Previews

Here's some previews of some of the kids we met while in Baotou:

Aren't they cute? Stay tuned in August to find out more!

Baotou excitement

We are hoping to receive files of a bunch of children from Baotou in late August. We're all very excited! It seems as if we will have several adorable young ones and I'm excited for you to get to know them as we did. We can't post specifics until we have the files, but let me just say that I think your hearts will melt as ours did. So I leave you with the suspense.....

Happy News!

We have happy news while we await files from Baotou!  Lina and Marianne both have families pursuing them! Congratulations to those families!

I see that many of you have things to share about Inner Mongolia! If you do, please feel free to email me: marcisk@asiadopt.org We would love to have more information to help our families that are soon to go there to be united with their children:-) We spent a week in Baotou, but did not go to the capital where adoptions will take place. Please feel free to share! Happy Tuesday!

Around Baotou

Since it's almost August and we're hoping to receive more files from the kids we met in Baotou in August, I'm hoping to get everyone excited about that again. Here are some pictures from around Baotou (mostly our walk between the orphanage and Hotel)

A fruit stand

Fei, Donna and Dr. Hayes borrowed a rickshaw for this one!

Fei and Susan, ASIA staff

Getting Through the Tough Spots

I recently heard from an adoptive family who had some useful and concrete tips for families adopting older children. There is not a lot of information available about adopting teenagers, and since we're trying to promote that, I wanted to provide some education as well. Sometimes the adoption of teenagers is swell and smooth, and other times it takes some real dedication to get over the bumps in the road. If you're thinking about taking that journey, please read the wise words of an adoptive parent who adopted her daughter at the age of 14:

From a family who adopted a 14 year old from China:
Tips for preparing the children already in the family:
1. Siblings need to be prepared for what is coming. They may expect that the new family member is going to act just like any other child of that particular age, just with foreign mannerisms and a foreign language. Julia, though, had a very, very hard life, as you know, so her behavior was not at all, in any way, like a fourteen year old child who has had an easy life. Our adoption classes prepared us for a very scared, timid child who would have to be coaxed to join us, coaxed to eat and generally carefully protected. That image did not prepare Joe and me or our children for Julia. Julia (and two of her peers from Conghua) was very controlling. She had been in charge of herself for a long, long time, so she wanted to control our whole family. She walked in and took over! She laughed at us, mocked us, told us our looks made her want to vomit, told us she hated the U.S. and tried to get control of every situation. She was loud, bossy, demanding, and generally very rude. She also had huge emotional swings. She could go from laughing hysterically to sobbing inconsolably in a short period of time, so we were all off balance all of the time. I had tried to keep Julia's private history totally private, as was advised in our adoption classes, but now I think it is best to be honest with the children already in the family and give them at least a little relevant information about the situation their new sibling comes from. I would explain to them that the new child may have many wounds that need to be healed, that she may have never been taught how to behave kindly or politely, that she may have been treated very badly and may try to reenact that behavior on her siblings. Children should be told that if the adopted child tries to hurt them, with actions or words, it is good and right to let mom and dad know about it RIGHT AWAY. The family's children should also know that even though the adopted child's age may be 12 or 13 or 14, the child may sometimes act that age and sometimes act very, very young, as unthinking or needy as a two year old toddler. They should understand that this is not unusual in kids who have been deprived and that is not a sign that the child is a bad person in any way.
2. Siblings need to understand that the adopted child will be like a newborn baby in the amount of attention and time that she needs. Newborns take up huge amounts of time and attention, and as they grow and develop, they need less and less intensive attention. Siblings should know that for as long as nine months or so, the adopted child will genuinely NEED attention. Their need for attention is a NEED, not a desire or a whim. It's a need just like our need for water and food. I think that if kids know that in advance, they can be very understanding. If I had it to do over again, I would explain to my children that Julia would be like someone who had just survived a long, drawn-out war. She would need lots of time to talk about that war, lots of time with mom and dad in order to feel safe, lots of food to get over her fear that the food will run out and she'll starve again, and more help with her homework as she may have had a very sketchy or vague education. I would stress to the children that the time of intense attention, just as in the case of newborn babies, will come to an end, that IT WON'T ALWAYS BE THAT WAY, that life will get back to normal and that by allowing the adopted child that attention that she needs, they are doing a good deed, a mitzvah, giving a gift that will make the world better.
3. A time should be reserved each week (I started doing this, and it worked wonders) where one parent takes the adopted child out (in Julia's case it was Friday nights -- she plays badminton at her church on Fridays, and the biological kids are home with me while Joe attends badminton with Julia) and the other stays home. The parent gathers the children together and initiates a discussion about "how things are going with the new sister/brother." Not much initiation is needed for a catharsis to begin. Wow. I was the parent to take on this role because Joe was raised in a very Christian family where it was considered un-Christian to complain. In my family it was okay to complain. So, I could listen to all of the complaining without it bothering me too much. The children NEEDED to get off their chests how angry they were at the adopted child. "She broke my NintendoDS! She pulled the cat's tail! She misses the bus every day and the bus driver yells at ME! She doesn't brush her teeth! She says my curly hair is ugly! She said she wants me to die!" Oy! There were long, long lists at first, but those discussions were also a chance to generate empathy because AFTER I had carefully and actively listened to and responded to each complaint, the children could calm down. They had re-established a peaceful feeling in their hearts. Then I could ask them questions that guided them to thinking for THEMSELVES what might be causing Julia to be so unkind and how we could, all together, as a family, encourage her, in a positive way, to be kinder. It also was a chance for some healing for the original children. Many times, siblings had to tell little kindergarten Dorothy, "You are NOT ugly. Your curly hair is beautiful! Your light colored eyes are gorgeous! We think you are beautiful, inside and out." Dorothy really, really needed that with Julia telling her the exact opposite whenever I was out of earshot.


