Sunday, February 22, 2015

Compassion International: Crisis Prevention

Okay, how many of you ladies out there grew up reading "Brio" Magazine (or, guys, how many of you grew up on "Breakaway")?  I was an avid Brio reader from my 11th birthday until my first year of college, and, every month I opened the magazine to see an advertisement for Compassion International, asking readers to consider sponsoring a child by a monthly donation.

"Every time you breathe in and breathe out, somewhere in the world a needy child dies from poverty," the ad stated.  I remember thinking that such a statistic was a sad one, but I didn't have the money to sponsor a child...and, even if I could, how much difference could I make?  If there was a child dying for every breath I took, did it really do any good to save one?

Years later, my host family in Spain told me the story of adopting their daughter from Ethiopia.  "She was a 'poverty orphan',"they explained.  "Her biological mother is still alive, as far as we know, but she signed her over to the orphanage because she couldn't afford to feed her or keep her off the streets.  She hoped she would be better off at the orphanage."

As I sought to understand the worldwide orphan crisis on a deeper level, I realized that 'poverty orphans' or 'social orphans' are far more common than one would expect.  In American culture, when we hear the word "orphan," we automatically picture a child who has lost both parents.  However, throughout the world, many children living in orphanages or other institutions have living parents.  Sometimes they are culturally expected to sign their children over to the government because of their financial or social status, sometimes the parents are caught up in crime or drug addiction, and sometimes (tragically) parents are tricked into signing their children over so that black market dollars can be earned.  Often times, they are in poverty and hope that an orphanage will provide their children with daily food and shelter.  In 2012, a survey of orphaned children in Honduras estimated that 54% of the children were actually social orphans who had been signed over or abandoned by their parents.

While an orphanage might provide for their physical needs, they cannot provide a child with the emotional support, one-on-one attention, or psychological nurturing that comes from a permanent family.   Many of these children will temporarily escape poverty, only to slide back into it as soon as they age out of their national care systems.

The motto of Compassion International is, "Releasing Children From Poverty in Jesus' Name."  Organizations like Compassion International seek to break the cycle of poverty by offering healthcare, education, and mentoring to children in need.  When I signed up to sponsor a beautiful little girl from El Salvador in January, she was given the opportunity to attend school, have medical care and nutritious meals, and attend weekly Bible school with her peers.  She is also able to remain with her family and does not have to fear being placed in an orphanage because of poverty.  In a country where 4 out of 10 residents live in poverty and the rate of criminal activity is one of the highest in the world, I count it a privilege to be an influence on this little girl's life!  I chose to promote Compassion International because their work goes right alongside my platform- they are preventing the spread of the orphan crisis by attacking one of its root causes: poverty.

The night took place at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.  The church was hosting a training conference for junior high and high school students from all over the Midwest.  We had a table set up with packets of information on specific children in need of sponsors.


The need feels overwhelming...

I wasn't expecting a huge response, with our target audience being teenagers.  I was surprised and touched by how many teens approached our table, armed with creative ways to come up with the $38 a month needed to sponsor a child.  Some planned to split the cost among their youth group or a small group of friends, others were willing to give up their hard-earned babysitting money so a child could have a better life.  
Several of the packets carried a "Priority" or "High Risk" label, if not both.

Anyone who officially signed up to sponsor on the spot received one of these bracelets.  The bracelets are designed by women who were rescued from exploitation. 

One of my favorite parts of the evening was meeting Nancie, a former Compassion Child who now works full time at the Compassion headquarters in Colorado.  Nancie was scheduled to speak to the entire conference on Saturday night, but she came over to our table to meet us and share her story.

"Once I was sponsored in Africa, I went to school every day, and they made sure that I received three good meals and got proper healthcare and hygiene," she explained.  "On Saturdays, all the sponsored children would meet together for Bible training and mentoring, and we would receive meals there, too."  Nancie went on to share the excitement of receiving a letter or birthday gift from her sponsor, and the Compassion workers helping her write letters back to her sponsor.  "Today, I live in America and have a career, and I am able to help other children be free from poverty," she said.  "I could not have done that without my sponsor."

Photo-op with Nancie!

