they HAVE to take care of the siblings.... Steve has to at the end of the day marry a woman or man who is happy to care for his siblings and or Shad the same .....that is a lot for a brother.But I guess you and Pastor John have it all the played out. Me personally I would NEVER lay this pressure on ANY of my kids I have other family members ready to jump in if my handi children outlive me and Husband..... i know you mean the best or VERY best for your kids but putting the burden on the other children is not right in MY OPINION! But I don't know your entire situation ONLY what you share and from this post it seems Steve&Shad are responsible for the other children. Yes my kids know we want and wish for our 100% healthy ones too look out for the others.... but hmmmm once the husband and I pass who knows. I just know I am not MAKING/FORCING/GUILT TRIPPING any of my younger healthier ones to care for the other siblings.We have wills and and everything detailed out for our handicapped kids even if one of us gets Alzheimer's disease. So my big rant is ----i feel bad if you n Pastor John are laying the burden on your older healthier boys.That sucks for them. I know NONE of my children are not burdened by their siblings an NO they are not going into rest homes or into care of people whom don't know them.I just knew adopting children w special needs meant having a long life line.Feel bad for the families that the handicapped children have to be taken care of by siblings it never goes right. Yvonne this is my PERSONAL OPINION ONLY! Yours may better or the BEST or even CORRECT!!!!! By me aMom2three

 

 

 

I didn't think this writer was trying to be mean or ugly, she's written before but it made me want to address something to everyone on RESPONSIBILITY.  One thing I think she means is she does have a will and has someone besides her kids that would take responsibility for a child or children who are handicapped.  Well....then there is someone who would be "burdened" for the child or children's care....

 

Responsibility is not a word anyone likes anymore.  Everyone wants everything but they do not want to be responsible. 

 

That's not how my husband and I were raised, nor is that how we have raised our family.   And we weren't just raised to be responsible for just our family or loved ones but to realize we live to help others.

 

First of all let me say I went in to the bedroom where the boys were watching tv and talked to them both about this comment and asked them what they thought...  both were mad about the comment and felt like it was not a good understanding of how we think. 

 

When Sam was little, probably less than a year old, we were driving somewhere and Steve was talking about things with me.  Steve was about 9 years old at the time.  He said "Mom when you die I'll take care of Sam"  It came out unsolicited and I started bawling! 

 

As the years have gone by, we have always fought to keep a balance with Steve & Shad.  We do not want them to feel they have a "burden" to look after the little ones when we can not, however we don't look at our little ones as burdens.

 

We don't know the extent that each boy will be involved in the kids' care in the future.   Just as Jon & his brothers watch over their dad there is a difference.  Jon's oldest brother has taken most of the responsibility because his children are grown and he was able to move their dad in with them.  Jon's younger brother often stays with his dad when the other brother is on trips.  They both live in the same town, we are about an hour away from his dad.  Obviously at this point in our lives, Jon is not as involved physically in his dad's care.  He just decided to take some days off work to be with his dad on a more regular basis.  In the same way, one may be more responsible than the other. 

 

When I was a young adult, I was responsible for my great aunt.  She did go into a nursing home but was given the opportunity to come and live with us first.  She did not want to move 200 miles from her home town and her other family.  So I went up bi-weekly and checked on her, spent time with her, did any shopping whatever she needed.  It was not so "hard" to do, I didn't look at it at all like that, in fact I felt like I was not doing enough.  Of course her situation was different as she had siblings and friends that visited daily.  And she had no mental issues, she could tell us if there were any problems and she had a phone in her rom and called me just about daily.  I had to make her final arrangements and some very serious health decisions.  It taught me that you take care of family and that was something I saw growing up too. 

 

 

One thing I'm pretty sure of is that both of the boys would not marry girls who were uncomfortable with their involvement with the little ones' lives.  That is something that Steve has said over and over again.  Is that unfair?  I don't' think so, I think the way my kids have been raised and the values we've installed in them would make them look for a spouse who had deep beliefs and who was responsible and who cared for others.  Personally I think that is the kind of woman they'd want even if they didn't have siblings with special needs.

 

So to freak you all out.....Steve is named as the guardian of ALL his brothers and sisters should something happen to me and Jon.  That doesn't necessarily mean he would physically have them all in his home, but it means he would make the decisions for them. 

 

Just to make a point, let's say I win the $360 million lottery tonight....and then I put in my will that Steve gets ALL the money if Jon and I die....oh people would think that was great, lucky Steve....  however they do not look at the responsibility of taking care of human lives as "fun" or a "wonderful" thing.  We think differently.

