Spring 2012
A
Brighter Day
For Children
in this issue
4
6
Annual Report
Spring 2012 vol. 54 no. 2
Summary of 2011
Our Vision
A world where every child has a loving and
secure home.
A Brighter Day for Children
Back from a recent trip to the Philippines, Jennifer Goette, Holt’s director of programs for South
and Southeast Asia, shares about her meaningful visits with two once-struggling families in
Holt’s family preservation program.
12
16
From the Family
Adoptees Today
18
Updates/Neighborhood
Calendar
Waiting Children
19
FRONT COVER: Generous child
sponsors provide services for 300
children in six Holt-supported
day care centers in the
Philippines.
Dear Readers
Last year, 561 children were placed through Holt with families in the United States.
More than ever, families welcomed children with special needs into their homes and their
hearts. Many older children also found loving families.
Nick and Mary Leigh Brown brought their sons, Bates and Brodie, home from Korea in
2010 and 2011. Both boys also have special needs.
To help advocate for other children with special needs, Mary Leigh Brown regularly posts
blogs about the children on Holt’s photolisting (at someshadesofbrown.com.) “I'm slowly
realizing that God hasn't called us to adopt them all, although don’t think for a second that
I wouldn’t try,” says Mary Leigh. “Instead, God has called us to advocate for these children
to have families.”
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
Creative Services Manager Laura Mathews
Managing Editor Ashli Keyser
Senior Writer Robin Munro
To everyone who has shared one of Holt's or Mary Leigh's waiting child stories on
Facebook, at your church or on your blog, we owe you a great deal of gratitude. Thank you
for helping us share the stories of these amazing children.
In March, the Brown family continued their service to children by volunteering at a
Winter Jam concert in Chattanooga, offering concertgoers the chance to sponsor a child in
Holt’s care for $30 a month. “We absolutely love Holt and love the mission that Harry and
Bertha started so many years ago,” says Mary Leigh. “We [were] honored to help Holt in such
a small way. They made us a family and it was the very least we can do to give back.” At
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / Spr ing 2012
the end of the night, over 140 concertgoers had made the commitment to sponsor a child.
The Browns are the true definition of Holt ambassadors – sharing Holt’s mission, and
helping children receive the care they need and the families they deserve. Mary Leigh
Brown’s efforts on behalf of Holt International are to be commended.
We send a special thank you out to all of Holt’s amazing volunteers and ambassadors
who inspire us every day. You are the hands and feet of this organization, the voices of the
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
voiceless, and the bridge of love for every child who continues to wait.
To become a Holt Ambassador, go to www.holtinternational.org/ambassadors/.
Ashli Keyser |
2
Managing Editor
P.O. Box 2880 (1195 City View) Eugene, OR 97402
Ph: 541/687.2202 Fax: 541/683.6175
directions
Welcome to the Family!
Holt Child Sponsors — joining our mission, changing children’s lives
I want to take a moment to offer an enthusiastic "Welcome" to
Each year, we publish an annual report summary of Holt’s
all of our new Holt child sponsors. It’s a blessing to have you on
services for children. In 2011, Holt helped thousands of children
board with us as esteemed members of our extended Holt family –
through adoption and other efforts. As you look over our annual
helping us change the lives of orphaned and abandoned children.
report summary, please realize that this would not have been
Not only are you bringing a smile to the face of your sponsored
possible without our devoted foster mothers, caregivers and other
child, but we truly believe that you are answering God’s call to
compassionate people like you. You, the sponsors and generous
nurture, protect and love His little ones!
supporters, make this work possible. Because of the support and
Late last year, I had the privilege of seeing – and hearing! –
James 1:27 (…to look after orphans) in action at a Winter Jam West
involvement of so many in the extended “Holt family,” we are able
to provide these services.
Coast concert in Portland, Oregon. What an amazing moment, to
You are just as much a part of these numbers – a part of the
see Christian band NewSong share Holt’s message and the need
children served – as the employees. Each number reflects a child
for child sponsorship with thousands of people. Even more amaz-
in family preservation, a child in a care center or with a foster
ing, to watch as one by one, individuals stepped up to answer the
family – a child you have helped through your generous giving.
call and help a child in need.
Whether you support a child before they go home to a family in
You have taken hold of Holt’s mission and the children, and for
this, I am truly grateful.
the United States or help a child remain with their birth family –
you are making a difference!
