#HostingHappenings: The One that Steals Your Heart
It happens to all of us – we try so hard not to have a “favorite” of the day…but then one kid sticks in your mind. You think about that kid when you leave the interviews, and you go home and email your coworker and say, “Look how cute he is!!” You are positive, happy, thrilled to have met this child, but your heart also aches on each step of the journey, knowing there is another child waiting around the corner to stick in your brain, keep you up at night, looking for his family.
Before I got to meet him, I woke up to nerves and worry set to the backdrop of the beautiful mountains of Dabu. There was fog this morning, and our cab driver gave us the quickest of history lessons of this “rural” town (500,000 people is rural in China!). We saw family villages and compounds where up to 100 family members live together, some with their own private family schools. Dabu’s Social Welfare Institute (or SWI) is smaller than some other cities we’ve visited and houses four sections of the SWI system – children, the elderly, retired soldiers, and a community of people with no living relatives. There are just 27 children in this particular orphanage, and small orphanages like this get the kind of care we’d like to see all children have. The director clearly deeply cared about the children, what would happen to them in the future, what my intentions were. She was excited about hosting, though, and knew how important it was for these children to find families.
That’s when I met him! Mr. Thoughtful, as I’ve already nicknamed him, was so eager to meet us he was already chattering away in Chinese like we were having a conversation before we even met (and like I knew everything he was saying). He was curious about all of our things, and took time to pick up our cameras and phones, inspect them, and then shyly smile to ask for a selfie together. The power of the selfie, it appears, transcends even orphanage life! What pulled at that bit of my heart reserved for all these children was when he tugged at my shirt out on the playground, staring into my eyes very seriously. I caught the Chinese words for “momma” and “daddy,” and I turned to Veronica, our translator, with a question on my face. She slowly repeated his request, “You will help me find a momma and daddy?” I couldn’t stop myself. I gave him a big thumbs up and a smile, and my chest swelled. Of course I will find you a family!
How can I break that promise now? It happens to us every trip – the hosting staff fall in love with particular children, and then we come home knowing, promising to ourselves: I will find homes for as many children as I can, but I’m not resting until I find a home for this one. He’s my child of today, and tomorrow I will wake up to the same nerves, the same worries. Which child’s eyes will I look into tomorrow, knowing that he or she is the one I can’t leave behind?
-S
A note from the hosting staff at home – if you’re interested in getting matched with a hosting child, you can start your application! Early applications are considered VIP and will get access to the photolisting for a limited time before it is launched publicly. You can also contact us with any questions you may have about the hosting programs.
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#HostingHappenings: The Long Journey Home
It feels so quick sometimes – it seems like the winter children just arrived, and I was hearing news of first hugs, first taste of a hamburger, and of course, as kids do, a few temper tantrums. We worried constantly, “How are the children doing? What if someone falls down and breaks something? What if a family misses their flight to the airport”? For us, the journey is removed from the daily tasks and struggles that our host families courageously take on, but it’s deeply personal. I’ve met each one of these faces on the interview trip, and their future weighs on my mind when they return home. But the work for orphans never ends, and now, I’m pushing on into China to meet the group of children who will hope and wait for the next few months to meet a host family, maybe a forever family. The team in Texas is working daily to help the children of the winter program find their family, so it’s my privilege now to move forward to meet, fall in love with, and find a family for the children who still wait.
Shanghai in the rain
It was a 5 am start this morning, and Shanghai was wet and drizzling. We took a ferry last night into the city, and the lights were all around. It’s a decidedly beautiful city, but I’m more excited about the mountains here in Dabu, a “small” rural town that doesn’t see many foreigners. You may want to rethink your idea of rural, though, because in China it means a town of only…500,000 people! The sheer size of China always catches my breath – you never get used to the number of people pressing up against you, and when you get back to the States, you sometimes forget yourself and stand too close to someone in a line. I’ve also discovered that the new latest craze in China is to pop on some latex gloves and chow down on chicken. Fried chicken, grilled chicken, chicken wings – doesn’t matter. One lady on the train pulled out her gloves and chicken from her purse and just started eating. It’s probably no different than some of the things we do in the US, but it was still novel for me.
The interview team!
Tomorrow, our trio will head out to start the first rounds of interviews. Our guide, Veronica, has been amazingly helpful throughout the process of finding children and guiding us through the maze of people and cultural differences. I’m also happy that Celese is back – she’s been willing and able to serve as our interview trip doctor for the past two programs, and she’s done an amazing job. Her knowledge not only of the children’s needs but of life in China and the adoption community is vital to helping us get good information for each and every child. I’m excited but reserved; it’s difficult to come back time after time to fall in love with each and every child, knowing that I can’t help each one. But I’m ready – it’s a hard road worth taking, and tomorrow I’ll wake up and begin the work to help these children on what has been, for them, a long journey to home.