 

When we adopted the girls, we did have a long talk with Steve, he had the same idea or thought or idea that we did and it is a bit like "in for a penny, in for a pound"   LOL  We are already in this life and our life is geared towards Sam, it's not that hard to add a couple more.  Of course we had no idea what would happen to Selah and how that would change things.

 

And that is something I think about all the time.....BAD things happen and families are called upon to step up and work through things.  No one is guaranteed an easy perfect life.  You might have one today and tomorrow be hurt in an accident or a family member hurt.  Then what do you do?  Do you step up and treat others like you'd want them to treat you if something happened to you??

 

With our kids, we have been careful to never make them feel they have to follow in their father's footsteps into ministry, or that they have to be super little Christian solders but we have also been careful to teach them to be caring people. People who see a need and then try their best to meet that need.  People who won't walk away from problems but be faithful and committed. 

 

We've never spelled out a plan for taking care of the little ones until recently we were given a great idea by one of our therapists.  That idea is that our new home, is big and handicapped accessible in all areas.  So it would be eligible to be a group home one day.  She has seen families do something similar and turn the family home into a "group home" for their handicapped child.  They would include a few more children/adults who needed the same care and hire nurses/caregivers.  Then usually someone from the family would be the one who was the director of the group home and oversaw it.  This was a way for the family to be involved and have a small business at the same time.  I was THRILLED with the idea and still am.  We all are!  Since our home is larger and has a bedroom suite that is private, it would be perfect for the director to live there if he wanted to.  If not that could be another room for a child/adult who might need it.

 

Of course we are very hopeful this is something we don't have to think about for another Thirty years or so!  We know folks in our community who are in their 80's and still very active and our goal is to be like them!!!!!   We do all we can to stay healthy and active.

 

When the day comes, if the day comes, that one or all of the little ones will need care that Jon nor I can give, I have faith in my older sons that they will be responsible with a happy heart towards their siblings.  Beyond faith in the boys, I have faith in God who will take care of all my children for me.  I believe God will work out whatever circumstances that are needed to see that the little ones are taken care of. 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Some Realities of our Life

WOW so the kids' IEP meeting ONLY lasted two hours!  Miracle!  We only had a few issues one was  that Sam and Sarah's Orientation and Mobility services is being overseen by a teacher who did teach them until I had her removed.  I had her removed for a myriad of reasons....bottom line she did not know how to teach blind kids who are as delayed as my two.  One thing she did was walk out to her car with Sam and then let go of his hand as she rummaged through her car.  Thankfully Steve was outside (I'd sent him to watch her) and he ran and caught Sam!  The teacher was parked right by the road!  Then a few weeks later she YELLED at Sam in a very angry way in front of me and two guys who were working on our plumbing.  After that she was gone.  Frankly I do not want her to be associated in any way with my children. 

Second there was a question about summer services for the kids.  I think that will work out.  All in all it was a good meeting and I'm so very happy with the teachers who are working with my kids.  They are all interested in really helping the kids and pleasant to be around!

We have a new nurse.  We've had one small spot that we've been trying to fill for awhile.  Our other nurses have worked extra hours and we've been covered.  We had a nurse in it but I caught her in a lie last weekend and that was that!  Luckily the agency sent someone right out who seems like she will fit in good.  I've been lucky for the most part with nurses, I have three really strong ones who are in tune with Selah and who can read her like a book.  Having nurses in your home 24/7 is not always the easiest thing but we have to have it! 

Throughout the day not only do we have two nurses who do a 12 hour shift each but we have teachers and therapists.   For example today we had the nurses,  the physical therapist, and our vision/education teacher.  We have teachers/therapists every week day except Fridays. 

Before everything happened, Sam did have a few teachers but nothing like it is now!  It took some getting used to, especially in our little house.  Sometimes our parking area looks like a used car lot LOL

We made the choice with Sam to put him on what is called "hospital/home bound" so he'd get services in the home.  When he was young he was sooooooo sickly!  Plus he had a crazy amount of eyedrops to do.  He is much healthier but I don't know how he'd be if he was in a classroom all day.  Plus he still has lots of eyedrops to do and his eye is so fragile.  If it got bumped or hit, he could go blind.  If he got an infection like "pink eye" he could lose his eye......  There is much to think about having him in a classroom setting.  If something happened to him or his eye I'd never be able to forgive myself.

Of course with Selah, it would not be good for her to go to school  She's far too fragile and it would upset her terribly.  Some families send their kids like Selah to school but often those kids end up sick.  I'm not taking any chances.

