Summer 2010

Promiseof Hope and

A Journey

Finding families for children in China

Nine-year-old Asmerach sat in the stairwell at the Holt transitional center in Addis

Ababa, Ethiopia and watched a ceremony she had most likely seen many times before.

Her caretakers – with children in their arms – carefully walked down the stairs into a

brightly lit room, and gently placed the children into the arms of their waiting fami-

lies. On this particular day, however, Asmerach would be more than just an interested

observer to the sights and sounds happening below her. Today, Asmerach would peek

her head between the stairwell balusters and catch a glimpse of someone she had

been waiting to see for a very long time… her mother.

When Asmerach, the last child to be presented to her family, finally made it down

the stairs, she smiled shyly and embraced her mother. Asmerach’s day had finally

come…it was finally her turn.

In this issue, Asmerach’s mother, Susan, shares a touching story about the unique

and wonderful experience of adopting an older child. “We may have missed her first

smile, her first steps and her first word,” says Susan, “but we have witnessed so many

of her firsts here in America. We are getting so much joy from watching her experi-

ence everything we take for granted.”

Holt understands that adopting an older child is a unique experience. We rejoice

when we see older children go home to loving families. We also acknowledge that

adopting an older child can come with its unique challenges.

To make the transition smoother for the older children in our care, Holt has

implemented a preparation program for our Journey of Hope children – a group of

mostly older children in Holt-supported foster care in China. Holt hopes to expand

the program to other countries in the future. Our prayer is that we would help older

children feel safe, confident and happy in their new environment.

I encourage you to take a look at some of the photos of older children in Holt’s

Journey of Hope program and the Waiting Child photolisting. Please join me in

sending up a special prayer for them. Pray that one day all older children, waiting in

Holt’s care, will finally get their turn to walk down the stairs, into the arms of their

permanent families.

Ashli Keyser | Managing Editor

Summer 2010 vol. 52 no. 3

Our VisionHolt International is dedicated to carrying out God’s plan for every child to have a permanent, loving family.

In 1955 Harry and Bertha Holt responded to the conviction that God had called them to help children left homeless by the Korean War. Though it took an act of the U.S. Congress, the Holts adopted eight of those children. But they were moved by the desperate plight of other orphaned children in Korea and other countries as well, so they founded Holt International Children’s Services in order to unite homeless children with families who would love them as their own. Today Holt International serves children and families in Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Nepal, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Romania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, the United States and Vietnam.

President & CEO Kim S. BrownSenior Vice-President Phillip A. LittletonVice-President of Policy & External Affairs Susan Soon-keum Cox Vice-President of International Programs Dan LauerVice-President of Finance & Administration Kevin SweeneyVice-President of Adoption Services Lisa VertulfoSenior AdvisorDavid LimSenior ExecutiveJian Chen

Holt International magazine is published quarterly by Holt International Children’s Services, Inc., a nonprofit, Christian, child welfare organization. While Holt International is responsible for the content of Holt International magazine, the viewpoints expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the organization.

Creative Services Director Brian CampbellManaging Editor Ashli KeyserSenior Writer Robin MunroGraphics Chloe Goldbloom

Subscription Orders/Inquiries and Address ChangesSend all editorial correspondence and changes of address to Holt International magazine, Holt International, P.O. Box 2880, Eugene, OR 97402. We ask for an annual donation of $20 to cover the cost of publication and mailing inside the United States and $40 outside the United States. Holt welcomes the contribution of letters and articles for publication, but assumes no responsibility for return of letters, manuscripts or photos.

Reprint InformationPermission from Holt International is required prior to reprinting any portion of Holt International magazine. Please direct reprint requests to editor Ashli Keyser at 541/687.2202 or ashlik@holtinternational.org.

Copyright ©2010 by Holt International Children’s Services, Inc. ISSN 1047-7640

in this issue4 Against the Odds

In China, many orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children continually wait to be adopted

7 One Year with JoyThe Nolan family thanks God for their beautiful daughter from China

9 From the FamilyStories from families who have adopted children from China, Vietnam and Ethiopia

13 Adoptees Today Adopted from India 27 years ago, Bethany Bryant returns to her Motherland and offers her heart and hands to BSSK

Children in Holt’s Journey of Hope program and China Child of Promise option are desperately in need of families. Currently, Holt does not have enough families joining the China Child of Promise option. Learn more in this issue, and for additional information go to www.holtinternational.org/china

P.O. Box 2880 (1195 City View) Eugene, OR 97402 Ph: 541/687.2202 Fax: 541/683.6175

Dear Readers

COUNCIL ONACCREDITATION

FOUNDED1977

Hague Accredited

CREDIBILITY • INTEGRITY • ACHIEVEMENT

directions

P.O. Box 2880 (1195 City View) Eugene, OR 97402 Ph: 541/687.2202 Fax: 541/683.6175

Reading through the pages of Holt International magazine, I

am always especially touched by the lovely stories written by

Holt adoptive families. I have spent many hours interacting with

and praying for the precious children in the countries where Holt

works, and it brings me such delight to see children go from our

care centers to the pages of Holt International magazine. The

children’s stories – brought to life by their loving parent’s beauti-

ful words – affirm Holt’s mission, and fill my heart with joy, grati-

tude…and hope for the children still waiting in our care.

