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When I saw children in the care of Holt programs in China a few months ago, it gave me a warm feeling inside. The nurturing of devoted caregivers and foster parents is giving these children a strong and healthy start in life. It's so encouraging to see the children getting what they need and being loved on with the attention they crave.
I am sincerely grateful for Holt sponsors and donors who help support these children and our efforts to care for them. You are providing for these children through some of the most crucial times of their lives.
We never know what the future holds for the children in our care. Only God knows. But we do know that each one of the children entrusted into our arms deserves to be loved. Your contributions and support
are enabling them to develop toward their potential and eventually be united with permanent families.
Just as I once depended upon the caring of generous people who supported me in an orphanage in Korea, these children today depend upon the compassion and faithful giving of caring people like you.
Kim S. Brown
President & CEO
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Amy Needs Adoptive Parents |
DOB: May 21, 2001
from Ethiopia
 This beautiful, young lady is always smiling and loves to sing. She came into Holt's care in 2008 and had syphilis, but has since tested negative for the condition. She is good at following directions and likes to help with the younger children. There is a grant available through Brittany's Hope Foundation
Adopting a Waiting Child
Holt's Waiting Child program has children with special healthcare needs, older children, and sibling groups who all need loving, forever families...
Learn more about the Waiting Child Program.
Help children with special needs get a permanent, loving family. |
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Adoption Tax Credit: The adoption tax credit, which has assisted many families offset the cost of international adoption, is set to expire in December of 2010. Support is urgently needed to pass The Adoption Tax Relief Guarantee Act of 2009, which will make the tax credit permanent and allow more families the opportunity to adopt a child and bring them into a loving home. Click here to learn more about the tax credit, and find out how you can help get this bill passed.
Uganda Adoption Program: Holt needs adoptive parents for children of Uganda. We are now accepting applications from families interested in providing permanent homes to children from this country. For more information, please contact Stephanie or Jennifer Dalton.
Wanted: photos that make you smile: We're always looking for great photos of adopted children enjoying life with their families and friends. We publish these photos in a variety of Holt publications including Holt International magazine, our website, Holt e-newsletter and our annual calendar. Upload digital photos online by clicking here (please send the highest resolution photos available).
You can increase the likelihood that we'll use your photo by including a story as well. Is there a topic you'd like to share with other adoptive families, adoptees, donors or families considering adoption? Holt needs stories about adopting through Holt, adult adoptee thoughts and experiences, sponsor or donor stories. E-mail for guidelines, or send stories (250 to 1,000 words) or ideas to editorial@holtinternational.org
Holt Graduates: Deadline for photos of Holt adoptees who are graduating from high school and college is September 1, 2009, for the Fall issue of the magazine. Go to the Graduate Submission Form online.
Photos for Holt Calendar: The deadline to submit photos for the Holt International Calendar is July 15th. Please mail your photos to Holt International, P.O. Box 2880, Eugene, OR 97402 or E-mail them to Ashli Courtright at ashlic@holtinternational.org
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Considering International Adoption?
Get the information you need from the convenience and privacy of your home... log onto a Holt adoption webinar. Several times each month Holt International hosts a live online webinar where one of our adoption workers walks you through the process with helpful audiovisuals and answers questions. You get the most current information about:
 adopting a child through Holt--costs, time frames, countries, requirements, etc.
the benefits and considerations of international adoption
an opportunity to ask your specific questions
Check out dates for Holt's next webinar
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Holt's Vision Statement
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Holt International Children's Services is dedicated to carrying out God's plan for every child to have a permanent, loving family.
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Hearts For Children in Need
Inspiring stories about sponsoring children in Holt's care
From Loving Sponsor, to Loving Home
by: Jenn Hand, Nepal
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The McKay family adopted Manna [left] who was once sponsored by Jenn Hand. |
I was at a Newsong concert when the Lord completely captured my heart as the band shared about the ministry of Holt International. I honestly thought I should ignore the fast beating of my heart as I heard the stories of the children in need of sponsorship, because I myself was a graduate school student, which of course equals little to no money. But I knew God was calling me to the sponsorship table, where I picked out my little girl, Manna. I fell more in love with her every month as I sent that check and loved getting the very detailed updates about how she was doing. Little did I know during this time God was calling me to come serve him in another bordering country to where she lived in south Asia. I was amazed how God provided for me as I raised support to come serve Him in south Asia, and even without a steady paycheck, there was always enough money to send to little Manna. I proudly displayed her picture on my refrigerator. In 2007 I left for south Asia where I received the blessing of getting to work with an orphanage here. Every time I hugged one of our orphans I thought of Manna and prayed for her to find a great home. I almost got to meet her in October 2007 as I traveled to Bangalore, India, to lead a women's conference, however the conference session went too long and I was unable to meet up with her foster family before I had to leave. Every time I see a beggar child in the streets of south Asia (and there are hundreds) I praised God for the ministry of Holt and for the foster home Manna was in. When I heard she was adopted into a loving Christian family, I just could not stop praising the Lord. Now I have a new little girl's photo on my refrigerator.