With Sarah, I think emotionally she would not handle being away from home all day.  Since the other two have to be home, there is no reason to send her and stress her out.  She went through so much emotionally in the orphanage, it's a miracle she has bonded to me like she has.  But she is BONDED and I know even when I'm gone for a few hours and come home, she is all about Mommy.  I know some folks would say send her to school, toughen her up but Sarah will ALWAYS live at home, she won't be able to hold a job down so why stress her out?  When she stresses she gets these awful rashes and she gets upset.  I figure she has had enough stress in her little life!!! 

We are putting together a plan for the kids as they grow older.....and we grow older.......
Our new home is handicapped accessible in every way.  Since we have three kids who will always need care, we could incorporate at some point (once Jon and I can no longer care for them or when we pass away) and one of the boys could make the house a small group home and add a couple of more kids/young adults to it.  Then that son or both of them could be the manager(s)   One of our therapists gave me that idea and you have no idea what comforts that brings to me.

If you ask any special needs parent their greatest fear and most of the time it is the future/outliving your child (or in our case, children) 

Having the beginning of a plan in place brings me some peace of mind.  Also a new law has passed making it legal to have savings accounts for children who are special needs.  Before it was not allowed and was counted as income against the child if the child/family applied for any type of government assistance even when the child became an adult. 

So school meetings, bad teachers, nurses, and the future are just a few of the realities of my life that most other people have no concept of.......  sometimes these are some of the hardest things! 

For us, our lives revolve around all our kids but we know one day Steve and Shad will be on their own and we are proud of them.  Our three little ones will always be with us and may out live us.  Who knows

If you've ever wondered, I have asked some doctors the children's life expectancy.  Of course no one has any real idea.  Children like Selah can live for decades if they are well taken care of and stay stable.  Sam has a lot of little oddities that worry us very much and we do all we can for him to keep him healthy He has some deletions on a chromosome which is very worrying.

 In fact we go Monday for more, newer DNA testing.  We all go, Jon and I will be tested again and compared to his DNA.  He clinically presents as having Peter's Anomaly or Peter's PLUS Anomaly BUT he does not have the chromosome markers for it.   We've all three been tested before but I guess now there is another newer more sensitive DNA test.  They will run mine and Jon's and then compare them to Sam's.  Almost everyone has some deletions in their chromosomes, so they will look at mine and Jon's and see if any match and if any matches Sam's.  Should be interesting.   I think the general idea is that Sam carries ANOTHER chromosomal marker for Peter's Anomaly, one yet to be discovered.   He sees a genetic specialist here in Florida but he is part of a HUGE study at the University of Wisconsin for kids with Peter's and other eye disorders.   In fact, they called our doctor and requested the updated testing.  The doctor called me on our way up to NY in December and I filled her in on the past four years (they've been exciting!) and she wanted to see Sarah too. 

We know Sam is missing half of a liver tumor inhibitor.  We found that out about 5 years ago and followed up on research. There is ONE doctor in Utah who is studying this and according to mouse studies Sam is safe since he has one tumor inhibitor.  If he didn't have any, he'd be almost certain to have liver cancer at some point!!!!!  Jon and I both have both inhibitors thank God.  HOWEVER when we learned this, that is when we got really serious about what we all eat, Sam in particular JUST IN CASE!!!!!  

Sarah is as healthy as a horse LOL.  She's been with us for almost three years and the only thing she's had was a runny nose/red throat one time and was put on antibodics.  I figure she survived Ukraine....what's a few puny American germs??  It will be interesting to see what the DNA will tell us about Sarah. 

Well that is probably enough of the realities of our life!!!!!!!!  And you wonder why I'm like I am......LOL

It's looking like a House!

 

WOW!  We hadn't been out to the house since last week.  Doesn't it look pretty?  All the windows and doors are in.  Most of the electric and some of the plumbing is done.  The guys were there working on the A/C.  Most of the siding is on too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got to meet some of the sweet guys working on the A/C and a couple from Rochester came by to see the house too. 

 

This is really exciting.  I know I say that a lot but it has been cool to watch the house come together from the plans a friend drew up with me to the actual building!  Still doesn't seem quite real yet!  The move in date is hopefully next month! 

 

 

Tomorrow is all three little ones' IEP- that is the Individualized Educational Plan.....  always something to fight about.  Maybe not as much this year but I'm sure they will try and take some service away from them   I can usually count on the good old school board to try that. 

 

One time a very spiritual special needs mom said to me "Yvonne, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar"  I said  " Actually you can catch more flies with a dead body but who wants flies?  LOL  I don't have much time to give honey to anyone but my honeys :)

 

 

 

Until tomorrow.....

 

 

Southern Cooking Made Easy!

