Paulsen Family, GA (Vietnam)

It has been two months that Lennah has been officially ours. She is growing so fast and learning at light speed. She can talk up to 6 steps on her own but most of the time we just catch her taking about 2-3.  Her new task for the week that she has picked up is waving bye-bye. She just watches us flap our hands and she follows right along.

Nunnelley Family, AL( Russia - Operation Hope)

 Speaking of Kristina….She is GREAT! Her teachers continue to be amazed by her. She has been asked to join the swim team next year. She loves school and reading. She read 118 books this summer. ….mostly picture books but still…she loves it. Thanks again for helping us to find her.

June is joyful, playful, musical, delightful, beautiful… she is our precious girl. Our trip to China was an incredible adventure. As lengthy as the wait was, it made every moment 
there more meaningful and powerful. We have a great story to tell her of our long wait, the perseverance required, and all the preparation -  just for her. We look forward to visiting China again in a few years.
 

I just wanted to share some recent photos of the family.  Things are great and the girls are growing like weeds.  Izzie loves being a big sister (including bossing her little sister).

Watts Family, TN (China)

Megan is a very happy child; We are amazed with how much she is learning; It is enjoyable to see the world through her eyes. It took 2 years and 2 months to bring Megan home to her family; Children's Hope International both here and in China did everything they could to make it successful.

Just wanted to send a few of my favorite pictures of Ali Zhen!  She has gotten so tall - 43"! She was only 33" when we first adopted her three years ago! And what a beauty with a personality to boot!  She will be six on October 9th. She loves to swim and ride horses and keep me laughing! She has endured so many operations and now wears a hearing aide, but it never gets her down. I just love her to pieces!!!

Hethcox Family, TX (Russia)

Nathan and Lauren are doing great!  Today is Lauren's Gotcha Day!  Has it really been 2 years?  Memories have flooded my mind today as I have enjoyed watching my precious daughter.  Nathan celebrated his 5th Gotcha Day in August.  Wow!  Time flies!  Especially when you are having fun!  These gifts from God are more precious today than any day before.  We have been so blessed by each of them.  Nathan is now in first grade and is doing well!  He has asked someone to marry him and she has said yes!  Go figure!  :)  They are going to sell groceries in our front yard because, "everybody needs groceries, Mom!"  Lauren just turned three and is definitely in the Terrific Three's.  She is fiercely independent and is the center of every room she is in.  God has been so good and has blessed us beyond our wildest imaginations.  To Him be all the praise and glory!   Thanks for all you all do to make families!

Can you believe Alla is going to be 6 years old! Look how much she has grown.

Scout Li Ming is 4 years old and a dancing beauty!

Ana Wren was adopted 12/2006 from Tver.  A future soccer player and we are so in love with her.  Thanks to Children's Hope International for making our family complete. It is hard to believe that we adopted Lewis from Tomsk in 2003 and he is now 5 yrs old and Ana Wren is 2 1/2. God Bless.

Join Children’s Hope

For Halloween Fun

And Trick or Treating!

Children’s Hope invites you

to our office in costume for some tricks and treats!

Wednesday, October 31

8:30am – 4:30pm

Hope to see everyone soon!

Children's Hope International : Orphan Soul Concert
To help orphans with medical needs

