1. family and parenting
2. children

Winter 2012
My
Peace,
I Give to You
A Special Look at Holt’s Peace House in China
in this issue
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10
My Peace, I Give To You
Winter 2012 vol. 54 no. 1
In 2009, Holt’s China program began sending
children in need of medical care to the Ping
An ­Medical Foster Home – or “Peace House”
– in Beijing. After surgery and before joining
­adoptive families in China or the U.S., children
r­ecuperated here, at this small cozy group
home in the heart of the city
Our Vision
Holt International is dedicated to carrying out God’s
plan for every child to have a permanent, loving
family.
From The Field
Holt’s director of programs for Southeast Asia
­recently returned from Thailand. While there,
she witnessed the devastation caused by the
worst monsoon season in 50 years, and sat
down to chat with a Holt Sahathai Foundation
foster mother
12
Shelby Marks came home to her
family in November through
Holt’s China special needs
­process. She joins her sister,
Kira, also adopted from China.
From The Family
Adopting older children
16
Post-Adoption
Adoptee camps
Dear Readers
I take great delight in reading and printing stories written by Holt sponsors. There’s
something special about a sponsor’s thoughtful words for their sponsored child.
A
­special relationship exists between them. The sponsors will, most likely, never meet their
­sponsored children, but with every prayer sent to their sponsored child, every updated
photo hung on the refrigerator, sponsors show their sponsored children that they are loved,
regardless of the distance between them.
“My wife is from the Philippines, and I have visited there to build homes for the poor,”
says Anthony Swanson, who signed up to sponsor a child with his wife at a Winter Jam
concert. “We really wanted to sponsor a child and tell our 5-year-old son about what we
were doing. We selected a child his age, so that we can teach him about people who are less
fortunate. We look forward to continuing on this journey of sponsorship.”
In December, I had the opportunity to witness the beginning of the child/sponsor
­relationship – like the one highlighted above – at a Winter Jam concert in Portland, Oregon.
En masse, concertgoers stepped up to the sponsorship table — lined with hundreds of
­picture folders of children waiting to be sponsored. In just 15 minutes, people came forward
and answered the call set forth in Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you do for one of the least of
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / W int e r 2012
these, you do for me.” Teenagers pulled their money together. Youth groups chose a child
to sponsor together, as did families. A beautiful sight to see: families, and even children,
embracing the commitment to care for a child in need, a child thousands of miles away.
Each picture, each little face, saying: Will you help me? And one by one, God’s people
stepped up and answered the call.
That night, 210 people sponsored a child. A girl in India will now receive books to go to
school. A little boy in Ethiopia will have enough to eat.
In 1955 Harry and Bertha Holt responded to the
conviction that God had called them to help children
left homeless by the Korean War. Though it took
an act of the U.S. Congress, the Holts adopted
eight of those children. But they were moved by
the desperate plight of other orphaned children in
Korea and other countries as well, so they founded
Holt International Children’s Services in order to
unite homeless children with families who would
love them as their own. Today Holt International
serves children and families in Bulgaria, Cambodia,
China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North
Korea), Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Nepal, the
Philippines, the Republic of Korea (South Korea),
Romania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, the United
States and Vietnam.
President & CEO
Phillip A. Littleton
Vice-President of International Programs
Dan Lauer
Vice-President of Finance & Administration
Kevin Sweeney
Vice-President of Adoption Services
Lisa Vertulfo
Vice-President of Development
Jack Wharfield
Vice-President of Policy & External Affairs
Susan Soon-keum Cox
Senior Advisor
David Lim
Senior Executive
Jian Chen
Holt International magazine is published quarterly
by Holt International Children’s Services, Inc., a
nonprofit, Christian, child welfare organization.
While Holt International is responsible for the
content of Holt International magazine, the
viewpoints expressed in this publication are not
necessarily those of the organization.
Creative Services Director Brian Campbell
Managing Editor Ashli Keyser
Senior Writer Robin Munro
Graphics Chloe Goldbloom
Subscription Orders/Inquiries and Address
Changes
Send all editorial correspondence and changes
of address to Holt International magazine, Holt
International, P.O. Box 2880, Eugene, OR 97402. We
ask for an annual donation of $20 to cover the cost of
publication and mailing inside the United States and
$40 outside the United States. Holt welcomes the
contribution of letters and articles for publication,
but assumes no responsibility for return of letters,
manuscripts or photos.
Reprint Information
Permission from Holt International is required
prior to reprinting any portion of Holt International
magazine. Please direct reprint requests to editor
Ashli Keyser at 541/687.2202 or
[email protected].
Copyright ©2012 by
Holt International Children’s Services, Inc.
ISSN 1047-7640
In just one night, 210 lives were changed forever.
Go to www.holtinternational.org/sponsorship to find out how you can do the same.
Ashli Keyser |
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Managing Editor
P.O. Box 2880 (1195 City View) Eugene, OR 97402
Ph: 541/687.2202 Fax: 541/683.6175
directions
Opening Doors, ­Changing Lives
A review of 2011
The year 2011 has come to an end, and what a year it’s been.
God continues to bless this organization in abundance, guiding
our every direction. Our work for children always has been – and
always will be – a reflection of Christ’s love. And I know I speak
for everyone at Holt when I say we are excited to embark on new
opportunities in the countries and among the people we serve.
We are determined, now more than ever, to continue this work –
God’s work – for the world’s most vulnerable children.
We never see the love of Christ and the generosity of our loyal
supporters more than when tragedy strikes one of our countries.
In October, lives changed forever when the worst monsoon season
in more than 50 years hit Thailand. Nearly 300 people perished
and 8 million families were affected. Homes were destroyed,
hearts were broken, but the spirit of Holt’s foster families could
not be crushed. In the face of such devastation, Holt took comfort
in the inspiring stories brought to us from the field. Although
helped us further our family preservation efforts in Vietnam and
Cambodia, Haiti, Thailand, Uganda, the Philippines and Nepal.
Like many adoption agencies, we too met with obstacles in
2011. But when God closes the door on one country or project, he
always provides Holt another opportunity to care for children.
In 2011, 600 children were placed through Holt with ­‘forever’
families in the United States. More than ever, families ­welcomed
children with special needs into their homes and their hearts.
Many older children, including several of those in our Philippines
Ambassador program, also found loving homes. The face of
in­
ternational adoption has changed, and prospective adoptive
families are whole-heartedly embracing it. Harry and Bertha
would be happy to know that children with special needs –
c­
hildren once forgotten – are now first in line to join loving
­adoptive families overseas.
many of our foster mothers lost their homes, they never wavered
As we say goodbye to 2011, we pray for the wellbeing of
in their devotion to their foster children. Our overseas staff
orphaned and abandoned children around the world, and all the
­sheltered the families, and kept the children safe. We commend
children in our care. This is a prayer that extends to all of our
Holt’s foster mothers in Thailand for their love and dedication, as
well as our staff and donors who rose to meet the need.