Today I've been boiling peanuts.  If you're not from the South you may not have ever enjoyed this wonderful treat.  In fact you may have never seen a raw peanut before!  Don't worry Raw Peanuts are not bloody!  In fact they could be eaten raw but since they grow under ground, it's best to boil or bake them first. 

It's really easy.  Just put them in a big pot with lots of water...... BOIL them for hours keep adding water and salt.  After about 30 minutes, turn it into a slow boil, then after about 6 hours or so, try one.  If it tastes good, then drain them and start shelling! 

 

So tonight we will be enjoying boiled peanuts as we watch tv.  YUM!

 

Hope you all have a great week!

 

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REvaccinations

Her foster mom Nikki writes:

"Don't miss it! My Selah is our SCH Courage Child of the Week, and she needs a sponsor! Could it be you? Selah is brand new and she is blowing me away with how she is thriving in our home! Click the blog to read more about her and see a video of her homecoming! Please help us spread the word by changing your facebook cover photo to this image and link to the blog to help us find her a sponsor! "

#schcouragekids

http://schindia.com/2015/02/01/courage-child-of-the-week-selah/


I'd LOVE for Selah (named after our Selah) to have a sponsor.  You can sponsor at any amount monthly.  She can have several sponsors to meet the need.   This would be a great thing to do, or to get your group involved with.    Maybe your Sunday School or small group class could sponsor her?

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Well after my almost 6 miles hike yesterday my knees are killing me.  I had to sleep with a pillow under them and a heating pad on top of them.  They were hurting before the hike.  Sometimes they ache and it goes away.  I'm hoping for that!!!!   I just hurt all over all the time, most of the time I can deal with it.  I've been hurting for about six years now, sometimes it's worse than others.  I push through, I don't have a choice LOL  I don't remember NOT being in pain, it makes me feel old.  I rarely take advil or anything, don't like meds.  I've tried Oils, think they are a complete waste of money.  Usually the more I exercise, the less I hurt.  That is just not true today!  Hoping this goes away.

Don't think I've shared this but we are redoing all of our girls' shots.  When we brought Shad home, our doctor redid all the shots that was on his record because we just didn't know if they'd been done or been done correctly.  Well I wanted to redo the girls' but for some reason, maybe since they were older, he didn't want to redo them.  With all the recent talk of measles outbreaks and the lack of people vaccinating their kids...I took Sarah in on Friday to get some of the shots redone.  Based on her age, there were only some we could do.  I think she got three.  Our doctor was more concerned than he was almost three years ago when they came home.  Selah will be going soon to be revaccinated on a few shots also. 

(no there is nothing wrong with her feet, she lets them fall into that position at times but they aren't stuck there)

Isn't this the funniest and most mournful looking picture of Sarah waiting on the shots?  Jon was about to fall asleep.  We were there for some time as we had lots of paperwork for the three little ones, because their IEP, school planning meeting is coming up.

For the record if you don't know my stand on vaccinations.....
My family did not vaccinate, I do not know why.  I never heard it discussed.  But my guess is that they were just "afraid" of doctors.  I don't think it was a religious reason.  Who knows?  The only vaccine I received was for polio, otherwise I do not think I'd been allowed in school. 

I got every stupid sickness known to childhood!!!!!!   I truly almost died of the whooping cough over the summer before my kindergarten year of school.

I have five kids, they get every known vaccine including the flu shot yearly.  No reactions, no problems.  They are healthy, rarely sick, even my special needs kids. 

If you hear crazy statistics, realize it for what it is....a crazy statistic.  Measles still kill  "measles fell 60% from an estimated 873,000 deaths in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005.^[34] Estimates for 2008 indicate deaths fell further to 164,000 globally,"  So in 2008 there were 164,000 preventable deaths in the world because of measles!!!!!   Most of them are in developing countries where the children can not get good medical care such as hospitalization and IV's but still some of those deaths did occur in developed nations.

Personally after living through what I did, I would never not vaccinate my children!  People who make the choice to not vaccinate, really do not understand what these disease can do to a child or an adult.  I know a lot of folks who don't vaccinate or who under-vaccinate and they've been safe....thus far.  But as more and more parents quit vaccinating, I believe these diseases will come back and will begin killing more and more kids.  I always want to invite people to take a walk in my family graveyard dating back to the early 1800's.  There are so many children's graves...up until the 60's and 70's, then there are very few....wonder why???????  Because of vaccines and better medical health care that's why!

The strange thing about my family, they didn't vaccinate me, but they'd tell stories of epidemics of various diseases hitting town and killing kids.  Isn't that odd?  It's like they understood the danger, but didn't protect me!   I will never understand that!

