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April
2007
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Letters from Families...
The Gatten Family, TN (Russia)
We are elated, as
you can imagine! Luke will be two next month and is talking
up a storm! Lauren is four and teaching Luke all her bad habits -
well, and some good ones, too!
Life is very good!
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The Bradshaw
Family, KY (China)
Our lives have definitely changed and we are just THRILLED AND
OVERJOYED
AND SO SO BLESSED!!! Eden is doing wonderful!!! I am just
AMAZED at how well she
has adjusted and the progress she has made in
last month. (It has been one month
today that she was placed in our
arms!!) And, all of our family and friends
are amazed as well!!!!
Thanks you for
everything!!!!! Everything about this journey has been a blessing to
us
and CHI is a very BIG and WONDERFUL part of it!!! I so glad that
our wonderful
and most gracious Heavenly Father lead us to you!!!
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The Pingston Family, TN (Russia)
You were absolutely wonderful through both of our
adoptions. I cannot imagine having anyone else, besides you, help me
muddle through the paperwork to complete our family with Tatyana and
Nikolai. We have all been blessed by your patience, willing spirit
and smile. Thank you for being there for us and for many others.
Thank you for all you did for us. You are the best !
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The Snellings
Family, VA (Russia)
Just
wanted to share a couple of photos with you of our arrival back here in
DC. We were all pretty exhausted by the time we arrived, so Nicolas was
very quiet and subdued.
That is NOT his natural personality!
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The Sloan Family, TN
(China)
Saturday (3/17/07) is our 4th year
anniversary of Gotcha Day (the day the orphanage director put Savannah
in my arms). She’ll be 5 next month, can you believe it?
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The
Goodman Family, TN (China)
He is such a happy little guy! We
have been so blessed by our kids, I know that God made them just for us.
They fit perfectly into our family.
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The Gordon Family, TN (China)
Grace with her Dad after being home 11
years!
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The
Carney Family, TN (China)
We are the happiest
older parents in the world. We love our little Tian Rose so much (21
months now). She is a hit with our kids and grandkids and everyone in our
lives. We have talked about wanting to adopt an older sister for Tian many
times.
Here are some pictures of Tian with her new Chinese playmate.
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The
French Family, TN (Russia)
Owen had a
big weekend playing with his aunts and uncles and cousins and
grandparents
after his Christening last Sunday. He loved being the center of
attention
and entertained us all!! Thanks again for everything you have done for
us.
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Children's Hope News...
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As of Thursday, April 5,
Children's Hope International is officially licensed to work in
Ethiopia.
Congratulations to all our families who have been waiting for this
day!!!
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Hop on over
to the Children’s Hope International
EASTER EGG HUNT!!
Friday, April
6th
Beginning at
2:30 pm
At Otter Creek
Church of Christ*
 ~Games,
Face Painting, Egg Hunt, and More!!~
~Bring
your Easter basket and come for a day of fun!!~
*Directions:
Otter Creek
Church of Christ is located at 409 Franklin Road. From I-65, take exit
74B west towards Brentwood. Turn right on Old Hickory Blvd. Turn left
(south) onto Franklin Road. The Otter Creek Church is a mile down the
road on your right.
Please let us know if you are planning
to attend so we can get an accurate count!
If you have any questions, please contact
Susan Shand at (615) 309-8109.
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 Please
welcome
Anne Byrn Floyd,
New Russia/Kazakhstan Program
Specialist!
Anne Byrn
Floyd is the SE Office Russia and Kazakhstan Program Specialist. Anne Byrn grew up in Greenwood, Mississippi, and Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She
obtained her undergraduate degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, and
she obtained her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Trevecca
Nazarene University in Nashville. Her previous work with adoption
includes an internship at the Tennessee Baptist Children's Home in
Memphis, as well as birth mother counseling for a private adoption
agency. Anne Byrn states, “Working in adoption has always been my
life-long dream, and I am thrilled to be at Children’s Hope.” Anne Byrn
lives in Nashville with her husband and three step-children.
You
can contact Anne Byrn via email at
annebyrn.floyd@childrenshope.net
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 Congratulations
to Elena Fielstein!
We
would like to congratulate Elena Fielstein of
Nashville,
TN on a wonderful
accomplishment! Elena earned a gold medal in the 25th Annual
National Russian Essay Contest held by the American Council of Teachers
of Russian (ACTR). 1,521 middle and high school students participated in
the Contest in all the 50 states of the
United States. The
theme of the essay, which had to be written in Russian, was
My Life in America.