For the last two years, I have taken special interest in the sto-

ries written by families who have adopted children through our

China Child of Promise program, an expedited China process

for children with minor, correctable or treatable medical needs.

While each of the family’s stories are unique and special in their

own ways, a recurring theme…a common thread, can be seen in

most of them. Phrases like: “I can’t believe how short the wait

time was,” “God has blessed us with our beautiful China Child of

Promise,” and “our family was surprised to see just how minor his

medical need actually was,” are in many of the stories. These

commonalities serve as a promising testament of the beautiful,

smooth process that is Holt’s China Child of Promise option. All

the families have the same amazing things to say. We are over-

joyed to read the success stories of the families who “walked by

faith” and were blessed by God with a beautiful Child of Promise.

It is our privilege to share these stories with you!

Children in this option are waiting for families right

now, and Holt currently does not have enough families

joining this program. I traveled to China in 2009 and saw

many children – some with cleft lip and palates, some with

missing fingers or minor heart conditions – whose minor

medical needs could most likely be corrected once home.

The children’s greatest need, however, is their need for a

loving, permanent family.

Holt will continue to share stories of families who have brought

their children home through the China Child of Promise option, in

hopes that the stories will serve as an encouragement to families

currently waiting in the China program.

Who knows? Maybe this time next year you will be one

of those families, blessed with a son or daughter through

this option and sharing your adoption story on the pages

of this very magazine, a wonderful journey…to a beautiful

China Child of Promise.

Kim S. Brown | President & CEO

Learn more about Holt ’s China Child of Promise option for children with minor, correctable or treatable medical conditions: holtinternational.org/china/ccop.shtml

Sharing Their Stories…

On a gray July day, in a small, stuffy room in

the Wuxi Social Welfare Institute – an orphan-

age in China – a young man sits opposite me,

not making eye contact. He is neatly handsome

– wears wire-rimmed glasses and a pressed polo,

a serious expression on his face. Smart and stu-

dious, he loves history, prefers science programs

to cartoons, and one day, hopes to become a doc-

tor. When asked about his grades, though, a shy

smile creeps into the corners of his mouth, and

he looks aside – they’re not that great.

Yu Qing (name changed) shifts uncomfortably

in his seat – naturally, as it’s an uncomfortable

setting. Three people sit across from him –

filming and snapping photos, writing notes and

filling out forms. He has about ten minutes to

tell us about himself. We smile and try to put

him at ease, but he remains stiff and nervous

as he talks of his friends, his goals, his feelings.

He confides that he’s hard on himself when he

performs poorly on an exam. His nerves are pal-

pable and I wonder if this feels like just another

exam – that this meeting could make or break

his chance for that which he traveled a great

distance, and waited 13 years, to find: a family.

Robin Munro | Senior Writer

Odds

Againstthe

In China, many orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children continually wait to be adopted

Outside this room, over 50 more children wait to meet us. Like

Yu Qing, they have journeyed from all over this broad province

in hopes of finding a forever family. They are between 2 and 13,

boys and girls, hyper and silly, shy and sweet. Over two days,

Holt staff will interview every child – discover their interests and

abilities, and take photos and videos to share with prospective

adoptive families.

Yu Qing’s obvious fear of judgment is ill founded; we seek to

learn more about him so we can match him with the right family –

the family he deserves – not evaluate him. But he clearly feels the

pressure and urgency of his situation. In February, he will turn 14

– the age at which children are no longer eligible for adoption from

China. He is polite, ambitious and caring – the pride of any fam-

ily. But I wonder if that explains Yu Qing’s poor grades. If what he

lacks, despite ambition and hard work, is the pride, support and

love of a devoted, permanent family – the foundation for success.

Since 1993, Holt has partnered with the Chinese government

to move children from institutional care to more family-like

environments. Children develop better – mentally, emotionally,

physically – in the loving embrace of foster parents. Many of the

Journey of Hope children, including Yu Qing, live in foster homes.

Others live in orphanages throughout Jiangsu, a province grown

wealthy from burgeoning manufacturing and trade. The Wuxi

Social Welfare Institute seems more a summer camp than an

orphanage. Colorful murals adorn the hallways and natural light

fills the rooms, where children craft artwork or watch shows on

large, flat-screened TVs. “I’ve seen 50 to 100 orphanages,” says Jian

Chen, Holt’s China program director. “This is the best.”

But even the finest orphanage in the wealthiest province can’t

meet the most important need of every child. “The orphanages

can give them everything, except they can’t give them families,”

says Jian’s assistant, Sue Liu. With this, Holt – in its mission to

provide a permanent loving family for every child – can help.