For the adopted child:
1. Limits need to be set right away, even with a language barrier. Pantomime, Google Translate, picture books, anything that works needs to be used. No hitting. No hair pulling. No saying mean words. That has to be established right away. When I met Julia's friends at her orphanage, one thing I noticed was that they hit and shoved each other constantly. They seemed to relate to each other through rough physical contact, almost like teenage guys on the rugby field. It was frightening. Sure enough, when Julia came home, she greatly admired her older sister Caroline, so what did she do? She pulled her hair and hit her! That had to stop immediately, and unfortunately, Joe and I were so overwhelmed by Julia's bulldozer personality that we did not respond fast enough. People got hurt.
2. Don't give too many goodies out, just for free, all at once. It's too overwhelming to go from owning nothing at all to having a computer, an i-pod, a TV, lots of clothes, etc... Even a year later, Julia has to have her clothes be all the same, like a uniform. She has four pairs of shorts, all the same and five T-shirts, the same but all different colors, and that is all she can handle. When I add other clothes to her closet, even though she admires the clothes, it overwhelms her and causes her to throw everything on the floor and cry. The "goodies" like the computer, can be a powerful motivator to a child who needs to learn the rules of family life ... and FAST. We made very positive charts for Julia with things on them like "brush your teeth, comb your hair, say something nice to Dorothy, pet the cat gently, say, 'Hi Mom!' and say 'Hi Dad!'" She had to get a certain number of boxes checked off in order to use the computer for fun. She learned so fast! Such nice looking hair and nice clean teeth! She was a fast, fast learner, and we praised her lavishly. The hardest thing for Julia was learning to call me and Joe Mom and Dad. She used to hit me across the back of my head (hard, and yes, it did hurt a lot) and say, "Hey!" to get my attention. Eventually we got whittled down to one chart that was solely focused on saying Mom and Dad, and Presto! I was no longer slap/Hey! but Mom, and Julia was greatly relieved. After the third time she called me Mom, she came to me and spontaneously put her arms around me and said, "I so happy you my mom now." We've been Mom and Dad every day since, and it's good for all of us.


