Archive for July 23, 2015

Watch how this orphan reacts when she meets her new ‘momma’

Each and every one of our families has an amazing story to tell – the journey to find their child is one we don’t often get to see from beginning to end. Watch this family’s story as they meet their daughter for the first time! Our hosting program gives us a peek not only into how the lives of these wonderful children are changed but into how the children change our lives as well! Find out more about our Hosting Programs and learn how you can be an Orphan Warrior!

Orphan Hosting Arrival Makes Houston News

This summer’s hosting adventure has officially begun! Kayley, Cayce, and I began the journey Sunday afternoon on the drive from Austin to Houston. We wanted to hit the road early to be ready first thing Monday morning refreshed and ready to go with plenty of time to spare. Lists in hand, families ready to go, we braced ourselves for what we knew was going to be an unforgettable day.

Bright and early, we hit the ground running, barely containing our composure as our anxiety, eagerness, and nervousness began to build. News stations had gotten word of our program and were already calling us for details about the day. That’s when the excitement really set in – this is really happening! The kids are COMING! We must have shouted it at least a dozen times in the car as we made our way to IAH that incredible day.

We did a quick drive through to determine what the terminal distance looked like and what we were likely facing. So many questions ran through our heads: would the kids be able to get from the international terminal to the domestic in time? What about the delay we knew about that had set the children back about an hour? Kayley and Cayce stopped off at the domestic terminals to pick up gate passes from the incredibly helpful staff at the IAH Airport, and I headed over to the International Arrivals pickup where I knew families would be arriving in just a few hours to meet hteir children. A long time family friend of mine also showed up – it’s amazing how much support these incredible children have throughout our communities.

We found the perfect area to hang the banner, moved some seating around, and made ourselves at home. United was INCREDIBLE issuing us gate passes in order to escort the little ones, and boy that was a relief! With three groups departing from Houston to continue on their last leg of their journey to their host families, we knew we needed to help get the children where they needed to go as quickly as possible. Settled in, we began reflecting: 30 kids, 4 adult chaperones, 16 families, 3-4 news crews, ok… we can do this! At one point, Cayce and I checked our heart rates (well over 100!) and took a deep breath to steady our nerves.

It seemed as though traffic was everywhere around Houston and two families were stuck on their way from Dallas, the entire freeway was shut down. We tried to ease their nerves, knowing that their anticipation of meeting their kiddos and the stress of being late would be so much to bear.

Just as families started to arrive, the media began to show up, too! News stations from different parts of Texas could not believe how many stories each one of our families had to tell about their journey. We stated over and over again, EVERY hosting program has these same types of families – ones with big hearts who are willing and ready to help the children who need it most in these orphanages.

After waiting, watching, and hoping, finally it happened! The kids landed at 4:28 pm (we know because we kept staring at the clock!), almost an hour late. Just in time, one of the families who had been stuck in the Dallas traffic arrived. We soon began lining up to wait from them to come through the door of the customs check, not one of us wanting to miss the arrival of the kiddos through the door. We waited 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes. Obviously, getting 30 orphans through customs was taking a little bit longer than we hoped. Cayce stop on her tip toes staring through the door with a few other parents, and then finally, we see the little red shirts all in a group! At about quarter to six, the children walked through those sliding doors to the cheers and tears of the families waiting there for them! Some of them waved, a few of them ran to their families waiting with posters held high. It was one of the happiest moments I’ve had the privilege to witness, and there were very few dry eyes even amongst the passerby. 

For Kayley, Cayce, and I, there wasn’t quite as much time to feel everything we wanted to. Looking back, the hour after the children’s arrival feels like a blur. Kayley immediately grabbed the chaperones and kids for one flight to run to meet their domestic connection; Cayce grabbed the other group and dashed to another terminal.

As I saw each child’s face, my heart burst as I remembered seeing their sweet faces just months ago in their orphanage. I couldn’t believe it, they were finally here! We spent some time corralling the children, making sure everyone was with their family. There were some sweet moments, some teary moments, and some unforgettable moments. I watched as parent’s embraced their soon be children for the first time, and my heart warmed for them. I watched young kids meet strangers and take them like it was nothing. I had to pinch myself to remind myself that everything around me was actually happening.

Many families were able to depart quickly and start their official hosting journey. Some of the children needing some coaxing – the reality that they were in a foreign place with strange people really setting in. We had prepared the families for these kinds of fears, and the resilience these families showed, to stand by the children and wait to be the person who was there to hug them, hold them, and love them was indescribable.

For one family, arrival day was a true testament to their commitment. They had been stuck for five hours in the traffic outside of Houston. Cayce met them downstairs to bring them up to their kiddo, and it was clear that the stress of the day had taken its toll. Despite all they had been through, both parents and all of their kiddos were THRILLED to finally be there, finally be arriving to see their child waiting at the airport. And what a cool little dude he is!