Phillip Littleton | President & CEO
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l .or g
3
2011 Annual Report
A Partnership for the Children
The partnership between Holt and its supporters changes children’s lives. We at Holt recognize that we serve as the hands
and feet of very caring and generous people. We strive to use our financial resources effectively and efficiently, and maintain
an open and transparent relationship with our donors. Every year, Holt undergoes an audit performed by an independent accounting firm. The charts are based upon the report of Moss Adams. A complete audit report is available and gladly provided
upon request. The downloadable version is also available on our website at holtinternational.org
Family Preservation
Medical Care
Around the world, Holt works to keep families together.
Through nutritional, educational and medical support – as
well as microloans for small businesses and vocational training – we help struggling families become stable, self-reliant
and equipped to care for their children. Last year, Holt significantly expanded many of our family preservation programs.
Throughout the year, many families also successfully exited
the program. By the end of 2011, every one of the original
360 families in Ethiopia family preservation had graduated.
While in Thailand, China, Haiti, the Philippines and Uganda,
Holt helped thousands more children to stay in the loving
care of their birth families.
Basic medical care is critical to the health and wellbeing of
families and children. All children in the care of our partners overseas receive vaccinations and other routine medical
care. More and more, children we support and seek homes
for also have medical conditions that require surgery or other
involved care. Last September, Holt assumed management of
the Ping An Medical Foster Home – or “Peace House” – providing before-and-after care for orphaned and abandoned children in China who come to Beijing for medical treatment. As
their health improves, many of these children will go on to
join adoptive families in China or the U.S.
Education
Foster Care
Rather than institutional care, Holt strives to place children waiting for permanent families in a more attentive,
family-like environment. In many countries, such as China
and Korea, Holt has introduced model foster care programs
designed to nurture children’s growth and development while
Holt works to find them adoptive families.
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / Spr ing 2012
Nutrition
With proper nutrition, the health of children in care can
dramatically improve – often giving them the strength to
rejoin their families or join an adoptive family. Last year, Holt
partnered with the government of Vietnam to strengthen day
care programs for children in several low-income communities. While children participate in learning activities, their
parents receive education in child nutrition. In countries
such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Ethiopia, Holt also provides
livestock for families in our family preservation programs –
providing both constant nutrition and the basis for a small
family business.
4
Holt’s educational support includes vocational training for
parents, sponsorship for children to attend school, and also
parenting classes to help families raise strong, healthy children. Last year in India, educational sponsorship helped
cover the cost of books, fees, uniforms and supplies needed
for 370 children to attend school – most of them girls. While
in Haiti, Holt began a school and student-based sponsorship
program – keeping 300 at-risk children in school, and working
with educators to monitor their health and wellbeing.
Domestic Adoption
Circumstances sometimes make it impossible to reunite
children with their birth families. For these children, we first
try to place them with loving families in their birth
country. Giving children
the opportunity to grow up
in their birth country and
culture is central to an ethical system of adoption, and
2011 financial highlights
SOURCES OF REVENUE
Contributions & Grants
Adoption & Related
Service Fees
Other Revenue
Investment Gains/(Losses)
Total Revenue
we have long promoted it in the countries where we work.
Because of recurring social stigmas, however, domestic – or
in-country – adoption has been slow to develop. But as cultures grow and change, many more children have in recent
years found the loving families they deserve through domestic adoption.
International Adoption
In recent years, the profile of children needing homes
through international adoption – and coming home to families – has changed. In many of the countries where Holt
works, growing economies are giving birth families the
resources to care for their children. As domestic adoption
also becomes more socially accepted, orphaned and abandoned children are increasingly finding adoptive families in
their birth countries. Most of the children adopted domestically are healthy, infant girls. As a result, children who once
waited longer than others to find families – children with
special healthcare needs, older children, and boys – are now
first in line for international adoption
Programs for Children with Special Needs
Holt has for many years made extra effort to find loving
homes for children with special needs, and supported incountry programs that help them develop to their fullest
potential. Last year, Holt initiated a special program to promote adoption of older children in the Philippines. (Learn
more about this program on pg. 10)
Post Adoption Services
Holt offers a range of services to address the continuing
needs of adoptees, adoptive parents and birth parents – from
counseling for families and assistance with birth searches
to heritage tours and adoptee camps. In 2011, Holt Adoptee
Camp expanded from four to six locations – adding camps in
Wisconsin and Georgia – and served 559 children. The Post
Adoption Services Department at Holt helps adoptees regardless of agency affiliation and last year, provided services for
over 3,900 adoptees and families – many of them not previously associated with Holt.
