Children's Hope International E-Newsletter

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Dare to Hope
Passionately Wait

DEVELOPMENT AID:

	Unemployed and without Hope One Story Amongst Many
	Bound for Hope Delivering Books to Ready Ethiopian Hands
	3 Days of Focus A Call to Action: Youth to Turn iPods Off; Their Focus on God, On
	National Volunteer Month A CHIRPS/CHAPS Spotlight

BLOG OF THE MONTH:

Taking the Skies
Prospective Parents Journeys

Adventures in Adopting
China

KIDS CORNER:

Kids Corner
Mother's Day Photo Bracelets

PROGRAM UPDATES:

	China Twenty-five Families Left with Excitement in Their Hearts; Now They Return from China with a Lot More Love
	Colombia Families Traveling and Traveling Soon!
	Ethiopia Ethiopia Program Celebrates 1 Year of Uniting Families and Bringing Hope
	Kazakhstan Three Families Travel to Bond with Their Child
	Russia Russia Program at Full Speed, Bustling with Travel
	Vietnam Two Boys Find Their Forever Homes

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Our Accreditations

Wuhan Wailers

Every spring, families everywhere begin planning summer and culture camps and reunions for their children and families. The Wuhan Wailers, a China travel group of adopting parents from 1995, unite every year for a true family reunion. Some large travel groups are just coming home, their adoptions complete. In 2010, perhaps you could be sharing the Wuhan's story. Straight from the girls and Daye, here are the benefits:

Come visit Children's Hope and fellow families this summer, July 12, 2008! Did your family travel solo? Perhaps summer cultural camps are an option, too. Remember these for the future, if your little ones are too young for this year's camps.

Children's Hope International Annual Reunion Picnic 2008 Register Now

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African Cradle ? Ethiopian Heritage Camp

Colorado Heritage Camps for Adoptive Families

Ten families traveled to Wuhan in June 1995, says Daye for the ?Wuhan Wailers?. It is like we are never apart for a year in some cases. We have vacationed as the "Wuhan" group in Kansas City, St. Louis, Atlanta, Colorado, and our three-time favorite - Trout Lodge YMCA camp in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks. We take turns being the host family and sometimes stay in family-type facilities. Next year we are planning a reunion on the east coast. Not every family makes it every year but we have had from 5 - 10 families each year. Even grandparents have attended.

Our family activities have changed over the years from playing with "Barney" to ziplining and alpine climbing! I have asked the girls to write about what the reunions mean to them. Following are some of their quick notes before going to swim or play volleyball together!

"I like having reunions because I love seeing my Wuhan sisters every year. Also I always have fun being with everybody. I like the places we go and the activities we do!" ~ Emma - 12 yrs.

"I like getting together because every year we learn a little bit more each year." ~ Amy - 10 yrs.

"I like having reunions because we see our friends and we do things together. I always laugh and have a good time. I like going to different places every year."
~ Alden - 12 yrs.

"I like the horseback trails, arts and crafts, and decorating shirts and shorts. I think we should go to Atlanta, Ga." ~ Hayley - 12 yrs.

"I love having reunions because over the years I have become great friends with everyone, and it's fun seeing my "sisters" every year. I enjoy hanging out with everybody. I wish we had reunions TWICE a year! My Wuhan sisters have become some of my best friends, and I am always happy to see them! "
~Jaden - 12 yrs.

"We have reunions around the day we were adopted in China. I like going to them because it gives me a chance to see the girls and get to know them better. My favorite part is just being together with them. My favorite trip was when we went to YMCA Trout Lodge near St. Louis. It was my favorite place because nine of the ten girls were there and that hadn't happened in a while. Also before we got to the lodge, we went to a lot of different museums and just hung out together. It was really fun. I have a photo album of all the girls and what they like. Every year we line up in the order we originally were on the red couch in China for a "couch" picture. Some of us are email pals. This is a good way to keep in touch. I would suggest other families who have adopted in groups to try and get together often to keep the memories for their children." ~ Hanna - 12 yrs.

"I really like our Wuhan reunion because it is really fun! We always have a great time. I love going swimming and horseback riding at our reunions. Just recently, we went to Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado. I think that it was really exciting! We got to do a lot of things we didn't get to do other places. Well... I hope that we get to continue the reunions!"
~ Anna - 12 yrs.

"Tell the Children's Hope Magazine that when we get back together we do lots of great stuff like play cards, go mini golfing, go swimming, horseback riding, rock climbing, and we go play volleyball, basketball, or kickball!! It gets us upbeat! TTYL"
~ Courtney - 12 yrs.

While we all do activities and eat meals together, the kids enjoy just "hanging out" no matter where we are. The parents enjoy sharing our lives and children together.

God brought us all together, though we are all different, one night in the hallway of the hotel after receiving our daughters and we have continued to share our lives ever since.

Attached below are some pictures taken over the last 12 years.

Sincerely,
Daye for the "Wuhan Wailers"