An Ethiopia Family Homecoming!
February 14, 2008
Fifteen families will come home
from Ethiopia this month, having
completed their international
adoptions overseas ...and the
Mackenzies were one of them.
When Chris and Melissa came into
the St. Louis airport on Monday,
they were welcomed by their
daughter Isabella's two new
grandmas, one in from Illinois
and the second in from Colorado,
and one very excited new brother
Julian.
Happy homecoming and happy
Valentine's Day, to this united
family! Thank you for sharing
this day with Children's Hope.
Seven families are home so far
from Ethiopia this month. In
March, two families are
currently expected to travel
from Children's Hope
International to complete their
adoptions in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia.
China's War on Snow Continues:
Affected Orphanages Are Receiving
Aid, More Needed
February 5, 2008
 Children’s
Hope is supporting these orphanages,
but a disaster fund was not in
place. To offset money already given
and to provide for those orphanages
which funds have not been met, any
family touched by these orphanages'
situation may donate online, by
credit card or electronic check.
Earmark the funds in the box
'Additional Information' by donating
for 'South China Emergency Fund'.
Melody is posting updates and
information on her blog; keep
visiting for details!
View
Melody's blog,
www.melodyzhangorphans.blogspot.com
– Get Updated
Children's Hope Development Aid,
South China Emergency Fund -
Donate
View
China News as the Country
Battles Its 'War on Snow'
Pictured Above: A doctor from
CBN's relief team visited the
Chenzhou Orphanage and called Melody
to update her on the orphanages
status and seek advice. This
orphanage is still without power and
some of the babies have been
becoming ill due to the cold.
Children’s Hope is coordinating with
CBN and other NGOs in China to help
with the needs from the orphans.
Eleven Families Adopting Through
China Celebrate: Referrals!
Monday, February 4, 2008
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Click on the photo for
video. |
Thuy and David Smith
(pictured, left) of St.
Louis, MO, along with 10
other Children's Hope
families adopting from China
celebrate today as their
referral day! These eleven
families saw pictures and
reviewed medical information
on their new child for the
first time.
Each family was matched with
one of 9 beautiful little
girls and 2 handsome little
boys from the Gansu,
Guangdong, and Jilin
provinces and Tianjin City.
These infants range in age
from 7 - 15 months and 24 -
28 months. Today's referrals
were for our families whose
paperwork was registered in
China on December 20, 2005;
the families waited 25 long
months from their paperwork
receipt in China to this
referral day.
The happy parents will now
travel to China in about 8
weeks to complete their
Chinese adoptions.
Congratulations to these
families and all our China
families who have moved up
in line. Happy Chinese New
Year!
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Vietnam Brothers Now Have a Family
January 9, 2008
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Gina and Keith Leonard from
St. Louis are all smiles
once handed their Vietnam
referral for their two boys.
Waiting for them in Ho Chi
Minh City are 4-year-old Sam
and 2-year-old Eli. The
Leonards will travel in four
to six months to adopt the
two brothers into their
family where the boys will
have three sisters |
With a New Year, Six China Families
Prepare to Welcome a New Daughter
December 31, 2007
 On
December 31, 2007, six of our
families adopting from China
received referrals, each for a
beautiful little girl. These girls,
all from the Guizhou province, range
in age from 14 months to 4 years
old. The girls’ new families waited
25 long months for this day, from
their adoption paperwork submission
to China on December 19, 2005. We
expect these families to travel in
about 8 weeks. What a great start
for 2008!
Excited parents, William and Susan
Osborn, drove 3½ hours from northern
Illinois to receive their referral
in person in our St. Louis office.
Social worker Julia Wheeler-Jenkins
was honored to be with them and
share in their joy!
Official news of Children’s Hope
accreditation from Russia!
December 21, 2007
Children's Hope International is
happy to announce that as of
December 14, 2007, we were
officially accredited in the Russian
Federation!
Last
Friday we received the official
order #355 from the Ministry of
Education, signed on December 14. We
also received an accreditation
certificate #31 (pictured left),
issued on December 19, 2007,
granting us authority to place
children for adoption within the
territory of the Russian Federation.
This accreditation will be
non-expiring.
"Thank
God for this Christmas blessing and
our families for their patience
through the accreditation process.
Congratulations to our families! May
you have a happy holiday season." -
the Children's Hope Russia Team
Pictured: (above) Children's
Hope Accountant in Russia,
Marina; Representative General,
Ludmila; and Travel Coordinator,
Natalia. (below) Children's Hope
International's Certificate of
Accreditation.
Click the images to
view
larger document.
Requires
Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader
please
click here
for FREE download.
Certificate of Russia Accreditation
on the Horizon!
December 19, 2007
Breaking news from Russia!!
Children's Hope International is
happy to announce our representative
general is invited to the Ministry
of Education to receive Children's
Hope accreditation this Friday,
December 21, 2007! As soon as we
receive the documents (order from
the Ministry of Education and the
accreditation certificate) we will
publish this on our website. Please
visit us again soon for the update.
Members
of Children's Hope International -
St. Louis Russia Team celebrate the
good news!
Five China Families Receive the
Gift of Referrals
December 6, 2007
 Today,
Children's Hope received referrals
for five happy families adopting
from China. Each family saw their
first pictures and reviewed medical
information for their daughter. The
girls range in age from 9-10 months,
and are from the Jiangxi province.
These
referral families all had their
adoption paperwork added to the
CCAA's database on December 13,
2005. After waiting 24 long months
from log-in-date to referral, we
expect these families to travel in
about 8 weeks. Congratulations!
Pictured on Left:
St.
Louis social worker
Christina Ortwein happily
gave sister Amanda and
parents Khristopher and
Linda Malin their first look
at their long awaited family
member.