Elena, who was adopted from
Russia
through our Operation Hope program, joined her family, parents Lynda and
Elliot Fielstein and sister Jody, in the fall of 2001 at the age of ten
and a half years. Lynda and Elliot were dedicated to keeping Elena’s
Russian language. Fortunately, their dedication and Elena’s willingness
to learn were happily combined with the opportunity of an excellent
Russian language teacher holding classes close to their home. Since
2002, Elena has been attending these classes weekly, and has not only
retained and developed her spoken Russian but can also read and write in
her native language. She makes A’s and B’s in her high school and is a
member of the Junior High Honor Society.
We
at Children's Hope International are especially pleased to extend our
congratulations and best wishes to Elena and her family. We know that
many parents would like for their adopted children (especially for those
who were adopted as older school-age children) to remember their native
language. It is possible, with hard work and dedication (and a good
teacher, we might add), and we are happy to see that this possibility
can, in fact, become a reality!
Congratulations, Elena!
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We are glad to announce that this year
we are, again, able to offer you the Russian classes held by
Dr. Daniel Schafer, Professor of Russian Language and History at
Belmont University. Dr. Schafer and his wife adopted a 12 year-boy
through the CHI Operation Hope program in 2003.
Dr. Schafer will introduce you to the
Russian alphabet and help you learn a few important words and phrases,
and will talk about Russian culture, history and the adoption process
there as he and his family experienced it.
The
classes will be held on Fridays, May 4, 11 and 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at
the CHI office in Brentwood.
We hope you are able to attend these
classes. Our families who took them in the previous years, found them
to be very useful.
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Play Group for Russia Families...
Cindy Kreidel is
starting a play group for children adopted from Russia that live
in the Nashville area. If you are interested in participating,
please contact Cindy at (615) 591-3833 or (615) 513-7899 for
more information. You can also get in touch with Cindy by email
at ckreidels@comcast.net.
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Devotional book for
Adoptive Parents needs your stories!
A new
devotional book for adoptive parents is in the works and the author is
asking for your help! The purpose is to provide uplifting stories and
challenging devotionals to encourage and support parents who are
adopting and those who have already adopted.
If you are
interested in submitting your adoption story,
contact snix@bellshoals.com
and
bethanix@verizon.net
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Development Aid Happenings...
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*April is
Church Outreach Month!*
Inform your church about
the great need to support orphans through sponsorship, humanitarian
gifts, and adoption. If you have a heart for orphans and want to share
your passion with your church, Children's Hope will provide you with the
materials
you need to develop others' awareness of adoption, orphan
sponsorship, and
other development aid projects.
Please contact Michelle
Howdeshell for a church packet.
She can be reached by phone at
888-899-2349 or
via email at
churchoutreach@childrenshope.net
Let's wake our churches up
to the reality of orphans worldwide and
enable them to experience God's
heart for these little ones!
To learn
more about these resources,
click on the icon below
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A Nationwide Garage Sale
for Orphans
Save the date for
Saturday, May 19:
CHI is encouraging friends and families throughout the US to plan for
this special day of Garage Sales to Help Orphans. Spring clean your
home and donate the proceeds to CHI -- turn clutter into cash that will
give Homes, Health, and Hope
to orphans around the world.
Coming soon to the website under “Get Involved” you’ll find helpful
hints as well as printable yard signs, sales logs, and other resources
to help make YOUR garage sale a success!
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Introducing
Our Newest Junior Orphan
Ambassador,
Andy Barker!
Andy Barker
of Brentwood, TN decided for his 13th birthday to invite his
friends to give
money to Children’s Hope to help build a playground in
Russia. He chose to do this since
he was adopted and loves to be able
to
go outside and play!!
Thanks, Andy, for your generosity!
You too can
become a member of CHI's Junior Ambassadors club!
Just email or mail in a description of your effort and its results. Once
we receive all the
information we will confirm your membership.
Visit
http://orphan.childrenshope.net/Junior-Ambassadors.33.0.html to
find out more.
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Upcoming Information Meetings...
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April
Adoption Education...
April 14, 2007
~
Pre-Adopt
II ~
8:30 AM to
12:00 PM
~ Children's Hope
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A MESSAGE FROM BRENDA BARKER
There are many
opportunities this month to join with us in helping the orphans around
the world, from adoption to child sponsorship to being a child
ambassador, or even planning to host a garage sale next month!
Please join us as we reach the world one child at a time!
As always, there is no
better time than now to start your adoption journey. We are all
here to help you in any way that we can....
Brenda
Southeastern U.S.
Brenda Barker,
Director
229 Ward Circle, Suite C-22
Brentwood, TN 37027
615-309-8109 Fax: 615-309-8483
brenda.barker@childrenshope.net
Also serving the following
states:
TN, KY, GA, AL, AR, MS, VA,
LA & SC
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Our Accreditation
Click
on the logos to read more
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 Click here to request an
information packet regarding
international adoption with Children's Hope
International:
send info, please. . .
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