Love, it seems, can be felt in all facets of Holt work. It was
love, and a passion for the message of James 1:27 (…to look after
orphans), that led 18,000 new supporters to say ‘Yes!’ to becoming
contributions have brought warm clothes to children in Mongolia,
States. We look forward to 2012 and all the blessings the year is
sure to bring. Holt offers 2012 to the Lord, and we pray that He
continues to guide this organization, just as He has for the past
55 years.
We look forward to seeing what doors the Lord will open
next.
food and medicines to North Korean orphanages, school ­supplies
and books to girls in India, and income-generating livestock to
Phillip Littleton | President & CEO
struggling families in Ethiopia. Generous sponsors have also
3
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l .or g
a part of Holt’s child sponsorship program in 2011. Their monthly
countries, and to all of our staff overseas and here in the United
Robin Munro | Senior Writer
MY PEACE,
I GIVE TO YOU
IN 2009, HOLT’S CHINA PROGRAM BEGAN SENDING CHILDREN IN
need of medical care to the Ping An Medical Foster Home – or “Peace
House” – in Beijing. After surgery and before joining adoptive families
in China or the U.S., children recuperated here, at this small cozy group
home in the heart of the city overseen by its founder, Teresa Huangwu.
Last September, after eight
years of devoted service to
­children, Teresa officially
passed the torch to Holt. With
it, came a new era of Holt’s
care and service to orphaned,
abandoned and vulnerable
children in China
LEFT: Lining a mantelpiece at the Peace
House are photos of children who’ve come
and gone over the years. Here, Teresa holds a
photo of Max as she tells his story.
In August of 2007, a little boy was born in China’s eastern Heibei province, bordering the Yellow Sea. He had
ten fingers and ten toes, dark, lovely eyes and a perfect button nose. He was also born with feet that curved
down and inward, and a noticeable defect on his lower spine. His father sat down to write a letter, explaining
the action he was about to take. ‘We are not stone-hearted people,’ he wrote. His parents simply could not
afford to care for him. With that, they left their newborn son – and the note – in a place where they would be
easily found.
Three weeks later, Teresa Huangwu scooped this boy into her arms where she found him at a local o­ rphanage and
brought him to Beijing for medical care. A doctor applied casts to reshape his feet, malformed by a c­ ongenital
disorder called “clubfoot.” His spinal condition turned out to be a mild form of spina bifida, and did not require
surgery. With casts on his legs, Teresa brought this boy to a small apartment in the heart of Beijing.
Here, he would stay for the first three years of his life, doted upon by 6 live-in caregivers as well as Teresa,
founder of the aptly titled Ping An Medical Foster Home – the Peace House.
A PEACEFUL PLACE OF HEALING AND NURTURE
With advanced degrees in special education and education psychology – a field she worked in for ten years –
Teresa had long held both a personal and professional interest in the health and wellbeing of children. But she
had never before worked in foster care when, nine years ago, inspiration struck. Then in her early 50s, she often
volunteered her time at orphanages near her home in Beijing. One day, while washing a malnourished baby with
a cleft lip, she thought how much better a child could be nourished to health in a warm home environment than
in a sterile institution. A small home, where a sick child could get constant nurture from a loving caregiver.
“I just thought, ‘If we could just take the baby home and nurse him,’” she says. “And then bring him back.”
In August of 2003, she founded the Peace House – a haven for sick children from all over China who come to
Beijing for medical care. A clean, cozy apartment cluttered with toys, the Peace House is just that: a peaceful
place of healing and nurture. Its location in Beijing is critical; it enables the children to get the best medical
care in the country. Teresa raises the money for the children’s surgeries, even sometimes matching donor funds.
After surgery, they stay at the Peace House until their condition stabilizes. They then return to the orphanage
and wait to be adopted. If they require more involved follow-up care, they stay longer.
In 2009, Holt began referring children to the Peace House from our projects in the provinces. Gradually, Teresa
developed a working relationship with Holt and, in particular, Sue Liu, Holt’s office manager in Beijing.
“A baby who was staying with us was matched with a family through Holt…She came to see the baby herself
and that was how we got to know each other and learn about each other’s work,” says Teresa.
Together, Sue and Teresa visited orphanages in Heibei and Jilin provinces. Sue began referring more children to
the Peace House, and Holt helped pay for surgeries whenever possible. Teresa raised the majority of funds and
provided before-and-after care. All on one condition.
“My only requirement is [that Holt] submits adoption paperwork,” says Teresa. She hesitated sending ­c hildren
back to orphanages that may not submit adoption applications to the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs as
fast as possible, leaving the kids she helped to languish in institutional care. Because of Holt’s s­uccess placing
­c hildren with special needs, however, Teresa came to rely on Holt to find homes for children in her care –
e­specially those with more involved medical conditions.
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H olt I nt e r n at i on a l .or g
Two years after Teresa scooped him into her arms, Holt’s Waiting Child program matched the little boy with
the perfect button nose and the feet that turned inward. In June 2010, his adoptive parents – Eric and Jill
Wohlfeil – traveled from Wisconsin to Beijing to bring him home.
Already, they had a good sense of the boy who would become their
son, Max.
“We had been in correspondence with Teresa from the time
that we were matched with Max,” says Eric. She sent DVDs,
photos, updates on his health and education. “She wanted us to
get to know Max and also for us to understand that he had such
­excellent care there,” says Jill. “She wanted to make sure that his
care would continue.”
In video and photos, Eric and Jill could not, however, fully grasp
the quality of care Max received at the Peace House. Not until
they visited themselves. “We were completely blown away,” says
Jill. “It was so much more than what we were expecting – the care
that they got, the facility, the small amount of children, it was
­amazing. It was totally amazing.”
To keep the ratio of caregiver to child as close to one-on-one as
possible, eight is the maximum number of children cared for at
the Peace House at any one time. “They were like their mommies,”
Jill says of the children’s caregivers. “It was really sweet to see.”
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / W int e r 2012
A healthy, chubby 3-year-old boy, fluent in Mandarin and well
attached to his ‘mommies’ and foster siblings, Max had clearly
thrived in Peace House care. “In any other setting, he probably
would have been back in the orphanage right after his feet were
corrected,” says Jill.
In China, the government will pay medical costs for children
living in orphanage care. “The Tomorrow Project takes care
of all the surgery expenses, but the funds are designated to a
hospital in [the child’s] province, which may not be able to take
care of their special needs,” explains Jian Chen, Holt’s director
of ­
programs for China. In Beijing, children have access to the
­country’s top surgeons.
