BOYS

Three of our younger boys need to have more families looking at their files. They are Nate, age 5; Lin, age 6; and Quinn, age 5. I must admit that having raised a son, I’m partial to boys. And when six little guys all about the same age, came bounding into the large, decorated hall looking all agog, my heart skipped a beat – maybe two beats. Darn, if they weren’t all adorable and curious and full of that little boy energy that I so enjoyed when my son was little. The boys seemed to hang out mostly in pairs, or as a gaggle of geese – sticking close together!

Nate has a beautiful smile and charm to go with it. I loved his drawing of a fish; it was colorful and balanced. I felt that his picture said a lot about his personality – sunny and warm. His special need is hip displasia and he seemed little bothered by it – he moved around Just Fine! I noticed that Nate and others with a physical limitation seemed to have no sense of being different or coddled by others.

Lin, who is deaf, is also a beautiful little boy. He was definitely the most introverted of the six youngsters, but that seems reasonable due to his inability to hear. He stayed pretty close to his nanny. His drawing is also interesting in that it is linear and ordered – perhaps like his universe – or is there something else he wanted to communicate? I would love to know what meaning he has conveyed in the drawing.

Quinn, yes, another cutie, was full of energy – but not so much as to be annoying (ok, I admit I’m getting old). His special need is chronic conjunctivitis, and I didn’t notice any inflammation on our day together. He had a lot of fun playing with one of the inflatable parrots – part of our Hawaiian theme and he and Scotty hung out a lot. Quinn’s drawing is a fun one – it could be a caterpillar, or a pig or a monster. We need him to tell us!

Think about any one of these boys – yes, they face some challenges, but they all seemed well adjusted and otherwise healthy. Help us bring them all “home”.

Adopting Older Children

During our visit to China for Hope’s Journey, in addition to spending a day with the children and staff, I had the opportunity to meet two ASIA families in Guangzhou with their newly adopted son and daughter. These were older children – ages 11 and 12. These two youngsters were among the fortunate and their new families felt even more fortunate to add these cool kids to their families. It makes me think of how much all the older kids from Hope’s Journey need a family too. Our oldest kids waiting for families are Clarke, Julia, Gina, Sherry, Skyler and George – all 13; followed by Jane who is 12; Gregory, Ruth and Archie – all 11. Every one of these children seemed motivated and enthusiastic. Sure some were shy, but we only had one day to be together. Julia seemed to be a jaunty sporty girl, while Gina and Sherry seemed more “girlie girls”. They all loved having their pictures taken and had an easy and relaxed way with one another. Clarke was especially outgoing and mature, while Gregory was quiet and shy. I can’t help wondering how their personalities will emerge with a family to call their own. Seeing the difference between the kids in Hope’s Journey compared to the two kids with new families, it was easy to see the new adoptees joy in their new life. Help us make that happen for our Hope’s Journey’s kids – particularly the older ones that are running out of time for a family.

--Sandra

Finally We Have Their Files!

We finally received the files for the 4 children that were added to our program last minute from Shenzhen! Hannah, Michael, Clarke and John now have files available for viewing. Their names always remind me of Peter Pan for some reason....I hope we can rescue them from Neverland so they have a chance to grow up:-) We have a small list of families to begin working through for Hannah, but the others have no requests yet! These are all wonderful children--let's find them the families they deserve. Please contact me for information: marcisk@asiadopt.org

A Note About These Kiddos

I get the same question about these kids from many families...."Does this child want to be adopted?" ALL of these kids expressed their desire to be adopted to Fei. There was only one child who said he didn't want to be adopted and he was too young to understand what it meant. As many of you know, having an older child who actually wants to be adopted can make a big difference in the adjustment process. These children all want and deserve loving families, so please help us find them if you're not the right fit. Not everyone can adopt an older child, but many families can and do so very happily. Please help us find those families!

Thank you for your dedication to these beautiful children.

