Baotou Kiddos

Our Baotou Kiddos need you! Let's all put our hands and our minds together and figure out how to find these kids families!

Rayna, Sherman, Evan, Simon, Seely, Caroline, Balin, Jeb, Lewis, Jaci, Hogan, Yuna and Shane all need our help. It has been proven over and over again that kids need families. While orphanages can be good, they are no substitute for a family. The one on one attention, the love and affection, the resources that a family can put towards one individual child, all help that child to blossom in the care of a family. Don't be deterred by how these kids look now. Give them some time and they will blossom! If you know someone looking for a child, please consider one of these kiddos!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day! Let's all take a lesson from the kids at Baotou and give your loved ones a hug and share some sweets:-)

New Passwords

Due to new security measures, ASIA had to change the password to our waiting child list on our password-protected website. If you have not received an email with the new password and you wish to view our waiting child list, please email me and I will be happy to pre-qualify you and provide you with the password: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Happy News for Penny!

I have some happy news to share for a change--Penny has a family pursuing her!!! Congratulations to Penny and her family! Unlike many of the other children, Penny has had a lot of interest.

I'm actually surprised that Caroline, Shane and Seely haven't had more interest. Poor Evan hasn't had even 1 person consider him yet. I can't begin to fathom why that would be! It baffles me. But for now we can rejoice in the good news for Penny!

Heartbroken

I'm feeling rather heartbroken that so many of our cute, adorable, loveable, sweet, cheery, bright and funny boys are still waiting....and waiting........and waiting...with little interest. Yes, some of these boys have special needs, but as anyone who has adopted a special needs child will tell you, they do not let their special need slow them down or define them. If you met these boys in person, they would capture your heart in a second! I wish I could convey what precious family members they would become.. If you have any interest in Shane, Jeb, Balin, Seely, Sherman, or Evan please contact me!!!! Or contact everyone you know and tell them about these precious boys! Boys are wonderful, too!  marcisk@asiadopt.org

You Could Be One of These Happy Families:

Check out these happy families and gorgeous kids! These kids were all waiting for a family at sometime and now they have become part of their own very happy family! Their referral pictures may not have given any hint of the beautiful child they have become, but here they are in all of their glory!  

  

Notice the adorable boys????

We've got plenty of kiddos still waiting for their families to come forward! Do you feel drawn towards any of the waiting children? Sometimes the process is daunting or makes it feel impossible. But these kids are all a testament to how successful adoption can be. Here they are celebrating Chinese New Year with friends and family!

Happy Year of the Dragon!

The Dragon is a revered symbol in Chinese astrology because it is the only animal on the zodiac that isn't real. It is a symbol of power, superiority and rule, as well as wisdome. Dragons take action and get things done, but could also have a sharp tongue. It is said that they have a soft underbelly, though, and can be helpful to those in need. So what does the year of the dragon hold? I'm hopeful that it holds families full of happiness, people helping those in need and a more peaceful world. Happy Year of the Dragon!

Jolly Jeb

Jeb is a jolly little 2 1/2 year old who loves to play peek-a-boo and other games with his nannies and peers. He is sweet and helpful to his nannies, returning his milk bottle to them when he is finished and picking up others' trash. He smiles proudly whenever he is praised. He likes to fill up containers with toys and give them to the nannies. He's very kind-hearted and helpful and loves to cuddle with his nannies. He is blessed to be part of the Half  The Sky toddlers room at the orphanage, so he gets quite a lot of attention.

Can you really resist this face?

Re-Mentioning Evan

I want to talk about Evan again because he still hasn't had any interest and I just can't believe it! We received the gift of 250 pictures of Evan, all the way from when he was little until now. They are adorable! I will give you a teensy tiny taste of them:

Isn't he scrumptious???? So, seriously...why has this adorable little boy not found a family yet? Is he really cursed to be a boy? Help me out and share this blog with everyone you know so they can see how cute this little boy is! We need to find his family! I just can't believe he has been with so many different agencies and still, his family has not been found! Let's rally the troops in honor of Chinese New Year and get this boy to his family!