Critical to recovery is the care children receive before and after
surgery as well, which the Tomorrow Project does not always
fund. “I’ve seen children get surgery, but no follow-up care,”
says Jian. “You just have a cut. That’s it.” At the Peace House,
children stay as long as it takes to recover – from 3 months to 3
6
years – and caregivers are equipped to monitor and attend to the
children’s special medical needs. Both physicians, Jill and Eric
were impressed by how well Teresa had trained the caregivers
to care for different medical problems. “One boy had such a bad
heart defect that he would fall over and faint,” Jill observed. “The
women knew what to do when that happened.”
With Max, the caregivers helped him learn to walk while
he regained muscle tone. (Today, he walks very well, says Jill.)
They kept a close eye on his spinal condition. And they p­rovided
s­omething just as essential to his wellbeing as medical care –
something hard to find in an orphanage with too few c­aregivers for
too many children. They provided constant love and a­ttention.
“I don’t think you have to be a physician to see the importance,
where they had consistent caregivers in a smaller environment,”
says Jill. “That was like a home to them.”
A SHARED PHILOSOPHY, A NEW OPPORTUNITY
Attentive, nurturing care in a family-like setting is a ­philosophy
Holt has long embraced – and fostered in countries we serve. In
the mid-1960s, we introduced in Korea a model of foster care
founded on this philosophy, and proceeded to replicate this model
in India, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Romania and in the
late 1990s, China. Many of the children Sue referred to the Peace
House came from Holt-supported foster care programs in the
provinces.
Sharing our philosophy of care, Teresa began urging Holt to
create another medical foster home like the Peace House. “As
I learned Holt processed so many adoptions every year in the
U.S. and most of the children [had] special needs, I thought Holt
should open its own foster home in Beijing,” she says.
So in 2011, when Teresa decided to retire as manager of the
Peace House, she proposed Holt take over. On September 15,
2011, Holt officially assumed management of the Ping An Medical
Foster Home. In the eight years that Teresa oversaw the Peace
House, 280 children received medical treatment and care. Many
of these children have gone on to join adoptive families either in
China or the U.S. – children whose conditions were once so severe,
their chances for adoption were slim. For the children in her care,
Teresa made adoption not just a possibility, but a likelihood – and
a reality. “Most people [at her age] would sit comfortably and sip
the tea,” says Jian. “But she puts out her heart and soul for the
children.”
Even now, Teresa has no intention of sitting back and sipping
tea.
Although Holt will take over the day-to-day management of the
Peace House, Teresa will continue to raise funds for the children’s
After graduating from Michigan State University in May of 2010,
Hope set out to find a career in broadcast journalism. Visually
impaired since childhood, Hope aimed to become the first blind
news anchorwoman. While in college, she gained experience
shooting and producing news stories for her campus channel,
and later hosted a live news segment at a local station. Entering a
troubled industry during a recession, however, Hope struggled to
find a permanent position.
At the same time, a childhood dream she’d neatly tucked away
started to make its way to the forefront of her mind. “Having
FROM LEFT: Max celebrates
his second birthday at the
Peace House. Teresa with Max
on the day his parents first
met him in China. Max waits
to board a plane to the U.S.
with his older brother Mitch,
adopted from China in 2008.
With cake and presents, the
Wohlfeils celebrate one year
home with Max. Max selects
a pumpkin.  RIGHT: The
Wohlfeil ­f amily, from top left:
Madeline, Margo, Jill, Martha,
Eric; ­bottom: Mitch, Max and
Matthew.
medical procedures – the cost of which can range from under
$10,000 for a cleft lip to over $100,000 for a heart problem. This is
one reason Teresa only cared for eight children at a time. “When
you have 50 kids, you don’t know how to raise the money,” she
says. “And some of these kids can’t wait, especially the heart
problems.”
To ensure attentive care for every child, Holt will keep the Peace
House small, but Jian hopes to use it as a model to create more
medical foster homes. “If successful, we will duplicate the Peace
House,” says Jian. “But not expand.”
Through the Peace House, Jian also hopes to raise local
­ wareness and generate greater support for children in need of
a
medical care. This, however, will require someone – on site – who
can communicate the impact of our work, and inspire others to
get involved. Someone with strong communication skills, new
media and tech savvy, and a passionate drive to help children.
Someone like 23-year-old Hope Springstead.
A HOPEFUL BEGINNING
In August of 2011, she contacted Jian about volunteering at
an orphanage in China. “She said, ‘We don’t have anything right
now, but I’ll keep you in mind if anything comes up,’” says Hope.
“A few weeks later, she called me and told me about the Peace
House.” After explaining the project, Jian asked Hope if she would
be i­nterested in joining the staff. Hope would use her journalism
skills to communicate with donors, volunteers and families.
With gratitude and excitement, Hope accepted Jian’s offer.
In January, Hope will return to China for the first time in twelve
years. She’s already come up with several ideas to help promote
the Peace House, including setting up a website and blogging
about the children in care. She’s eager to get to work. She’s also
excited to meet the children.
“In just a few months,” she writes, “I’ll be back in China holding
some little girl’s hand, telling her of the possibilities that await her
and give her reasons to dream and smile.”
As Jian says, “Every child needs an advocate and someone to
take them into their heart.”
For the many children yet to stay at the Peace House, that
­someone may be Hope.
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H olt I nt e r n at i on a l .or g
Around the time that Teresa notified Holt of her plans to
retire, a recent college graduate – and adoptee from China – sent
an email to Jian, inquiring about volunteer opportunities in
China. Jian had met Hope once before, at the wedding of a young
woman for whom Jian had once helped find a family. Hope grew
up with the bride – first at an orphanage in China, where they
lived together for several years, and then in the U.S., where they
remained friends after joining different adoptive families.
experienced firsthand accounts of how orphans are treated, I
knew without a doubt that I would make my way back to China
one day,” she wrote in a recent personal essay. “Around age 12,
my desire to open up and run my own orphanage was impressed
upon my heart.”
LEFT: Family Photo: Ryan and Niki, with Nathan, Averi and Connor
Peace Along the Way
The often-grueling adoption process is nothing compared to
what waits for families at the end. For the Wolff family,
this meant meeting their beautiful, healthy son from China
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / W int e r 2012
About six years ago, Ryan and I began to feel the pull on our
hearts to adopt a child from China. Then, a couple months later,
God brought our beautiful children and us to Rio Rancho, New
Mexico, and led us into foster care. “Our plans”, so it seemed,
were changing. We had never thought of getting involved in foster
care until we learned about the great need for children to have
good, safe foster homes in our state. We learned so much about
abused and neglected children, and a ton about ourselves. God
grew us exponentially during this time. He brought children into
our home that challenged us. He brought children that held our
hearts when they would leave. And He brought us back to our
first desire: adopting a child from China. God chose a child who
needed our family, and we embarked on the journey to bring him
home from the other side of the world.
