Overjoyed

I'm thrilled, ecstatic, overjoyed, to announce that one of my dearest friends just signed on to host AND adopt from Latvia!!

These girlies are about to get an older brother...

I'd like you to meet my friend Amy and her family...head on over to her new blog To Latvia With Love to follow their journey.

Amy and I go way back to our college years as Azusa Pacific University. If Facebook (or digital cameras) had been around back then I'd have loads of crazy pics to share with you, but they weren't, lucky for Amy I suppose :) We met when I signed on to go on a mission trip to Russia with her roommate Robyn. Robyn introduced us and after returning from Russia I moved in with the girls, as in we all shared a single bedroom for the summer! Fun times! Amy is the kind of friend every girl NEEDS! She's just that awesome! I'm so thankful to have her in my life and I'm beyond excited to follow their hosting journey this summer and beyond!!

These three cuties will most definitely NEED an older brother come high school!!

If you're interested in hosting a child this summer (late June to early August) just fill out our pre-application and your regional coordinator will contact you! A few preview families, like Amy's got a "sneak peek" today, the rest of the list goes LIVE TOMORROW February 1st!! We've got some amazing kids on the list! Don't miss this amazing opportunity to share your home with a needy child this summer! It will change your life FOREVER!!

Our Families Found Us

I thought it was high time to post an update about some of our winter host kiddos who were in search of forever families...MANY have been chosen and their families are now in the process of bringing them home for good!

These include:

Edgars - his family is blogging here.

Viktors - his family is blogging here.

Maija

Vitaly

Tetyana

Super thankful to see these cuties going to their forever families! Many are still waiting to be found including sweet Anya who will turn 16 in April and therefore no longer be able to be adopted!

If you'd like to view the other waiting kids you can view the Latvian kids here and the Ukrainian kids here.

In other news last week I asked our winter host families to sum up hosting with a short phrase, the hope is to get t-shirts made to help raise scholarship money! I just LOVED what they came up with and had to share a few of my favorites!

• Temporary Family, Permanent Impact
• Hope for Orphans
• Finally Loved, Forever Changed
• Sharing the Father with the Fatherless
• You are the Key - Unlock a Lost Heart

We're nearly ready to start matching our new group of kids with summer host families! If you're interested UNLOCKING A LOST HEART from Latvia or Ukraine or even China please fill out our pre-application and your regional coordinator will contact you!



Waiting Children - Ukraine Edition

AlonAlAThese are some of the children who were here as a part of our Winter orphan hosting program. Their host parents are not in the position to consider being a forever family or were not intending to be such. Their commitment was to host the child, love them, share Christ's love and advocate for them to others. Keep in mind Ukraine requires a minimum age gap between parent and child of 16 years but only ONE parent must meet this requirement!! All kids below are from Ukraine, to read about our waiting kids from Latvia click here. For a complete listing of available kids please click here. Password is winterhosting.

Vitaly

UPDATE: Vitaly has a family!!!

Vitaly is a happy 11 year-old boy from Ukraine. He is a wonderful and energetic child who loves to help around the house, listen to music, play musical instruments, sing, and eat (especially bananas)! His favorite color is yellow, and he loves to play outside and visit new places. We have been hosting him for the last 3 weeks, and he has adapted very quickly to his life in America, bonding well with adults and children. Vitaly speaks both Russian and Ukrainian, and is quickly learning some English words as well. His favorite school subject is math. He has a medical condition, but strictly follows his medicine schedule and seems very healthy and active. We would love to help Vitaly find his forever family! For more information on Vitaly contact his host mom Erica at: ericaraemanz@gmail.com.

Mykola and Maxym

Mykola and Maxym are brothers from the Ukraine and their ages are 14 & 12 respectively. They are sweet, sweet boys that need a forever home with lots of love and attention. Some of the things they love have been riding bikes, swimming, playing soccer, helping around the house and with the yard. They love each other very much and it shows in how they care for one another. The older boy, Mykola, loves to eat fruit and yogurt, he's the health nut. His younger brother, Maxym, is an all American boy who loves all foods, especially Italian!! I think they would do very well in a family with older children as they need and love attention. For more information please contact their host family: jim-renee@carolina.rr.com.