For the parents:
1. It's easy to feel SO bad for what your child has lived through that you just don't want to make her feel bad by disciplining her. Joe had that problem. He gave in to tantrums, and then after a few months, it got awful, and he had to somehow undo it. Oh, very ugly. Wow. For example, in our family, kids who are big enough to do so take turns riding in the front seat of the car. Julia felt that she should sit in the front seat all the time because she likes to be in control. When Joe would say that it was Mary's turn or Jake's turn, Julia would get in the back and kick and scream, hit people, pull her own hair out, generally go wild with grief and rage, so Joe would give in and tell her she could sit in front and tell Jack or Maya to move to the back. Scenes like this caused big, big trouble. The masses got uneasy and started rising up with the cry of "UNFAIR!". One of our biological children began to think that her dad no longer cared about her, stopped eating and began to waste away before our eyes. The more Joe bent the family rules (with his soft-heart and his regret for Julia's awful childhood -- he really meant well), the more the children felt they should take justice into their own hands. You can't have peace without justice. We had to do a big about-face and separate Julia from those tantrums. Joe had to leave her home and I had to tell her, "You can't go with Dad because you will not sit in the back of the car. You have to stay with me so you will not yell, kick and hit." Julia is very smart. After just one time being left out, she learned and said, "I can come. I will sit in back. I sit in front go there. Maya sit in front come back." Problem solved. She was learning to take turns, and she was learning that even if she sat in the back, she would be okay, and Dad would still love her. The adopted child cannot have and rule everything. It will not help her siblings love her and will not help her respect other people.

2. Make time to do things with the "original" children. The adopted child is so needful (rightfully so too) that it is easy to fall into the trap of doing EVERYTHING with the adopted child at your side. That is terribly hard on the original children in the family. They too have needs. They need to be able to speak rapid-fire English and describe things to a parent without having to slow down and explain words to the new sibling. They need time to talk about personal things ("There's a girl I like at school. I think I'm getting too tall. Why am I shorter than everyone else? If my tooth falls out will a new one really, truly grow back in?" They NEED to have time to be alone with Mom or Dad to talk, laugh, voice concerns, even complain. Some things are private, and the children who have had an easy life and haven't had to survive trauma still need time with their parents. They should not have to give their parents up totally to a new sibling. They cannot love a brother or sister who has robbed them of their mom or dad.


For the whole family:

It takes a long time to really know someone, and the adopted teenager changes almost every month. I can't believe that my kind-hearted, caring Julia used to try to hit me! But she did! She even tried to bite me once! She is not like that anymore. She has changed. Still, I do not know everything about Julia. Sometimes she acts twelve. Sometimes she acts three. Sometimes she acts eight. She is still unpredictable. While she is unpredictable, it is best to be protective and plan for the worst. I cannot allow Julia to have the freedoms that my other 14 year child has. It would be too dangerous. Julia does not think out into the future. She is impulsive. Until she can act a particular age and act that age consistently, I have to protect her from harm. She needs more supervision and direction than the average American 14 year old. She is immature from years and years of neglect and abuse. She is in a foreign country where she does not know all of the rules. It is in her best interests for us to be conservative and protect her until we are SURE she is ready for age-appropriate freedoms. It may be a long time. Interestingly enough, Julia does not want those freedoms that Jake and Mary have. She prefers to stay by my side or Joe's side, which is also an indication that she is not ready for too much freedom. She seems to want to be that little girl, protected and treasured, that she never got to be, and she stays close. That's good. We want Julia to survive her first 2 years in American in good shape!

2. Celebrate the victories. Laugh as much as possible. Get silly. Do anything necessary to "connect" the children with their new sibling. One major bonding point with all of the children and Julia came unexpectedly when we had our annual St. PatJoe's Day all-family marshmallow fight. Julia had said that no way was she going to let people throw ANYTHING at her, but once she saw what fun we were having, she grabbed her bag (I had bought her a bag of marshmallows anyway, just in case) and joined in. She threw marshmallows and took the hits with the best of us, and boy, that kid has a strong arm! The kids loved it! After the fight, they all gave Julia high-fives and hugs and said, "You were great You throw like a Billings!" Who would have expected that the big marshmallow fight would help so much? But it did because it was just dumb, silly fun -- no rules, no proper behavior, just a crazy, silly time. Families should point out the new sibling's good points. Compliment her strengths. Compliment the original children for their flexibility, their willingness to share. Let them know that the world will be better because they tried hard to make a positive difference.

Incredible News from Half The Sky!