In September of 2010, we filled out the application with Holt to
begin the process. At first, we were only interested in adopting
a little girl from China. As we continued praying, God reminded
us that He had made the decision, boy or girl, with our biological
children! So, we decided to give that decision over to God, and
let him decide, and show us who our next child would be — boy
or girl. For several months, we filled out form after form, prayed,
went through the long international homestudy process, prayed,
background checks, kept praying, fingerprinting and praying….
you get the idea.
Then, one day, we received an email from Holt with children
that were being placed on the Waiting Child list — and there he
was! We knew he was the one, and immediately fell in love with
him and his amazing smile! We called right away and asked for
all his information. After a couple weeks, we got the call that
confirmed that Feng, Xin Tong would be our son! To say we were
excited doesn’t even begin to describe what we were feeling!
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At the same time we were filling out all that paperwork, our
new son, Aaron, was being moved from his home province,
Jiangxi, to the Peace House in Beijing — a move brought on by the
need for a urogenital surgery. Teresa, the wonderful woman at
the Peace House, heard about Aaron and welcomed him to come
and receive his surgery. While Aaron recuperated at the Peace
House, a woman who had taken in children for Teresa while they
were healing, came in, saw Aaron and fell in love with him. So, in
November of 2010, with the help of Teresa, Aaron went to live with
an amazing foster family and their children.
After seven more months, we finally flew to China to meet
Aaron! We were blessed to spend time with Aaron’s foster family
before flying to Aaron’s province to finalize his adoption. While
in Beijing, we met several people who helped Aaron along his
­journey — including Teresa from the Peace House. She is such an
amazing woman who loves all her kiddos! We learned about all
the c
­ hildren that Peace House has helped by providing a l­oving
home and raising funds for much needed surgeries. We are
so thankful for the role that Teresa and Peace House played in
Aaron’s journey.
We have been home for three months, and Aaron is doing great!
Aaron is a happy, energetic 4-year-old boy who loves his ­brothers
and sisters and charms everyone! We are ever thankful for the
four children God has graciously placed in our family – three
beautiful biological children and one beautiful Chinese boy!
Niki Wolff | Rio Rancho, New Mexico
www.holtinternational.org/waitingchild
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Ellie Hubbard, 5 (Ethio
Grover Beach, CA
Sarah Chapman, 13 —
Deanna, 6 (India), and
[2] es) — Denver, PA
Pat ty Unruh, 5 (Philippin
[3] ) — Oxnard, CA
Samantha Love, 3 (China
[4] ) — Enterprise, MS
John Benefield, 2 (Korea
[5] stwood, KY
), with her family — Cre
Amy Michaud, 12 (Korea
[6] (Korea) —
12, and Crosby Hinze, 15
Grace, 10 (Korea), Kirk,
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Runnells, IA
ton, NJ
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Shelby Marks, 23 month
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to:
Mail original color prints ine
Holt International magaz
OR 974 02
P.O. Box 2880, Eugene, at holtinternational.org/submissions
or upload digital photos
from the field
For the Love of the Children
Jennifer Goette, Holt’s director of programs for South and Southeast Asia, recently returned from Thailand.
While there, she witnessed first-hand the devastation caused by the worst monsoon season to hit Thailand in 50 years
and sat down with a Holt Sahathai Foundation foster mother.
Bangkok, Thailand – Watching the floodwater rise in and
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / W int e r 2012
around Bangkok in news reports, it has been difficult to get a true
account of the tragedy caused by the worst monsoon in Thailand
in 50 years. Until my visit to Bangkok, I didn’t understand the true
impact of the tragedy or how critical the work of Holt Sahathai
Foundation (HSF) has been for families dealing with dislocation
and personal loss.
Since early October, HSF staff has worked tirelessly to ensure
the safety of children and families served by their program. They
have coordinated deliveries of food and supplies to hundreds of
families using military vehicles, small boats and sheer ­w illpower.
They have relocated approximately 25 children and their foster
parents to the HSF office, where the families have found safety,
comfort and nutritious food. In many cases, HSF staff have
continued working long hours, seven days a week, despite the
­
­desperate situation of their own families and homes.
Patchara has been a foster mother with HSF since 1996. I
can tell that Patchara, with her warm personality and sweet
­d isposition, holds a special place in the hearts of the entire staff.
10
Nearly 15 years ago, Patchara adopted the first child she fostered
and has remained a foster mother with HSF ever since.
Patchara shared with me about the uncertainty families faced
in the early days of the flood, when it was unclear just how
grave the situation would be in areas around Bangkok. As the
floodwater rose higher throughout Pathum Thani Province, the
local residents evacuated to higher ground, staying with friends
or relatives, or relocating to temporary evacuation shelters. As
she worked with her husband to construct a barrier around their
home, Patchara’s primary concern was not for the safety of her
house or her ­personal belongings — which are now two meters
ABOVE: Families in Holt’s
family preservation p­ rogram
being t­ ransported by boat to
the Holt Sahathai Foundation
(HSF) office  RIGHT: Flooding
in Bangkok.
under water — but for the safety of her two foster children.
“They are my family,” says Patchara with a smile. “There was no
­question that I would continue to provide for their care during
the disaster.”
Like the other foster mothers, Patchara has been forced to
relocate to ensure the safety of her foster children. HSF’s foster
program — staffed with 10 social workers, providing support and
training to 100 families fostering 130 children — completed a
weekly assessment of the dangers associated with the f­looding
for each family. When it was determined that the Patchara
­family could no longer stay in their home, HSF worked with Mrs.
Patchara to determine that the HSF office would be the safest
place for her and the two children. HSF immediately arranged for
transportation and assisted with the move.
Fortunately, nearly every foster mother has been willing and
able to continue to provide care in the face of the tragedy. In the
couple of cases where foster
families have not been able
to continue care, the children
have been welcomed at the
HSF office to be cared for by
staff and the two cooks hired
to prepare food during the
­crisis.
“For HSF, there are so many
challenges caused by the
flood,” says Jintana Nontapouraya, executive director of HSF. “Out
of 100 foster families, there has only been one who has not been
dramatically impacted by the flood. We are responsible for these
children and take this very seriously.”
With the situation brought on by the flood, Jintana plans to
provide the relief and reconstruction needed for each family.