In fact, I'm planning on asking my doctor what vaccinations I should have.  I realize even with a vaccination, there is a chance a person could get sick.  I do not want to take any chances with my kids should I get sick with something and then possibly pass it on to them.

So I just encourage you if you have children, do what your doctor say.  I totally trust my doctor (who happens to have five kids also) and if he feels something is good enough for his kids that he adores, then I think it's ok for mine!  When Sam was little and so sickly, I did worry giving him his vaccines, but we did it, and he had no issues nor has he had any of those dreadful diseases!

Not only do diseases cause death, they can also cause blindness, deafness, mental retardation and  even loss of limbs due to complications.  In fact one of the nurses over my daughter's nursing care used to work at a Shiner's hospital and she's had many patients who lost limbs to chicken pox that became infected!  Don't forget even if your child escapes these disease as a child IF they get them as an adult they are almost always so much worse!  When mumps develops in a boy after puberty or an adult man, it sometimes causes testicular inflammation that can affect sperm production and lead to  Sterility!  How sad!   And don't forget the kids who actually can't be vaccinated due to cancer or other REAL issues or the ones too young.  When we don't vaccinate, it increases their chances of coming down with something. 

Well that's my thoughts for today!  I'm seeing a lot about this on the news and on Facebook.  Most of what I see on FB is silly statistics that mean nothing.  Be careful who/what you follow-there is a lot riding on this! 

Hope you all had a great weekend!  And hope the coming week is good.

A Hike in the Woods

Today Jon and I hiked almost six miles in the woods.  11,680 steps for me.  Both of us love being out in the woods.  I prefer a larger trail than he does so today we went on a well marked trail.  We walked all the way in, quiet, both of us thinking about things.  Then on the way out, we started talking about our life.  One thing I'm so thankful for is that he & I are generally 100% on the same page.  It makes life so much easier, we don't try, it just happens.  So we were talking about some things we've thought about for years and it just amazes me how we've come to the same conclusion. 

Its funny how marriage evolves.  In some ways Jon and I are a lot alike.  Neither of us are shy in public situations, our "world view" is generally the same...only difference is Jon has TACT, mine & his share of it!  And I have ZERO tact.  I try sometimes to use tact and then think "what the heck, let me just say what needs to be said"  Jon on the other hand has enough Tact for the both of us and is probably the only reason I'm still alive LOL  Otherwise someone would have shot me by now, I'm sure!

When we first got married and for the first decade, all I could see was our differences.  I'm sure he felt the same way.  But as time went on, and we grew up, we began seeing how much alike we are.  The Bible says a married couple becomes one flesh, I understand that now.  For us it took awhile :) 

Our biggest fights were about "spiritual things".  Basically he thought I was not "spiritual " enough and I thought he was "too spiritual"   LOL  that sounds funny doesn't it?  Now we look back and laugh at the ridicules things we fussed about.  Probably 95% of it were things we "learned" from other people or even God Help Us, from marriage books or seminars.  For the record I only went to one seminar and was forced into it.  We were on staff and there was no way out of it.  ( Well today I'd get out of it, but back then I was nicer)  Jon used to read Christian  books on marriage, I didn't except for one that was about sex LOL   Even years ago I knew to laugh and ignore "self help" books, Christian or not, that is one thing I do not need!  

As our lives got "real", we began to realize a few things.  There is not a self help book out there that can make you feel better when life is crashing down.  All those silly little "marriage tips" that you're given in classes or hear in seminars are usually pretty stupid & empty, when LIFE starts happening.  We learned we had to make OUR own way, not listen to others but cling to each other. 

Over 90% of families with special needs kids end up divorcing.....when I first heard that, I was floored.  Now over the years I've seen that happen time and again.  For us, it's drawn us closer than we ever dreamed.  There were a number of years our marriage was quite shaky.  We probably would have divorced because of the social pressure but.....   However we grew past that and then when we were given Sam almost 11 years ago, we both realized we'd better hang on tight cause the ride just got bumpy! 

I'm not writing all of this to tell you what a perfect marriage we have LOL- we still fuss and he swears he is the ONLY pastor that gets the "Italian salute"  from his wife (I'm sure he is NOT)   But I do want to encourage you to hang in there if you're going through a hard time in your marriage.

And another thing do NOT envy another person's marriage!  You do NOT know what they've gone through to get to the point they are at NOR do you know what they might be asked to go through in the future.  I can think of several couples I've looked at in envy and everyone of them has ended up going through some deep waters and most are divorced now.  You don't see what actually happens in a marriage. 

Well guess I'm giving marriage advice!  But my advice is work it out between the two of you, don't think you have to be someone else or perfect.