Happy Chinese New Year! Xin Nian Kuaile!

Lost Lovable Lewis

I want to take a minute to talk about Lewis. Unfortunately, the pictures we have of Lewis didn't turn out to be so good. They don't represent the sweet, charming, talented boy that he is and all the potential that he has if he could get the love and attention that he so needs. Lewis is smart--he jumped right into reciting poems and songs that he knows when he met us. He told us about his desire to be adopted and he alluded to his unhappiness at being in the orphanage. Clearly, Lewis is thought highly of, as he was chosen to perform in the holiday performance that the orphanage put together. Very few children were included, as you can see. Lewis is special and he has the potential to shine. But Lewis knows that he will be stigmatized in China and he won't have the opportunities he needs to succeed in life. He won't have a family to love him unconditionally and be there for him when he graduates from high school, college, gets married and has children. Where will he spend the holidays? Family is so important in China, I just can't imagine living life without family. Lewis is not immediately aging out--he doesn't turn 13 until this spring. But he desperately wants a family more than anything. He wants to go to school and learn. You can't REALLY see Lewis from the pictures we took, but I'll post one anyway. He's the tallest orphan holding the hands of the younger ones in the front row. Isn't that sweet?

We don't want to push older child adoption on everyone, as it is not appropriate for every family. Ultimately what we want are happy families and successful adoptions. But we do believe that every child has a family out there somewhere, it's just a matter of finding them in time. We have to connect that red thread! Will you help us spread the word about Lewis? Share this blog with your friends, family, anyone you know who might be a good family for Lewis, who could love a boy like Lewis. Will you help: Click the cool box below if you will help spread the word!

Below is an article written by Love Without Boundaries about why older child adoption from China is so important. If you have doubts about it, read the article:

LWB Older Child Adoption

Wise Wyatt

Wyatt is an outgoing young man who is active, smart and handsome. Who wouldn't want a son like that? Unfortunately, Wyatt has been waiting for his family for much too long. He ages out in August! I'm putting a plea out there to help Wyatt find his family! There is a $5000 grant available to help with his adoption through ASIA if someone steps up soon! We would also be happy to transfer his file to another agency to get him his family.

Wyatt has lived with a foster family for quite some time and he is often praised by them, as well as by his teachers at school. He gets good marks in school and helps other students. In his spare time he likes sports, such as running, jumping, playing ball with others and playing football. He is good at football, sparing no effort, so the other kids like to play football with him. He has a good imagination and gets along well with others. He is tolerant and helpful. Please spread the word about Wyatt and help him find his family before it's too late!

Silly Sherman

Sherman is an adorable 4 year old little boy with a significant special need who will capture your heart. Sherman smiles all of the time and his smile brightens up the room. He will fool you into thinking that he may not be cognitively aware because of his giggles, but he's actually quite resposive and cute! He pretended to be on a phone call while our OT was there:-) He gets some OT to address his special need and he says that he likes it. He is able to walk with a walker or with assistance and crawl on his own. He can put on and take of his socks and shoes. He speaks in 1 word sentences, but answers questions quite competently. He can point to his body parts, answer how old he is and follow two-step commands. Sherman craves attention, which is not surprising considering that he doesn't get much social interaction. It is impressive that he is so responsive! There is no doubt that with the attention and love that a family provides, he would go much farther! Can you resist this adorable face?

