Dearest Family and Friends,
We are writing you today with a special request on our hearts. As many of you know, we are in the process of adopting Leo, a 12-year-old boy from the Philippines. Leo was part of a special program that brought a group of Filipino orphans to California in November of last year. During his one-month stay in California, we fell in love with him and knew that he was meant to be a permanent part of our family. We know that God has called us to adopt Leo, but we also realize that we cannot do this alone. The costs of an international adoption are quite high with a tenth of our costs going directly to a support fund for Filipino orphans and humanitarian aid. Although we have been able to pay for a portion of the total costs, we still have a long road ahead of us. We are faced with the reality that we need help doing God's work, spiritually and financially. It is for this reason that we are respectfully and humbly asking if you will join with us in this call to bring Leo home and to help contribute to the aid of Filipino orphans.
Abandoned and orphaned at a very young age, Leo has been through some very sad and tragic circumstances but has been able to remain sweet, loving, and resilient with a genuine understanding of the love of Christ in his life. Adopting Leo from the Philippines means that his life may literally be saved, as older orphaned children (especially boys) from the Philippines have a severely poor chance of finding adoptive families. Most Filipino orphans end up on the streets and succomb to a life of poverty, drugs, prostitution, and crime after leaving their orphanages or the foster-care system. At the very least, we will be giving Leo an opportunity for education, nutrition, and most of all, spiritual growth that he would not be afforded in the Philippines.
We are working with a Christian adoption agency, International Christian Adoptions, and we expect to travel to the Philippines to bring Leo home this summer once our funds are raised. If you can be a part of making this happen for Leo, we would be so grateful. We realize that these are tough economic times for many and we are understanding if you are unable to assist us financially. If this is the case, we ask you to join us in prayer for protection over Leo until we bring him home. This would mean a lot to us.
Your donations can be made directly to Marvin and Sherill Montillano. Or, you can make your donation online by clicking on the button below. Any amount is not too small and will be so appreciated.
If we can answer any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at 951.704.2404 or email us at shondo75@hotmail.com.
Thank you so much for loving us and extending your support, love, and prayers to an orphaned child. We look forward to you being a part of Leo's new life when he arrives.
God Bless You,
Marvin and Sherill Montillano
"Religion that God our Fathers 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." James 1:27