If you are single....and want to be married....  There is NO perfect person.  If you are a Christian -I'd advise to pray and ask God to send you someone and then go about your business.  Don't try to "make" someone be God's will for your life.  I can say that cause I tried that and it didn't work!!!!   So glad I waited. 

How do you KNOW it's the right one?  I haven't the foggiest!  LOL  I just kind of jumped in with Jon and I'm thankful he was the right one for me!   One thing was we were BOTH 100% doing what God wanted us to do in ministry-neither one of us was sitting around waiting to do things because we were single.  I liked that about him and he liked that about me.


Well that is enough marriage advice from me!

I'm going to read one of my new favorite authors John Grisham.  I'm readying "The Chamber".  I've liked every book of us I've read thus far.  I totally get into the characters and can "see" it.  Love books like that.  I'm not usually a fan of male authors but Grisham is different.  In fact his book "The Testament" could be sold in a Christian bookstore, what a story of redemption.   BTW I'm not into Christian novels at all.  The only ones I slightly liked were the Frank Peretti's set "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness"  I think I liked them cause they reminded me of my crazy hometown.  Not quite sure I believe the "theology" of the books though. 

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Sarah Covenant House- India

Today I have a ministry to share about that I'm really JUST learning about but it has been around for a while!   Sarah Covenant House  in India http://schindia.com/ 

Here is their FB page
https://www.facebook.com/schindia

And this is one of the moms
http://www.onetinystarfish.blogspot.com/

She lives and works in a home there.  She has followed our story and one of their new children in the home is named after our Selah:) Selah, Charlotte and Chloe all need sponsors....  Charlotte and Chloe are both blind and remind me of my Sarah. 

Somehow I had missed out on this wonderful ministry!  I'm so excited that I read about it and now am learning more.  What a great thing to be involved with!!!!!   Can I encourage you to help sponser a child???

http://schindia.com/children/children-young-adults-need-sponsorship/
Charlotte and Chloe are on here, Selah is not on here yet but will be added soon.
Such a great way to do something for an orphaned child if you are not in a place to adopt!



This is their vision!
Throughout the world there are people who feel that children with special needs lack worth, or that there is a shame in being differently abled.
Jesus sees them so much differently. He said that the first shall be last and the last shall be first (Matthew 19:30). These children, who aren’t valued by society, are the very ones He wants to lavish with His deep and unending perfect love. We want to be part of that!
The vision for Sarah’s Covenant Homes is to provide our children with the next-best thing to a traditional family. Love, growth, laughter, nurture, and more love!
Over 100 children have been referred to us by the government, having been abandoned or relinquished by their families. Most of them arrive in extremely weak condition, with illnesses, anemia, and medical/surgical needs. We provide them with medical care, education, physiotherapy, good nutrition & supplements, and lots of love.
In the future, we see a large campus that contains apartment units where SCH kids are fostered in family units with lots of one-on-one interaction and therapies. A mini-hospital, kitchen, chapel/prayer room, school rooms, therapy rooms, laundry and playgrounds will all be central and shared for a warm community feel. We are committed to our children and young adults—kids won’t “age out” of SCH and be sent to an institution or released to fend for themselves. But because we know that we can never replace a loving biological or adoptive family, our prayer and desire is that many of our children would eventually be placed in wonderful adoptive families. For those who will be adopted, SCH will be a place where they can get well and thrive physically and in every other way and learn that they are valuable and worthy of love.




Here are some questions and answers about Sarah Covenant Houses



01) In a nutshell, can you describe SCH and the vision for it?

• Children with developmental disabilities and neurological special needs are the most likely to be abandoned and least likely to be adopted children in India. The Lord told me, “Feed My lambs.” I find these overlooked and undernourished (in all senses) lambs languishing in institutional orphanages or hospitals, and bring them home, providing them with love, education, therapy, medical & surgical care, and LIFE in a family-style environment.

02)  Who are you?

• Sarah Rebbavarapu founded Sarah’s Covenant Homes in 2009.  Sarah is an American woman married to James Rebbavarapu, an Indian citizen. They have been married for 19 years and together run Indian Christian Ministries, an NGO (Non-governmental Organization) in Andhra Pradesh India.  With the recent addition of their twins they now have four daughters and a son and have lived in India as a family since late 2000. Sarah can be reached at sarah@schindia.com!

03)  Are the names used on the blog the children’s real names?

• No, they are not the children’s official names. We use nicknames on the internet to protect the children’s privacy. Click here for more info about how and why we select the names.

04)  Are you an adoption placement agency? Can I adopt a child through you?