When asked about the support HSF has provided, Patchara
becomes animated. “I always feel supported by HSF during
­d ifficulties,” she says. “During the flood, before I ­relocated to the
HSF office, the staff called every day and responded i­mmediately
to my needs. I feel safe here at the office and can continue to
­provide care to my two foster children.”
Jennifer Goette |
FROM TOP LEFT: Children being cared for by HSF staff
after the flood.  For families able to remain in their
homes, food and water were distributed weekly. 
Patchara and her foster child took refuge at the HSF
office when her home flooded.
Director of Programs, S & SE Asia
from the family
Why Didn’t You Come Sooner?
When Holt asked Stacie and Taylor Forsberg to consider adopting an older child, they initially thought it would be too
­challenging. After a change of heart, they welcomed 6-year-old Jacob into their family. Today, when asked what age they
would prefer if they were to adopt again, Stacie doesn’t hesitate. “Older,” she says. Here, Stacie tells her story of adopting
Jacob, from Uganda, and Leah, from Ethiopia.
Some of the earliest memories I have are of wanting to
help ­children. At the time, I don’t think I even knew the word
­“adoption.” What I did know was I wanted to be a mom to children
who didn’t already have one.
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / W int e r 2012
In 2002, I married my husband, Taylor, and within a year, I
became pregnant with our first child, Ben*.
We began trying for our second child shortly afterward, but
after 2½ years of trying to conceive, we began fertility treatments.
As we were leaving our first session, the nurse said to us, “Don’t
worry, we will get you pregnant.” At that moment, we ­realized: it’s
not a fertility clinic’s place to “get us pregnant.”
I had brought up the idea of adoption to Taylor before. After
deciding against fertility treatment, we returned to the idea. Our
journey began in 2007. Shortly thereafter, I finally achieved my
childhood dream. Through adoption, I became a mom to a child
who needed one.
Our beautiful daughter came home to us from Ethiopia at age
12
19 months. The first six months home were really hard. But once
we reached six months, things started getting easier, and we realized: we could do this again. After nine months home with Leah*,
we began our second adoption, this time with Holt. Thinking we
wanted our daughter to have a sibling with the same heritage, we
applied for Holt’s Ethiopia program. Holt then asked us to consider
their Uganda program. The majority of the children, however,
were of an age that we did not feel comfortable with – either
older than our eldest or about the same age as our daughter. We
decided to stay with the Ethiopia program.
Even though we decided not to go with the Uganda program, our
hearts still went to those older children. They just seem to wait
so much longer than the younger ones. Most families want babies.
Older kids seem to have such a slim chance at a family. So, a few
days later, I asked to see the files of Holt’s waiting c
­ hildren from
Uganda. I wanted to see their faces. I wanted to know who to pray
for. It makes everything so much more real when I see a face – not
just a number or statistic or a file, but a face.
Both my children stood at my side as I opened file after file.
Still, none of the children fit the age range with which we felt
comfortable. They were either between our two children or older
than our oldest.
But after opening seven children’s files, we opened Jacob’s*.
Ben – who looked at the previous seven without saying a word
– instantly said, “Mom, we need to adopt him. He’d be perfect for
our family.” He then promptly left my side to go play. I realized
then that God had other plans for our family – a plan that didn’t
include another journey to Ethiopia.
Taylor and I prayed a lot and discussed Jacob’s file at length.
Jacob was only nine months younger than our eldest. This gave
us a lot to think upon – two boys only nine months apart in age.
We realized they could either be the best of friends or the worst
of enemies. We thought about the time constraints we might face
if they chose to be involved in different activities within the same
season. We thought about the cost of sending them to college that
close together. But in the end, we agreed: we wanted to adopt this
boy with the amazingly sweet, mischievous smile.
First and foremost, we felt it was God’s will for our family to
adopt Jacob. We also decided that Jacob needed a home more than
we needed the “easy” way out. We realized that things might be
harder for us for a while, but not near as hard as a lifetime spent
in an orphanage would be for Jacob.
I can still hear the sweet voice on the other end of the phone
telling us he was ours.
At the end of August 2010, we left our home to meet our son.
In the last year, I’ve been asked more times than I can count the
difference between our two adoptions. “Which one was easier – at
19 months or 6 years of age?” I’m often asked. That’s not an easy
question to answer. Both have been the hardest things I’ve done
in my life, yet both have brought the most blessings as well. But
in some ways, it is actually easier adopting an older child.
Because Jacob was 6 years old when we adopted him, we
could talk and reason with him in a way we couldn’t with our
19-month-old. Although Leah knew that everything in her life
­
was different, we couldn’t help her through that. We were not
able to reason with her. In Uganda, the orphanage staff was able
to prepare Jacob for the change about to happen in his life. They
walked him through the idea of adoption while still in familiar
surroundings. He knew we were coming, and why, and when we
met him, we were able to talk to him. When we shared photos, he
understood what we were showing him.
The first five years of a child’s life, the parents lay the
f­oundation. Before we said “yes” to adopting an older child, we
were told we needed to understand this concept well. We missed
out on ­building that foundation. Someone else helped build his
­foundation, but it has lots of cracks in it. It’s not built on solid
ground. It’s shifty. Our job is to help him repair that foundation
the best we can. We can help repair the big cracks that we see,
but what worries us the most are the hairline cracks that are not
­v isible to the naked eye. The little things that we don’t ­understand
about all he’s endured up until now. The things that maybe he
doesn’t even know, but that cause him to act and react to ­stimuli
in certain ways. We feel
these are the hardest things
with an older child adoption.
But these are also what make
it the most rewarding – to see
your child grow and make
sturdier his foundation in
life.
I’m often asked, “If you
did it again, which age
would you choose?” To
­ onestly answer,
this, I can h
“Older.” Jacob so longed for
a family, and when we first
brought him home, he would
repeatedly ask, “Why didn’t
­
you come sooner?”
Our heart truly goes out to
older children that wait for
families, and wonder – like
Jacob – why it’s taking so
long.
Stacie Forsberg |
LEFT: The Forsberg family–Stacie and Taylor with
Jacob, Ben and Leah
Dunnell, Minnesota
I don’t mean to paint a rosy picture. This last year has been
hard, but it’s been beautiful to watch Jacob start to come out of his
hard shell – and become a child in the truest sense of the word.
13
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l .or g
Jacob has always been able to tell us what he needs. That
doesn’t mean it’s always been easy to meet his needs, but he’s at
least been able to express them. Younger children can’t express
themselves quite so easily, and we sometimes struggled to
­understand our daughter’s needs.