A Long-Awaited Day Arrives for Ten
Children's Hope China Families!
November 6, 2007
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Children's Hope received 10
China referrals today! The
10 beautiful little girls
are from the Guangxi,
Guangdong, Jiangxi and
Liaoning provinces. Nine of
the girls range in age from
6½ to 13 months; one toddler
girl, just over 3 ½ years
old, was referred to a St.
Louis family. When her
parents were presented her
referral, they said, “We are
thrilled; she is so
beautiful!”
These families waited 23
long months from the day
China entered their
paperwork in December 2005.
Our Chinese expedited family
waited 14 months. These
families will travel to
China to finalize their
Chinese adoptions in
approximately 8 weeks.
This group of referrals were
for Children’s Hope families
with log-in-dates 12/1/05
through 12/8/05.
Pictured on Left:
Tom and Jeannette Eskridge’s
family was ecstatic to
receive their referral for a
beautiful 6-month-old girl
from the Guangdong Province.
Brothers Kevin, 14, and
Conner, 11, have not been
too sure of all the pink
that has been brought into
their house recently, but
they are excited for their
sister! And when Jeanette’s
mother, Joan Butler, is able
to wipe away her tears of
joy, she’s right there, too.
Congratulations to the 10
China families who received
referrals |
Bringing Home a Bundle of Love from
Vietnam
September 13, 2007
St. Louis – After
receiving their referral on
Valentine’s Day, Jennifer
Calvert of St. Louis brings
her daughter through the
airport to meet her extended
family and introduce
13-month-old Jill to her
grandmother and friends.
With an orange balloon and a
grandmother’s touch, baby
Jill is all smiles. Welcome
home to the Culverts!
Three families returned home
this week after finalizing their
Vietnam adoptions. Children’s
Hope received travel dates today
for seven more families. They
will have their Giving &
Receiving ceremonies in Ho Chi
Minh City on September 25. All
seven of these families are
adopting through various
orphanages within the city after
waiting 2-4 months for their
travel approval and dates. Three
families are currently in
Vietnam completing their
adoptions. Our amazing in
country staff is quite busy with
families traveling and they love
every minute!
A Referral Surprise for 22
Children's Hope China Families
August 2, 2007
St. Louis – When their
social worker Christina Ortwein
showed Charles and Julia Holmes
photos of their new daughter,
they could hardly catch their
breath...neither could their
daughter Avery. Expectant of
this special referral day, Avery
wore her panda pen, emblazoned
with the words "big sister" in
Chinese. The family joins 21
additional Children's Hope
families celebrating this
referral day, after waiting 21
months from the day China
entered their adoption paperwork
in November 2005 (four Chinese
expedited families waited 14
months). Twenty-one beautiful
little girls and one very
handsome little boy made up the
group matched with Children's
Hope families. These children
will meet their traveling
parents in approximately 8
weeks. Congratulations to these
families and all our China
families who are that much
closer to their own referral
day!
Vietnam Delegation Visits Children’s
Hope
Officials Praise the Children’s Hope
Vietnam Adoption Program
July 19, 2007
St. Louis- Dr. Vu Duc Long,
Director of the Department of
International adoption (DIA),
and Mr. Dang Minh Dao, legal
expert for the DIA overseeing
adoptions to the US, made
Children’s Hope their first stop
in their visit to the US.
Thursday evening, Children’s
Hope families who adopted from
Vietnam attended a Children’s
Hope reception for these two top
adoption officials.
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Children who were
adopted from Vietnam
gather around Mr. Dao,
on the left holding a
child, and Dr. Long, in
the light yellow
short-sleeve shirt, at
Children’s Hope home
office in St. Louis.
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The
twenty-five families in
attendance showed off their
adopted children and heard the
two men praise Children’s Hope
Vietnam adoption program.
“Children’s Hope is one of the
top five agencies in
Vietnam…number one in placing
children with special needs,”
said Mr. Dao. “Among the 43
agencies licensed in Vietnam
only about twenty are doing a
good job.”
Friday, the Children’s Hope
development/sponsorship team met
with the delegation to explain
current and projected
development aid projects in
Vietnam in addition to working
at establishing a strong orphan
sponsorship program.
Although Children’s Hope was
their first stop while in the
US, Dr. Long and Mr. Dao will
visit one other adoption agency
before meeting with adoption
officials in Washington D.C.
Russia Accreditation Process
Proceeds
July 10, 2007
Children's Hope received news
that eight international
adoption agencies, seven based
in the U.S. and one in France,
received their accreditation in
Russia on Wednesday, July 4.
Although Children's Hope was not
one of the first accredited, we
welcome this information and are
excited the accreditation
process has finally begun!
As
the accreditation process
proceeds, we will be notified of
the timetable for the next batch
of agencies to be accredited.
Over 115 agencies are registered
as NGO's and are awaiting
accreditation. New updates will
be released as specific official
information is received.
Referrals for 15 Happy China Program
Families
July 6, 2007
Katherine Eaker of
Kansas City shows off
the referral photos of
Kara's new baby sister,
to be named Sara. The
two will travel with
husband and father Mark
to finalize Sara's
adoption in about 8
weeks, after waiting 20
months for their
referral date.
Fifteen families
across the United States
received their China referrals
on July 6, 2007 through
Children's Hope. Matched with
their forever home and their
forever country, these fourteen
beautiful little girls and one
handsome infant boy will be
celebrating next year's Fourth
of July as US citizens. These
children range in age from 9- to
14-months up to 26-months-old,
as requested by their families,
and are from the Guangxi and
Guangdong provinces. The happy
families waited 20 months from
log in date to referral and now
will travel in about 8 weeks to
finalize their Chinese adoptions
in country.
Congratulations
to these families and all our
China families who are
approaching their own referral
day!
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