Saturday, November 17th
 Starts at 7 pm

$5 tickets and a love offering will also be collected

Location will be:
Church on the Rock
3901 Chicot Street
Pascagoula, MS 39581
 
Call Mandy for details at 228-217-8402
Name of band: Orphan Soul
 

Our Attachment Story by Amy Wilson

I was only able to sleep for a few hours the night before we got our Leah.  My husband Lance, our nine year old daughter Madeleine, and I were in Changsha, the capital of the Hunan Province, China, during late February, 2007.  We had waited a year and ten months for this moment.  Actually, without being aware of it, we had waited our whole lives for this amazing little girl.  In the morning, we met our group in the lobby of the Dolton Hotel.  After a twenty minute bus ride, we arrived at the Changsha Adoption Center.  It was very crowded and we were all incredibly excited and nervous.  We were ushered into a large waiting room and we all took seats around the perimeter of the room.  Soon after, Chinese women carrying babies began entering the room.  Our two guides started calling a few names, but not ours.  I looked across the room and saw a woman holding Leah.  I recognized her instantly from our referral pictures.  We waited for our name to be called for what seemed like forever.  Watching others in our group receive their babies brought us to tears.  When our name was finally called, Leah was brought to us by her nanny and handed to me.  She immediately started crying.  After about fifteen minutes of hard crying, she finally fell asleep in my arms.  Our joy was slightly clouded as we watched the display of grief in Leah’s nanny.  She could not stop crying as she watched us with Leah.  We were told that she and Leah were strongly attached and that Leah had been at a very small orphanage located five hours outside of Changsha.  When we arrived back at the hotel room, Leah had woken up and was crying again.  We were able to get her to stop by giving her some Cheerios, which she gobbled up.  In the next two hours, she latched on to Lance, and would not let go.  She would not let me hold her or come close to her.  I was beginning to worry.  I was not at all prepared for her rejection of me.  I had never even considered it as a possibility in all of the ways I imagined our first few days together.  I told myself that all would be well the next day.  As Leah awoke the following morning, she once again only wanted Lance.  We had to make another trip back to the Adoption Center to take our oath and legalize the adoption.  It was hard to watch all the other moms holding their babies in the lobby, on the bus and at the Center, while I could only watch Lance hold Leah.  We were very concerned about Leah seeing her nanny and getting upset all over again.  Blessedly, Leah fell asleep as we entered the large room.  A few minutes later, the nanny approached us to see Leah.  Tears were pouring down her cheeks, as she touched Leah’s feet and hands.  My heart broke for this woman.  I asked our guide to tell her that we would take very good care of Leah and love her always.  We could not totally enjoy the moment that Leah officially became ours, because our hearts were so heavy with sadness for her nanny.  Her grief was so visible.  When we returned back to the hotel, I was an emotional disaster.  On top of my sadness, I began to feel a little angry at the situation.  How could this happen?  How could my baby not want me?  I had already successfully mothered Maddie, whose love for me is immeasurable.  If you asked anyone who knows me, they would tell you that mothering is what I do best.  Not only that, but, I was the one who had done all of the paperwork, for goodness sake.  How could this happen?  Was it because I took Leah away from her nanny and she was angry at me?  Well, that night I knew I needed help, so I made a long distance phone call to Brenda Barker, the Southeastern Director of CHI, who was our social worker and the mother of seven adopted children.  She explained to me that Leah was rejecting me simply because I was a female.  Leah was not ready to trust another female, given that the female she had always loved and trusted had just left her.  Lance was different from her nanny on all counts, so Leah felt that maybe he was a safe bet.  Brenda told me what to do to get in Leah’s good graces.  She wanted me to always be the one to feed Leah, even if Lance had to hold her while I fed her.  Lastly, Brenda said that we would see a different girl in three days.  She was right… each day Leah looked less sad, cried less and allowed me to get a little bit closer.  By the end of the week, we were starting to see Leah’s happy personality shine through.  Her eyes came alive.  Over the weekend, Leah finally allowed me to hold her.  It was pure heaven!  With my confidence back, I went to work on earning her trust.  I spoke to her a great deal in soft, soothing tones.  I sang to her.  I showered her with gentle attention.  It did not take long for this brave, little soul to decide that her mommy was okay after all.  By the time we came home, I felt rather foolish for having worried and I realized that it was a blessing that Leah attached to Lance first, as he had to go back to work upon arriving home.  Lance had been so wonderful through it all.  Today, it feels as though Leah has always been with us, we cannot imagine life without her.  She is playful, silly, bright, sweet and very loving.  We are grateful that Leah had a nanny who loved her fiercely and who taught her how to love. 

Walk for Hope and Pack the Park 2007

 Brochures with registration forms have been mailed, but if you didn't receive yours, please go to
http://www.childrenshopeint.org/southeast/Walk%20Brochure%20Final.pdf
to download a form.
There are activities planned for the whole family...games,food, and the Silent Auction!
Some of our featured auction items are TENNESSEE TITAN'S TICKETS, THE NASHVILLE ZOO, DOLLYWOOD, SPA PACKAGES, AND A WALK THROUGH WITH THE TENNESSEE VOLS and much, much more!

Sunday, October 14th
2:00-4:00
Granny White Park
Brentwood, Tennessee

WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE!

   Junior Ambassador 

Lydia Hollis - 9 year old Lydia had been saving money for a long time to take on a trip to New York – she really wanted to go shopping with it.  But then she felt like God told her that she needed to give the money to the orphans.  She told her mother that she really wanted to go shopping with the money and her mother asked her what she was going to do and she said, “Obey.”  Lydia had saved $150 and then her father matched the amount so they donated $300 to Children's Hope.  Lydia said she wanted to money to go to wherever the greatest need is.

Thank you Lydia for your obedience and sweet heart!  Many will be blessed because of you!

Orphan Tree of Hope

To celebrate National Adoption Month, starting November 1 ~ we will be putting up Christmas Trees in Churches and Schools called the Orphan Tree of Hope.  On these trees there will be ornaments of kids needing orphan sponsorship, as well as all kinds of projects and gifts for orphans.

If would like to participate, please contact Jane.Verner@ChildrensHope.net

We'd love to meet you!

Come to an informational meeting and learn more about international adoption and the program qualifications.

October 13, 2007  ~   Pre-Adopt II  ~  8:30 AM  ~  Children's Hope

Today is homecoming at my kids' high school...it is always filled with anticipation, excitement, sentiment, and just great fun!! It reminds me of last night, when we had 5 China homecomings, with families arriving in the Southeast with their newly adopted children!  Again, the emotions are always high and the moment is always breathtaking as you see a new family emerge from the plane.  We are so privileged to have a front seat in the journey with you!!

There is no better time than today to begin your adoption journey, and we want to be right along with you on every step!  Give us a call, if we can help in any way!  Here's to your "homecoming!"

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, AL, AR, MS, VA, LA & SC