-S
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China Summer Interview Trip Begins!
Get all your hosting related questions at our “Ask the Experts” hour on Facebook on Tuesday, January 26 at noon CST or sign up for our hosting webinar Tuesday, February 2 at 4:30 PM CST.
On Friday, the children from the China and Latvia Winter Hosting programs returned safely to their countries. For many of these children, the long journey home has just begun – over half of the children in our program have found a forever family! For some, though, there is still a wait. To meet the children who are still in need of a forever family, head on over to our Advocate Page at this link. As many of you know, the work of an Orphan Warrior is never complete!
I’m still in need of a family!
And as one journey starts on a new path, we begin again down the road to hosting! Tomorrow starts the first days of interviews for the children participating in our China Summer 2016 Hosting Program! Our staff is thrilled to be back in China and ready to meet the newest group of kids for hosting. Each year, we see about 70-80% of the children who are adoptable find a forever family. These kids are often considered “difficult to place” because of their age or needs. When the children get here though, families are able to see them for the wonderful kiddos they are!
Early Applications for our China Program will start on Monday, January 25 and extend through Friday, February 5. Families who submit their application during this time will have FIRST ACCESS to our hosting photolisting with our brand new faces on it. Early Applicants will have the opportunity to get matched with their host child before the general photolisting is launched.
I’m still in need of a family!
Our Early Applications for the Latvia Program will begin the second week in February. Follow the blog to see the journey of both interview teams!
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It’s Departure Day (but it’s not too late!)
Today the children of our China and Latvia winter programs depart to return to their home countries. It was a whirlwind experience for families and children alike, and it always feels like departure day comes too soon. Many of our families are starting their journey towards becoming a forever family, and we couldn’t be happier!
Some of our children, like Miss Pigtails pictured below, are still waiting for their forever family! Hosting was a great opportunity for us to find out more about the children, learn about their capabilities, and become stronger voices of advocacy for each and every one of them. Miss Pigtails learned so much on her trip here, and while her notes say she is delayed, her host family believes she has a strong ability to learn and grow into an amazing young girl.
Every trip teaches us something new, and this program we’ve found that it is our families dedication to finding these children a forever family that makes orphan hosting so special. Next week, our staff will depart to China to begin the process anew, with a fresh set of eyes and renewed faith in the mission of creating forever families, one orphan at a time.
To learn more about Orphan Hosting, contact the team at info@orphanhosting.com.
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A New Year for New Faces
As we look back on 2015, the hosting team is so happy to say we’ve seen many of our host children come home to stay with their forever family. It’s been a year of happiness for children, family, and our team members alike, and we wanted to take a moment first to say THANK YOU to all the amazing Orphan Warriors out there whose hearts work tirelessly to find these children a family.
Looking forward into the 2016, we know that the work of finding families for older children and children with special needs is never over. You can meet the children of the current hosting program in need of advocacy over on this page, and read below to find out more about one of our special kiddos, “J!”
J is a healthy, energetic, intelligent 10 year old boy. While he earned the nickname “The Leader” during his hosting interviews, “Mr. Mechanical,” “Mr. Dramatic,”or “Mr. Lego” might be to other appropriate nicknames. J is a master Lego builder. He absolutely loves all types of Legos. When he arrived he proudly pulled out a tiny bag of Legos from his backpack and wanted to play immediately. Ever since then he has created amazing Lego creations, which are displayed throughout his host family’s house. He was ecstatic to see the Lego collection his host family had and literally jumped for joy when he received Legos as a Christmas gift.
J is a bright child. He is great at figuring things out, despite language barriers or lack of instruction. Many of the people who have met him during the hosting program have commented on how intelligent he seems to be. He has ingenuity about him and he would flourish if he had the opportunity to participate in educational science programs or a robotics program. J also has a bit of a dramatic flair to him. He can be a little melodramatic, loves to dance around the house and acts out all sorts of scenes. He also has a knack for playing to an audience. We could see him stealing the show in any school play or theater program.
J is an energetic boy who seems to be trying to keep up the “big kids.” But, he is small for his age and has tender moments when he just wants to be nurtured. J has been spending the past few weeks with a host family in California, during which time he has flourished and overcome some fears. But, what he most wants and needs is a forever family.
This bio was written by his host family, who is advocating for his adoption. If you’re interested in learning more about “J,” contact us at meredith@gwca.org today.
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Smiles with Santa
The children of the Winter 2015-2016 Hosting Program have been here for over three weeks, and we’ve seen some amazing changes already in the kiddos. From first hugs to the first time meeting Santa – we’ve watched these children grow and change the lives of their host families, too!
Check out some of the photos of our hosting children having the time of their lives with their host families. Don’t forget – we have many amazing HOST TO ADVOCATE children looking for a forever family in our China Program. You can check out their profiles over at this page, and contact us at meredith@gwca.org to get more information about adopting a host child.