2011
2010
$13,433,811
$12,168,450
10,379,161
11,269,639
66,376
14,890
(285,160)
632,767
$23,594,188
$24,085,746
OPERATING EXPENSES
Program Services
$17,589,712
$17,851,206
Management & General
2,369,636
2,241,976
Fundraising
4,312,237
3,847,777
24,271,585
23,940,959
Total Operating Expenses
RIGHT: Children in low-income communities of Metro Manila receive nutritious
meals, medical assistance and learning activities at six Kaisahang Buhay
Foundation (KBF) day care centers.
Established by Holt in 1976, KBF has
grown to become a recognized leader in
child welfare services.
FAR RIGHT: “Because of KBF’s day care
program, my three oldest children have
been able to learn how to write and
color,” says Naty Jasmen, who, like many
of the parents receiving support, volunteers at the center. Funds committed by
generous sponsors help children at the
centers receive much-needed services.
A Brighter Day
For Children
The New Face of Holt’s Child Sponsorship Program
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / Spr ing 2012
Back from a recent trip to the Philippines, Jennifer Goette, Holt’s director of programs for South and
Southeast Asia, shares about her meaningful visits with two once-struggling families in Holt’s family preservation program. Through day care services and donations provided by generous monthly
sponsors, children in the Philippines have been given hope for the future. Once only a program to
support children going home to families in the United States, Holt’s child sponsorship program has
broadened to include support for children remaining with their families.
Manila, Philippines -- Nestled down a narrow street, in a tightly packed community of tiny houses, is the
Escopa 2 day care center. Escopa 2, one of six Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF) day care centers, is an
oasis in the midst of a bustling neighborhood. The outside of the building is awash with color. The inside
is clean and cool, providing a safe and comfortable space for 25 children in the morning session who jump
with delight at seeing a visitor. I am entertained with songs and dances while the children stomp, cheer and
mime the lyrics to their favorite songs. Their bright faces are eager with enthusiasm and hope. These are
some of the new faces of Holt’s child sponsorship program.
6
Years ago, most of the children in Holt’s sponsorship program
were orphaned and abandoned children who were in the process
of intercountry adoption. As Holt’s work has expanded to impact
the lives of more children, greater emphasis has been placed on
keeping vulnerable families together. In the Philippines, Holt’s
sponsorship program has expanded to support 300 children from
impoverished communities with access to stimulating activities,
social interaction and a nutritious meal at their local day care
center.
Behind each face and each shy smile is the story of a family surviving despite the odds. I recently met two extraordinary
families during my visit to the Philippines. They are convinced
that access to day care services has been the key to keeping their
family together.
Just around the corner from Escopa 2 day care center, the sixmember Jasmen family occupies a small, two-room house. Naty
Jasmen and her husband, Rodolfo, are working hard to put food on
the table and meet the basic needs of their four children. Rodolfo
is currently unemployed, but manages to find some seasonal
work planting and gardening at the local cemetery. Naty is the
primary caregiver, earning income by selling rice cakes in the
neighborhood.
Naty, like many parents, volunteers at the day care center once
each week for three hours – doing whatever it takes to keep the
center clean and provide the children with a mid-day meal. Her
5-year-old twin boys attend day care regularly and are thriving. Naty proudly mentions that her eldest daughter used
to attend day care and is now a healthy, well-adjusted first
grader. “Because of KBF’s day care program, my three oldest
children have been able to learn how to write and color,”
says Naty. “They enjoy spending time with other children
and have become more socially independent.”
When I ask Naty about how her family
has been impacted by day care services, big tears well up in her soft brown
eyes. “My family does not have the
financial resources we need,” she
says. “The support has allowed my
family to stay together, even after
the death of one of my children.
I am not sure what would have
happened without this support.”
Naty's powerful story
is reflected many times
over in the sentiments
and experiences of the
other families that benefit from Holt sponsorship.
Many families participating
in KBF's day care program
have often experienced hardship, hunger and unemployment,
but now they have hope and the promise of a better life for their
children.
Another family I meet has a completely different, but equally
poignant story. They live within walking distance from the day
care center, in a small, three-room house where seven people
share a bedroom. I am impressed by Rosalina Bello, the mother
of four children, who speaks in clear, measured English about her
two children with special needs.
Although
her
15-year-old
daughter is able to attend
special
education
classes, her 12-yearold daughter has a
seizure disorder
and cerebral palsy
and must be
cared for around
the clock at
home. Rosalina
explains that it’s
difficult to
devote individualized time and attention to her other two children. Her husband works on a commission basis as an auto
mechanic, which does not provide benefits and brings in barely
enough money each month to cover all the family's needs.
Their youngest child, a bright, 4-year-old girl who regularly
attends KBF day care, sits quietly next to her mother and sister.