--Marci

SCOTTY

Scotty was another cutie among cuties!!! Honestly, it was hard to keep the young boys separate in my mind at the beginning. But I sorted them out, and Scotty was full of curiosity about the new situation, and while he explored the room and the activities, he was also obedient and well behaved. He seemed energetic, but in the most positive sense. I’m not sure, but there may have been just a touch of mischief and adventure in his eyes. All good, in my opinion. He’s waiting for YOU.
Sandra

No one is looking at Scotty's file. Please help us spread the word and find his family! They must be out there....

Families Found!

More good news to report--families have been found for Lucky in addition to Spring, Lily and Kacey!!!! We're thrilled for those families and the children who will come to join them and be part of the ASIA family:-) Congratulations! I'm also thrilled that 2 of the 5 children are boys, since it is always harder to find families for the boys. Thank you all for helping to spread the words and bring these families together!

These are my favorite posts to write and I hope we have many more in the coming weeks--there are still many children left in the program in need of families. If we can only find families for those children who are about to age out of the system....
--Marci

Jane!

Jane is going to be 12 at the end of this year. She, like the other children at the camp, was shy around us foreigners. But like several of the other older girls, she was so polite and pretty and gentle. In her interview she was friendly while respectful, saying that she has lots of friends. I have the feeling she’s obedient, because she acknowledges that she listens to adults. Jane was older when abandoned, and she appeared well adjusted and certainly warmly cared for by the nannies. Where is this lovely young lady’s family? If you feel drawn to Jane, please contact Marci. We want her to have a permanent and loving “forever family”. --Fei

Can you believe no one is looking at this darling girl's file? Contact Marci now to review it: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Skyler

Skyler needs a home ASAP because he is already 13. He’s a cool kid who has lots of drawing skill. He actually drew two pictures, rather in the genre of comic books. He’s talented! And he also very much likes working on speaking English – speaking set phrases in a rather staccato, rapid fire style. He seemed so proud of himself when he used his English – it was quite endearing. Clearly, he would be a good natured kid that is motivated to succeed. I know there is a family out there for him – please call or write NOW – he needs you!
--Sandra

Shirley Again

Can you believe no one is looking at Shirley's file? These are Fei's impressions of Shirley:

One feeling I got from Shirley is she had put lots of stress on herself. She is old enough to understand this might be her only chance to meet people from US agency who might be able to find her a forever home. I don’t want to repeat everything I mentioned about Ruth on Shirley, but Shirley and Ruth have similar qualities. During the interview I found out Shirley’s best friend is also in the Hope Journey program with another agency.
I asked her, “what if she found a family, and you do not.”
“I will be very happy for her, and I will send her my best wishes.”
“What if you find a home, but she does not?”
“I will tell her don’t be upset, she will still have a chance.”
Shirley is anxiously waiting to hear the good news from you.

RUTH

I LOVE Ruth! She is the good girl type; the one that will come to help you when she sees you carrying too many groceries; she is the one who will bring you a chair if you are standing there for a long time; she is the one that says “I will stay at home,” if you only have 3 movie tickets but 4 kids; she is the one that gets all “A’s” in the school; she is the one your neighbor comes up to you and says “I love your Ruth, she is such a wonderful child.”. And she could be your daughter!!

– Fei

No one is looking at Ruth's file--can you believe it? If you're interested in considering her, please email me right away: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Still in Need of Families for 26 Children!

Although I would like to bask in the glory of having families for 4 children, I'm in shock that no one is considering Jane, Beatrice or Shirley currently. These girls are all beautiful, confident girls that would enrich a family. Although they are older, they truly want families. Is there no one who would consider these girls? All of the Hope's Journey kids are wonderful and deserving of homes. It's always harder to place boys, and of course we have many of their files available as well. We have updated our website with additional photos for those of you who have qualified for the password. You will see what beautiful children they are! Please spread the word to help us find their families!
With Thanks,
Marci

Families Found!

Families have been found for at least 3 of the children in our Hope's Journey Program! Lily, Kacey and Spring have all found forever families who will pursue them! Congratulations to those families who have found their children and thank you to all for helping to bring them together. I especially want to send a big thank you to ASIA's special group of volunteers who help me advocate for these kiddos! If anyone would like to join that group, please feel free to contact me. Now let's keep up the good work and find the families that belong with the rest of those special children.
Sincerely,
Marci Siegel-Kittrell
Director of Social Services, ASIA
marcisk@asiadopt.org

Misty

Misty was amazed by the microphone. When she got up to introduce herself via microphone she extremely enthusiastic. Later on, when I had the chance to see her in the interview room, she explained why she was so amazed on the stage.