Finally, with everyone where they needed to be, we looked at each other and were able to see the exhaustion (emotional and physical) in each others’ eyes. After 10 straight hours in an airport, we decided to stay in Houston. We settled some baggage issues and then went on our way to stay at my mom’s house for the evening, who, like the amazing woman she is, had hot pizza waiting for us (THANKS MOM!). She also already had the TV up and on record – we were on the news! We sat squealing in front of the television, pizza in hand, as the amazing stories of these children and families scrolled on the screen.

Without any further hitches, we received confirmation one after another that all the rest of our 14 kiddos had made it safely to their destination. It’s been a whirlwind, and we are happy to say that we’ve received countless stories already from the families with updates. While orphan hosting is not always sunshine and rainbows, it shouldn’t be. These are children who have been through some tough experiences, and standing by them is what makes these families the true Orphan Warriors they are. We will continue to keep you posted on how the children are doing – for now, enjoy the awesome photos!

Check out KHOU Houston’s News Story

Why One Family is Choosing ‘Host to Advocate’

TO ANSWER A COMMON QUESTION: WHY ADVOCATE TO BRING A CHILD INTO YOUR HOME, TO MATCH HIM WITH A FAMILY? HERE’S OUR STORY: The day was April 13, 2013. Stefan and I flew into Beijing the day before, and this was the trip to bring Max into our family. We were there to visit the orphanage our son Max grew up in. At the time, Max was 23 months old. He had 2 surgeries while there, and his orphanage was exemplary. The nanny/child ratio there was 1:2, which is unheard of in China. He was in a high-need medical facility, and only the most fragile children were admitted. We arrived on that day, anxious to see where Max lived. Max was not there, since he was transferred back to his state run orphanage, which is protocol for Chinese children, before they are adopted. But Stefan and I wanted to experience his surroundings and personally thank his nannies who took care of him. We got our tour of the facility, and we did thank his nannies, the founder of the facility, and his nurses. After that, we got to play with the children who resided there.

That’s when my life changed forever. We were surrounded by cute, smart, medically fragile children, who were happy, playful, and full of spunk. They were like countless other children who we knew back in the US. BUT there was something missing for them. They had no family. They had no parents who would go to the end of the earth to take care of them. They deserved a family. They had none. Most children did not have a family working to bring them home. Most were available for adoption. But there were simply no families to come forward for them. If left in China, they would ‘age out’ at 14 years old. They would live on the streets. With no blood lines, and no social structure, they lived in a culture that has no value for a person without blood lines. My heart hurts thinking of all the children left on the streets, to join gangs, to be sold for sex, to be left to survive in any way they can, with no hope.

On that day, when we waved good bye to the orphanage founder, and drove off, back to our hotel, to then fly to Max’s home province, we knew we would never be the same. Our view of our world had changed. We felt empowered to make a difference. The orphan problem is a world problem, and we couldn’t solve it all. But we can make a small change, whatever that may be. Our hearts are led to advocating for orphans. There are many families who we know who would make great adoptive parents. That’s how we were led to take a leap of faith, and advocate for an orphan, and hopefully, help facilitate in him finding his forever family. Stefan and I can not adopt them all. And believe me, some of those faces I met on April 13th still haunt me in the middle of the night. But we can broaden our circle of advocacy, and create a community who supports orphan care. We are walking this road, not really knowing who will step forward. But in our hearts, we feel that someone will. And then the circle of orphan care immediately gets larger. More people will be aware of the plight of orphans. More people will then advocate. And that’s why we are doing it. To broaden our circles of advocacy. We hope you will help in getting the word out for this one person, Jacob. And for those of you who never thought you may need to adopt a 12 year old boy, please follow your heart, where ever that leads. One of my favorite quotes is, “We can not change the world. But we can change the world of one person.”

We will be posting on Facebook daily. If you would like to casually meet Jacob, please PM Stefan or me, or email us: stefan@wahe.us,michelle@hearts-content.com. We have cleared our calendar, with our priority in broadening our advocacy circle, to find this one boy, a family. For those of you who are not FB friends, you can follow Jacob’s journey at www.wahe.us.

We fully funded Jacob’s Hosting $4300 of expenses ($$3300 + $1000 in expense to fly into LGA).  We held fundraisers, and were amazed at the amount support we received by those in our community.   Many people were like, “You are really brave to do this, and we love what you’re doing….how can we help?”

Thanks for following Jacob’s Journey, we can’t wait to see him come home forever!

VIP Applications for China Winter Hosting Now Open!

In less than a week, the children for our China Summer Hosting Program will arrive to meet their families. At the same time, we will begin helping the next group of children who will be here this winter. The reality is that there are always older orphans around the world who need families and will benefit from hosting. We call this our ongoing journey because the fight to get children out of the orphanages and into a permanent family is one that is always ongoing.