I am so thankful for the work that Compassion International is doing for children in need.  Through this ministry, children are being given a chance to remain in permanent families, and have hope for a brighter future!  What a blessing to be a part of this cause, as a sponsor and as a titleholder!

If you are interested in learning more about sponsoring a child through Compassion, please visit http://www.compassion.com.  As of today, the cost to sponsor is $38 a month.  Most Americans spend more than that on their cable, coffee, new clothes, or entertainment.  What would you give up if you could give everything to a child?

Be the Change,
~Hannah Appleton
Miss Bloomington International 2015

Monday, August 12, 2013

Where Children are Waiting: The United States

*Note: I would like to clarify that this post applies to children in the US Foster Care System.  These are generally children who's parents have passed away without legal plans in place for the care of their children, or children who were removed from their homes and the parental rights were or are in the process of being terminated.  Women or couples facing an unplanned pregnancy and considering an adoption plan should not be lead to believe that their children will be placed in foster or group homes with no hope of adoption; on the contrary, there are millions of American couples who are unable to have biological children and are approved and waiting to adopt an infant.  This article is not intended to shame or scare birth parents out of making adoption plans for children they know they cannot raise; it is intended to raise awareness of a separate need within the United States.

"It's so sad to hear about orphans all over the world.  Thank goodness that's not a problem we have in the United States!"

There may be some truth to this statement.  In the United States, no child can be forced onto the streets or left in an abusive home because of lack of space in group or foster homes.  Modern medicine and healthcare help to prevent crises which cause orphan numbers to skyrocket in less developed nations.  Care is offered to children until they are 18, instead of 16 or 14.

However, we cannot say that their is no orphan crisis within our own country. Imagine, for a moment, that on your 18th birthday, or within a few weeks of graduating high school, you had been sent out on your own.  No, I don't mean you packed your bags and moved into a college dormitory, where your parents called every Sunday afternoon and sent you care packages.  I mean completely, totally on your own, with no one to show you how to apply for college or financial aide, no one to teach you how to drive a car or help you shop for a car and insurance, and no credit history to apply for an apartment or any other financial commitment.  Keep in mind, this is 2013.  The job market is flooded; even people with impressive education and work experience are finding it hard to land work.  Imagine trying to find steady employment that was enough to cover rent, utilities, food, transportation to and from work, clothes and shoes that were work-appropriate and wouldn't fall apart after one washing, and came with at least some form of health insurance.  If you happened to find work that was pleasant enough that you could do it for 40 hours a week without going insane, or if it worked around a schedule so that you could go to school and pursue the career of your choosing, that would be a major miracle.

Maybe some of you have done that- I can think of a few people who have and were successful.  But now, keep in mind, it would probably come up somewhere in the application or interview that you had grown up in foster care- and, all the presumptions that come with the word "foster child" are immediately projected upon you.  Maybe, after years of being bounced from one home to another, you never had the opportunity to learn professional etiquette or how to speak to employers versus peers or family members.  If you were constantly being moved from one school to another, your grades and education probably suffered.  You have never had a consistent role model to look up to.

For many young adults emancipated from foster care, this is reality.  In the United States:
-25% of all emancipated foster children will become homeless
-56% will become unemployed
-27% of men emancipated from foster care will spend time in jail
-30% of emancipated women will experience early parenthood.

The blame for these statistics can go many different ways.  Under-qualified foster parents who give up on children too quickly.  Legal issues which make it hard for even the most loving foster families to provide a consistent home for children in foster care.  However, regardless of who or what is to blame, the truth is that the United States is in no way immune to the worldwide orphan crisis.  Today, in the U.S., approximately 107,000 children wait for their forever families.   Adoption from the US foster care system can cost less than $500, and many grants are available for families wanting to adopt.  Click here for information on state requirements for adopting through foster care.

For more information on the orphan crisis within the United States and how to get involved, visit http://icareaboutorphans.org/

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Miss International Week

Phew, I am back in my bedroom in my on-campus apartment at U of MN, after a whirlwind of a week at the Miss International pageant in Chicago!  This week included a brutally-long bus ride, lugging heavy suitcases back and forth, sore feet and ears from wearing 6" stilettos and 3" earrings, and exhausting rehearsals- but it also included heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, new friendships, and memories that will last me a lifetime!