“That thing is so powerful. When I talk, the voice is so loud. I didn’t even try to talk loud. I was wondering if my brother could hear me, so I tried to yell his name.”

I am so relieved after I heard that, because I couldn’t understand a word she was saying on the stage. The only thing we saw was the nanny trying to get her off the stage. She kept grabbing the microphone and didn’t want to leave.

I can tell she is a very outgoing and active child. When she saw my file that has her picture on it, she told me the guy sitting far behind was her foster older brother. He rode a bicycle to take her for the picture that day. He was sitting there waiting for her. Misty loves to have her picture taken. Whenever she gets chance she will pose for camera.
--Fei

Lucky

Lucky is the first boy I paid attention to right after I walked into the conference room. He is so precious, curled into his nanny’s arms and watching kids practice the dance. He looks so calm and relaxed. Anybody who sees him would open his/her arms to have this cuddling moment with him. I spent a good 15 minutes interviewing him, we had a great conversation. He answered every single question I had despite the fact that he was trying to figure out the helicopter toy in front of him. He understands Mandarin and speaks Mandarin. He told me he goes to kindergarten and he is in second class. He also told me he has three older sisters at home. I can tell that he enjoys having them around. Because when he mentions about his sisters, he has this glow on his face. His foster dad taught him how to write his name. I asked him what you would like to be when you grow up, he said “Chef!” What a smart boy! He already gets the idea that all women like man who can cook…
Check out his file, I am sure you would love to watch the video clip showing his singing talent!

--Fei

Lucky's file is available for review. If you would like to consider this precious boy, please contact Marci: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Beatrice

Beatrice has short and trendy hair. She has flecks on her cheek. When she smiles (which she does a lot), her face glows. She told me her favorite story during the interview. It’s about how much a little crow loves her mama. She enjoys this story so much, and she wishes one day she could have her own mama and love her, just like this little crow. She likes to draw and read, and she wants to be a social worker when she grows up.
--Fei
Could you be her family? Contact Marci for more information, pictures and video: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Michael, Clark, Hannah & John

Michael (9), Clark (13), Hannah (9) and John (9) were four kids from the Shenzhen SWI, but living in an interesting extended foster family situation. They live in something like a family compound – the foster family, the foster family’s parents, and an aunt and uncle. A total of 25 children are living in the three homes nearby. This reminds me of historical China, when a common housing style was a set of individual buildings set in a quadrangle around a courtyard. The children, living in this rather large extended family, appear to be thriving. They seemed well adjusted, joyful and very bonded to one another. While shy in the large group, they all willingly introduced themselves and performed their talent. Clark showed off his muscle building poses, Hannah sang a song, John did sports charades and Michael was a very convincing robot. When they were doing their art project, they all worked together and were so kind and gentle with one another. I was impressed with each and every one of them. Great kids that would bring joy to any family.
Sandra

Kacey

Kacey is one of my favorite boys. He is such a small boy with a HUGE personality. He understands both Mandarin and Cantonese. He gets along with everybody. If you meet him, you will never forget him. He is curious, funny, and SO sweet. His condition has improved a lot since he was placed into the foster home. His legs are much stronger now. He can walk, run and jump just like any other kid. The report stated back in December of 2008 that he couldn’t lift a 250ml milk box. Today he could lift a 500ml water bottle. By the time we finished the interview, he gave every woman a kiss. And I got two, one on each side. He is such a wonderful boy. --Fei

Kacey's file is currently available for review. Please spread the word and contact me if you would like the opportunity to consider him: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Archie

The impression I had for Archie is, he is a very sensitive, curious and kind boy.
I asked him to “Tell me one thing you don’t like.”
“I don’t like my foster mom.”
“Why?”
“Because she hits me…” He said “And I hate people who hit others.”