Jacob had a need to control every aspect of everything around
him, including our family life. Jacob has a huge fear that
­something bad is going to happen to me when he’s not by my side,
which can be a bit suffocating. He needs to know every person
we talked to on the phone. He needs to know exactly what the
next day will be like. He doesn’t handle changes well, whether in
our usual schedule at home or in the seating arrangement in his
classroom at school. To Jacob, change means something bad can
– and will – happen to him. Jacob’s way of dealing with stress is
very worrisome. But all of this pales in comparison to what we
see slowly emerging within him. We see a little boy learning to
be a child and to lose the fear that developed over four years in
orphanage care.
A family….That’s All
Help us find a family for these beautiful siblings from Africa
*Alex, Keith, Mark and Sadie don’t need fancy clothes. They
don’t want iPods, iPads or a new computer. They have no desire
to eat at the finest restaurants, vacation to tropical destinations,
or play the latest and greatest video game.
There is something they do want, though. It’s not something
that can be found in stores or bought online. This gift doesn’t
come in a package, or through the mail. But it’s a priceless,
­precious gift. Something they want more than anything else:
“All they want is a family,” says Pat McConnell, Holt’s director
of services for Africa, who met the sibling group of four in 2011.
“They are so used to having so little. They want to be able to eat.
They want to go school. And they want a family. That’s all.”
Life for these siblings — three precocious and soft-spoken boys
and a 3-year-old sister who they adore — hasn’t been easy. They
lost their parents to HIV/AIDS three years ago and currently live
with their impoverished grandparents in a tiny, one-room house.
The grandfather has fallen ill. The grandmother is losing her
vision. They are no longer able to provide the care their grandchildren need.
g this s­ ibli ng
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All four children have tested negative for HIV.
“The children are in good health,” says Pat. “We need to find
these children a family together. We do not want them to be
­separated from each other. They have a very strong bond.”
Alex, 11, Keith, 11, and Mark, 7, enjoy playing soccer. Alex
loves school. His favorite subjects are math and science. Mark
enjoys taking care of his grandparents' garden, and Keith likes
writing. At 3 years old, Sadie likes listening to stories and asking
­questions.
“They are all bright, well-behaved and active,” says Pat. “They
look forward to having a family one day, and know that a family
might be out there for them.”
*names have been changed
*To adopt these siblings, Holt prefers that prospective adoptive families
have experience with older child/sibling group adoption. We also prefer
that interested families have no young children in their home.
You can easily share their story! Find it on Holt's blog:
www.holtinternational.org/blog/2012/01/a-family-thats-all
Or scan the code and share with your mobile device!
All they want is a family. We hope we can find them one. It
may not be easy. But, with your help and prayers, we know that
it’s possible.
Please share this story with your friends and family.
BELOW–FROM LEFT: Alex, 11,
Keith, 11, Sadie, 3, and Mark, 7.
Adoption….and a Dime
A sweet story of how a family’s faith in God and their love
for children led them to their daughter, Coraline
When Jessica and I started our adoption for our daughter,
Emaline, we went through many emotions. We were happy,
­nervous and excited, but also wondering how we would be able to
pay for all of it. We knew that we were going through this journey
with faith in God and that He would make this happen if it was
His plan.
One day while out shopping, we found a dime in the parking lot.
As I picked it up, we commented and joked that we found “A Dime
for Emaline." Little did we know that this would be our rallying
cry and theme throughout our adoption. We found that this dime
became the first of many we would find and place in our jar that
was designated for our adoption fund. We soon began to believe
and realize that God was planting this seed of faith for us to keep
going, and keep moving through this journey, because every time
we would start to doubt or wonder, a dime would show up. The
dime became our symbol of hope, and we knew God would make
a way.
After almost four years from the time we started our first
a­doption, God began to lay on our hearts the thought of going
through this process again. Being the stubborn person I am, I was
not sure I wanted to go through it — mainly due to selfish reasons.
I wondered if I wanted to share the love I was giving Emaline with
another child. I now know how crazy that thought was.
One day, Jessica asked if I had given any more thought to
dopting again. I told her yes, but was not sure I wanted to
a­
pursue
pursue it just yet. After some conversation, she asked if I could
run out to the car to retrieve something she had left. As I walked
outside, I had that conversation in my head about adopting again.
And that’s when I saw it! The “it” was a burning bush of sorts for
me. Just ahead of me, about 15 yards away, was a very bright and
shiny object that was reflecting the sun. As I walked closer, I said
to myself, "No, No, No Way!" Sitting in front of me was a brand
new dime. I almost hit my knees right there.
In James 1:27, God says: "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." We focus on this verse and use this daily.
Coraline has been home for seven months. In March, our
little ­peanut will be 4 years old. She is doing amazingly well and
­adjusting to her forever family.
When I look at my two daughters, I realize that adoption was
truly designed by God. Coraline and Emaline were made for each
other. Two peas in a pod. We could not have asked for more than
what God has done and continues to do.
As we continue on our journey with our new family, we always
look back with amazement and wonder about how this journey
started out with hope, prayer, and a dime.
Michael & Jessica
Varn | Trinity, Florida
BELOW: The Varn Family: Michael and Jessica,
with children Coraline (left) and Emaline
(right) Right: Sisters, Emaline and Coraline.
post-adoption
Straight from the Adoptee
Why Holt Adoptee Camp is So Special
A message from Michael Tessier, youth services manager:
Hey, everyone. I wanted to give you an opportunity to learn about camp
straight from the mouths of some of our biggest participants. What follows
is an interview I conducted that will hopefully help you learn more about
the program.
My interview is with Rachel, an adoptee from Wisconsin:
Michael: Hey Rachel! Thanks for joining me for this conversation.
We know each other but the rest of our readers don’t. Could you
tell me a little about yourself?
Rachel: My name is Rachel. I currently live in Madison, Wisconsin
R: Everyone at camp was adopted, including all of the counselors
and I’m 15. I was adopted from Fujian, China when I was 3 years
and staff. I was able to relate to them, because they went through
old. I live with my adoptive mom.
the process of adoption like I did. They inspired me to always be a
M: Cool, can you tell me about some of the things you like to do
for fun?
R: In my spare time, I take Chinese and World Fusion dance, Kung
Fu, and I also like to play soccer.
I want to do when I grow up. Before, I wanted to be a soccer player,
but now I think it would be cool to work in adoption services and
help people like me.
M: Wow, that's really cool, Rachel. Congratulations on the new
M: Awesome! Those sound like some cool activities. So, you went
idea! Tell me what you thought were the most fun activities at
to camp this year, right? Was it your first time at camp or had you
camp.
been before?
R: I really enjoyed the daily sessions about adoption. I also like the
R: It was my first time at camp. I was nervous that I wouldn't meet
classes we would do at night. You could choose from a variety of
new friends. I was happy that I did make friends and also saw
things such as self-defense, fishing and Korean pop music.
some people I knew.