Sergiy

Sergiy is a happy 11 year old boy from the Ukraine.  He is a loving, chatterbox of a boy.  He loves to talk to you and doesn’t get discouraged when you don’t understand.  He laughs and shakes his head as if saying silly Americans.  He loves to take pictures, record videos, play on the swing, go bowling and play “just dance” on the Wii.  He loves children of all ages.  He is very gentle with younger kids and animals.  You could often find him curled up with our older dog kissing and hugging him.  He is very tender hearted and doesn’t like people to cry.  He cried when our younger cousin became afraid on a tire swing.  He hugged her and cried with her.  He has been learning English.  He will quickly greet you with a wonderful Russian/Ukrainian accent of” Ello”….  He is quick to tell you he loves you and learned “I am sorry.”  You may find him saying I am sorry to the car door when he bumps into it. He is in a special needs orphanage that is well run and must be sponsored by Christian missionaries.  He loves Jesus and points him out in all pictures.  While watching the Jesus video (cartoon edition), he cried during the crucifixion while moaning Jesus….  He prays and wants everyone to pray with him, but if your prayer is too long he will AMEN you.  He is behind in school and is at about a 3rd grade level.  However, he went to a private school for the day with my cousin who teaches 6th grade.  He did very well in class.  He participated in science projects and bonded with the kids.  He even shook his finger at a boy and told him NO when the boy took a ruler from one of the girls in class.  He has FAS facial traits and is uncoordinated with physical activity such as learning to ride a bike.  He can put together puzzles without problem and colors well.  He can swim like a little fish and even started to do flips off the side of the pool. Overall he is an adorable, loving, mischievous boy with a heart for God.  I would love for him to find a forever home.  We love him and pray that this happens. For more information about Sergiy please contact his host mom Sandi at sandildavis@comcast.net.

Alona and Eliza

Alona

                                                                          Alona (left) Eliza (right)

Alona is a strong 15 year old with a good heart, but one that is built to survive.  She would thrive in a family with kids around her own age. She loves music and hanging out with other teens. She needs a family with teenage girl experience and a strong mother and father.  She is sweet to young children, but much prefers those her own age.  She loves animals, particularly horses and dogs. She likes to shop and does well when there are activities planned and things to keep her active. She carries a lot of hurt, but with the right people in her life, we are confident she will grow more fully into the beautiful woman that she is!

Eliza is nearly 11 and very much a tomboy!  She is adorable and connected well with both Mom & Dad.  She loves playing video games, has a huge love and gift for soccer and enjoys animals.  Eliza shows a strong desire for a forever family and made a big effort to learn English. She is very thankful for all she was given while here and to everyone whose path she crossed…right down to the cashier and grocery store bagger!  Everyone fell in love with this sweet girl.

We adored both girls in so many ways, but based on the needs of our current children and the personality needed to parent a strong, teen girl, we know that we are not the right parents for these girls. And because the girls do truly love and care for each other, it wouldn’t be right for us to separate them from their sister-bond.

We would be happy to talk and share with any family that is interested in giving these precious girls a forever family!!  We are praying for God’s lead and best for both girls, even if that means we aren’t in that picture. For more information on Alona and Eliza please contact their host mom Dee at: dee@poseytrans.com.

Anya
Update: Anya has a family

 LAST CHANCE!! Turns 16 in April!
Best if it is a family that has their paperwork ready... or a family willing to move very quickly!