He is a very good student at school. He approached me during the break, and tried to make conversation. He has very broad interests. He likes to draw and do crafts. His favorite sport is badminton. I asked him if he can beat me, he said “no, maybe not…” The tests he got 99 out of 100 and 98 out of 100 before the summer break. His favorite class is computer class. I asked him “what would you like to do when you grow up?” He said “I want to be a boss!”
I asked him “Do you know anybody that has been adopted?”
“Yes!”
“Would you like to be adopted?”
“YES!!!” without a blink.
“What do you think about adoption?”
“I think it’s a happiest thing ever!”
I told him Americans like to hug people, and asked him how he feels about that. He said “I LOVE it!”
His favorite food is Ice cream. He hates garlic.
He really deserves a peaceful home with lots of hugs.
--Fei

So Many Sweet Faces

I wish that CCAA would allow us to post the sweet and hopeful faces of these children all waiting for their forever families to find them. If you could see Skyler's gentle smile, I'm sure someone would be viewing his file. If you could see Archie's sweet nature, I'm sure someone would connect with him as well. If you could see the joy on Sherry's face as she dances the hula, I know someone would come forward for her. If you could see the beauty in Ruth's bliss as she forgets about her scar and dances her heart out, I know her family would find her. Felice is so serious, but when she smiles her beauty lights up the camera. If you could see Jillian's precious face and her sweet mischevious nature, you would jump for a chance to look at her file. All of these children know that we are doing our best to find them families. I just hope we can live up to their expectations and make their dream of a family come true. If you're out there and have any curiousity about these kiddos, please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

RUTH

I sensed that Ruth I was very humble and a bit intimidated by her facial scar; nevertheless, she impressed me so much with her warm smile and remarkable dignity. She had a lot of fun dancing the hula – a moment of relaxed, unselfconscious joy. I kept thinking, this young lady needs a loving family to help her understand that she is beautiful inside and out. I predict she will make a wonderful sibling – family where are you?? --Sandra

Lily--this girl has charisma!

I actually haven't received any information yet about Lily from Fei and Sandra, although I'm quite certain that they will have plenty for me come Monday. However, this girl has stolen my heart, so I had to mention her here-- NO ONE is viewing her file yet! Lily is a 9 year old healthy girl and she is in more pictures than any other child! I noticed her right off the bat when I started going through the pictures. She's strikingly beautiful and you can just tell she has charisma--she's smiling in most of the pictures and just having a grand ole' time:-) You can tell that she laughs and plays a lot and is quite outgoing. I'm sure a family that adopts her would spend a lot of time laughing. I tried to find a picture that didn't show her face, but the best I could do that I can post here on the blog is a picture of the art that she did at the event:

If you would like to view the information we have on Lily so far, please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

P.S. after talking a little with Fei, I was right--Lily is very outgoing! She gets along well with both children and adults. Fei did note that she had a little bit of an attitude; she was looking through Fei's folder and Fei asked her to stop, and she didn't when asked the first time. Fei also noted that she seemed to be a very good artist.

George

George came up to me during the break, and introduced himself in English. I told him we named him “George”, he liked it. I called him George since then… I don’t think he has any problem with his vision. He wears glasses at school, but normally he doesn’t. He sees fine. There are other four siblings living with him in the foster home, one of them has been adopted and the adoptive parents will come to get him soon. George envies him. He wishes one day he could be adopted too.

--Fei

Could you be George's family? Contact Marci if you would like to consider him: marcisk@asiadopt.org

More pictures and video are available.

Shirley

Shirley is a lovely 10 1/2 Year old and she stole everyone’s heart. Even the children were especially attentive to her when she did her introduction and talent. She sang a Chinese song 'a capella' and on pitch – the children swayed and kept quiet rhythm. When she finished, she pulled out her simple wooden flute (like a recorder) and played a tune that I recognized but couldn’t place. She behaved so maturely and with such poise. I could just feel her gentleness. Wow! Any family would be greatly enriched to bring her into their life.