• We are not permitted by the state government to place our children for adoption, either in India or abroad. These children are wards of the government, though, and the government is the state’s only recognized placement agency, so they are able to place abandoned children with and without special needs (including, if they so choose, our SCH children) at their discretion. To adopt an Andhra child, an Indian family settled in India should approach the state government Women Development & Child Welfare Department Adoption section. Foreign married couples or single ladies may adopt children for whom families in India cannot be found, but only through a licensed placement agency in your home country.

05)  What types of special needs do your children have?

• The vast majority of our children have neurological special needs: epilepsy, cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, cognitive challenges, hydrocephalus, brain damage, autism etc. or combinations of the above. Many also have orthopedic challenges, about ten are blind, and two have hearing loss.

06)  How many children do you have?

• As of July 2014 SCH is currently home to 130 incredible children.

07)  Do you serve families who are seeking residential care for their special children?

• At this time, the children we serve are all abandoned children whose family backgrounds are unknown or children whose parents relinquished them to the state. We also have three adults with various challenges who have no family support.

08)  What services do you provide for the children?

• We provide physical therapy, early intervention, nursing care, and special education on-site six days per week. Thirty of our children attend mainstream private schools. We are currently seeking a full-time speech therapist, a physical education teacher, vocational trainer, and an occupational therapist.

09)  How are you funded?

• We are funded entirely through donations. We invite partnership from individuals, businesses, foundations, churches, etc. in India and around the world! At this time, we do not have any committed support from foundations or organizations–please do consider getting involved personally and also helping us to connect with individuals and organizations that might be interested in working together with us for the sake of the children.

10)  How much does PayPal take out of a gift I send online to Sarah’s Covenant Homes?

• They take approximately 3% of the gift, plus $0.30 per transaction.

11)  Can I give via PayPal if I don’t live in America, If I don’t have a PayPal account?

• Yes to both. All you need is a major internationally recognized credit card.

12)  Where does a PayPal donation to SCH actually go?

• The entirety of the donation (minus PayPal fees) goes directly to us via Sarah’s Covenant Homes, a 501(c) 3 Montana-based nonprofit organizations (also called “India’s Hope”). The US nonprofit wires the donated funds to us in India. The local bank waives wiring charges as a way to bless our work, so that makes your gift to help the children stretch even further.

13)  I’d like to send a check. Where should I mail it?

• Checks made out to “Sarah’s Covenant Homes” can be mailed to:

Sarah’s Covenant Homes

P.O. Box 368

Chinook, MT 59523 U.S.A.

14)  Which way do you prefer that we give?

• This is probably the most frequently asked question. To be honest, I’m just thrilled that you want to give and am happy if you give in the way that’s most convenient for you. I personally don’t give to many organizations that I can’t give to online, so I certainly understand if that’s how you prefer to give as well. Some organizations give you the option of adding a little bit to cover the PayPal fees so that the intended amount all gets there–I tend to do that whether they ask or not. PayPal’s pretty fast, and they really don’t take that much out of the gift anyway, though–it’s worth it because of the convenience to donors.The absolute most economical way to give is to mail a check to Sarah’s Covenant Homes in the USA (see mailing address question above)–almost nothing gets taken out of it. This may be the best way to give large donations.Our US nonprofit is great in that they’ll change their regular wiring date to accommodate our needs. If we need money fast for an unforeseen emergency or need, they’ll wire the money that day.

15)  How much overhead does SCH (the US nonprofit) have?

• It’s a very tiny amount. Sarah’s Covenant Homes is run by volunteers at this point and takes out of donations only what is needed to pay for one internet and phone connection and a few supplies such as printer ink, paper, postage etc. A lot of these expenses are borne personally by those involved as well–it’s a sacrificial work in which we’re all personally invested.

16)  Is the US nonprofit a foundation or endowment?

• No, they do not have any large fund from which they make donations–they connect the project and supporters.

17)  Are donations made via Sarah’s Covenant Homes/India’s Hope tax-deductible in America?

• Yes, donations to SCH can be made through our 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization in the US. The organization’s registered name is India’s Hope, and it also has official IRS permission to do business as (“DBA”) “Sarah’s Covenant Homes” and receive donations made out to “Sarah’s Covenant Homes” or “SCH.” (Contact us if you need a copy of the DBA registration).  Donations made through the US nonprofit are sent directly to our organization in India designated for the children, and are tax-deductible for US donors.  You will receive a receipt for your donation.

18)  How can a Canadian citizen donate and receive a tax deduction?