Anya is not able to be adopted by our family because we are not 16 years older than her. Otherwise, we would be pursuing her ourselves. I do not think I can say enough good about Anya. From day one, she bonded with mom very well. The fact that she misses her dad made it a little more difficult to bond immediately with dad; however, by the last two weeks, she was bonding very well with both parents and acting appropriately towards us. We have a 3 year old son and she was a fantastic "big sister." Though we did not expect her to help with him, she was quick to play with him and help in any way she could. She was also eager to help around the house without being asked. Anya has not grown up in the orphanage. She has only been there a few years. She has good manners and was a very joyful girl. Once she got comfortable with us, she was a very "normal" teenager. There were times when she was moody, but she never lashed out and she ALWAYS obeyed even when she didn't like what we told her (example: she didn't like having to get ready for bed). She was always quick to smile and laugh. She loves music! She loves to sing! She loves to try new things. We had a picture perfect hosting experience. There were few, if any, issues that came up. She was not perfect, but neither were we. She wanted to learn English and did very well picking up words very quickly. Those are the facts. Here is my heart... We fell in love with Anya. From the moment we met her, we connected. She became part of our family, she became as a daughter to me. My heart aches for her and I desire the utmost best for her future. Please, please, if you are looking for a teen girl who is easy-going and able to adapt easily to your family - she is your girl! She belongs in a family! She NEEDS a family! She wanted to stay here. She wants to come back. Please, pray that she might be the one to join your family! From the deepest part of my soul, I beg you to please consider her. If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me: joshandsusandack@gmail.com.

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Are any of these cuties yours???  Please share this post so we can find homes for all these sweet ones! An orphanage is no place for a child to grow up. They need a mom and dad to love them, hug them and take care of them!

"No one has ever shown me family, spent money on me, or loved me."

That's a direct quote from a 14 year old boy being hosted in Illinois this Christmas! It breaks my heart and I hope it breaks yours too!

If you'd like to host a child this summer our pre-application is now up and running. Filling out the pre-application does not commit you to summer hosting, it only puts your contact information in the hands of your regional coordinator. Click here to fill out the pre-application.

Update on Edgars - It's a Good One!!!

A letter from Edgar's host mom Morgan...

 

This is truly one of the happiest days of my life. I am so excited that I cannot contain it any longer…

I am overjoyed to announce that Edgars has found his forever family!!!

What an amazing world we live in! My letter advocating for Edgars’ adoption went up on Facebook just eight days ago – late the night of January 9th. The following day, Stacey Maljian from NHFC featured him on her blog and spread the word about our boy throughout her network, which included Andrea Young, who writes the incredibly popular adoption blog, Babe of My Heart .

The response has been unbelievable. By January 11th, fifty-four families had contacted me with interest in adopting Edgars. And the response hasn’t stopped – as of today, eighty-six (86!) families in total have messaged me, and many more have called NHFC and the adoption agents directly.

We received confirmation yesterday that Edgars is legally cleared for adoption. Edgars’ family filed their application this morning, and this afternoon a letter was sent to the Ministry in Latvia advising them of the family’s intention to adopt!

The most beautiful piece of this story is that Edgars’ mom was the first person to respond after reading Andrea’s blog and I have been speaking with her since well before Edgars returned to Latvia. She and her amazing husband have showed unwavering commitment to Edgars from the beginning, and I am so incredibly thankful for this family’s willingness to share their journey with us. What I love most about them is their ability to accept Edgars for who he is – a very special but very hurt child. They are experienced and educated about the road ahead, and they are prepared to love him through it all. This is not about saving Edgars or changing him into a perfect Christian boy…for this family, it is about love and trusting in God’s plan. There is nothing in the world I want more for Edgars than this kind of pure love and acceptance.

If you are one of the many families who contacted us about Edgars, please accept my deepest gratitude for opening your hearts to this boy we love so much! While this will be joyous yet disappointing news for many families, I would like to offer you this… I believe in my heart that God has used Edgars’ story to touch the hearts of many people who may have never otherwise considered welcoming an older teen into their families. Our boy’s life is now forever changed because I saw his photo in an online photolisting one evening last September. YOU have the ability to change a child’s life! Please visit www.newhorizonsforchildren.org to learn about hosting a child for 5 weeks this summer. You will feel blessed beyond your wildest dreams.

