Update #2: Ransom paid

Miracles.

God at work in the world, noticably.

God's people, strangers from all over the world, moving as one body.

This post is long over due.

SO GOOD:

I started telling you a story a couple of weeks ago, about a little girl found hidden away in a metal crib in a former Soviet Block country.  A little girl who had Down Syndrome, and who had been so unloved and barely cared for that when her new adoptive mother saw her, she wondered how the little girl had survived for so long.  One of the posts originally sharing their story is here and you can see a video of this mother and her new daughter, Katie, there at the orphanage at this post.  When I first wrote about this story, the mother had posted on her blog many photos and descriptions of the horrible conditions in which she found her daughter and other special needs children, but since then she has had to remove all such references and details from her blog, due to political backlash from the country in question, which her caseworkers feared would create problems for their adoption proceedings. 

Some things can be erased, but not forgotten.  I am so glad the mother is still blogging about their adoption journey--which the foreign government is fine with--because the story just keeps getting better and better.  In the same post that has the video, which I linked above, the mom describes some of the amazing things happening now during their adoption process, things that are completely out of the ordinary and should expedite the proceedings and get Katie home much sooner than usual (which is vital, considering Katie's fragile physical state)--things that Katie's mom believes are interventions straight from the hand of God.

And just today, Katie's mom made a new post, in which she focuses on her blessings.  And while I have a hard time looking past those emaciated arms and stunted body, past the long years of suffering and unlove, her words remind me that--even now--love is overcoming. 

EVEN BETTER:

When Katie's mom was visting her daughter there in the orphanage, she talked about the other special-needs children in that room where her daughter was, especially one little girl who was even older than Katie and--it is almost impossible to comprehend--in even worse physical condition.  Those posts too have been taken down from the mom's blog, but that little girl--being called "Liliana"--is the one I wrote about here, because of the efforts being taken up to raise funds for her to be adopted.

In that post I shared that Katie's mom contacted another blogger mom, Adeye of No Greater Joy Mom, who wanted to help raise funds for Liliana, so that when an adoptive family could be found for her money would be no obstacle to getting her into their safe arms as quickly as possible.  Adeye asked her readers, a generous body with huge hearts for the plight of the orphan, to help her. . . .

This is one of those posts that I really needed to write in a timely manner.  Because on Wednesday, Aug. 17 Adeye asked her readers if someone could please donate one really good prize for the "giveaway" she was going to have as a fundraiser.  (Bloggers are not technically allowed to sell things, but they can do "giveaways" and in this case to earn a spot in the giveaway all you had to do was make a donation of any amount to the adoption fund for Lilliana).

Her readers responded with overwhelming generosity, the very same day, and gave iPads and Pods, Kindles, hundreds of dollars in gift cards, and LOTS of other things.

The giveaway started Thursday morning.  The goal was $22,000.00, which would cover almost all of the adoption costs.

By Thursday night, the amount raised was more than $23,000.00.

In one day, caring people all over the world came together and raised the ransom for this long-forgotten child.  Because God had not forgotten her, and when He moves in people's hearts, they respond, with joy.   

You can see the photos of Liliana and read about this awesome story here.

BEST:

Within the same week, Liliana was claimed by hopeful adoptive parents who were paper-ready. 

As Adeye wrote, "How can I ever thank you all enough for literally pouring out so much LOVE for one little girl?  I found out today that things are moving along steadily with her adoption and that her family is already compiling their dossier which will go to her country.  Please continue to pray that things will move forward swiftly and without any glitches whatsoever.  Like many of you, I am so hoping that Liliana's family blogs their journey so that we can all follow along.  If they do, I will be sure to pass the information along to you."

Oh, I hope they blog about it too!  That would be the BESTEST.