• A wonderful Canadian friend would like to register SCH as a nonprofit in Canada.  She is just in the beginning stages of the process. Right now, donations can be made via Sarah’s Covenant Homes in Montana, but it won’t qualify for a tax deduction–I’m sorry about that! If you would like to be part of making SCH Canada happen, please write us! sarah@icmin.org

19)  I live in India. How can I best donate to your organization?

• Here are our bank details for ICM’s Sarah’s Covenant Homes:Bank Name: Federal Bank
  Ongole Branch
  Branch code: FDRL 000 1351
  Account Number: 13510100051559
  Account Name: ICM

20)  What our others ways I can donate to SCH?

• We are also very thankful for gifts in kind like children’s clothing, shoes, bed sheets, toothbrushes & paste, combs, etc. and would welcome donated services such as from medical and dental professionals, orthopedists, carpenters, welders, painters, etc.

21)  I’m from a country other than the ones you mentioned. What should I do?

• That’s wonderful. You can donate in any currency via PayPal in any currency using an internationally recognized credit card. Or, if you’d like to make a very large donation and prefer not to use PayPal or send a check to the US address, please contact me at sarah@icmin.org for details on how to give via Western Union or bank wire.

22)  Is Sarah’s Covenant Homes a registered charity in India with permission to receive foreign funds?

• Sarah’s Covenant Homes is one “project” (for lack of a better word–it’s so much more) of India Christian Ministries, an indigenous registered charity directed by James Rebbavarapu, an Indian minister. India Christian Ministries (ICM) is registered with the FCRA (Foreign Contributions Registration Act) and is permitted to receive foreign funds.

23)  How much of what I donate for SCH goes to ICM administration or other ICM projects?

• Three percent is retained by ICM to help cover things like maintaining of registrations, hiring accounting staff, auditing, etc. for all programs. Ninety-seven percent of donations for SCH are deposited immediately and directly in the account (SCH Hyderabad or SCH Ongole) to which they are designated by the donor (or by Sarah, in the case of general donations according to need).

24)  Can your children be sponsored?

• YES! Currently we do have several children being sponsored.  Our cost is approximately $200-$300 per month per child.  This is excluding any additional surgeries or private schooling. Educational sponsorships for those children who attend mainstream private schools are also much-needed and appreciated!  To sponsor a child, visit the “Children in Need of Sponsors” gallery and click on a child’s photo. On the child’s page, you will find a paypal link where you can set up a monthly sponsorship. Not a paypal member? That is okay because you can sign in as a guest. And if you have any more sponsorship questions, you can email us directly at schusa@icmin.org.

25)  Can I set up a recurring donation to be made automatically from my bank account or credit card?

• Yes! It’s a wonderfully easy way to give and it gives us such peace to know that we can count on a particular amount monthly. I can generate a customized PayPal link for you in about five minutes. Drop an email to SCHusa@icmin.org and let me know the amount you’d like to give monthly and the designation, and I will email you the link right away. You can stop it anytime via your own PayPal account if the need should arise.

26)  How are the volunteer staff members compensated at Sarah’s Covenant Homes?

• We are all personal givers to SCH.  None of our volunteers draw a salary from ICM, or Sarah’s Covenant Homes. Occasionally someone designates a gift for staff members, and the US nonprofit honors their wishes and deposits that into a personal account.  Our volunteer staff is entirely responsible for raising their own support to meet their financial needs.

27)  What if I cannot afford $200.00 a month to sponsor a child?

• That is fine.  We have several children that have multiple sponsors.  Sometime 2 to 3 or more families or individuals come together to take care of one child.

28)  Can I communicate with my sponsored child?

• At this time we don’t have a reliable way of facilitating two-way communication from the children.  Several of our children are nonverbal and/or would have difficulty even understanding the concept of a sponsor, but of course their need for a sponsor is just as crucial, so we hope you would not be dissuaded by that.

29)  What types of updates can I expect regarding my sponsored child?

• We are currently working on continuing to strengthen our updates and information regarding our children.  With the addition of some new long-term staff members as well as a redesigned website we hope to make large strides and leaps in this area.  Right now so many of the children have come to us with such serious needs that our attention has been primarily focused on their care and getting them out of danger.  We provide four email updates per year to each sponsor, about their specific child.

30)  I’d like to help, but can’t commit to a monthly sponsorship at this time. What other options are there?

• In addition to monthly child sponsorship, we have many ongoing needs. Several of our children need surgeries, and we need one-time gifts to help us do this. We also love to have people come and volunteer. Spreading the word about us via your blog, your Facebook page, or your e-mail list helps SO much as well,

Wow lots of info but I think it is so important for you to get to know this organization like I have!  Please give if you can!