M: Can you tell me a little about what Holt Camp was like? What
kind of environment was it?
M: Cool - those are fun parts of camp. Tell me if you'd recommend
camp to any or all adoptees. And why or why not?
R: I would recommend Holt Camp to adoptees, because it is a
R: When I first arrived to Holt Camp, there was a mob of people
great way to find out more about yourself. You get to share your
who came to greet me. Everyone was very energetic and happy
­adoption story. It is also a good way to meet people like you.
to be with each other. After being at camp for a couple days, I
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / W int e r 2012
good person. Since I went to Holt camp, it changed my idea of what
began to connect to everyone because they all had something in
common with me. They were all adopted. We also had daily talks
M: Well, thanks for sharing all of this, Rachel! Do you have
­anything else you’d like to add for our readers?
about adoption with the counselors and campers, which was very
R: I think that if you go to Holt Camp, you will never regret that
inspirational.
you went. When it was time to go home, I was sad to leave all the
M: Awesome! Thanks for sharing about that. It sounds like a really
fun, exciting environment. You mentioned that everyone at camp
friends I had met. I think everyone should be able to experience
Holt camp because it changes your perception on adoption!
was adopted — does that include the adult counselors and staff?
Were they all adopted? And was that important to you?
16
Rachel Penewell | Madison, Wisconsin
adoptees today
It’s Never Too
La
te to Change
Tough conversations ab
out adoption lead to un
derstanding
and peace for one adul
t adoptee
I'm always du
mbfounded w
hen people sa
it to be such a
y, "I can't chan
cop out. I belie
ge; that's just
ve people are
how I am." I fin
are grow ing an
al
ways capable
d
d lear ning an
of change. In
d changing al
fact, I hope th
choose not to
l the time. I be
ey
change. For th
lieve it’s a choi
em, I can only
ce, and some
life ex perienc
feel sy mpathy.
people
es — defining
They are missi
moments that
ng out on so m
alter the way
any
I've lear ned a
we feel about
lot from this
and view life.
pa
st
w
ee
been afraid or
k. I talked to
my parent's ab
not encourag
ed to ask. But
out topics I've
if my parent's
I realized that
always
were going to
if I was going
lear n anyt hing
to lear n anyt hi
—
ng —
I
ne
ed
ed to ask.
My dad is an
amazing man
.
He
ha
s always been
times I have
tr ied to ex pr
a mentor to m
ess my issues
e. As a child,
"Just be proud
on adoption,
the few
of who you ar
he would liste
e."
n, and alway
I
gu
es
s he didn't re
­ident ity was
s say:
alize that I ha
a mystery at
d no idea who
that age. I felt
family and no
I
w
lik
as
e
. My
I
w
as
in limbo, not
t really know
ing what bein
really belong
felt ­completel
g
in
As
g
ia
to
n
my
w
as
. I looked one
y different on
way on the ou
the inside.
tside, but
I asked him if
he ever though
t about the re
He said he ne
ality of adoptin
ver thought ab
g a child of a
ou
t
it.
I didn't unders
different race
is that possib
tand. ‘You ne
.
le?’ Well, he
ver thought ab
sa
id
he
w
as
­not hing else m
out it? How
so thankful an
attered. From
d excited abou
the moment I
t adopting m
or not. I was a
was put into hi
e, that
part of his fam
s ar ms, I was
ily and that's
his daughter,
al
blood
l
th
at
mattered.
Now, for a m
inute, I stood
ba
ck
and thought,
­all-white fam
how ig norant
ily, in a small
. I am being
suburban tow
raised in an
think I would
n, w ith little
have issues w
to no diversity
ith
— and you w
th
at
? But I have to
understood m
ouldn't
say for the fir
y dad. I got it.
st time ever,
It was hard to
I could see hi
I
he
ac
ar
tually
,
fr
om
s perspect ive.
my perspect iv
e, but for the
first time,
As an adult, I
might disagree
w ith their thin
loved. I had a
king, but I have
great childho
to say, I know
od
,
an
d yes it was m
I was
racist commen
ar red w ith ig no
ts, but my fam
rant incident s
ily
al
w
ays stuck by m
and
they tr ied to
e. They could
raise me and
never relate, bu
love me the be
thankful and
t
st
w
ay
they knew ho
grateful that
w. So I can on
now, after wha
ly
w ith ot her ad
be
t
I'v
e
le
ar ned from th
optees at Holt
is summer wor
camp, it's neve
king
my issues, an
r too late to ch
d we can — fo
ange. My dad
r
th
recognizes
e
fir
st time — ha
only be thankf
ve conversatio
ul that, good
ns about it. I
or bad, ever yt
define the pe
can
hing that has
rson I am toda
happened to m
y.
e has helped
Tracy Novak
| Boston, Massachus
etts
ABOVE: Tracy and her dad,
James Foley BELOW: Tracy
with her h­ usband, Ryan.
updates
Hunter’s Story – Our Gift
Are You Ready for Winter Jam 2012?
...Hunter’s depth of understanding of the life he left and the family he joined became apparent in January, 2010,
when his first grade teacher asked him to finish the sentence “I have a dream… ,” for Martin Luther King, Jr.
day. Hunter wrote, “I had a dream that evere VN boy and gerl had a hom.”
In January, Grammy nominated Christian music group Skillet took the stage with other popular ­artists to kick off
Winter Jam 2012. Throughout April, Winter Jam will rock the hearts and minds of Christian music fans in over
45 cities across the South, Midwest and the East Coast! For seven years running, Holt has teamed up with music
group NewSong to bring Christian music fans a fun-filled night of music, worship, and the opportunity to help
children overseas through Holt child sponsorship!
An Excerpt by Mari Li Creasy {Hunter’s Mom}
A dream that every Vietnamese boy and girl had a home.
This year, the PTA of Hunter’s elementary school held an essay contest for students in grades 2-6. The kids were
asked to submit an essay completing the statement, “If I had $100, the charity I would give it to is…”
Hunter chose Holt and wrote:
I pick Holt International Children’s Agency. They helped my family adopt me from Vietnam
and my sister from China. They help kids around the world. They need animals to help poor
children with no food. They need clothes and medicine for kids. They help kids find forever
families. They build houses and schools. I would ask them to send the $100 to my orphanage
in Vietnam to buy toys, books and crayons for the kids who still wait for families of their own.
Please pick Holt. They rock!
Last year, over 18,000 Winter Jam concertogers said “YES" to sponsoring a child! For 2012, we’ve set our sights
even higher!….
Check out Winter Jam dates and artists at jamtour.com and "LIKE" us on Facebook for updates!