--Sandra

Shirley's file is currently available for review. Please contact Marci: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Jetlagged impressions and Pictures

Sandra and Fei both dragged their jetlagged bodies into the office yesterday, the day after arriving home from China and the whirl of the Hope's Journey Project. They brought in thousands of pictures, videos and descriptions that we will be sorting through in the coming weeks to match with each child. We'll only be posting the pictures on the blog that don't contain the children's faces, as requested by the CCAA. If you would like to see the sweet faces, please check the ASIA password-protected website in the coming week.

Sandra's Impressions:

During our very compressed day, several thoughts kept popping up. As a group, the children seemed younger than their age. Of course, they tend to be smaller than a child of the same age in America. But what I felt was childlike naivite and innocence. Of course, it was a new experience for them and they generally embraced the day with joy. The older children didn’t seem to have any hard edge or the signs of rebellious boredom that we often see with American kids as they edge into their teens. I found this wonderfully refreshing and surprising. All the children seemed well cared for and loved. Many of them may be below grade level, but I’m not certain this is a result of their lack of ability, but more likely a function of the system in which they live. We would have loved to have had at least a week of living with the children in their own environment, getting to know them.

I also noticed how closely they sat or colored together – a clear difference between China’s sense of personal space and America’s sense of personal space. I noticed that the littler ones tended to stick together in pairs and often shared a nanny. They seemed to have formed something like a sibling bond. They had a number of nannies – both male and female, so the children had the opportunity to experience gender role modeling.

Watching the ASIA and CCAA Presentations:

HULA MADNESS:

Sandra described how much fun the children and the orphanage staff with the hula dance and limbo. They all let loose with unbridled joy at dancing with grass skirts and leis and doing a modified limbo game.

ART:

We'll highlight at least one child each day, as well as add more event pictures, so keeping checking back!

Clarke

We call Clarke “Mr. Muscle”. You can tell how he got this name by looking at his body building performance. He and I had a little muscle competition on the stage; there is no doubt he is a winner. I had so much fun showing off my biceps too. I couldn’t find any teenage boy attitude in him. He is very kind, polite and naïve. I asked him “Would you like to be adopted by American family?” He nodded at least 10 times with a smile… After answering all of my questions, I asked him “do you have any questions for me?” He said “no”. But I know he does, he is such a curious boy. I insisted, I told him “I asked you so many questions, and it’s not fair that you don’t have one for me.” He finally said “What kind of cars people drive in US?”
Like every Chinese child who loves sports, Clarke’s idol is Yao Ming! One more thing, Clarke insisted that he can beat me in Chinese chess. I wish I could have had more time to prove he is right.

Files Available for Viewing....

This morning I sent out files for the children in the Hope's Journey Program to the first families who had requested them. We do not yet have files for the children that got added to the program from Shenzhen: Hannah, Jane, Michael, John and Clarke.

However, the following children's files are not currently being viewed, so contact Marci (marcisk@asiadopt.org) if you would like a chance to view them: Timothy, Sherry, Archie, Ruth, Julia, Felice, Gregory, Gina, Lilly, Skyler, Jillian, George, Lin, Scotty, Quinn and Lucky. That's an awful lot of sweet faces still needing families! Please pass the word around to everyone you know to help these precious children find their families. More information, pictures and video will be arriving later this week.
--Marci

Children's Files Have Arrived!

This morning ASIA received 26 of the 30 files of the children in the Hope's Journey program! I will be sending them out to the first families that requested them today, as soon as I can finish downloading them. Pictures and a little bit of information about the 5 new children (that were added last minute to the program) will be posted on our password-protected website today as well. If you're interested in a specific child, please feel free to contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org
I will be keeping lists of families requesting each child. As families are found for the children, I will update the blog, so stay tuned:-)
---Marci

Visit to Guangzhou SWI

Susan, Fei and I (Sandra) were very fortunate to have an hour long tour of the Guanzhou Social Welfare Institute following the conclusion of the program on Saturday morning. The SWI Director, Mr. Xu Jiu, agreed to the tour provided that we agreed to take only photos of the building and approved staff. We readily agreed. The Guangzhou SWI is situated just outside the city in the lush tropical hillsides. It feels cooler, quiet and peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of the city.