I am so grateful for the outpouring of love and support for Edgars. I can honestly say – for the first time ever though all of this – that my heart feels an undeniable sense of peace that can only have been provided by God. Please continue to pray for Edgars, his forever family, and for our family in the coming months and beyond. HE’S COMING HOME!!!



Oh yes you are Edgars, oh yes you are!!!

I'm beyond thrilled to be able to help Morgan spread this fantastic news!! Her beautifully written plea for a family for Edgars is now my most read post ever!! It's gotten over 2,000 hits! And that's on this blog alone. Andrea also blogged about him and had 6,284 hits, plus many of her other adoption minded friends with their own networks also shared and his adorable face went viral on the internet this week. You may remember, Andrea, she was instrumental in finding Dzintars forever family!! And to make this whole story even more of a GOD STORY, I'd been reading Andrea's blog for years, but she had no clue who I was. Then I realized she was also hosting a child this summer and therein began our friendship! When it came time to advocate for Dz I stepped out in faith and asked her to help me spread the word and she agreed. Andrea's amazing and her blog is widely read in the adoption community, but not because she does a lot of advocating, she typically writes about her day to day life and what the Lord is teaching her. So the fact that the Lord even led me to ask is beyond my comprehension.  Had we not already established a connection via hosting I don't know that she would have given my adovcation request too much thought nor would I have even asked! So, so, so thankful for an awesome God who is in the details! Now that Edgars has also found his forever family via her blog I'm thinking Andrea and I make quite a team!!

Praise Jesus for one less orphan!

 

 

Love Letter

One of my California host families hosted a boy named Robert. Robert is 17 years old and due to his age was considered "host only"since the U.S. won't allow kids to be adopted once they have turned sixteen. The day after our Latvian kids flew home his host mom, Jenny found a letter from Robert in their mailbox. Robert is fluent in English and was able to adequately express his gratefulness for this experience in writing. Jenny and Robert have given me permission to share his letter here. 

Jenny shares that Robert was so easy to host.  She said the letter meant a lot to them because the older kids aren't always as affecionate as the younger ones, so it gave them a better understanding of how he felt about his visit.

Dear Blattner Family,

Thank you for choosing me. I've got a lot of experience. This visit was amazing and you guys left me awesome memories. It is hard to believe I need to go back. It's hard to believe how fast time is going.... I'm glad to be here with you! Thank you for the best holiday I ever had!! I will never forget you!!! First time I feel like in a real family. I will miss you all... :( Thank you and God Bless you!!! 

From, 

Robert

I bet this letter echos the feelings of many, if not all of the other host kids, only they don't have the ability to speak and write English as well as Robert! What a beautiful gift he left behind for his family!

 

 

Holding On To God's Promises

Each hosting period we ask our host families to choose one of God's promises they'd like to "speak" over their host child. We ask them to write it on a big piece of cardboard or poster board and take a photo of their host child holding the sign. This project is always my favorite of the entire hosting period!! Below is a beautiful video with our winter host kids and their promises of God!

Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." 

Winnie the Pooh

The last of my California kiddos are now homeward bound.  The Latvians have been home for a few days, some of our Ukrainians have arrived and a still others are on long train rides to their various regions. As sad as departure day is I actually found it more "fun" than arrival day (as a coordinator that is, as a host family departure day is just plain AWFUL, you can read this post aptly titled Goodbye Sucks to get an idea of how heart wrenching departure day is from a hosting perspective) . These kids who 4 weeks ago were stoic, scared and nearly silent are now full of JOY and LIFE!!! This can only be attributed to the LOVE their host families poured into them while they were here! Their hearts are full and part of their souls have been restored! I'm so blessed to be apart of this amazing ministry!! In a matter of four weeks their host families have changed these kids lives FOREVER!!!