She pulls a few worn copies of children's books off the otherwise
bare shelf to show me what she is learning at school. “Having a
good day care teacher helps a lot. I have no time at home to devote
to her, but she is very patient and studies on her own,” explains
Rosalina. “She is already learning to read and is the best student
in her class.”
Rosalina's life - and the life of her family - has been difficult,
but she is optimistic about the future for her youngest daughter.
“It has been such a big help to have the day care program for my
daughter,” she tells me. “It has given her chances in life I never
thought she would have.”
ABOVE: Children in Holt-supported
KBF day care. Currently, 300 children
attending the day care centers receive
sponsorship support.
RIGHT: Rosalina Bello with her
12-year-old daughter.
8
As the scope and reach of Holt's child sponsorship program has
expanded, we can celebrate victories that are not limited to the
number of children placed with adoptive families in the United
States. We can also celebrate victories that are measured by the
number of children who remain with their birth families, the
number of children who complete basic education, and the number of children who grow into healthy young adults. We can open
our eyes and our hearts to recognize that a stable, loving family
– whether a birth family or adoptive family – is the key to giving
each child the best start in life.
Jennifer Goette | Director of Programs for South and
Southeast Asia
To renew your sponsorship commitment, or to become a sponsor for the first time,
visit www.holtinternational.org/sponsorship or call 888.355.HOLT
Have you
sponsored
a child in the past?
We want you back! The children continue to need your support!
What your sponsorship commitment makes possible for a child in need:
Safe shelter ~ Medical care ~ Nutritious food
Attentive and loving nurture from trained caregivers
And the hope of a permanent family
e for the sponsorship ad
back cover
www.holtinternational.org/sponsorship or call 888.355.HOLT
around the globe
LEFT: A group of student athletes from
Oregon State University will travel to
Ethiopia in June to build houses similar
to this for struggling families.
ABOVE: Children in Holt’s family preservation program in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia
Philippines
In June, 13 Oregon State University (OSU) athletes – volunteers with OSU’s Beavers Without Borders – will travel
with Holt staff to Siltie, Ethiopia, where they will build homes for struggling families in Holt’s family preservation
program . Initiated by former OSU football player Taylor Kavanaugh, Beavers Without Borders is an organization
that gives OSU athletes the opportunity to travel to developing countries to help families in need.
Holt will lead a second group of volunteer ambassadors to the Philippines this fall. Last April, Holt sent six
enthusiastic individuals to the Philippines to meet and get to know 11 older children waiting for families. Upon
their return to the United States, the ambassadors shared the children’s stories, hoping to find families for each
one. To date, 6 of the 11 children have been matched with families. While this group of ambassadors will
continue their efforts to find homes for the remaining 5 children they met, the second group of ambassadors
traveling this fall will meet a different group of children and advocate for their adoption upon returning home
to the United States.
“The students really take ownership of their experience. It’s very powerful,” says Taylor. “It’s been a great success, and we hope to bring it to other schools in the future. We look forward to this trip with Holt.”
Thailand
Funds for Thailand flood relief efforts have supported evacuation centers, supplies and supply distribution for
affected families. In March, volunteer engineers began the second phase of response by conducting an evaluation of destroyed and damaged homes. In May, they will begin to repair 20 homes for birth and foster families
affected by the flooding.
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / Spr ing 2012
FROM FAR LEFT: Holt Sahathai
Foundation (HSF) provided
temporary care for foster families and children displaced by
the flooding.
10
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Reece, 22 months
s, and bes t friend, Sarah
Luke Williams ,23 month
Broomfield, CO
(both from Ethiopia) —
— Monroe, CT
Lily Cushing, 7 (Thailand)
[2] ea) — Pierre, SD
kley, 16 ( Both from Kor
Jaxon, 11, and Brielle Yac
[3] Ironton, MO
Knox Beard (Korea) —
[4] , PA
from China) — Denver
Daisy Kennedy, 3 (Both
and
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Pikesville, MD
Jet Kir sch, 2 (Korea) —
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and Sarina Lee, 3 (Both
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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 family
Not Just a Face
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / Spr ing 2012
Fresh from her volunteer experience at a Winter Jam concert, an adoptive mother learns of the extraordinary kindness and
generosity of Holt sponsors — including those who helped her son come home to his family
A few weeks ago, we helped at the Holt sponsorship table at
Winter Jam in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As I stood at the table
and looked over the rows of faces of precious children who needed
sponsors, my heart skipped a beat. These children weren’t just
faces in the crowd to me anymore; each one of them were fearfully and wonderfully made with a plan and purpose. Many of
them were waiting on their forever families to find them. They
were longing for a place called “home.” These children were just
like my boys once were….waiting. As I helped people find a child
to sponsor and thanked them for their commitment, I knew that
lives were being changed and hearts were being moved.