My adventure started at 4:45 am (after a sleepless night of packing and trying to get ahead on homework) on Monday morning.  I have to give a shout-out to my amazing friend, Jess, for getting out of bed just to drive me to the bus depot in Minneapolis!  A few hours into the ride I was chatting with my seatmate, a dear woman in her seventies, who shared with me that she had three adopted granddaughters from Ukraine, Guatemala, and Rwanda.  What a privilege to talk with her and be reminded of why I had applied for the title of Miss Wisconsin International in the first place!

I finally arrived at the hotel and met my roommate, Ashley (Miss Oregon International) and had a few minutes to relax before heading to hair and makeup for orientation.  I am so thankful for the Stand Out Salon and their work with the pageant- I am by no means a "glitz girl" and I would not have known what to do with myself!  It was a huge stress-reliever to not have to worry about my hair or makeup before the most important events of pageant week!
Just before orientation!\
I could tell I was in for a crazy but exciting week once orientation started.  My favorite part was that our director, Mary Richardson, opened the meeting in prayer- I could tell from my personal interview with her when I applied for my state title that she was a Believer, but what a blessing to see her using her position to proclaim Christ to all those present!  The reigning Miss International, Krista Wanous, also openly shared about God's work in her and her family, how He had brought healing after years of brokenness and allowed her to turn her past into her platform, "Art Heals."  

After a long bus ride and all the excitement of the evening, I was more than ready to veg out in front of the TV for a bit with Ashley and zonk out.  The morning started off with a fun tour of Chicago, including the John Hancock Observatory and the zoo:
View from the top of the observatory
With Miss Teen Wisconsin, Anna, scared of the height!!

With Miss India on the bus!
 Dude!  It's a TIGER!!!


We also visited the Boys and Girls Club- I assumed we couldn't take pictures of the kids, and only after the fact discovered that they had all signed photo releases.  Well, just trust me when I saw the kids were pretty awesome!
We returned to the hotel and had a few hours off before a group dinner, where we listened to inspirational speaker Eddie Peterson.  Once again, I was blessed to hear God's word being openly proclaimed as he centered his talk around the Biblical queen Esther and how she used her royal position to save the Jewish people.  He urged us to use our modern-day royal positions for a purpose that would honor God.  He also mentioned that we were already making a difference by serving that day at the Boys and Girls Club, explaining that many of those precious children would return home to broken homes that night, but would always remember that a group of princesses came to play with them one day.  What a powerful reminder of why we were all here!!!
With Miss Mexico- I had lots of fun practicing my Spanish and interpreting for her all week!

Our beautiful Miss International 2012, Krista Wanous!

Tuesday morning began right off the bat with rehearsals- thankfully the opening number wasn't too overwhelming!  I had had more opportunities to get to know the other women present and was awed by many of their stories.  Some of them had dealt with bipolar and depression, narcolepsy, or celiac's disease.  Others had grown up in abusive homes, spent years struggling in school because of undiagnosed dyslexia, or escaped dating violence.  However, none of these women let their past stop them or break them- they instead wanted to use their experiences to be a voice for others and make a difference.  What an inspiration they were to me!

One of the most powerful moments of the entire week occurred during rehearsal when we learned that one of the producers had had to rush home to her son, who had been hospitalized (he is out of danger and recovering now!).  I felt a tug at my heart to lead a group prayer, but I wasn't sure how such a suggestion would be received.  I finally went ahead and asked our assistant leader if we could stop and pray for our producer and her son and she said absolutely- and all 43 other girls joined hands and bowed their heads for me to lead them in prayer.


Afterwards, on a few occasions, some of the other women approached me and asked me to pray- grace over a meal, or before going onstage.  Wow...when I first applied for the title of Miss Wisconsin International, I prayed that God would use me in this position to point others to Him and bring Him glory.  How humbling to see Him answer my prayer in this way!  When we set our hearts upon Him and ask Him to use us, He will answer our prayers in mighty ways!!