Three years ago, the Chinese Center of Adoption Affairs created

the Journey of Hope to propel adoption of children in southern

China. Most of them have special needs, or are older – those

who remain after healthier, younger children find families. Last

year, because of Holt’s success placing hard-to-place children, the

CCAA recruited Holt to seek families for a group of children in

Guangzhou. Of 29, Holt matched 11.

“There are 12 children still on the list,” says Jessica Palmer,

Holt’s Waiting Child program manager. Two have turned 14.

Another will age out this year.

Jessica advocates for children who often wait longer for families

because of special needs, ranging from minor conditions such as

a cleft lip, to more involved needs like cerebral palsy. She also

assessed the development of the children in Wuxi. Once home,

she faces the monumental task of finding homes for the children

we met – by posting their pictures and profiles to the Journey

of Hope online photolisting, in hopes that families, browsing

through, will connect with a smile, a story, a personality.

Over this, she agonizes. “It’s pretty emotionally draining,” she

confides.

Xi Li (name changed), a girl from the first Journey of Hope

group, is still on the list – a year later. Outgoing and friendly, she

is in the fourth grade, and near the top of her class. She loves

math and dancing, aspires to become a nurse, and often cares for

the younger children in her orphanage. Now 12, she must find a

family before September 2011, when she turns 14 and is no longer

eligible for adoption from China.

Left: This summer, Yu Qing joined many other children who hope to find families through the Journey of Hope program in southern China. They are mostly boys, many of them older and all have vary-ing degrees of special needs. When Yu Qing turns 14, in February next year, he will no longer be eligible for adoption from China.Right: Yu Qing has been in foster care for 11 years. Here, he stands beside his foster mother.

Adopting a Child From China3 Wonderful Options

China Child of Promise Option: boys and girls with manageable, correct-

able or treatable conditions; children are between the ages of 14 mos-7 years of

age, and have conditions such as cleft lip/palate, club foot, and heart conditions.

Families are able to specify the age range, gender, and medical conditions they

are willing to consider by filling out a Medical Conditions checklist. Holt works

hard to find the best child to meet your family’s capabilities, and there is no pen-

alty for turning down a referral. The wait time, from application to placement,

is about 12-18 months, a fraction of the standard process wait time. For more

information on the China Child of Promise option go online at:

holtinternational.org/china/ccop.shtml

Journey of Hope Option: Because of Holt's commitment to finding families

for all children, Chinese officials have given Holt access to videos and detailed

information in order to find families for groups of children, with varying ages and

medical conditions, from different provinces around China. Learn more about

Holt's Journey of Hope children and how you can bring one of these precious

children home. For more information go online at:

holtinternational.org/journeyofhope

Standard Adoption Option: Once known for placing healthy,

infant girls in a relatively short timeframe, the processing

time to adopt an infant girl with no known health con-

ditions is now approximately 5 years from application

to placement. This is due to many factors including

improving economic conditions in China, growth in

domestic adoptions, and a massive increase in ap-

plications to adopt (submitted between 2005 and

2007). While the timeframe has lengthened, and

will likely continue to lengthen as time goes by,

the process itself remains smooth and predictable.

For more information go online at:

holtinternational.org/china/standard.shtml

As I admire Xi Li’s lovely

picture, I think how cruel

it seems to impose an age

restriction on a child’s

chance for a family. But it

is quite logical. “[Older chil-

dren] have more personal

preferences, more cultural

preferences, more relation-

ships developed,” explains

Abbie Smith, Holt director

of clinical services. As they

age, they struggle more to

adapt to a new life, in a new

country and a new family.

Despite greater chal-

lenges, many older children

have found love and joy in

adoptive families. And through the Journey of Hope, 11 more

– ranging in age from 9 to 13 – will soon join families in the

U.S. To ease their transition, Abbie and staff created a 12-week

group therapy/education program designed specifically for older

children. In Guangzhou, the children are learning coping skills,

exploring cultural contrasts between China and the U.S. and

learning to say goodbye.

Among the second Journey of Hope group, in Jiangsu, over half

the children share another trait of hard-to-place children: two

thirds are boys. In China, because of entrenched cultural norms,

families prefer boys to girls. Perhaps less well known is the pref-

erence for girls among adoptive families. This trend is somewhat

mysterious – Jessica attributes it to a common misperception that

orphanages overflow with abandoned girls. But often, families

abandon boys with medical conditions for which they can’t afford

to provide care. And with greater adoption of girls, the ratio of

boys to girls in care in China is narrowing – even reversing.

For the Journey of Hope children – mostly boys, many of them

older, most with special needs – their journey is one of hope

against the odds. For 11 children so far, hope has prevailed. Holt

even matched four older boys from Guangzhou, including one just

in the nick of time – in September, he will turn 14.

Hearing that news, I am reminded of something Jessica said

on our trip. After meeting a child with serious deformities – and

a killer personality – I asked her about his chances for adoption.

“Anything is possible,” she said. And I think of Yu Qing, that

smart, shy 13-year-old who worries about his grades, worries his

foster mother will feel lonely if he’s adopted, worries he may never

find a family, a stable home and devoted parents – a family to

love him, unconditionally, forever. Anything is possible, I think.