Some of you may have received the incredible news from Half The Sky. They are starting a new program called the Rainbow Program, where they will be training every nanny in China to provide better care to orphans! I have seen the difference in orphanages and schools sponsoried by Half The Sky and those that aren't. There is a BIG difference! This is thrilling news to hear that they will be reaching each and every caregiver! What a difference that will make in the lives of the children in orphanages all over China! I'm sure it will take time, as everything does, but I'm very encouraged by this news. As you may know, Half the Sky has a school at our partner orphanage, Baotou! It makes such a difference in the lives of those children! One girl, never wants to leave school when it's time to go, she loves it so much! Her teachers make that much of a difference in their lives! Way to go, Half The Sky!

http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=halfthesky

Perspective

Sometimes we just need to put our lives in perspective and this week is calling for that:


"Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid." ~Albert Einstein


"We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions." ~Ian Percy

"The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress." ~Joseph Joubert, Pensées, 1842



"It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall." ~Mexican Proverb



"With most men, unbelief in one thing springs from blind belief in another." ~Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, "Notebook L," Aphorisms

A Heart Full of Sadness

We received some sad news, which makes me want to remind everyone to give your kids or loved one an extra hug or kiss each and every day. Don't wait on your dreams--Carpe Diem!

Yopp!

Yesterday a very surprising thing happened to me at the grocery store. The woman in line in front of me decided she would buy my groceries for me (I bet that's not what you expected to hear!). It wasn't a lot of groceries, but it was the act of kindness that meant so much and made my day. It reminded me of what a difference a person can make in someone else's life, just through a small act. How many times has a smile, a kind word, a hug or a laugh changed your entire outlook? She told me that a while back someone had bought her gas for her. So every once in a while she just does something like that to make a positive difference in someone's life since there are so many negatives in this world. What an incredible philosophy--she's paying it forward! If you have ever seen the movie Pay It Forward, then you understand what a difference one small person can make in the world. Dr. Seuss had the same philosophy, as described in Horton Hears a Who when the smallest of all puts them over the top with one word...Yopp! (Yes, I'm fully emersed in the world of Seuss).

 I've seen miraculous changes, where those of you reading this and my wonderful volunteers and all those on advocacy groups work together to help a child find a home just in the nick of time. The word gets passed along until it happens to come across the ears of the family who is meant to parent that child. I've heard that this is what happened for Jessica!  I've also seen it happen when we raise money to help with a child's adoption. We often get lots of small donations, which total up to make a difference, enabling the child to have a family! I think it's important to be reminded every so often that even small acts of kindness truly do make the world a better place. We all need to do our part to make this world a positive place to live. I'm still thinking about what would be the most effective way for me to pay it forward. But in the meantime, I ask that everyone reading this pass this blog along to a few people you know who just might consider adoption. If 100 of you actually pass it along, we can quadruple our readership, and perhaps find another child a home! If anyone ever helped change your life or brighten your spirit, than you know how important it is to pay it forward.  Pay it forward for all of the older boys who wait, desperately wanting a family. Get the word out there--Yopp!  http://www.asiahope.blogspot.com/

A Baotou Adoption Story

As the time neared for Beth and John to meet their new son, Max, in Hohhot (near Baotou), China, they wondered how they would be received. Their six-year-old, daughter Juliette, also adopted from China, was ready for a sibling. After two years of waiting, they found Max, a 21-month-old minor special needs orphan with a repaired cleft lip and unrepaired cleft palate in Baotou.

Now there he stood, meeting them for the first time, wearing three-layers of clothing, looking up at them with his big brown eyes. “He looked like a little Buddha -- a Buddha eating a lollipop” Beth says on her blog. “We introduced ourselves as ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’, handed him a tootsie roll lollipop and he was in heaven!” Then they were off -- taking him to his new home in Salem, Oregon, to meet the rest of his family, including his sister.

Soon after arrival in the U.S., Max’s cleft palate was repaired (his cleft lip had already been fixed in China). Tubes were also inserted in his ears to help his hearing which had been affected by the cleft palate. Speech therapy is also helping him recover from the residual effects of the cleft palate. He is talking a lot, saying his first words in English.

Today, Max is thriving chatterbox and is inseparable from his sister, Juliette, who, Beth says, “is handling her new status as ‘big sister’ nicely. We love our little Max. I hope anyone who wants to learn more about our experience will call me. We are happy to share our experience if it means getting more children adopted.”

Thank you to Beth and John for sharing their family's story! If anyone else has an adoption story to share, please contact us!