On Wednesday afternoon, we took a break from rehearsals for the Princess Ball at the Skokie Library.  Our events for the afternoon included hearing Krista read her favorite princess story, crawling around on the floor with our little princesses (in fancy cocktail dresses and heels!) to find a "pea" (marble) in honor of "The Princess and the Pea," and helping our girls decorate their own jeweled treasure chests to take home.  My assigned princess was three years old and dressed as Snow White- when I asked her if she remembered which princess had the long, long hair, she looked at me excitedly and said, " 'Punzel!!"  I know, right?  Awwwwwwww!

Ready to go hang out with some little princesses! (My crown didn't want to stay on!)
Thursday ended with Teen Preliminaries.  I may be a bit biased, but I'm pretty sure our lovely Miss Teen Wisconsin International killed it!
Isn't she just the cutest thing ever??


Finally, Friday brought preliminaries!  Pictures could only be taken by the pros, but here's a few links if you'd like to see the proofs!




My favorite part of the evening was that my good friend from college, Tasha, and her husband, Shawn, made the trek up from Nashville to see me!  We went out to dinner afterwards and caught up on everything that had happened over the past five years!  
Nothing like reuniting with a longtime friend!

Finally, after another day of rehearsals, Saturday brought the big night!  And...here she is, our new Miss International: Miss New York, Jesse Ladoue!!

Top Ten: Miss Texas Samantha Riddle, Miss Pennsylvania Rachel Syktich, 4th RU Miss Idaho Lauren Stopher, 2nd RU Miss Netherlands Jan Humphrey, Miss International 2013 Miss New York Jesse Ladoue, 1st RU Miss Minnesota Charity Bess, 3rd RU Miss Alabama Mollie Parker, Miss California Tiffany Allen, Miss Virgina Ashley Greenfield; Miss North Dakota Taylor Wagner

I am so honored to have shared the stage and been a part of the International class of 2013 with these ladies and all my other sisters!  I cannot wait to see what Jesse will accomplish this year- she is an amazing young woman with an incredible, servant heart!  I know she will use her crown for purposes beyond herself!!

Thank you to all of you who prayed for me throughout this week, and thank you to all the pageant staff, sponsors, volunteers, and to my 43 new sisters for making this week so amazing!!!

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Voices of Adoption: Not Perfect, But Willing

Adoption was an idea that Rhonda and her husband, Dave, had always been open to, but it was a "someday" possibility for them.  After God gave them five biological children in a little under eight years, Rhonda (formerly a math teacher and now a stay-at-home mom) and Dave, a pediatrician, thought that God had removed them from the pool of possible adoptive parents.  However, in April of 2012,  "God broke our hearts suddenly and passionately for orphans," Rhonda recalls.  "He took us from 'someday' to 'NOW!' in a matter of months."

At first, Rhonda almost felt mad.  "I really like my life the way it is," she says.  With children aged 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2, she feared she would have to choose between disobeying God's call and wondering what might have been, or obeying and sending her family through turmoil as they took on the adoption process.  "Very crucial in our decision-making process was a sermon on Nehemiah's journey from his comfortable life in the king's palace, to a mission that God gave him that was very uncomfortable and unexpected and for which he felt extremely unqualified (rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem); yet God used his willingness to obey for His own sovereign purposes," says Rhonda.  "Over the last year, God has gently re-framed my thinking, and now, even though there will of course be hard times, I view His calling as a blessing and a joy!"

Another significant moment occurred during Rhonda's personal quiet time with the Lord.  "In one of my quiet times as we were in the very beginning stages, I was reading in Mark about Jesus instructing the disciples to make preparations for the Passover meal. . . Follow this one guy, go here, talk to this man, say this. . . and he will lead you to an upper room 'furnished and ready'. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart SO clearly when I read that specific phrase, furnished and ready - that our family was in the menial tangible beginning steps right now (the following, going, saying - like the disciples - in doing all our adoption paper work and home study and preparations) . . . but how much MORE was the LORD doing behind the scenes?!  And that someday it would all open up and we'd be able to see what he had "furnished and ready" for our family."