If you really need a smile, watch one of our China Host kids enjoying a game with his host family – his laugh will warm your heart!
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The Latvia Winter Host Kids Have Arrived!
THEY’RE HERE! We are so happy to announce that all of the kids from our Latvia Winter Hosting program have landed safely in the United States! Each of our host families has been anxiously awaiting this moment for weeks, preparing for a holiday season of fun with their host kids.
We are so excited for all of these kiddos and their host families, and we look forward to following their journeys over the course of the next month! Follow along with us by visiting our Orphan Hosting Blog to see updates!
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The Countdown is On…Hosting Children Arrive this Week!
We can’t believe it’s finally here – this week and next, children from two of our amazing Orphan Hosting programs will be landing here in the United States to meet with their host family. It’s a wonderful time of new beginnings and sharing for the kids. This Friday, our children from Latvia will touch down on the East Coast and then head out with their host families to spend the holidays together. Next Friday, our children from China touch down on both coasts, East and West, and spread out over the United States!
If you’ve ever wondered what arrival days are like, the chaos of the photos gives a good indication! It’s a blur of TEAM CAN t-shirts, smiles, hugs, a little bit of shyness, and a whole lot of love. For us, it’s the moment we get to see all the work that’s gone into hosting come to light. It’s the first moment it becomes real – a child steps out from the doors, and we start to see families born.
Since our hosting programs have launched, we’ve seen the change that hosting brings, in both the children and the families! The biggest surprise we love to see is that families talk about how hosting has affected their lives in little and big ways. To keep up with the journey that families are going through, continue to follow our blog for our Uplifting Moments Blog Posts. It includes some of our favorite moments from hosting – the “moment of the week” from families when there was a little bit different light in their host child’s eye, the first hug, the first bike ride…all those little moments you remember as a parent that these families now get to experience in the span of one short hosting program!
The children are here through January, and then of course, the next group of children will need advocacy. If you’re interested in learning more about either becoming a host family or becoming an advocate for these amazing children, please reach out to us! You can find out more by contacting info@orphanhosting.com or by calling (512) 323-9595 ext. 3102.
Thanks for following our families’ and children’s hosting journeys!
~ Shannon & Cayce
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Volunteers Needed – Will You Give Thanks AND Give Back?
An Open Heart and a Voice to be Heard
The Hosting Program depends on the passion and commitment of volunteers – it’s YOUR VOICE that finds a family for just one more child.
Our winter program will see 50 children from three different countries come to meet a family, and potentially find a forever family. The task of not only hosting but of finding FOREVER families for these children is significant, and there is always room for your voice to join the cause. The effort to promote and place each one of these children is in our hands – will you lend yours?
If you have a hand to lend for these children and a desire to spread the word to change the life of just one child, we would love to call you a part of the CAN Host Family. It is long work, but it is work that is worth it to see these children find their family. You can contact us at cayce@childrenofallnations.com or start your volunteer application here.
Want to Get Your Church Involved?
If you would like to have your church participate in Orphan Hosting, whether it’s through sponsoring a specific child or family through hosting, please contact our office at (512) 323-9595 ext. 3102. We’re also happy to speak with your church or group about Orphan Hosting.
Materials You Can Share
You can download and share the following resources to your friends, family, and church. This allows us to reach more families at a lower cost, thereby helping even more children along the way. We hope these materials are useful as you advocate for our amazing children!
What Do I Do?
♥ Email cards to Friends
♥ Share on Facebook
♥ Share cards at your church
♥ Repeat!
You can reach the Volunteer Coordinator Cayce Canipe for more information at (512) 323-9595 ext. 3102!
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Program Spotlight – The Philippines
Our Philippines program is extra special. It is the first program in which the country has specifically asked Children of All Nations to run the program as a “host to adopt” program. We’re looking for permanent families for these children, and we’re very passionate about doing so!
It also means that families interested in hosting from the Philippines must have a serious intention of adopting from the Philippines. Even though hosting is designed to let you meet your host child, the Philippines likes a strong commitment to the idea of adoption.
Families should meet adoption qualifications in order to be able to host from the Philippines. They should also be prepared for lots of love – because these kiddos are amazing!
Children from the Philippines
Healthy: Almost all of the children in our Philippines hosting program will be healthy. Many of them are small for their age due to malnourishment and street life, and they will have the emotional scars that come from growing up without a family.
Older: The children in our Philippines program will typically be between ages 9-14. We do not often see children under the age of 10 who are by themselves – they are usually part of a sibling group.
Sibling Groups: Many of the children in our Philippines program will be part of a sibling group. We work hard to keep siblings together, so if you have an open heart and home for these “little families,” the Philippines program may be a great fit for you!
Currently, our Philippines program is available in the following states: Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, and New Jersey.
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