Please Meet Darien

Look at that focus! That sweet smile! Darien is a smart and talented young boy who excels in sports and is loved by all who meet him. His teachers praise him and he is well liked by his peers. He would make a great sibling! Darien is a happy boy who desperately wants a family. He sees his peers get adopted and wants a mother and father to love him as well. He is an active boy with a positive outlook who would make a wonderful addition to a loving family. Darien hopes for a family who is close to dossier ready as he ages out in January. There is a $5000 grant available to help with the adoption costs for Darien. If you or someone you know could be interested in considering Darien, please contact me right away--his file is available! No one has asked about him yet! Even if you don't quite meet the requirements, please contact me anyway: marcisk@asiadopt.org Let's not keep Darien waiting and wondering!

Baotou

Baotou Social Welfare Institute did a special performance recently and everyone got dressed up. It looks like they chose some special children for the performance. The oldest boy in the picture wanted to come home with the Doctor that traveled with us when we were there. He wanted a family so badly--he sang for us, did dances, gymnastics and everthing he could to prove that he was lovable. We've asked for his file. Hopefully we will get it later this summer. Some of the other kids pictured are those that we already have families for:

New Girls to Introduce - Part 4

Our final introduction is for sweet little Greta!

Greta is clever and cute and likes to listen to music. She is a bit shy, but has rich facial expressions and is interested in toys around her. She likes to be cuddled and can go out to play. She plays with toys with other children and laughs, but is shy in new environments. She has not had an operation for her feet yet, but is able to crawl and stand with help. She hadn’t started speaking yet as of October 2010, but is communicating with her caregiver.

If you think you have a place in your heart for Greta, please contact Marci at marcisk@asiadopt.org or Vicki at vickib@asiadopt.org today!

New Girls to Introduce - Part 3

Today we are pleased to introduce everyone to the lovely Marianne!

Marianne was found at four years old and has lived with a foster family for several years. She has lots of energy and needs a bit of supervision to do her school work. She was in grade 3 in 2009 and could do addition and subtraction and finish reciting tasks. She has neat handwriting and cares about the others around her. She helps other children with special needs to put on their coats and shoes and she helps to do chores. She is active and outgoing and likes to play house. She can take care of her own basic needs.

Marianne could be the perfect addition to your family! If you would like to learn more, please contact Marci at marcisk@asiadopt.org or Vicki at vickib@asiadopt.org.

New Girls to Introduce - Part 2

Next we would like you to meet...Janelle!

Janelle is an active, smart and outgoing young lady. She initially entered an orphanage at 5 years old. It took her a few days to adjust but became a happy little bird, laughing all of the time and asking other children to play with her. She started school and was very motivated. She learned children’s songs, counting, singing and dancing very quickly. She loves to play outside and is a bit of a chatterbox, speaking or singing constantly. She went to a foster family several years ago and now attends school. She is smart and her handicrafts are the best in the class. She is very enthusiastic about school and tells her foster family what she has learned each day. She is always chosen for the Children’s Day performances. She gets to school early to help her teachers with chores and helps the younger children. She is now in 4th grade and has received the honor of being a “Pioneer.” She receives praises from her teacher. She knows that she is not with a forever family and wants a family to call her own.

If you think Janelle might be the perfect daughter for you, contact Marci at marcisk@asiadopt or Vicki at vickib@asiadopt.org to learn more.

New Girls to Introduce - Part 1

This week we have a few new girls to introduce. Today we would like you to meet the twins...Leah and Lianna! (Leah is in the red stroller, Lianna is holding the panda)

Leah likes to listen to children’s songs, watch cartoons, and play on the swing, seesaw and slide with other children. When she sees people she knows she gets excited and calls “yi-yi!” She is active and lovely and loved by everyone.

Lianna is developmentally delayed and has low muscle tone, but has made steady progress. She is now able to call out to her nanny and older sister and understands simple directions provided by her nanny. She is able to stand when held by her nanny and grab her nanny’s shoulders to prevent herself from falling. She is able to feed herself now. Please note that the twins must be adopted together.

If you are interested in learning more about these charming sisters, please contact Marci at marcisk@asiadopt.org or Vicki at vickib@asiadopt.org.