Rhonda and Dave decided to request a girl younger than their youngest child, since their children were all so close together already.  They felt specifically called to pursue special-needs adoption and to care for "the least of these"- children who might otherwise not be chosen.  They chose to adopt from China, as Dave had several patients adopted from China, and he had been able to be a part of their journeys and connect with them.  While some countries require adoptive parents to make two trips, China only requires one, which was important to Rhonda and Dave as they tried to arrange childcare for their other five children.  

Now, Rhonda and Dave hope to bring home their two-year-old daughter with special needs from China in the fall.  She has a heart malformation and significant delays, of which they won't know the extent until she is home.  They are told that she is operating at an 8-9 month level right now.

When they received their first picture of their daughter, Rhonda remembers, "My first cognizant thought was, 'He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, no beauty that we should desire Him...'  [Isaiah 53:2]  I'm not kidding, that was the FIRST thing that came into my mind, and it kind of surprised me.  She had kind of a vacant look in her eyes, very wispy hair sticking out every where...But I knew it was right.  I knew we had been lead to her.  I now find her irresistibly cute and cannot wait to nuzzle her cheeks!  With every new picture and video clip that we get, it seems more and more real and she feels more and more 'ours,' but I don't know if the visceral mother's love will kick in until I'm holding her and with her and am her source of love and protection for a few days.  It was the same way with my newborns in the hospital, too- I needed a few days to really feel like they are 'mine' and let it all sink in!"  She adds, "I miss her greatly- crazy to miss someone you've never met!"

The hardest part of the adoption process so far, according to Rhonda, was deciding what to tell friends and family, and "wondering if they were going to think we are crazy...which, I think some of them still do!"

To anyone considering adoption, Rhonda advises: "Bathe the whole experience in prayer, together with your spouses, children, and individually.  Remember that God doesn't use perfect people; He uses willing people!"
She adds, "And be patient!  It is a looooong process!"

When asked how readers can help Rhonda and her family, she replies, "We would love prayers for all the coming transitions for each one of us, that our daughter, MaeLynn, won't be scared by all these new experiences happening to her, and especially that God would be preparing her heart to be loved by a family!"






If you would like to sponsor my year as Miss Wisconsin, please donate here:

Monday, April 22, 2013

The Language of Adoption: What to Say and What NOT to Say!

I recently stumbled across this on icareaboutorphans.org (branched from Focus on the Family) and it was too good to not share!  I still clearly remember the first time when someone -a classmate in the first grade- said to me, "So, you don't live with your real parents?"  Okay, grace on a first-grader, but twenty years later, people of all ages continue to ask if I know my "real parents," if I resent my birth mother for "giving me away," or if my brother is adopted or if he is my "parents' own child."  Even well-intentioned media, such as the movie, "October Baby," is guilty of using such terminology.  To be quite frank, it makes my blood boil every time I hear such careless talk- children who were adopted come from all kinds of different backgrounds, and some may already be battling the lies that they were unwanted or that they will never be part of a "real" family.  Please be aware of the language you use when discussing adoption with anyone!

Correct/Accurate Adoption Terminology*

Incorrect
Accurate
Real Parent/natural parent
Birthparent
Real mom/real dad
Birthmother/birthfather
Adoptive parent/adoptive mom/adoptive dad
Parents/mom/dad
Adopted child/own child

My child
Giving away/relinquishing/putting up for adoption/put up
Making an adoption plan
Keeping the baby
Deciding to parent
Foster child
Child in foster care
Adoptable/eligible/available
Waiting or child in need of a family
Child of their own (very offensive)
Birth child
Foreign adoption
International adoption
Is adopted
WAS adopted
Adopted OUT
Made an adoption plan

Real (blood) relative
Birth relative
Raped
Sexually assaulted or sexually abused
Beaten/hit
Physically abused
Adopted OUT OF the foster care system
Adopted through or from the foster care system
Normal child
Typically developing child


Taken from icareaboutorphans.org

Adapted from the National Council for Adoption


If you would like to help sponsor me in my reign as Miss Wisconsin International, please donate below!