The pictures include the following:

-Director Xu and the Assistant Director with Sandra at the front entry.
-Main entrance to the SWI
- Looking into the courtyard play area
- The SWI has an innovator doctor that makes braces for children with limb deformaties
- GSWI Social Worker, Virginia in her work area
- The staff returning to the SWI with ASIA's hula hoops for the children to enjoy. These hoops were designed and made in West Linn, Oregon!
- Looking across small farms to a new large addition for a cerebral palsy center

And Don't Miss Sweet Hannah!

In my rush to get everything posted, I somehow missed the information on Hannah. Please don't miss sweet Hannah:

Hannah is 8 1/2 years old. She is in the first grade. She is healthy, outgoing, optimistic and smart. Her grade is not as good, but she has potential. Sandra reports that she is healthy, very tiny and a serious little girl. She draws and colors very well.

So that's five additional children from the Shenzhen SWI. I'm so glad that we planned for extra!

4 New Children

CCAA added 4 new children to the program from Shenzhen SWI. They are Michael, John, Jane and Arnie. Here is the little bit of information Sandra and Fei have sent about them so far:

Jane is living in a foster home right now. She is a second grade student. Because she didn’t have a good start at early age, she has a hard time to catch up in school. Her Chinese is her best subject and her handwriting is very nice. Her math is not good. She likes to join all the after school programs, and help out to clean the classroom after school. She is good at sports, especially running, and always receives the award. At home, she helps out with the house work. For example, wipes the floor and wipes the table. She makes her bed herself every morning.

John, male, is almost nine years old. He is a fourth grade student. He is healthy. He has a very good heart, is calm, optimistic, hard working, never gives up and is an energetic boy. His grades have been improving because he works hard on them. He is good at sports, especially running. He loves to draw and he has a good imagination.

Clarke, male, he is 13. He is a fifth grade student. He is strong and healthy. He is kind, forgiving and always puts others first. He is good at Chinese chess. He is a thoughtful boy.

Michael is 9 years old. He is a third grade student. He has a limb deformity, but he never looks down on himself. He has a positive attitude. He is quiet, calm, has his own opinion and is thoughtful. He studies hard and has very good grades. He got A’s for his Chinese, math, English and moral education.

We'll continue to post as more pictures and information come in...stay tuned!

Impressions and Pictures

Greetings from Guangzhou,
Fei, Susan and I are feeling the natural letdown from so much activity and emotion in such a short time. And now we are able to pause and think about the experience, the children and absorb our impressions. As you heard, on Thursday morning Susan received an emergency call from the CCAA saying that the Guangdong province wanted to shut down Hope's Journey for fear that the H1N1 virus was increasing in the region. CCAA officials advocated for us, saying that we were already in China waiting to begin the program. The provincial officials agreed to let us continue provided we started the program on Friday instead of Sunday. Needless to say, we were all hustling around to move to the new hotel. Susan had to change her flight from Beijing and was on a plane within three hours!!! We had planned to have a whole day to prepare our gifts, games and arts projects. Well, we discovered how fast we can work.

This shift not only impacted our program, but that of another agency just ahead of us. Each of our programs were compressed into one long day, with us coming in the afternoon that the other program was concluding. It was chaotic and confusing for everyone. But the Guangzhou SWI staff and the CCAA staff were both so kind, apologetic and helpful. Despite the shaky start, it turned out to be a heartfelt and profound experience.

On Friday at 1:30 we met the children for the first time. We discovered that several children had been removed from the list and replaced with four children from Shenzhen SWI. We are sending the updated information to Marci and she will update our website as quickly as possible. All of the children have been living in foster homes. We have a total of 30 children, all of whom want to be adopted. What a great group of kids!!! The children had been preparing for this adventure and they must have been impacted by the sudden speeding up of the program. However, the children's home nannies and staff helped ease them into this strange new world very quickly. We had a very brief opening ceremony after which we showed the children our presentation about life in America and shared with them some of Honour Grace's story. The CCAA also showed a video that talked about America and shared one boy's adoption story.