Our Latvians left on a flight at 6 am Sunday morning. EEEK! Wowsers! That was early. I wish I could say the staff at American Airlines was helpful as I attempted to check in 7 foreigners, but they just weren't. Maybe it was the dreadful hour (4 am) but they just weren't too pleasant to work with. It seems LAX has now gone to a nearly automated check in system, great if you've got a confirmation number, not so great if you don't....they had me going this way and then that way and then back again. All with 6 kiddos, their host families and our chaperone trailing behind me, and don't forget the luggage. UGH! Due to this "back and forth" our final goodbyes were more rushed than I'd liked. Here are some pictures of our Latvians as they prepared to depart due to the hurry we were in most of these pics aren't mine, I stole borrowed

The Mullers praying over Sasha and Zhenya. 

This one makes me tear up every time!

Kim praying over Artjoms.

 Do you see that smile? This kid's whole world changed this month! If you don't believe me, see his before and after picture below!!

 Artjoms "before and after". Out of all my CA kiddos this guy probably changed the most! He wore his hood for the first few days of hosting and arrived with sunken eyes and dark circles, he looked so sick on arrival day...check him out now!!

Roberts and his host family! He was "host only" due to his age but spoke great English and wrote them the sweetest letter before he left! Such a great kid! He hopes to return this summer!

Vika and her host family. 

Santa and her host family.

Artjoms watched his host mom the whole way up the escalator and Roberts turned and made a heart with his hands :(

One final picture of my Latvians and their chaperone Inga before they took off and YES the giant Rudolph went all the way home to Latvia, though I hear he caused a stir going through security in Chicago due to the wires inside him to light his red nose. Oops!

We had a much smoother check-in for our Ukrainians late Monday evening. Partly because I know knew to figure out where they wanted me without a herd of people following me all over the airport and partly because the Delta agent checking us in was just awesome! She was helpful, happy and even laughed with me! Such a difference from my experience with American the day before. Paula B. you made my night you were a pure delight! She was so good I had to take an extra minute and tell her supervisor just how awesome she was!  Since things went so much more smoothly my families had plenty of time to say their goodbyes after the bags were checked and that meant I had plenty of time to document them on camera!

We started out with a group shot before everyone got weepy.

Love this family! Rustam fit right in, they were reliving the month on camera and laughing away!

I overheard Igor telling his host mom not to cry :( 

Nastya and her host family. 

Vitaliy and Nataliya and family. 

Rustam, such a cute kid! 

Igor and family.

 

 

Everyone got drinks (mostly sodas) after we went thru security. Chaperone Andrey also got a coffee so he could stay awake and monitor the kiddos. 

Nastya showing off the pictures and video loaded onto her MP3 player by her host family! 

While they were waiting to board I had them all tape goodbye messages to their family. Igor's a bit of a comedian, thought I'd share his...he also said it right as everyone was in tears as they walked away from their families, totally lightened the mood and kept the tears at bay.

What have you done in the last 4 weeks that was more impactful or life changing than what our New Horizons host families just did? Yes, it can be challenging and exhausting, but it's time well spent!  Just for fun I put together a few collages of arrival day pictures and departure day pictures. I couldn't do them all as some of the arrival day pics had so many family members of various heights they wouldn't all fit in the tiny collage window, but here are the few I was able to do...

 

 

 

Artjoms arrival/departure collage is the most shocking. Look how much he's changed. The kid gained 15 lbs in four weeks and finally opened himself up to give and receive love!

 

 It's not too early to sign up to host this summer!! We're offering summer hosting from Latvia/Ukraine and China too!! If you'd like to host a child this summer please follow this link to fill our our pre-application!!

Four Waiting Cuties

Aren't we cute???

These little Latvians were hosted by Dzintars' soon to be Aunt and Uncle and they are in need of a forever home!! You really need to head over to Stacy's blog and read about their time here. It wasn't without it's challenges but God used them ALL for good! This family added these four to the four kiddos they already had at home to make a total of 8 little ones these past four weeks! That's quite a full house!

I'd love it if you'd share their story in the hopes that their forever family will find them!!