Monday, April 15, 2013

Take That Leap of Faith: Angela's Story

Angela already had her hands full with four children and a fifth on the way, but she didn't let that stop God from breaking her heart for orphans in Eastern Europe.  When a friend told her about a short-term orphan hosting program, Angela signed up to view the pictures of children available for hosting.  One picture, of two lovely teenaged twins, stood out to her.  Angela recalls: "I was intrigued by the whole program and thought how awesome it would be. It was something about these girls that lured me in. I started praying for these girls. I had called and asked about the program and was told we were too young to adopt these girls (per Latvian law) and I probably couldn't host either."

Initially, she and her husband let the idea go...but Angela couldn't stop thinking about the two girls.  She prayed furiously for the next several months, and eventually learned that she and her husband could host the two girls for Christmas, and could advocate for an eligible family to adopt them.  They sent in the payment to host, ecstatic that the girls would be joining their family for a short time.  Then, the unexpected happened.  Two days later, Angela received a phone call that another woman wanted to host the twins, and adopt them (which she was old enough to do).  The girls would turn 16 and become unadoptable soon, but this woman had her paperwork ready and would be able to offer them a home before their deadline. "My heart broke. I cried. and cried. and cried," says Angela.  "I was SOOOO happy for the girls. But so sad. I thought God was using ME to help these girls. Little did I know that all he asked of me was to PRAY for them. I prayed so fervently that they would find a forever family. And they did- within 2 days!"

Despite the curveball they had just received, Angela knew God wanted her to be involved in hosting in some way.  She continued to view photolistings and fell in love with another little girl, but, again, God closed the door by sending her to another family.  Angela went to bed that night feeling sad and wondering if perhaps she wasn't supposed to host after all.  But, after waking up at 4am and finding herself unable to fall back to sleep, she checked her email and discovered a new email from the program coordinator.  Two nine-year-old girls had just been listed, and the coordinator was willing to give Angela first priority to host them. "I called my husband, who had left early for work. He was super excited as they were young enough that we COULD potentially adopt them. We decided that this was our chance. Two cute little twin girls. I got my twins after all!" she says.

Once the initial hosting was finalized, the whirlwind of preparations began. "We had to switch around the bedrooms that our children were in to make way," Angela recalls. "We needed beds, bedding, clothing, suitcases. We were donated almost all of this stuff. We could make the funds work, but wanted to do a fundraiser to help the cost a bit. We had lots of friends get together one night and had a craft night making items to sell at a fundraiser. We also had several people donate baked goods to sell at the fundraiser."

Finally, the day of the girls' arrival came.  As she watched the two little girls come of the plane, Angela remembers, "I'm pretty sure I didn't stop smiling for a very long time. They were smiling...and crying. I felt so much love for these poor little girls who had traveled for 2 days just to come see us. I didn't know if we should try to hug them or not. One of the girls came straight towards me, the other to my husband and they wanted big hugs right away. One also kissed me on the cheek and spoke to me in Russian. I had no idea what she was saying besides Mama and Papa. They were smiling, and crying, and laughing. I felt happy."

Angela would never claim that it was a bed of roses from that point on.  "Some of the hard things were 1) Not understanding what they were saying- we did use google translate but since they do not spell well in their own language, google translate couldn't help us much at all. The girls would get frustrated when we couldn't understand them some times. 2) We had some [of our biological] kids feeling left out when the girls would play with some and not the others. And by the end the kids were fighting like regular old siblings so we had a few spats between the kids. It was kind of hard to help when we couldn't explain to the girls what was going on-since they don't speak English."

However, when asked what made the entire experience worth it, she says, "The moments when we COULD understand them. The gestures that you don't NEED language for. The love they gave us. They wanted hugs and kisses. They just wanted someone to love them. When we would get google translate to work and we could talk with them a little bit about their past. You hear why they are where they are, and your heart breaks for these little girls who have experiences so much pain and hurt. The love I felt for them at those moments, how I just wanted to hug them and let them know someone loves them-those times made everything worth it."

She says the hardest day for both her and her husband was the day the girls had to return home. "My husband had to take the girls back to the plane by himself because of our youngest child's health.  I couldn't go with. I would say that would have been the hardest thing- to put them on a plane and watch them go," she says.  "For me, one of the hardest things was the morning they got up, packed all their stuff, put it all in the car, and had to say goodbye. I listened to Christian music and felt sad all day long. That was hard."