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Inspired to Give
by: Joann Westerman, Fair Oaks, CA
My daughter and her husband adopted a beautiful baby girl from Korea through Holt in October of 1999. Tristen was 5 months old when she came into our lives. Because of this amazing life-changing experience, I have dedicated my life to helping children. I feel sponsoring is just a small way of helping. I also do volunteer work with children in crisis. Being able to financially and physically help children fulfills my life.
Joann (left) was inspired to help children in Holt's care by the adoption of her granddaughter, Tristen.
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Joi's Prayers Answered
by: Richard Buckley
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Joi [first row center] and her family had their prayers answered when their sponsored child found a loving, permanent home. |
As part of a ministry event called The Advent Conspiracy, my family and I chose to do four things to focus on Jesus this past Christmas: We worshipped more fully, spent less on ourselves, gave more to others, and loved the people God has placed in our path more fully. One exciting thing we did was to allow each of our daughters to sponsor a girl from their native country (2 from China and 1 from Korea).
Joi sponsored a child through Holt International, and she fervently prayed for her. Every mealtime and bedtime prayer included a special mention of her name asking God to watch over her. If I forgot to pray for her, Joi made me "do it over," or she added her own "P.S." to God after the prayer. The amazing thing is that her sponsored child has the very same foster parents as Joi did! It's tempting to say "It's a small world after all" but it's much better to say "What an awesome and huge God we have!"
- Read more...
Join these dedicated sponsors and help a child in need.....
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An adoptive dad reflects on having two beautiful children
By: Terry R. Cassreino
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With Father's Day fast approaching, my children are on my mind more than usual. Our family is in the process of moving to southeast Louisiana after I accepted a job and began work there in May. Our children stayed home with my wife, helping prepare our house for sale and packing for the move.
Being a father came late for me, just like my marriage. Both have been a huge blessing. Pam and I met in 1997 when I was 36; we married in 1999. When it became obvious we weren't going to have a child naturally, we chose to adopt, hooked up with Holt International and the rest, to use a trite phrase, is history. We brought our daughter, Camryn, home from China in 2006.
A few years later Camryn sat in my lap and begged me to talk about the upcoming China trip my wife and I were taking to bring home our second child, Matthew. Her excitement had been building for months, ever since Pam and I learned that we were matched with a little boy through Holt's China Child of Promise program.
"Tell me about my baby brother," Camryn said as she smiled and laughed. "Talk to me about Matthew. Is he going to be big? Is he still a baby? Can I play with him?"
Hearing Camryn's excitement didn't surprise me at all. We had been talking to her about Matthew for weeks to help her prepare for his arrival and ease the transition to having a second child as a member of our family.
Matthew has been home since December. For me, nothing is more touching than watching Camryn sit on the floor of her bedroom, open a book, point to the pictures and create a story for her brother as if she's reading the words on the pages. Matthew usually sits quiet and attentive, listening to every word.
Read more...
Honor your father or someone special by giving a gift to a child in need.....
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A look at how Holt is helping children and families in Haiti
By: Bruce Dahl, Director of Programs for Africa
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On a recent trip to Haiti, Country Director, Mansour Masse drove Dan Lauer and me around to see the wonderful work Holt is doing in the lives of families and children in Haiti.
The Holt Fontana Village
When we arrived at the Village, the children were taking their afternoon naps, and it was quiet as the midday heat surrounded the compound. Inside, the almond trees and other tropical plants provided abundant shade and a small, almost cool breeze below the canopy.
During my last visit to Haiti, the construction of the Holt Fontana Village had just been completed, and our first children, six girls, had been accepted into care. Today there are 31 children in care, and the second-phase construction of four additional houses is close to completion, which will allow the intake of another 20 children, expected by the end of this year.
Family Preservation
We traveled the half hour north from the Holt Fontana Village to Montrouis, where we met Abdullai, who is managing Holt Haiti's Family Preservation program.
Holt's Fanmi Ansam (family together) program has about 90 participating families. The central focus of the program at this time is the provision of school sponsorship and family trainings, which family members are encouraged to attend each month. Besides learning about health, hygiene, family planning and other practical information, the families receive useful kitchen utensils, dishes, a pot or pan, a tool, or cleaning supplies at the end of the training to improve their lives and, of course, to encourage their participation.
The monthly trainings are instrumental in bringing the families together, but also teach people who live in dire poverty how to protect themselves from disease and to improve health, through adopting simple daily behaviors, such as washing hands with soap and water.
Mansour shared a story of a single mother whose child had become seriously ill with diarrhea and a high fever. She took her sick child to the doctor and was told that he had parasites. This had been a recurring problem with all of her children and no matter how much medicine was prescribed the condition would always reappear. Read more...
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