Anything is possible.

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Above: The Nolan Family—Tony, Tammy, Christy, Wil, Bradly and Joy Fei Fei

One year with JoyTony Nolan, special guest speaker at Holt’s Winter Jam concerts, and his wife, Tammy, adopted Joy from China through the China Child of Promise option.

After waiting 18 months for a child referral from China and

then having our agency close its doors, we were forced to make

some major decisions in our adoption journey. God quickly guided

our steps to Holt International and into their China Child of

Promise option. The staff at Holt was incredibly helpful as we

began our journey. We sought the Lord on what medical needs

to consider and became confident that our little girl would have

a heart condition. We settled in for what we thought would be

another year of waiting, only to be pleasantly surprised with that

"long-awaited" referral call just three short weeks after submit-

ting our paperwork. As we reflect on our journey now, it is evident

that God directed us through circumstances and through His

gentle Spirit’s promptings to get us to our daughter in His perfect

timing.

As we listened to the information being relayed to us about

this special little girl, I interrupted to ask if her special need dealt

with her heart. I wasn’t the least bit surprised when this was

confirmed. My only hesitation, at this point, was her age. She was

a little older than what I thought was “ideal” and even though we

had put this age range in our paperwork, I had hoped for a younger

match. As He has done throughout our entire journey, God lov-

ingly spoke to my heart and said: “Are you going to deny this little

girl simply because she is a few months older than your ideal?”

Clearly, I could not walk away and we moved forward to make her

a “Nolan” forever!

Our verse for our daughter throughout our journey and where

we, in fact, received her name is Psalm 19:8, which says: “The life

maps of God are always right, leading the way to joy.” His maps

have proven to be right every single time and they, most definite-

ly, led to more joy than we could have ever imagined.

Our treasure from China no longer has eyes that seem hollow of

emotion, but she smiles with her whole face. This tenderhearted

child, who was once in desperate need of hope, can now take

that Winter Jam stage, in a packed arena, and not only warm the

hearts of all who see her, but also speak on behalf of the orphans

still in need of love and hope! God has already used her to help

thousands of children all over the world who need families.

We’re celebrating one year with our daughter and have settled

into our new and sweet “norm.” Our little Joy has found rest and

security in her new home and has experienced love like never

before. We have also found rest and a new level of security in

our Heavenly Father, as we have walked this amazing journey

with Him and found Him more than faithful. We have all expe-

rienced a new level of love and have grown as a result. Through

the incredible journey of adoption, its highs and lows, our family

has “tasted and seen that the Lord is good…blessed are those that

trust in Him!”

Tony and Tammy Nolan | Woodstock, Georgia

FridgeFridgeFridge

[1] Elliana Sa-rang Wagenleitner, 20 mos. (South Korea)—Clovis, CA

[2] Jax Carney, 3 (South Korea)—Colby, KS

[3] Jeremiah Hull, 1 (Ethiopia)—Huntersville, NC

[4] Logan Williams, 2 (South Korea)—Sussex, NJ

[5] Mesay Fuerstenberg, 2 (Ethiopia), with parents,

Rachel & Jerry—Madison, WI

[6] Aleah Jinjing Beebe, 3 (China)—Kenmore, NY

[7] Nadia Fu Ou Linton, 11 (China)—Rochester, NY

[8] Natalee Yun, 5 (South Korea)—Glendale, CA

[9] Emily Morse, 3 (China), with her brothers, Isaac, 7,

and Parker, 8—Gray, ME

[10] Lola Wenstrand, 5 (China)—Los Gatos, CA

Mail original color prints to:

Holt International magazine

P.O. Box 2880, Eugene, OR 97402

or upload digital photos at holtinternational.org/submissions

[1]

[2]

[4]

[8]

[9]

[5]

[3]

[10]

[6]

[7]

The Blessing of AdoptionGod’s perfect timing for the Leonard family

It's 0600 in the morning, I’m forty,

and it’s my day off. There is a loud

knock on the door followed by an

impatient voice yelling “To infinity

and beyond!” My 3-year-old son

thinks sleeping in is overrated. This

is when I brush the sleep from my

eyes and ask myself, “aren’t I too old

for this?” In fact, I was done having

kids more than ten years ago. God

has an awesome sense of timing. It

was almost three years ago to the day when my wife came

home with a new job and extra income. I had wonderful

plans for the new windfall but, sure enough, God led us in

a direction we weren’t expecting.

We had often talked about adoption, but the right oppor-

tunity never came along. We knew that we wanted to adopt

a child from a foreign country. Our hope was to provide a home

and a future that could not be possible for a child born to an

orphanage. We had two girls already and I was firmly convinced

we needed a boy.

We learned a lot over the course of the next two years. Adoption

can be expensive. There are some agencies that are looking to

cash in from the thousands of couples hoping for a child.