When we got home from the event, I hugged my little boys a
bit tighter and was so thankful that they found their way home.
I also wondered if they had been sponsored. While they waited,
did someone step up and say they would love our children across
an ocean and help provide for them until we could bring them
12
home? The next day, I contacted Holt and inquired about this,
and indeed, our Bates had been part of the Holt sponsorship program.
I got chills. Somewhere, someone has loved our little boy.
Before we knew him, before we longed to bring him home and
before he was in our arms, someone in the United States had loved
him. Our Bates wasn’t a face in the sea of orphans. He wasn’t just
another face on a packet. He was someone. Bates’ sponsors didn’t
just sponsor a child, they sponsored our child. What a blessing
this news was for our family.
We wrote Bates’ sponsors a letter, telling them all about our
son. The once 2-pound, delayed and very sick little boy they sponsored is now a running, jumping and energetic 3-year-old. We told
his sponsors about his love for Mickey Mouse, and his momma.
We told them about his favorite foods and his sweet and compassionate spirit. We, too, attempted to put into words our gratitude
for their sponsorship of our son. But how do you put into adequate
words a "thank you" to someone who stood in the gap for you?
How do you thank someone who helped provide a heart surgery
that your son desperately needed? How do you thank a complete
stranger for loving your son in a way you couldn’t at the time?
It is the same struggle we’ve had so many times over the last
few years. How do you thank all the people who made such a difference in his life? How can you put into words your gratitude for
his birthparents, social workers, foster family and all the other
people who’ve helped this beloved child?
And then I realized something. All of these wonderful people
act not for the "thank you." They act out of the generosity of their
hearts and because acting lifts their spirits. Bates’ sponsors are
more names and faces and stories that we will add to the long list
of people that we tell Bates about as we put him to bed at night.
The long list of people that we are honored to call “family.”
Sponsorship is now a piece of Bates’ story. Sponsorship is now
intertwined with our family story. And for this, we are forever
grateful.
Mary Leigh Brown |
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
LEFT: The Brown family, yellow smocks and all,
volunteer at a Winter Jam concert in Chattanooga.
In total, 9,542 concergoers signed up to sponsor a
child during the 2011 Winter Jam run!
RIGHT: Once a face on a picture folder, Bates Brown
encouraged others to help children in need, just as
he was helped through sponsorship support.
from the family
Until You Name Us
A story of adoption from an older sister’s perspective
“I luff you,” he tells me, quietly. I love the sound of him saying it.
I grab him and squeeze him tightly, whispering “I love you” back.
Happiness washes over me; he is actually home.
My brother, Elijah Shu Bo Akin, arrived home from China on
December 29, 2011, but we started the process to adopt in July
2010. The following 17 months were filled with wondering, praying and hoping, waiting, and even frustration. The road of adoption is hard, but absolutely priceless.
Before our adoption, I didn’t connect faces with the orphan
crisis or feel compelled to pray often for individual waiting children. I didn’t want to volunteer to help in an orphanage. But
when my mom recounted her tour of Eli's orphanage, my heart
was broken.
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / Spr ing 2012
My brother was born with a heart defect: VSD, which basically
means he had a hole in his heart. While we don’t know for sure
why his birth parents abandoned him, by putting the pieces of
Eli’s story together we can get a glimpse into their hearts. They
didn’t abandon him until he was five months old. We believe that
they kept him as long as they could until they knew he needed
help, help they couldn’t afford. So, they lovingly put him in a box
and left him in a hospital stairwell. They risked a lot to leave him
in such a public location, as it is illegal to abandon children in
China. But Eli’s parents knew he needed help and put him in the
best place possible, a place where he would receive life-saving surgery, and eventually, a forever family. We think of them often and
what, out of sacrifice, they parted with: an amazing little boy.
ABOVE: Ellen and brother, Elijah
RIGHT: From left to right: Tyler,
Sam, Ellen, Abby, and Elijah
14
Eli’s
s t o r y
c r e ates a beautiful image, a
picture
of how God loves us. He knows us by
name,
we whom the world has abandoned, we who have a disease in our
hearts, a hole that only Jesus can fill. We need surgery, and we
can’t afford it. He chooses us, plucks us out of spiritual poverty,
and provides life-giving grace and unconditional love. And we are
waiting for Him to come, get us, and take us home. I know that
day, just like the day Eli came home, will be sheer joy.