Genuine Jonah, Ages Out in the Fall

Jonah is a healthy, active and outgoing 13 year old boy who is very tidy with his things. He likes sports like racing, basketball and football. He respects his teachers and looks after his younger foster brothers who all like him as an older brother. Jonah is a clever boy and at 10 years old he was in the second grade. He is now in grade 3 and doing better than average and no longer has trouble. He got the award of “Most Progress in 2010” in his welfare institute! Could sweet Jonah be a fit for your family? If you think you could even consider him, please contact me right away! There is a $5000 Grant available to help with the adoption costs for Jonah! He ages out in the Fall! Jonah does not have time to waste! If you know anyone who could consider a sweet older boy like Jonah, please contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org 

Rambunctious Rachel

Rachel is a happy, outgoing, curious little monkey. She is two years old and loves to climb and pull herself up. She is interested by new people and when we were there, she was not shy. She happily took the toy we offered her and explored it by sticking it in her mouth. She has a "mama" that she is very close to--she will touch her face lovingly and smile. She searches for her mama when she is not there. She is a bit of a tease and likes to play games with people. Rachel needs a family who can get her the medical help she will need to reach her full potential. Could you be the family for sweet Rachel? We can't post pictures of sweet Rachel quite yet, but please see our password protected website for pictures of her.

We also have 3 kids who are in danger of aging out in the next year that I hope to post about soon. Stay tuned...

We're Still Waiting...

Sweet Skippy is showing you his excellent drawing skills in his Half The Sky classroom. What a sweet smile! Skippy is a happy boy who has an infectious smile that he shares with everyone! Surely he would be a perfect fit for a family out there?

Zeke is showing you his engineering skills. He is a very outgoing boy as you can see--not camera shy at all:-) Zeke really wants to be adopted. He followed us all around practicing his English and making sure we took plenty of pictures of him. Clearly he has a lot of potential. Are you the family that could help him shine?

 Jake is also not camera shy--what a pair Jake and Zeke make! In fact, this picture below illustrates Jake's personality pretty well. He's a goofy kid! Do you need a little more silliness around your household? Jake could be the perfect fit!

Zeke, Skippy and Jake are still waiting. Their files have been on the shared waiting child list since 2009. Their files have now gone back to the shared list, but we will not give up! These are darling boys who need families to help them blossom. These kiddos spread joy with their infectious smiles and laughs. Who wouldn't want that? Please help spread the word about these kids. They deserve a family and want one so badly!

Eventually Evan, Eventually...

Evan is a little boy whose file has bounced from agency to agency without finding his family. Why? Look at this smile? Those dimples! Ah--melting! Why has this boy not been adopted yet??? Has he been forgotten?

Evan lives with a foster family and he will turn 12 this spring. He is in the second grade and is a very curious little boy who loves to learn. He loves to do puzzles and it sounds like that is a frequent activity for him. He does a good job in school and with his writing. He loves to play with other children and as long as there are other children around, he is a happy boy! He is sweet, patient, gentle and tender. Let's find Evan's family so he doesn't have to wait any longer!

Sweet Seely

 You may have seen sweet Seely in pictures I posted shortly after our trip to meet these kids. Doesn't his sweet smile just melt your heart?

Seely is a very sweet boy who is helpful and playful with younger children. As you can see in the picture, he showed us this side of him as he played with another child pretending to eat her treat and then giving it back several times. What a cutie! Seely was nearly 2 1/2 years old while we were there and he was already making two word phrases and was very verbal. His nannies said that he learns quickly and would learn whatever they were able to teach him. He is a curious, inquisitive and friendly little boy. He gave Fei a kiss on the cheek when she asked:-) I think he was showing off a bit, as he showed us how he could climb into the cubbies and back out. His special need doesn't limit him very much. He asked hat the nannies put on some music so he could dance and he did a little jig! It was so cute! Seely would make a great addition to any family. He would be a warm, cuddly and affectionate little boy who is also smart and great with younger children. Although he does have a streak of jealousy when he sees his favorite nanny holiding someone else (a good sign for attachment at this point!). Seely's file is currently available. Contact me if you would like to consider him: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Magic of the Holidays

All around the world people celebrate different things this time of year, but no matter what you celebrate, we wish you peace, health and happiness!