We, however, found Holt International, a Christian group who

used the money generated to build care centers, institute foster

care, and lead the way in ethical adoptions. Orphans in many

countries around the world face a bleak future. Many are cast into

the streets before the age of 12. Our hearts broke for these kids

and we longed for the day we could call one of them our own.

We prayed each night, hung stockings out each Christmas, sent

gifts, and hoped for the day that we would get the call. When the

call finally came, we packed our bags, kissed our girls, and got on

a plane to Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam.

I wish that I could adequately describe the day that we met

Nathan. It is sort of a blur to my memory. What I can tell you is

that the adoption of a child is no less of a miracle than a birth. The

first time they call you BABA (Daddy), or wrestle with their sisters,

or pretend they are Buzz Lightyear, you know that God has bound

them forever to your heart.

My son’s name means “gift of redemption.” This is what his

sweet life means to us. He is a gift that brings our family new

hope and clarity. Many people ask why international adoption?

I say, because love knows no boundary and hope has no color.

There are 44 million orphans worldwide – where is your miracle

waiting?

Capt. David Leonard | Andersen AFB, Guam

Editor’s Note: There are no adoption applications being processed by Vietnam to the U.S at this time; however, a new Vietnam adoption law was passed by the National Assembly in June. Vietnam is working on legislation to guide implementa-tion of the new law and Holt will keep you updated on any new developments.

Above: The Leonard Family—Dave and Valorie, with children Miranda, 10; McKenzie, 14; and Nathan, 3. Left: Nathan playing.

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from the family

Like most people, we experienced both miracles and

challenges during our adoption, but we forged ahead and claimed

2 Corinthians 5:7 as our adoption verse. It states: “For we walk by

faith, not by sight.” That verse came to mean so much to us during

both the joyful and difficult times.

After the birth of our third child, my husband and I decided

that our family was complete. We were content and didn’t plan

to have any more children; however, God had other plans. During

the summer of 2006 we began to think about adding to our family,

discussed adoption and prayed for God’s guidance. We both felt a

tugging toward adoption, but we wanted to make sure it was the

right path for our family. We were looking for some sort of “big”

sign, and that’s exactly what we got when we attended Winter

Jam 2007 in Mobile, Alabama. It was our first time to attend a

Winter Jam concert, so imagine our surprise when we discovered

that Holt International sponsored it. As a video presentation of

orphanages in China played, we watched as tears rolled down

our cheeks. When it was over, we looked at each other and said,

“We’re adopting…we’re going to China.” We requested an applica-

tion packet from Holt the next week.

We started out in the standard process but then switched to

the China Child of Promise option. After only a few weeks in this

program, we received our referral for a beautiful little girl named

Shang Nan. She was listed as having vision problems. We read

over the information and looked at her pictures, and we knew that

she was the one. We fell in love with her instantly.

Rinnah Shangnan is doing very well and is a good-natured and

happy girl. She’s had an eye examination, and it was confirmed

that she is completely blind in her right eye. She wears glasses

now, and we can tell that using them is definitely helping her.

Before we met Rinnah Shangnan, we anticipated that attach-

ment would be her biggest challenge; however, she has attached

and bonded remarkably well. Now our biggest challenge is helping

her with the vision problem and developmental delays. She has

regularly scheduled appointments with a vision therapist, as well

as both a physical and occupational therapist. Rinnah Shangnan

has made a great deal of progress already, but we’ve still got a

long way to go.

To those of you in process now, just remember that waiting

provides you the opportunity to grow and to prepare for the

changes and the challenges ahead. Even then, you will experi-

ence surprises along the way. Some things you just can’t prepare

for but, when you hold your child for the first time, the difficulty

of waiting just fades away. The love that you feel is indescribable.

We are so blessed to have Rinnah Shangan in our family, and we

continue our journey – walking by faith each day.

Jennifer Smith | Citronelle, Alabama

Above: The Smiths with the newest member of their family, Rinnah.

For We Walk by Faith...Not by SightThe story of a little girl with vision problems and the journey of faith her family walked to bring her home

Families can adopt a child from China through this expedited process. These boys and girls—from infants to school-age—have minor, correctable or treatable physical conditions. Is one of these children waiting for you? Attend a webinar to learn more. For more info visit: holtinternational.org/china/ccop.shtml

China Child of Promise Adoption Program

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Amazing FirstsThe joy that comes with adopting an older child

We are the lucky parents of eight children. Our first adoption

journey began in 2006 when we brought home our infant son,

Matthew. It is hard to describe the feelings I had during my first

trip to Ethiopia. The parents in my travel group who had adopted

toddlers and preschoolers were very inspiring to me, and the chil-

dren were amazing and beautiful.

We were so in love with Matthew that we began the adoption

process very soon after he came home. This time we knew that

we wanted to adopt an older child. Our agency, however, wouldn’t

allow us to adopt a child that didn’t follow the birth order of our

family. Lucky for us, we brought home our little 18-month-old

son, Samuel! Samuel definitely made us work a little harder for

his love, but watching him process everything that had changed

in his life was amazing.