Ellen Akin |
Louisville, Kentucky
from the family
An Outgoing and
Happy Boy
Jacob needs a family
On December 18, 2001, at 2 days old, a little boy was found
abandoned at a hospital in one of China’s southernmost provinces. Whoever left behind this newborn baby first dressed him
all in green and carefully bundled him in a bright red quilt. After a
failed attempt to find his birth parents, the police transferred him
to the local social welfare institute. Here, he remained for the first
six years of his life – growing into “an outgoing and happy boy.”
In 2004, Jacob* received surgery for a cleft lip. He recovered
well, and quickly began to develop his speech. Two years later,
at nearly 6 years old, Jacob joined a foster family with five foster
siblings – including four sisters, and one brother. This suited Jacob
well, as he loves playing with other children and always eagerly
participates in group activities. Without help, he struggles a bit in
school, but is also described as industrious and respectful of his
teachers.
Jacob, his social workers write, is “loved by parents, teachers
and classmates” alike.
In the four years since he entered foster care, Jacob has seen
three of his foster siblings join adoptive families. He still keeps in
contact with one of his sisters – who joined a family in the U.S.
– via Skype. This former foster sister describes Jacob as a funny
boy who enjoys telling jokes and watching the Power Rangers on
TV. She says he was quite close to his foster brother – sometimes
sleeping in the same bunk, where they talked in confidence. He
would definitely love joining a family with siblings.
Jacob’s foster parents want to see all the children in their care
join loving, adoptive families. To help prepare them for adoption,
they ask to be called “Auntie” and “Uncle” instead of “Mom” and
“Dad.” But although Jacob has learned not to view them as parents,
in their care he has learned what it means to be part of a family
– spending holidays with foster grandparents, aunts and uncles,
helping in the garden and kitchen, and sharing in all the closeness
and joy of family.
To lear n m or e
ab ou t Jaco b, pl
ea se co nt ac t Er
M ower at er in
in
m @ ho lt in te rn
at io na l.o rg
Jacob most needs a family who can provide him with any
follow-up medical care he may need and who will be open to
him maintaining contact with his foster siblings, if possible.
Preferably, Jacob can join a family who has experience parenting
past his age and understands the issues surrounding older child
adoption and its impact on behavior and development.
15
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l .or g
*names have been changed
DOB: December 16, 2001 / Guangdong Province, China
adoptees today
When the Tide Rolls In
gray-blanketed sky and gave it away. A tiny token of reflected
light.
An adoptee’s story about diving deeper and embracing two
cultures
Where would it go? I crossed my fingers and hoped for China.
I took a running start. Then, with all my might, I launched it
towards the sea. "It" was a bottle. All glass, corked. And rolled
tightly inside it – a scroll of paper bearing instructions for the
finder to return it via post with indication of how far it had traveled. My 12-year-old mind was enchanted by the idea of a message
in a bottle. Mysterious, quixotic. I knew I had to send one.
The salted air whipped my hair around
my face as I struggled to keep the bottle
in sight. It bobbed on the surface of
the Pacific, nearly swallowed by
the frothing waves that threatened to drag it into indigo
depths. There are four prevailing currents that constitute the
Northern Pacific Gyre and dominate the largest ocean on Earth:
the Kuroshio, the North Pacific,
the California, and the North
Equatorial. They connect in
a clockwise pattern, joining
the Asian Coast with that
of America. I watched the
California current sweep
my bottle away, not turning my back until I could
only identify it when the
sun peeked through the
I hadn't seen China in almost a dozen years. At three months
old I was abandoned at a police station, parentless in Nanning, a
city of almost six million. Three months later I was adopted and
came to the United States. Whatever happens in the future, my
blank biological family tree precedes me, as if my own roots have
been washed away.
Growing up, questions of where I fit in engulfed me. Among my
friends I stood out as the only Asian, easily identifiable in pictures
as short, dark-skinned, and black-haired in a sea of fair-skinned
blonds and brunettes. They spoke of family histories and traditions and, strangest of all to me, things that "run in their families,"
like an aptitude for sports, or being susceptible to a certain illness,
or reaching a certain height. My future, not just my ancestry, was
unfathomable, which only made me even more of an outcast.
And yet, I fit in with other Asians even less. I grew to expect
the inevitable shock when Chinese people found out that I did
not speak Chinese, or that both of my parents were white New
Yorkers who moved us to Oregon when I was barely four. At Asian
restaurants, I was frequently spoken to in languages I didn’t
understand and was embarrassed when others discovered that
I was completely Americanized in lifestyle: in how I talked, ate
and dressed, in my love and pursuit of creativity instead of business or medicine. The most un-Asian Asian there could be. I was
regarded with looks of skepticism, followed quickly by incredulity
and, finally, condescension, flooding me with notions of inferiority. Adrift between cultures, I felt excluded because of my inability
to navigate my two worlds. A foreigner in both places. And so I
was suspended between two continents and two lives: what could
have been and what was.