Then it was the children's turn to introduce themselves and if they wished, show us some of their talents. Wow, we heard perfect flute playing, singing and recitation of poems. The other children listened intently, swaying in time or clapping in rhythm. Some of the older boys were into hip and cool - showing off their body building poses, robot moves and doing sports charades. A group of about eight kids had preparing a kind of hip hop dance, and some were naturals. They ended with all the children "signing" a beautiful song about having heart and hope and never giving up. It was stunning to watch - the children were really feeling the words and signing with emotion. One small boy in the front row was even singing aloud as he signed - it was impossible to keep my eyes off of him - he exuded such energy! My eyes filled with tears - it was a magical moment.

After a snack and brief break, we got to break out our Hawaiian luau theme. We donned our leis and hula skirts and twirly gizmos (highly technical jargon) That was a BIG hit for kids and grownups alike. The kids were so uninhibited and joyful - we formed a circle and danced the hula to our Hawaiian CD. That led to the limbo (or the new and improved version of the limbo!) We started high and moved low, but didn't try to make them bend backwards. We tried to catch them between two limbo sticks (soft and inflatable). It was hard to tell who had more fun, kids or grownups acting like kids for a few minutes.

Susan and Fei snuck off to another room to begin interviewing the children one by one. I think this is where our compressed schedule had the most significant negative impact. They only had about 5 minutes with each child and their caregiver, hardly enough time to get a real sense of them. Marci had prepared such great worksheets for each child, based on age, but getting through everything is five minutes just couldn't be accomplished. Even so, with all our observations and impressions, we hope to have a reasonably good "picture" of the children.

We also had a very nice art project - lots of creativity and enthusiasm. We will return home with their artwork and prepare it for each child to carry with them to their new home once they are adopted. They watched some kids videos and played some fun games. We had sun visors for them to decorate - lots to keep them busy, and engaged. Finding things to keep children from 4 to 13 all interested can be challenging, but I think we succeeded.

After dinner, Susan and Fei completed the interviews and we had a closing ceremony by about 8 pm. The children needed to be settled into their hotel sleep over by 9 pm. I think Fei, Susan and I were all tucked in by 10, totally worn out and overwhelmed by everything. As the day unfolded, we watched the children warm up and relax, saw their personalities emerge, saw how sweet, bright and kind they were. Each of us found ourselves drawn closer and closer to the children. By the end of our day together, we must have had our pictures taken a 100 times with the kids, hugged (sometimes awkwardly by the older boys) and smooched.

How is it that children can strip away the pretense and infuse us grownups with a sense of joy and vigor and just plain old fashioned fun? It's not often you see a bunch of grownups (including some pretty serious officials!) dancing around in hula skirts remembering what it was like to be young and innocent. Ultimately, I think the children gave us much more than we gave them.

Now it's up to you reading this blog. Become a family for one the children or help us find families - spread the word, be their advocates. These children need and deserve a family to call their own. Let us all help them never give up and reach their dream.

With our love and affection,
Sandra, Fei and Susan

Sigh of Relief and Exhaustion

It's 6:30am in China and the program is completed! All went smoothly, although they said it felt rushed and they are exhausted. The children will leave today and Sandra, Fei and Susan will put together their thoughts and pictures for us. I'm on pins and needles waiting for those pictures of the hula hoopin' madness and those sweet kids! Sandra said the hula dance and the hula hoops were a big hitJ:-) I will update the blog as soon as I hear from our China adventurers.
--Marci Siegel-Kittrell

Change of Plans Due to Swine Flu

Suddenly government officials in China are very concerned about the increasing outbreak of the Swine Flu in Guangzhou. All Hope's Journey Projects were ordered to be canceled! However, ASIA is managing to do our event today--Friday in China! Sandra is already settled into the Hotel where the event will take place and is quickly preparing the last remaining goodies for the children. Susan Song was able to change her flight from Beijing and also arrived at the hotel yesterday evening. The event is scheduled to start at noon today (Friday in China). Please see the packed schedule below for details.