Our desire to adopt an older child always remained in our

hearts. After some discussion with our children, we started

researching older child adoption and contacted Holt International.

We were so excited to find out that Holt was willing to consider us

for the adoption of an older child. We definitely wanted to adopt

from Ethiopia again and there was one little girl that we were par-

ticularly drawn to. She was a little older than we were originally

planning on, but after some discussion, prayer, and a little bit of

faith, we knew she would be our daughter! We began the process

with Holt to bring her home!

Our daughter, Asmerach, is nine years old and has been home

with us for almost three months. She has been such a happy girl.

She is beautiful, sweet and so much fun! She is learning English

rapidly and loves school. We may have missed her first smile, her

first steps, and her first word, but we have witnessed so many of

her firsts here in America.

Allow me to share, with you, some of our joys: The expression

on her face the first time she tasted cold ice cream…priceless!

The smile that never left her face the first time she rode on the

carousel, her excitement being in the swimming pool for the first

time, her obvious confusion when we gave her presents for her

birthday, the excitement she felt to have her own bedroom, and

her terrified expression when she thought we may be eating our

pet dog after I gave her a corn dog for lunch!

Coming into a new family, a new culture, and with everyone

speaking a new language, Asmerach has shown us how brave and

strong she really is. She is always ready to jump right in and try

new things. We are getting so much joy from watching her expe-

rience everything we take for granted, and we have so many more

things to look forward to, like: her reaction the first time we take

her to an amusement park, and we can only imagine what her

reaction will be on her first Christmas morning. We realize there

will probably be some bumps along the way, but we are so thank-

ful that we have followed our hearts. We can’t imagine Asmerach

anywhere else but with us.

If you are interested in adopting an older child, go to

holtinternational.org/waitingchild for more information.

Susan Johnson | Rochester, Minnesota

Below: Asmerach, 9, with members of her family, enjoys her first ride on a carousel. Having just come home 3 months ago, this is one of many “firsts” that Asmerach has and will experience with her new family—Wonderful parents, Susan and Charles, and seven siblings (Beth, Becky, Briana, Tasha, Cody, Matthew and Samuel).

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Finding Happiness AgainA family is blessed with a son after expanding their options with the China Child of Promise program

Adoption was something that my husband and I talked about

many years ago, particularly after we lost our son, Brendan, to

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) in 2001. After a long grief

process, we started to explore and research domestic and interna-

tional adoption. We discussed the programs and met with various

people who had adopted internationally.

As a teenage girl I dreamed of having a little girl from China,

and my husband was open to this as well. After a little over a year

of paperwork and wait time, we adopted our daughter Emma from

the Province of Guangdong in 2005. After so many years of empty

hearts and arms, we held our healthy 15-month-old little girl. We

were so excited and thrilled to have been blessed by this gift.

Emma is an amazing little girl who loves to hula-hoop, do gym-

nastics, play the piano and just enjoy life every day. As her pre-K

teacher used to tell her: “You are the sunshine in my classroom.”

She has certainly been my sunshine and warms my heart every

day. Emma has taught us so much more about love and life and

the importance of family. She has even taught me how to parent

a child after the loss of another.

My husband and I decided that we wanted to take another jour-

ney back to China and adopt another little girl. We completed our

paperwork and submitted our dossier to China in 2006. We knew

that the wait would be longer than before, but not that it would

get extended each month that went by!

One day, I was reading an article about Holt’s China Child of

Promise program and about little boys who needed families,

too. When thinking about adoption from China, I had only

naturally every thought about the girls who needed fami-

lies; I had never considered a boy.

My husband and I discussed the program and explored the

possibility of being open to adopting a boy. After so many years

had gone by and having my broken heart mended by my beautiful

daughter, we called Holt and told them that we would like to be

considered as a prospective family in the China Child of Promise

option and, in addition, that we preferred adopting a boy with a

mild, correctable medical condition.

I’ll never forget the day I spoke to Holt; they were so happy to

hear that we were open to adopting a boy. Furthermore, they told

me that it could be a matter of weeks until we received a phone

call (something I couldn’t comprehend after waiting for 2 years).

We submitted our medical checklist in November and received

the phone call in December about a 13-month-old little boy with

clubfeet.

After contacting pediatric orthopedic doctors about the sever-

ity of his feet and condition, we were told that he had a mild case

of clubfeet that could be easily corrected by serial casting and

braces. We knew this was the child that we had long waited for.

Words cannot even express how much love I have for Daniel.

He is truly an amazing boy and has shown me that life should

be lived with joy and happiness. Daniel has gone through a lot

since we brought him home, but he laughs and smiles every day.

He completed a month and a half of serial casting for his feet and

is now wearing his braces. He wears a different pair of braces

at night and continues to have “corrected feet.” He may require

a minor surgical procedure (moving a tendon from one place to

another), which would be done when he is a little older. In the

meantime, Daniel walks, runs and acts like any 2-year-old little

boy. Nothing holds him back.