LEFT: Kristin (right) on the
beach with her younger sister,
Sarah, also adopted from China.
adoptees today
extraordinary that it makes me swell with pride.
Diversity is an extraordinary teacher. While I had seen myself
as drifting apart from my friends, it has dawned on me that
only from diversity and differences can anything be gained and
ultimately learned. I have learned to love the ties that make me
different and immerse myself as an individual who chases a different current than everyone else.
Eagerly, I anticipate the new places, the new faces and new
cultures that await me.
Opportunities to connect with people and learn something
new are in every look of confusion, every foreign tongue, every
cultural tradition that I come across. What I hadn't realized
before is that all I need to do is see myself as a channel to the
world around me. I am lucky enough to be part of two worlds.
But, for me, two is only the beginning.
I cannot wait to be a foreigner again.
Six years later, I return to the bluff, that day still engraved
in my memory. Over time I have grown to see the Northern
Pacific Gyre more as a gift than a barrier. A possibility. A lesson
for myself. I have gained an appreciation and motivation to dive
deeper into my two cultures — one ancient, one new. The connections that exist can take me anywhere, and that realization is so
Next summer I have the opportunity to visit China. When I
travel there, I'll take the time to do what I always do whenever I
can find a new beach to explore: spend a morning strolling along
the shore, eyes wide open, because you never know what you
might find when the tide rolls in.
Kristin Zebrowski |
Eugene, Oregon
Holt 2012 Graduates...
Kristin’s graduation photo will be featured in the upcoming graduate issue of Holt
International magazine. Deadline for photos of Holt adoptees who graduated or are
graduating from high school and college in 2012 is July 1. Short stories from families
about their graduate are also welcome. For a graduate submission form, go online to
holtinternational.org/gradsubmissions. Stories go to [email protected]
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l .or g
17
updates
Calendar Photos
Holt Events
Deadline for photos for the Holt yearly calendar is July 16. Please upload digital images (3 megapixels or higher)
to holtinternational.org/submissions or mail glossy prints to Calendar Photos, Holt International, P.O. Box 2880,
Eugene, OR 97402.
Adoptee Camps
Holt adoptee camp is an exciting and fun camp designed to be relevant to any international and transracial
adoptee from 9-16 years of age by focusing on adoption, race and identity rather than birth culture. We invite
you to take a few minutes and explore the camp pages of Holt’s website. On top of a great week of summer fun,
you’ll find that Holt camp’s unique environment is unlike anything else. If you have any questions, please contact
Michael Tessier at [email protected]
The upcoming New Jersey Gala Dinner and Auction on September 29th will raise money for Holt’s Special Needs
Adoption Fund. “As an adoptive parent, I have experienced the joy and blessing of adopting through Holt,” says
Jackie Miller, the New Jersey Gala chairperson. “I also know that there are thousands of children who still do not
have families and those of us on the auction committee are determined to do all we can to help those children.
I hope you will join us for this wonderful evening of friends, fellowship and fun—all while making a difference
in the life of a child!” Visit www. holtinternational.org/events for more information and to RSVP or contact Sandi
Mehl at [email protected].
www.holtinternational.org/camp
neighborho
o
calendar d
CALIFORNIA
July 29-August
2, 2012, Dobbin
s—Holt Adopte
adoptees 9-16 ye
e Camp for
ar s old (Day Cam
p is August 1)
GEORGIA
July 23-27, 2012
, Hampton—Ho
lt Adoptee Cam
9-16 year s old (D
p for adoptees
ay Camp is July
26)
IOWA
July 22-26, 2012
, Okoboji—Holt
Adoptee Camp fo
9-16 year s old (D
r adoptees
ay Camp is July
25)
NEBRASKA
H olt I nt e r n at i on a l / Spr ing 2012
September 22,
Papillion — M
idwest Pu
Bellevue Berr y
Farm – Kickin’ Ho mpkin Patch Part y at
rse Kafe. 4 PM
– 7 PM
PENNSYLV
A
NIA
August 5-10, 20
12, Starlight—
Holt Adoptee Ca
9-16 year s old (D
mp for adoptees
ay Camp is Augu
st 9)
WISCONSIN
July 29-August
2, 2012, Wautom
a — Holt Adop
adoptees 9-16 ye
tee Camp for
ar s old (Day Cam
p is August 1)
HERITAGE
June 25- July 8
TOURS
— Korea Heritag
September 14-2
6 — Vietnam Ad
Get the Info
:
e Tour
ult Adoptee Tour
For Holt Adopte
NEW JERSE
e Camp informat
Y
ion contac t: Stev
stevek@holtint
e Kalb at
September 29 th
ernational.org
or
, Princeton — Ga
w
w
w.