Our China Winter Hosting Photolisting will be launching soon, and families with applications on file prior to launch will have first access to see the amazing kiddos who will be available. If your family is interested in hosting this winter and has specific desires about the type of kiddo you’d like to host, get your application in now. This will ensure you get the best match with your hosting child and will get you started on the amazing journey that is hosting sooner! If you’d like to speak with our hosting staff about some of the children, contact us at info@orphanhosting.com today!

Ukraine Hosting Update #HostingHappenings

Are you following our families’ summer journeys with their hosting kiddos, yet? If not, use the hashtag #HostingHappenings to keep up with fresh news about how hosting effects the lives of children and families alike this summer!

Hosting Happenings: Ukraine Summer Update!

It’s happening – the Ukraine Summer Hosting Program is finally underway! We’re thrilled to have received many wonderful photos from our host families as their children have some fun in the sun!

If you’re excited about our hosting programs and the children we serve, consider becoming a Volunteer Advocate for the Hosting Program. You can read more at this link about this amazing way to get involved and change the life of a child, or get in touch with Cayce at cayce@childrenofallnations.com to find out more! Through the work of volunteers in communities across the country, we can serve more orphans and change more lives. Be a part of something more, and volunteer today!

Latvia Hosting Program Launching This Winter!

Children of All Nations is excited to announce to the opening of its Latvia Hosting Program this Winter 2015-2016. Children in need from Latvia will have the opportunity to spend 4-5 weeks with a host family, experience the holidays here in the States and know the love and support a family provides! Early matching for the Latvia program will open at the beginning of August, so we encourage families interested in this program to apply early to get the best match possible.

Our interview team will leave to meet these amazing kids at the beginning of August, so follow our blog here! We are not able to post photos of children on our website or our photolisting, so inquire with us to receive a profile and get matched with your hosting child starting in August!

Children in the Latvia Hosting Program will typically be older, between ages 8-15. While some children may have minor medical needs, most of the children in the program are healthy. This is a great opportunity for your family to meet a child, create a bond, and potentially begin your journey towards a forever family. Contact us about our Latvia Hosting Program to find out more!

Citizenship: One parent must be a U.S. citizens, income, religion, and other factors will determine your eligibility.

• Age: Generally between 27-60 years old, depending on the country and the special needs of the child, if any.
• Marriage Status: Single women and married couples are generally eligible.
• Criminal History: Applicants with a criminal history of child abuse, violence, or domestic violence are not eligible to host
• Health: Host parents must be in good health with no major medical or psychological concerns.

The End of the Interview Trip!

Wrapping Up Interviews!

What We Can Do While They Wait

Interview trips are a whirlwind of activity…even on the weekend, there is always something to be done! We spent the past two days participating in something we’ve never done before – host an Orphanage Partnership Training Conference. This may sound dull to some, but this was our opportunity to share knowledge with the people who care for the children while they wait for their forever families! The Guangdong Civil Affair Director even made a small speech, welcoming us and expressing her gratitude for the event. It was our chance to meet face to face with the doctors, caretakers, and social workers who work on the other side of matching these children. With almost 30 attendees over a two day training period, our theme for the training was, “What We Can Do While They Wait.”

Overseas, I always worry about the culture gap. With the upcoming conference, my stress was even more acute. How would our topics be perceived? Would our concern for the children be understood? With two different cultures coming together at one table, I was nervous for the barriers (language, culture, perspective, and more) we would face.

Our medical expert, Dr. Celese, shared her knowledge and experience with needs, medical files, and what American doctors “see” when they look at a child’s file. My worries were slowly fading away as I looked around and saw everyone taking notes and asking questions. Our Q&A session was the most helpful. Without a doubt, the most common question was, “If a child has a particular need, can they be adopted?” Of course, our response every time was, “Yes, yes, YES! Prepare their files and let us advocate!” Many of the medical needs are not completely understoof in China, and the more “difficult” needs can often be easily managed here in the States.

We also held a great panel on how to talk to the children about adoption, specifically so that orphanage staff can prepare the children for this life-changing experience. Our China Program Manager (and local resident expert on adoptions!), Diedra, discussed this at length, and I was happy to see many ” Aha!” moments around the room, especially for seemingly minor things like getting a child ready for different foods or daily routines. We also talked about how to counsel older children on leaving their orphanage and their friends, and that it’s okay to want to be adopted even if it means leaving some things you knew.

I took lead of the discussion on children’s advocacy and kept it fairly basic – photos. We all know that one of the most helpful and poignant things that can get a child matched is a number of good photos. American culture is very different from Chinese, and so I spent some time explaining that Americans smile easily and love to happy children, rather than a photo of a crying or unhappy child. These basic items can be so helpful in us matching a child with their family.