Events
The upcoming Omaha Gala and Dinner Auction on April 21st will raise money for children in Thailand.
Visit www.holtinternational.org/events for more information and to RSVP or contact Sandi Mehl at
­[email protected].
A winner was chosen from each class and given a $100 check from the PTA for their charity. Out of hundreds of
essays submitted, Hunter won for the second grade!
The winners were asked to read their essays at a “Gift of Giving” assembly at school right before Thanksgiving.
Hunter practiced reading his essay for days and was the last speaker of the night. There was not a dry eye in
the house!
Find more stories in our “Children Who Give” series on Holt’s blog: www.holtinternational.org/
blog/2012/01/children-who-give-hunters-story-our-gift
neighborhood
calendar
OREGON
CALIFORNIA
for a­ doptee
bins—Holt Adoptee Camp
July 29-August 2, 2012, Dob
August 1)
9-16 years old (Day Camp is
GEORGIA
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / W int e r 2012
pte
Holt Adoptee Camp for ado
July 23-27, 2012, Hampton—
26)
p is July
9-16 years old (Day Cam
s
WISCONSIN
es
p for
utoma—Holt Adoptee Cam
July 29-August 2, 2012, Wa
1)
ust
y Camp is Aug
­adoptees 9-16 years old (Da
IOWA
GET THE INFO
ptees
Holt Adoptee Camp for ado
July 22-26, 2012, Okoboji—
25)
July
p is
9-16 years old (Day Cam
Tessier at
rmation contac t: Michael
For Holt Adoptee Camp info
to
go
or
.org
michaelt@holtinternational
amp
ww w.holtinternational.org/c
NEBRASKA
benefit ­children
ala and Dinner Auc tion to
April 21, 2012, Omaha—G
a. 5:30 PM
Vist
La
–
tes
Embassy Sui
in Holt’s care in Thailand.
NEW JERSEY
p for a­ dop
ht, PA—Holt Adoptee Cam
August 5-10, 2012, Starlig
9)
ust
Aug
9-16 years old (Day Camp is
18
efit ­children in
Dinner and Auc tion to ben
5:30 PM
February 4, Eugene —Gala
. The Eugene Hilton Hotel.
Holt’s care in Southeast Asia
rs old
yea
6
9-1
es
pte
ado
for
Adoptee Camp
July 15-19, Corbet t—Holt
(Day Camp is July 18)
tees
tac t: Sandi Mehl at
For Events information con
rg
[email protected]
rmation contac t:
For Holt Heritage Tour info
nal.org
sarahiggins@holtinternatio
rs:
Sara Higgins for China tou
.org
nal
atio
ern
tint
hol
rs: kat yb@
Kat y Bogart for Korea tou
e tour:
thany Korea Adult Adopte
t-Be
Hol
for
er
Rad
i
rtn
Kou
.org
kourtnir@holtinternational
w a it ing c h il d re n
Kiera
Bor n: 8/10/0 0, SE Asia
Kiera
Leann
SCot t
These and other children need
adoptive families
Scott
Kiera is said to be a “sweet soul
.” She has
seen children come into her
foster home
and go home with families soon
after; she
would like to be adopted too.
Kiera is HIV+.
She enjoys play ing with her
­
medical set
and wants to be a d
­ octor when she grows
up. Her favorite s­ubject is
­science. She
also enjoys English and r­ ead
ing, and gets
upset when she has to miss a
class. Kiera
has beautiful ­
handwrit ing and likes to
draw. On her 10th birt hday,
Kiera c
­ reated
a tribute to her birt h parents.
She needs a
family who not only has acce
ss to ­medical
resources but is also ­
experienced with
adoption and has the ability to
­support her
through her grief.
Scot t is described as smart,
­clever and
creative. His birt h parents are
i­ mpr isoned
and were not able to care
for him .
Scot t entered Children’s Hom
e in 2002,
and then foster care a year
later. He
is ­
developmentally on target and
enjoys
r unn ing and climbing , play
­
ing soccer
and riding his bike. Scot t
says that he
would love to have a family
adopt him.
Described as a leader, he nee
ds a f­amily
who can accommodate this
trait and who
u ndersta nds the behavioral
­
impact of
grief and loss. Experience pare
nting past
Scot t’s age is also preferred.
Shen Ying & Shen Jia
Bor n: 08/1/01 & 03/03/02, Chi
na
Leann
Bor n: 11/5/0 0, China
These charming, intelligent
boys are
currently living with a foster
family. They
are not biological brot hers but
have grow n
up as brot hers since infancy,
and should
be placed together or with fam
ilies in very
close prox imit y. Upon adm
ission, they
were both found to have bila
teral clef t lip
and palate, which have been
surgically
­
repaired. Shen Ying (left) enjo
ys s­ inging
and dancing, and play ing with
Legos. He
does well in class and is an
­enthusiastic
lear ner. Shen Jia enjoys ­
performing for
others and telling stor ies.
His t­eachers
report that he is polite and athl
etic. Their
family should prov ide them
with access
to a craniofacial team for follo
w-up with
speech therapy and surgeries.
Their ­family
should also have experience with
­adoption
and parenting past their ages
. ­
w ww.holtinternational.org/blog/2012/01
/a-dynamic-duo-still-waiting
“I want to grow up happily
like other
kids,” says Lean n, when
asked about
i nter nationa l adoption.
­
This graceful
young girl with bright eyes
was found
­outside of a child welfare cent
er in 2009.
She is extrover ted, polite and
kind and
c urrently living with a fost
­
er f­
a mily.
Leann’s foster family reports
that she has
lear ning disabilit ies and poo
r ­
memory.
She always greets people whe
n she sees
them and likes to help with
housework.
Althoug h her memory is
con sidered
poor, Lean n rememb ers the
names of
her ­
foster family and her n
­ eighborhood
friends. Leann has average
grades and
gets along well with her
classmates. When asked
abo ut
­i nte r nat iona l
adoption, she says she's
­
QR code for
agreeable to the idea and the
is eager to have parents
of her own. Leann needs
a loving f­ami ly who has
acce ss to academic and
dev elopmental resource s.
ww w.holtinternational.org/
blog /2011/11/just-like-otherQR codekids
for Leann video
*Scan here to see a
video of Leann
Shen Ying & Shen Jia
Bor n: 8/5/00, SE Asia
dynamic duo video
*Scan here to see (and
share!) a video of Shen Ying!
For more inform ation on adopting these
and other waitin g childre n, contac t Erin
Mower at ­e rinm@ holtinternatio nal.org
www. holtin terna tional .org/w aiting child/photo listing
Post Office Box 2880
Eugene, OR 97402
Change Ser vice Reques ted
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in 2012
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