ho
lti
nt
ernational.org/ca go to
la and Dinner Au
ef it Holt’s Specia
ction to benmp
l Needs Adoptio
For Day Camp in
n Fund. Westin
formation cont
at Forrestal Villa
Princeton
ac t: Michael Tess
ge. 6:00 PM
michaelt@holti
ier at
nternational.org
or go
w w w.holtinterna
OREGON
tional.org/camp/ to
dayc amp.shtml
For Events inform
ation contac t:
July 15-19, Corb
et t—Holt Adop
Sa
nd
i Mehl at sandim
tee Camp for ad
year s old (Day Ca
@holtinternatio
optees 9-16
mp is July 18)
nal.org
For Holt Heritag
e Tour informat
Oc tober 20, Port
ion contac t:
Sara Higgins fo
land — Portland
r China tour s:
Gala Dinner & Au
sarahiggins@ho
ction
ltinternational.o
rg
Cour tney Yo
ung for Vietnam
ad
ul
t ad
cour tney y@holti
nternational.org optee tour:
For Picnic Inform
ation contac t:
Sally Doughert y
at sallyd@holti
nternational.org
ea!
r
o
K
r
e
v
o
c
is
d
e
R
25-July 8
Dates: June
their families
r adoptees and
Heritage tour fo
gart at:
Contact Katy Bo
national.org
katyb@holtinter
18
www.holtinternational.org/tours
w a it ing c h il d re n
Chandler
Bor n:3/20/20 00, China
Chandler
This handsome you ng man
lives in
Jiangxi prov ince. He came into
care when
he was 10 years old following
the deat h of
his birt h father. Chandler’s
birt h mot her
reportedly suffers from a men
tal disease
and neit her she nor any of his
remaining
birt h family was able to care
for him. He
is said to be a healthy boy and
is currently
attending primary school. He
enjoys going
to school and studies hard. “I
would like
to be adopted by a kind-hearted
family
who will allow me to cont inue
my studies,” says Chandler. Chandle
r would
do best in a family who has
experience
parenting past his age, has
prev ious
adoption experience and can
help him
cope with the impact of grief
and loss.
Donata
Bor n: 11/11/1999, China
Donata
These and other children need
adoptive families
Gavin
“Gav in will be a delight to any
family,”
say his caregivers. “He is a goo
d-natured,
happy and friendly 8-year-old.”
Diag nosed
as HIV-positive, Gav in has
been in care
since 2006. Little is known abou
t his early
years. Gav in began medical
treatment for
HIV in 2007 and is currently cate
gorized as
"not symptomatic." A self-con
fident young
man, Gav in is said to be an utte
r joy to be
around. He’s very talkative and
active and
does well in school. The righ
t family for
Gav in will not fear his HIV, but
rather love
him and advocate for him.
*Sc an here to see (and
share!) a video of Gavin!
QR Code for Gavin’s Video
Donata loves play ing spor ts
and has
been elected by her teachers
to help
organize spor ts activities for
her class.
A lively and smiling girl,
Donata has
been in care since she was
8 days old
and needs a family who can
submit their
paperwork to China prior
to her 14th
birt hday. A music lover, Don
ata has a
history of struggling in scho
ol, especially
with mat h. She loves jumping
rope and
play ing table tennis. Donata
waits for a
family who has experience pare
nting past
her age and who can help her
cope with
grief and loss.
Gavin
Bor n: 8/1 /20 02, SE Asia
Harrison
Bor n: 1/21/1999, Afr ica
Har rison is a talkative young
man who
enjoys play ing football and wat
ching television. Upon adm ission, Har
rison had
completed the four th grade.
His caregivers report that he has adjusted
well to his
new env ironment and commun
icates his
feelings. Har rison will do best
in a family
who understands the impact
of international adoption, has access to
cult ural role
models, has prev ious older chil
d adoption
experience and is open to the
possibility of
Har rison being older than his
stated age,
as his birt h date is estimated.
For more inform ation on adopting these
and other waitin g childre n, contac t Erin
Mower at e rinm@ holtinternatio nal.org
w w w.hol tinte rnati onal. org/w aitingch ild/ph otolis ting
Harrison
Post Office Box 2880
Eugene, OR 97402
Change Ser vice Reques ted