Even so, Angela and her family have no regrets in their choice to open their home and their hearts to these two little girls, and are excited to see how God will use this experience to shape all of their futures. To families considering hosting, she shares this wisdom: "You won't be the same afterwards. There will be a little piece of the kids left with you after they go home. Your heart will always hold a space for them. Your heart will grow to love that extra child or children...my words of advice...GO FOR IT. Take that leap of faith and see what happens."

For more information about hosting, visit http://www.newhorizonsforchildren.org, or check out their facebook page.




To sponsor me in the Miss International pageant and help me be a voice for my platform, please donate here:

Friday, March 22, 2013

Why Do I Do This? A Reminder...

Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in the glamour of pageantry.  Just like a bride planning her wedding, a contestant preparing for a national pageant can spend hours shopping for her wardrobe, working on her fitness and skincare regimes, and rehearsing answers to her potential interview questions.

Then, discouragement comes.  The expenses of pageantry are hanging over our heads, and sponsorship is slow in coming.  A friend introduces us to others as "Miss Wisconsin," and your momentary pride drains as someone asks if you want "world peace" or if you have eaten anything besides laxatives that day.  You get injured or sick and fall out of your workout routine.  Just like sports, business, the arts, or anything else that has potential for great achievement, pageantry also demands dedication and hard work.

If the glitter and spotlights were all that pageantry was about, I can't say if it would be worth it.  But, yesterday, I was reminded of why I applied to be Miss Wisconsin in the first place.

If you've been following me for any length of time, you remember my friend Susan, and the story of her and her husband's journey to host Anna, a teen who was an orphan, from Ukraine.  After Christmas, Anna returned to the orphanage, but Susan was determined to find a family for her.  Time was short- Anna would turn sixteen soon, and would age out of the Ukrainian care system.  She would be left to fend for herself in the streets of Ukraine.   We prayed.  We spread the word.  We prayed some more.  Then, a family stepped up.  They would adopt Anna, if Anna was willing to join their family.

Susan called Anna in Ukraine and, through an interpreter, explained that she and her husband loved her very much, but they couldn't adopt her because of they didn't meet the Ukrainian age requirements.  However, Susan explained that another family had fallen in love with her and wanted her to come home to them.  Would Anna leave the country, the culture, and the language she had known for her entire life and come to the United States?  Would she open her heart to these people she had never met, allowing them to become her mother and father?  This family wanted to provide for her, care for her, and love her for the rest of her life, but would Anna understand this?

Susan finished the conversation and left Anna with time to think.  We all waited and prayed.  Susan made several attempts to get in touch with Anna again, but technical failures prevented them from being able to speak to each other.   Then, yesterday, the email came from the adoption agency.  Anna said yes!!!

This was why I first applied for the Miss International system.  God had broken my heart for the children around the world without families, and I knew I needed to do something.  I'm not a politician, a celebrity, or a multi-millionaire, but I am a pageant competitor.  If I can play a part in bringing Anna home, I can also help bring the 153 million orphans around the world to their families.   As Miss Wisconsin International, I have been given a voice for my cause.  True pageant winners don't choose a platform for their crown; they go for a crown so they can fight for their platform.

We praise God for the way He has orchestrated the events that lead to Anna and her family finding each other, but we also need your help more than ever right now!  Anna's family will need to raise $15,000 to bring her home.  You can send donations to bringorphanshome@gmail.com (using paypal, or visit Susan's blog to donate with a credit or debit card).  You can also shop at any of the following businesses:

Susan's Etsy Shop (Check out Susan's gorgeous, unique handmade jewelry!  All her profits go towards adoptions. Some jewelry is specifically designed for other adoptive families, but everything else goes towards Anna's adoption!)

Susan's Skincare and Cosmetic Business  (through Mary Kay, 100% of profits go toward Anna's adoption)

Appleton Enterprises (My business through Amway, 100% of my profits go towards Anna's adoption)

Stefanie's Chocolate Business (Stefanie has set up a party under "Bring Orphans Home" with all profits going towards Anna.  This is some seriously amazing chocolate!!!)

Let's all bring Anna home!!!!

(Note: this is separate from sponsoring ME in the Miss International pageant.  All sponsorship donations can be made here:)