Our two children have truly blessed us, and I never thought

how much my life would be completed by my family.

Michele Mazzio | West Chester, Pennsylvania

Above: Siblings, Emma and Daniel. Daniel was adopted through Holt’s China Child of Promise option. Currently there is a great need for adoptive families for boys with minor, correctable med-ical needs in China. Please con-

tact Holt’s China program for more information. holtinternational.org/china

adoptees today

Where God Began My JourneyA Holt adoptee offers her heart and hands to the place she spent her first years of life

The blasts of car horns below my Chicago apartment

take me from my graduate school studies, back to the busy

streets of Pune, India and into the fifth floor of

Bharativa Samaj Seva Kendra’s (BSSK) Children’s

Center. It was there that I served as a volunteer for

three months this past autumn. My trip back to

Pune seems like a dream on this April afternoon.

The experience was one that will continue to enrich

me for the rest of my life.

In 2001, I made my first trip back to India with

my parents and two brothers (both adopted from

India). It was during this trip that I got reacquainted

with the place I called home for the first two years of my life—

BSSK. On this 2001 trip, my desire to volunteer at BSSK and also

visit Parbhani – the city of my birth – increased. Eight years

later my dream was fulfilled; I returned to my Motherland from

September to December 2009. I came offering my heart and hands

to the place that loved and cared for me before placing me into the

arms of my forever parents.

The staff at BSSK welcomed me with open arms and full

hearts, and I received a glimpse of how they genuinely love all of

the children in care. What really stirred my heart, however, was

spending time with five caretakers who actually remembered me

from nearly 27 years ago!

During my time at BSSK I enjoyed partaking in the celebration

of Navarti, Diwali and Christmas with the children, along with

attending several local weddings. When BSSK celebrated their

30th anniversary in November, I was fortunate to be able to par-

ticipate in the festivities. The longevity of BSSK is truly a testa-

ment of the valiant work being done by the entire staff.

In Aurangabad, I had the pleasure of participating in BSSK-

Aurangabad’s 225th child adoption placement ceremony. They

even asked me to share what BSSK meant to me and allowed me

to present the baby to her parents. Watching the BSSK workers

lovingly shepherd homeless children into the arms of families

who will love them forever, was one more demonstration of the

wonderful work Holt is doing in India.

When I visited Parbhani, which is about 230 miles from Pune,

my traveling companion and I walked around the town and

eventually ended up at the civil hospital where I was left at six

months of age. Before leaving the hospital, I took a handful of soil

from the garden near the pediatric ward. For me this jar of dirt

was not just a simple souvenir. It is a memento with emotional

value…from the place I was born, the place where God began my

journey.

Volunteering at BSSK allowed me to discover, in new ways, the

utter preciousness of the people of India and especially at BSSK.

Though my three months in India seemed to go by so fast, vibrant

memories will remain in my heart always – along with lots of

pictures in my album!

On the day I said goodbye, the staff turned out at

the airport to present me with treasured tokens of my

Motherland that will serve as a daily reminder of their

smiling eyes, their happy voices, their busy hands….

and their loving hearts.

Though this visit involved experiences that were

uniquely my own, I would strongly encourage other

adoptees to consider going back to their Motherland. I

owe BSSK a great deal of gratitude. I am truly blessed to have two

sets of amazing people in my life…the family at BSSK who helped

me during my early years and my parents who have given me

more than I could possibly imagine.

Bethany Meera Bryant | Chicago, Illinois

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Bethany spends time with children at BSSK, where she spent three months as a volunteer.

...vibrant memories

will remain in my heart

always

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updatesPhilippinesThere are many older children and children with special needs from the Philippines

who are waiting to be united with their “forever families.” The Philippines program is

a particularly good choice when one or both adoptive parents is of Filipino heritage, as

these families will be matched (on average) six to eight months faster than non-Filipino

families applying to adopt from the Philippines. For more information on adopting from

the Philippines go to www.holtinternational.org/philippines

IndiaMany children in India need loving, nurturing families. Because of Holt’s long

history and extensive programs serving Indian children, we have a successful his-

tory of placing children from India with adoptive families in the U.S. Holt welcomes

Indo-Americans (born in India) as well as non-Indian applicants to adopt from India.

Adoptive families are especially needed for toddlers, preschoolers and children with

medical or developmental needs. For more information on adopting from India go to

www.holtinternational.org/india

Graduate SubmissionsWanted: photos of Holt adoptees who are graduating from high school, college or

vocational school for the fall issue of the magazine. For a Graduate submission form,

go online to www.holtinternational.org/gradsubmissions. Deadline is September

1st. Contact Managing Editor Ashli Keyser at ashlik@holtinternational.org with any

questions.

Holt EventsHolt's Dinner and Auction Event in Monroe Township, New Jersey and Portland, Oregon

are coming up on September 25th and October 16th, respectively. The New Jersey event

will be held at The Crowne Plaza, Monroe and will benefit children in Holt’s Waiting

Child program. The Portland event will benefit homeless and at-risk children in Vietnam

and will be held at Montgomery Park. Both events start at 5:30 p.m. Come and join the

fun and help children in Holt's care! See www.holtinternational.org/events for more

information, or call (800)-451-0732.