New Grant Available for Skippy

We are pleased to announce that a $1,500 grant is available from ASIA's Gift of Family Fund to help with the adoption of Skippy. If you haven't met Skippy yet, below are my impressions of him from my visit in April:

This is a typical picture of Skippy, as he is a happy-go-lucky boy who laughs a lot! In this picture, he was looking at picture of himself on the digital camera and thought that was really funny:-) He is such a sweet boy who sincerely enjoys life to its fullest. He wants a family of his own and would make a very sweet, loving son and bring a lot of fun and laughter into a family. Skippy stole all of our hearts and every time we saw him he would give us a big smile and wave hi! In fact, he was one of the very first children who came out to see us when we arrived. His special need is pretty mild and Skippy is fully functional in his daily life. I have no doubts that he would thrive in a family.

Could you be the family for Skippy? Please contact me if you would like to consider him: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Watch This:

http://youtu.be/5ijggNs2Ask

Waivers, Just Starting, Etc...

If one of these kids touches your heart, but you don't think you qualify, please contact me anyway. Waivers may be available for these children aging out! Also, if you're just starting the process, but you're willing to work at lightening speed and push members of the government here in the U.S. contact me right now if you want to consider one of these children. If you start now, you just may be able to adopt them before they turn 14! If you wait much longer, then these kids will need dossiered families instead. These kids all have very sweet stories, please read them!

On a positive note, Jeremy, Wally and Jonathan have families pursuing them! Congratulations to those families! Charlie, Zeke, Jake, Skippy and Lillian still need their families to find them. Take a look at their files and see if they might be yours!

New Kids Aging Out With Grants

It is with a heavy heart that I have to say it is likely too late for the kids aging out in July to find their families. Therefore, we are hoping that the following kids, who don't age out until next year will find families before it's too late. These are great kids and they each have a $5000 grant to help with their adoptions! Please meet:

Corey ages out in February: Corey lived with a foster family from the day he was found until 2009 when they were not able to care for him any longer. Corey is in the 6th grade and likes Math and English classes. He likes to play badminton and ping pong for fun. Corey is popular among his classmates and is always willing to help others. He is also popular amongst the younger children at the orphanage, and often leads them in playing games. They call him older brother and like him a lot. He is praised by his teachers as a good and sensible child. He is an intelligent child and is well loved at the orphanage and they hope he can have a happy home. There is a $5000 grant available for Corey through ASIA.














Lina ages out in March: Lina has a family pursuing her!

Scott ages out in January: Scott is an incredibly determined and brave child. Through his rehabilitation training, he never gave up, even when he was covered in sweat. He takes the role of monitor at school and helps the other children. At the orphanage he also helps the other children with basic daily living tasks, like washing their faces. He is extremely generous and shares his delicious food and favorite toys with others. He is part of the Half the Sky program and cherishes his opportunity, so he studies hard. He has an excellent memory and can remember what he is taught. In his free time, he likes to read poems and sing. He is excellent at math. He didn’t think he could draw very well, but saw a beautiful picture and the teacher encouraged him to try to draw it. He tried after some convincing and drew a beautiful picture. He sees his brothers and sisters get adopted into families and very much wants a family of his own. There is a $5000 grant available through ASIA for him.

Darien ages out in January: Darien is beloved by his teachers and always willing to help. He is well liked by his classmates, too. He is active and happy and loves sports. He participates in sports meets and won the championship, earning a cute nickname. He considers the institute his family currently, but sees other children get adopted and fostered and says that he wants a mother and father of his own. When asked if he wants to be adopted, he happily agrees. Darien needs a family that is close to dossier ready who would like to pursue him. He is on the shared list, but there is a $5000 grant available through ASIA for him.

If you would like to consider any of these children, please contact Marci: marcisk@asiadopt.org

URGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

URGENT NEED!!! WE JUST FOUND OUT JESSICA DOES INDEED WANT A FAMILY VERY BADLY! SHE ONLY HAS UNTIL NEAR THE END OF JULY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. SHE NEEDS A DOSSIERED FAMILY IMMEDIATELY TO MAKE HER DREAM COME TRUE? DO YOU HAVE A DOSSIER IN CHINA ALREADY? COULD YOU BE HER FAMILY? CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY: MARCISK@ASIADOPT.ORG

THERE IS A $5000 GRANT AVAILABLE FOR JESSICA!
















Jessica is active and extroverted. She has formed close bonds with her caretakers and is a happy girl. She is a smart girl and communicates well with others. She helps the caretakers do housework actively. She has normal physical and mental development.

