Spring Issue 2012

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.

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From the Family Adoptees Today

18

Updates/Neighborhood Calendar Waiting Children

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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 ashlik@holtinternational.org.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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 editorial@holtinternational.org 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 michaelt@holtinternational.org

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 sandim@holtinternational.org.

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