This time of year people seem to think of others more than any other time of year. Passions lie in different areas, but here at ASIA, we have a passion for finding children families. Sometimes a child just touches your heart, and that has happened to all of us at ASIA, at one or many times. We would like to help all of the children of the world, but we're taking it one child at a time. If you would like to join our mission and help one child at a time to find the unconditional love of family, please consider sending your year end contribution to ASIA's Gift of Family Fund. It helps to make adoptions possible for children and families that otherwise might not be able to be united. It has already changed several lives and we hope to be able to continue its magic in the coming year. If a monetary gift is not possible, we welcome volunteers to help us spread the word about waiting children to help unite them with their forever families. Give the Gift of Family this year. There is nothing more important.  Enjoy your family this holiday season! Happy Holidays!

A Dream for Yuna

When I first met Yuna, I wasn't sure we could find a family for her. She was in a room with children who were physically handicapped and there were no toys or any form of stimulation in there. She was playing with a tupperware container--licking it, hanging upside down, climbing on the railing, anything to provide herself with the stimulation she wasn't getting from her environment. My heart went out to her, but I thought to myself, I just don't know if we can find a family for a child who looks like she could be autistic....

Then I saw Yuna in her Half The Sky classroom--WOW!!! What a difference! She made eye contact with her teacher, she participated in activities, and she attemped to communicate her wants and needs. She even sat in her teacher's lap without any fuss. This gave me hope for Yuna and I thought perhaps we can find her a family after all. I think this child has potential. If given the stimulation she doesn't get in her room at the orphanage, and a loving family to work with her, I think she would make incredible progress! Can't you see the happy child inside this girl who is just itching to get out? She needs someone to open up her world with language and help her experience all of the firsts that she hasn't had the opportunity to experience yet. Wouldn't it be amazing to watch her face light up at seeing Christmas lights for the first time? Or taking her swimming? Or any of the other activities you would introduce a baby or toddler to for the first time? I gave her a set of markers and some paper that I had and it was like seeing a starving child eat. She was so interested in figuring out how those markers work!

I think that the right family could help Yuna blossom. Could you be that family? Do you know anyone who could? Please pass on Yuna's information to anyone you can think of. I know it won't be easy to find her a family, but I believe Yuna has potential and her family must be out there!  Please contact me for more information about Yuna--her file is available: marcisk@asiadopt.org 

Hope for the Holidays

Hooray for Jason!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The happiest news for the holidays is that Jason will have a family! It warms my heart to know that he will have the love of a wonderful family. They are very experienced and I have full confidence that they understand the severity of his condition. They are prepared to love him through whatever care he may need and I have full confidence that they can and will do so. Congratulations to Jason and his family! Joy beat me to the announcement because I have been so busy trying to help the family get him home as quickly as possible. Back to work...Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!

Joyous Jaci

Jaci is a bright-eyed, happy, dimpled 1 1/2 year old girl. We didn't meet Jaci, as she was recovering from her surgery at the time we were there. Jaci is somewhat of a tease and loves to be with her nannies. She has a quick smile, and whenever her nannies say "Good girl, [Jaci], she laughs showing her 4 little white teeth and her cute dimples. As of June, she could crawl and roll over fast. What a sweet little one! Who wouldn't delight in her antics? If you would be interested in considering cute little Jaci, contact me: marcisk@asiadopt.org

Updates on our Adorable Kiddos!

As always, there is a good news with the not so good news. I'm thrilled to be able to announce that Tacy, Josh and Jasmyn have families pursuing them! Congratulations to their new families!

The not so good news is that many of the rest of the kids don't have a lot of interest. Files are currently available for: Dalton and Rachel (if you have a dossier completed), Shane, Evan, Hogan, Sherman, Simon, Caroline, Balin, Jeb, Lewis and Yuna. Of course, Jason's file is available to anyone who wants to seriously consider him as well. We do have interest in Jason, which is extremely encouraging!

Dalton and Rachel are both Non-Special Focus kiddos until mid-January(ish), which means they are only available to families with completed dossiers before then. If you would like to get on the list to view their file, but you don't have a completed dossier, you may do so, but you won't get the file until early January.

Please contact me if you have any interest in any of these kiddos! They're all precious and in need of families!