Update: Jessica goes to boarding school during the week and comes back to the orphanage on weekends. She does her own laundry and helps take care of the younger children. She helps out the caregivers and wishes she can have her own family one day. Do you live near mountains? Maybe Jessica would fit in perfectly with your kids?

Pondering Boys....

We all know that boys are harder to place. If you're an orphan in China and a boy, that's a special need in itself, it seems. It used to be the other way around, but that has changed. Almost everyone currently waiting with ASIA wants a girl; even those who are open to boys prefer girls. Yet if you look at the proportion of boys available for adoption to girls, it is hugely disproportionate--there are vastly more boys available than girls! There are adorable young boys on the shared waiting child list right now! They have special needs that those adopting girls would be happy to accept, but there's one problem--they're boys! Now if you were getting a referral the old fashioned way, you would just get assigned a child. When one gives birth to a child biologically, the selection of boy vs. girl is made for them, but they are generally delighted with the choice! So how is it that so many parents in the adoption process are not open to considering boys? Perhaps your child is waiting for you, but you just don't know it because you haven't opened up to the possibility that your child could be a boy?

My daughter at age 2 is currently going through a phase where she only wants to play with boys! She would love to have a gege! Ok, it could be a massive Oedipal complex going on, but she truly sees the fun and value in boys. She's a girlie girl, but she loves to be active and play superhero games, play with cars, and all of the silly games young boys like to play. It might surprise you! I just spoke with a family yesterday who brought a boy home and an older one at that. They had all girls and he fits right in perfectly! He's happy, bright, cuddly and has many little mannerisms that their family members have. He even likes to play dress up with them! He also likes sports, which makes Dad happy...there's something for everyone! Boys are available....please consider them! This is my plea--just open yourselves to the possibility! It can't hurt...you'll have to wait a while for those girls anyway:-)

Another Request

We've been asked by CCAA to advocate for another child. Please meet Cole:

Cole is turning 11 years old this month. A member of CCAA spent time with him and said he was such a warm and polite young boy. His orphanage reports the same thing. He is always offering to do chores to help adults and always welcomes people and greets them. He is able to take care of his own daily living tasks. He is a sweet child, always ready and willing to help others. He is especially good with younger children. He is generous and understanding. I'm hoping we can find a family for his birthday! Could he be a good fit for your family? contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Are You My Mother?

Am I cute or what? My name is Zeke. Can't you imagine me sitting at a park with you and making one of my beautiful drawings? Or perhaps I could be a performer of some sort? I really want a Mommy and Daddy most of all! Siblings are good, too:-) I''m quite a ham--I'll recite a poem for you...or would you prefer a song? Please sit down...


Girls always oogle at me and say I'm soo cute! I like to learn and play sports with other kids. I can draw and sing pretty well, too. If I had a Mommy and Daddy, I could do anything! Could I fit into your family picture? Cheeeeeese!

I'm Jake; I'm all boy! I like to be rambunctious and active and silly! I'll demonstrate my super hero poses for you if you like? Do you like to wrestle, because I would love to have a daddy to wrestle with and a Mommy to cuddle with and read to me. Do you have some brothers for me? I really want a family!

I'm Lillian; I love playing outdoors in the light and music. I like doing things by myself, but get a little nervous, too. I need a Mommy and Daddy to help guide me and teach me to be self-sufficient.

Please spread the word about these children! Contact me if you're interested in considering any of them: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Their files are currently available.

Do You Have A Heart for These Children?

Do you want to make a difference in the life of a child? Share this blog with everyone you know and help these kids find their families! You never know where that red thread might lead!

Being Wacky

Jake here has some natural wackiness:















Zeke and Skippy are a bit goofy, too...although they try to contain it, sometimes it just bursts forth:-)

Charlie is the cutest sweetest, kindest and most determined little boy. Want a cuddly boy? This is your boy! Fei and Donna got him to be a little wacky:

Kids need to be kids, play and have the chance to be goofy, wacky and just have fun! See, Fei has no problem after years of practice:

As an adult, what better excuse to be wacky, than a child? The kids featured on our blog have not had much of a chance to be wacky. These kids need families to endulge in their wacky sides! If you're interested in any of these adorable boys, contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org