October 1, 2003

Caring for and serving families in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama,  Mississippi,
Florida, Texas, and Louisiana 

"Erin Lin George has been home from China almost two years now and will be 3 soon.  She has changed so much in the past few months.  Over the past year, she went from being significantly delayed in most areas to testing at 43 months when she was 29 months old...what progress!  The most remarkable change has been in her relationships.  She has always been an adorable and a great kid, but our attachment and bonding to each other has grown by leaps and bounds in the past months. Erin was in foster care in China and she grieved for a long time.  While we knew this was healthy and meant she had strong attachments to her foster family, it was a little hard to take.  She attached to her daddy quickly, but it has taken awhile for Erin and I to develop the relationship we now enjoy.  We now have a wonderful relationship.  She is a real snugglebug, a first-rate clown, and we are honored to know her and be her family.  She and her big sister, Emma, have a great relationship...they fight but miss each other terribly when one is not around.  We also enjoy a wonderful playgroup of other families who have adopted from China that we meet with once a month, Erin calls them "her buddies".  I am sometimes sad that her birthmother can never know the truly remarkable person that Erin is.  She is such a joy and amazes everyone who comes into contact with her!  It is so much fun to have such a happy kid who embraces everything life has to offer.  We have been very blessed! 

Andrea, Jeff, Emma, and Erin George"
 

Is it possible that it's been 2 months now since we left for Colombia to adopt our new daughter, Luisa?  Everything we had been waiting for has come and gone so fast it almost doesn't seem real...

 To read the rest of the story, please click here.

We have officially made it through our first full day and night with our little man. If you asking about how it went from Carla's perspective, she would say that it has been a blast. In other words, just as expected, my boy has regressed as it relates to getting along with Daddy. But that is alright! He is getting along great with Mommy and big brother Kalin, who can't stop kissing on the poor child. I'm sure that if Christian Seryozha could speak he would probably be saying, "will you stop kissing me so much big brother". Needless to say, big brother is the best big brother in the world. He has been a real trooper on this entire trip, just like I knew that he would be.

He has by the way began to warm up a little to his Daddy. He's at least taking food, drink, and of course candy from me. I think he's just using me for these essentials, but I'm alright with that if it means moving closer to being able to hold him!

Thanks for all of your prayers. We definitely feel the hand of our God on this whole process. He is quite an Awesome God! All praise, honor, and glory go to Him.

Praise the Lord, from Whom all blessings flow!!! 

Anthony
 

NEW YORK, Aug. 28 -- Noted race, culture and adoption expert Deb Capone recognizes a matter of urgency when she sees it. But it doesn't take an expert to know that the face of our nation's schools and families are changing radically: 40% of today's kids are minorities; more than 150 million Americans are affected by adoption in the family; one in three Americans belongs to a racial or ethnic minority; international and trans-racial adoptions increase 300% every five years; and currently, there are 1.5 million interracial marriages (not including marriages of people in different ethnic groups) in the United States today, according to As Simple As That(TM), a children's publishing company.

Fueled primarily by Asian and Hispanic groups, immigration, interracial partnerships and adoption, America's youth is in a state of hyper-evolution. And children are the ones confronted daily with the rapidly changing demographics of American schools. Every day, parents and educators find themselves ill-equipped to answer ever-multiplying questions, like: "Mommy, why does she look different than her brothers?" and "Daddy, why does he sound funny?" Causing social and cultural chaos among today's kids and touching the lives of virtually every American parent of school-aged children, the multicultural family revolution of the 21st century cannot be ignored.

Deb Capone offers the following tips to parents and teachers who want to cultivate and nourish a child's sense of race, culture, ethnicity and tolerance:

     1.     Identify and examine our own assumptions and stereotypes about race. Monitor the media.

2. Get comfortable: Remember that kids are highly impressionable and take cues from the adults in their lives.
3. Don't deny difference and expect questions: Children are curious. When they see someone who looks 'different' than they do, they will ask questions.
4. Find and celebrate role models in many different cultures and races.
5. Explore the ways in which a school's curriculum can support people with different backgrounds.
6. Don't assume that an ethnic child is an expert in his culture of origin.
7. Be sure to use specific and positive language, as well as clear and respectful terminology when discussing race, culture and adoption.
8. Define the terms in a positive manner: Rather than saying, for example, that a child was adopted because his parents didn't want him, we can say that adoption is one way that families are formed.
9. Don't assume that adoption or race is necessarily the genesis of a child's particular problem.
10. Expose your child to diversity

"It's crucial to start early, be reassuring and be honest," adds Capone. "The best way to begin is to be aware, be an advocate and be proactive during those "racial" moments. You'll be on your way to helping create a better, more open and tolerant environment for increasingly diverse future generations."

        Web site: http://www.assimpleasthat.com

http://www.prnewswire.com
 

 
Please join us for free information meetings: 

October 11, 2003, Brentwood, TN

"If You Were Mine" adoption workshop, Fellowship Bible Church

9:00 AM-4:00 PM (Fee & Registration required) 

October 12, 2003, Pensacola, FL

Pensacola Public Library, 200 West Gregory Street

3:00-5:00 PM 

October 13, 2003, Mobile, Alabama

Mobile Public Library, West Regional Branch   
5555 Grelot Road, Mobile, AL

6:30-8:30 PM 

October 18, 2003, Mayfield, KY

Adoption Fair, Trace Creek Baptist Church, Family Life Center
3577 KY Highway 131

9:00 - 2:00 PM 

October 21, Brentwood, TN

CHI Office, 7003 Chadwick Drive, Suite 350

6:30-8:30 PM 

October 23, 2003 Murfreesboro, TN

Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1020 N Rutherford Blvd

6:30-8:30 PM 

October 4                               Walk for Hope/Fall Family Picnic            9:30 AM-2:00 PM       Granny White Park

October 8                               Waiting Mom’s Coffee                            9:00-10:00 AM             Children’s Hope

September 12                      Parent Education (Waiting Parents)              6:30 PM                Children’s Hope

October 18                           China, Russia, Colombia, Vietnam,            10:00 AM                Gentry Farms

                                               Guatemala, India Gathering             

                                               Dossier Class                                                     8:30 AM                  Children’s Hope

                                               Travel Class                                           10:00 -12:00 Noon       Children’s Hope

                                               Pre-Adopt Class #1 (Medical/Travel)     12:30-6:00 PM           Woodmont Hills Church

October 27                            Home Study Group                                 6:30-8:30 PM             Children’s Hope

With Summer fully behind us, and the Fall leaves turning their beautiful colors, I am always thankful for the seasons.  Often I feel some loss that one is over, but the hope of the new season and all that it entails quickly brings joy!  This might just be the season of joy for you, as you consider adding to your family through adoption!  If we can help in any way, please let us know! 

We don't want to burden you with a lot of information, but we do want to help you if you are looking for a way to adopt. If not, please let us know and we will regretfully remove your name from our newsletter.   E-mail me at my address below with any question you have.  I would love to hear from you. 

Brenda

 Southeastern U.S.
 Brenda Barker, Director
 7003 Chadwick Dr. Suite 350
 Brentwood, TN  37027
 615-309-8109   Fax: 615-309-8483 

 Brenda@ChildrensHope.com
 Also serving the following states: TN, KY, GA, AL, MS, FL, TX and LA