7;30 – 8:30 breakfast
9 – prepare the room, test equipment, organize activities
Noon – Children arrive and we all have lunch together
1:30 – Opening ceremony – 10 minutes!
1:45 – ASIA power point
2:15 self introductions and talent show
3:30 –We’ll do some warm up games
3:45 – Start interviews with youngest and do art projects intermixed with games
6 – 7 dinner
7 - ?? Continue with interviews, games, etc

Saturday:
7:30 – 8:30 breakfast
Closing ceremony???
Children leave

On another note, apparently CCAA has added 4 children and taken away 2 of the ones we were assigned for a total of 30 kids. Sandra has had a brief dialogue with the officials, who all seem very nice and a bit stressed from the last minute changes. Hopefully the program will go off without a hitch--think good thoughts! More to come as the information and pictures filter in from China:-)

More Words of Wisdom

ASIA is still collecting Words of Wisdom from families who have adopted older children. If you have a contribution, please email it to: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Words of Wisdom IV:
Our story began 5 years ago when I decided to adopt my now 15 year old daughter, who was described on ASIA’s Waiting Children list as “a very intelligent leader of children” who had repaired hip dysplacia. Because my younger daughter also had hip dysplacia, I thought it was a sign … the red thread. And maybe it was, although for different reasons than I thought. Long story short, today my daughter is beginning to speak conversational English although she frequently misunderstands what is being said, rides a bike, qualified for Developmental Disabilities services due to cerebral palsy, and is learning to play the piano. It seems she has moved through grieving the loss of her Chinese foster mom and has finally figured out that she has a family here who loves her no matter what. Her long process of adjustment and attachment has included many episodes of PTSD outbursts but she is making progress in learning to regulate her emotions. And she now feels safe enough to choose a trip back to China with her Mandarin immersion class. I read a story once about how a butterfly must stay in the cocoon long enough to develop strong wings. If it emerges too soon, it will not survive. My butterfly has taken a long time but, little by little, is starting to emerge.

If you are considering a waiting child....

Love Without Boundaries created a wonderful video that is posted on utube. If you are considering adoption, please watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx-6t4vwDDA

Hope's Journey is Nearly Upon Us, by Sandra Miller, Executive Director, ASIA

Today is Friday, July 24th in Guangzhou, China. We are growing excited to meet the 28 children that are "our ASIA kids", at least for a while. Shamiam Island has been my home for the past five days --- in quarantine per CCAA request. Quarantine hasn't been a problem, especially since my temperature has remained steady and unremarkable. This has meant that I can go out to explore the streets and visit with others.

Several exciting things have occurred since my arrival - the first was a typhoon that followed me from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. Fortunately, I left Hong Kong by bus before the weather started to turn. By the time I arrived in Guangzhou four hours later, it was evident a storm was brewing. It stormed mightily throughout the night and into the following morning. Fortunately for Guangzhou the damage was minimal, with no flooding. The subsequent weather has been hot and humid, but much less oppressive than when the storm was upon us.

Secondly, I met up with an ASIA family here at the Victory Hotel waiting for their Consular visit. As always, I am so impressed with our families -- they demonstrate such love, commitment and devotion to their children. This family has adopted several children, from as young as three to as old as thirteen at the time of their adoptions. I know mom plans to write about the joys of older child adoption and we will post it to our blog. Right now she's busy getting to know her newest daughter, along with the help of her oldest daughter who speaks fluent Mandarin and English. I immediately fell in love with both girls and it was clear the sisters had also "fallen" for each other. Mom seems so proud of her girls and they are having a great time together.

Lastly, this morning was the solar eclipse seen over India and parts of China. While I watched it on a live TV feed from India, I also kept running to the window watching for the effects here. Unfortunately, the sky didn't seem to darken. Nevertheless, it was a thrill to be so near this rare event. On my flight over, I met a fellow traveler from Portland headed to China specifically to experience the eclipse. What an adventurer!

Tomorrow, Fei, Susan and I will find our way to the Lan Ying Hotel where we will meet with the CCAA officials prior to meeting the children. There we will be spending the final hours filling the "goodie bags" for the children and preparing games and art activities for them. We'll take photos of our preparations and post them to the blog.

We hope those of you following the blog will feel the the energy and excitement mounting, just as we do here. The ASIA staff is keeping me up to date on the huge flurry of interest Hope's Journey has generated. We are so thrilled to have this opportunity to help these deserving children find permanent and loving homes! Spread the word!!!
Til tomorrow,
Sandra