Holt PicnicsCommunities build around shared experiences. Every year, adoptees and their families

gather at Holt's Annual Picnics to enjoy the company of those who share the unifying

experience of adoption. Last year, over 2,100 people attended Holt’s picnics, from

Oregon to New Jersey and several states between. We hope you can attend a Holt picnic

this year! For more information go to www.holtinternational.org/picnics

Pastor Matthew Barnett & Holt International Present the NY2LA Dream Center Tour! Matthew Barnett, legendary pastor of The Los Angeles Dream Center – one of the fastest

growing churches in America – and Holt International present the NY2LA Dream Center

Tour—reaching out to communities with an inspirational message of hope and the

opportunity to make a difference in the lives of orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable

children. The tour, featuring recording artists Press Play and Coffey Anderson, and with

inspirational words by Pastor Barnett, will begin August 2nd in Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena

at the Assembly of God National Youth Convention and will play in markets as diverse as

Louisville, Tulsa, San Antonio, Orlando and, of course, New York and L.A. Free. No tickets

required. Information online at www.ny2latour.com

neighborhood calendarGeorgiaOctober 17 | Atlanta area — Holt Family Picnic at

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

IllinoisAugust 14 | Oakbrook Terrace — Holt Family Picnic at

Lake View Nature Center

IowaSeptember 19 | Le Grand — Holt Family Picnic at

Le Grand Community Center, 12:30 – 4:00 p.m.

Kansas/MissouriAugust 7 | Prairie Village — Holt Family Picnic at Harmon Park,

11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

New JerseyAugust 8-13 | 2010, Sussex — Holt Adoptee Camp for adoptees 9-16 years old

(Holt’s Day Camp is August 12)

September 11 | Lakewood — Holt Family Picnic at Pine Park

September 25 | Monroe Township — Gala Dinner and Auction to benefit

children in Holt’s Waiting Child program. 5:30 PM, Crowne Plaza

Monroe

OregonAugust 7 | Eugene — Holt Family Picnic at Camp Harlow

October 16 | Portland — Gala Dinner and Auction to benefit children and

families in Holt’s care in Vietnam. 5:30 PM, Montgomery Park

TexasNovember 5 | Southlake — Dinner to benefit children with special needs.

6:30 PM, Paradise Cove

Get the InfoHolt Family Picnics

For information or to volunteer at a picnic contact Sally Dougherty at

sallyd@holtinternational.org. All picnics 11 a.m.-3 p.m. unless noted

otherwise. Go to www.holinternational.org/picnics for more info

For Holt Adoptee Camp information contact:

Steve Kalb at stevek@holtinternational.org or go to

www.holtinternational.org/camp

For Day Camp information contact:

Michael Tessier at michaelt@holtinternational.org or go to

www.holtinternational.org/camp/daycamp.shtml

Rajeshwari

waiting childrenThese and other children need

adoptive families

Su-binBailey

TrentBorn: 3/13/07 - Africa

Trent enjoys playing with his toys and is always happy and smiling. He has hydrocephalus and is currently in physi-cal therapy to improve the motion in his legs, although they seem strong. He has good interaction with his caregivers and loves giving them high fives.

RajeshwariBorn: 11/10/06 - India

This sweet, affectionate little girl has visual impairment due to optic atrophy and wears glasses. She is otherwise healthy. Rajeshwari attends school for the visually impaired, and her caretak-ers describe her as “the girl with the cute smile and cheerful disposition.” There is a $5,000 grant available from Brittany’s Hope.

BaileyBorn: 9/28/02 China

Everyone loves this sweet little girl. In care since 2005, she now lives with a fos-ter family. She is a carrier of Hepatitis B and has a few small neoplasms on her left ear. Clever and kind, Grace loves helping out with the younger children, sliding at the park and playing with dolls. She regu-larly attends school and is delayed aca-demically. Grace is described as "the girl with the loving heart." This precious girl needs a family who is open to her medical condition and can provide her with any medical care she may need.

Su-binBorn: 6/13/09 – South Korea

Su-bin’s caretakers describe him as a “lovely child.” He has a small chin and high arch palate, which is being followed up with a genetic consult. Su-bin has a history of brain abnormalities and devel-opmental delays. There is a $5,000 Special Blessings grant available from Holt.

For more information on adopting these and other waiting children, contact Erin Mower at erinm@holtinternational.org

Rajeshwari

Trent

holtinternational.org/waitingchild/photolisting

P o s t O f f i c e B o x 2 8 8 0E u g e n e , O R 9 7 4 0 2

Change Service Requested

A campaign to find adoptive parents for children in China

• Boys and girls 2–13 years old• Many now live with

foster families• Some have special needs

www.holtinternational.org/journeyofhope or call 888-355-HOLT

Children need adoptive families...before it’s too late!