As you might know I went to the US recently. My most favorite thing: I got to see SEVEN of the Starfish Alumni.
I saw Lily and Norma (Erica) in New Jersey as I wrote about, so this is about the rest of the trip. I am so grateful to the families who came to Nashville, for making such an effort to bring the Starfish children to me.
I can not explain the emotion seeing them. When you go into the orphanage there is the immediate need they have and when you take them home, you do not think of their future families and the lives they are going to lead. You think of helping them and the medical attention in the moment. You love them and get up for them at night. You pray and watch over them when they are sick and you travel for many miles trying to get them the best medical care you can and you do all you can to heal them both in physically and emotionally..... and then the day comes when you know that there is a family who is going to rip your heart out because they will claim as their own, a little person that you have loved with all your heart for a number of months and in some cases years. I know my purpose in all of this. I know that at Starfish, we are the ones who will save a child's life and then give that child away for someone else to love. Sometimes the parents are kind and thoughtful and sometimes they are unkind and inflict pain when it is not necessary. Some express so much gratitude for the gift you have given them and others take their children without even saying thank you.
So I was so touched to know that so many of the parents made such an effort to spend time with me. I loved watching all the hard work that the nannies and I put into to the babies come to life. I loved knowing that all the work was worth it and that no matter how the parents behaved, our love and care could never be erased and that I saw so much of our foundations in them as I watched the children interact with their parents and siblings. It was such a joy! It will always be a miracle to know just where they started and how weak and fragile they were and how much they needed a helping hand. I looked at each one of them and my heart sang for the chance I got to be such a vital part of their lives.
Some have forgotten me. Baby Amanda took one look at me and said, "You have my name." I said right back, "No honey, you have my name." Seeing Amanda, who was one of the original six was so sweet. She came to me on September 13, 2005 and so many people told me that she would never hold anything or walk because two of her fingers were missing on each hand and she had ostrich toes. Wel you cannot believe how dexterous she became even before she was adopted and she still is the earliest walker at 10 and a half months. Others sort of remembered and Rebecca waited for a while and then came over and hugged me. Charlie (Gabriel) was so overwhelmed by the day and he did not come very close except to say goodbye. Megan (Jasmine) behaved much as she did on her adoption date with a reverse. I sat and watched as the played together at the pool (they are all such water babies which I loved!) with their siblings and I saw a piece of heaven right there.
In some ways I wish I could show the birth parents just what had happened to their children. To see how much one can love a child that you did not birth. Thank you so much to the parents who came and brought me more encouragement to come back to China and to work even harder to save more kids so that they to can have a life like the theirs with families who love them so much.
Getting to see Flower again was such a blessing too. Thank you to KG and Angee for their hospitality and for allowing me to be part of the Jensen clan for a few days. I am sorry that River's adoption papers were not finalized.
I am so grateful to know that in the moment that all of the babies were abandoned that God had a plan for each one of them. Starfish was part of that plan and I also saw the plan God had for each of these families. I got to see God's plan in action, which was ,pure unadulterated joy for me.
Thank you so much to everyone that made this trip so wonderful. You are too many to name, but I hope you know who you are. Thank you for your generosity and your kindness to me. I really appreciated the pampering, the great meals and the shopping. I loved the new relationships that I have formed with the hope that they will bring the blessing that the babies need. I am most hopeful that we will be able to organize the medical missions this coming year.
Wishing Michael's mom a very healthy last few weeks of her pregnancy.
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda
Starfish Children's Services
US Tax Number: 20-4682916
Xian China
At Starfish, we have taken care of 92 children to date, arranged more than 55 surgeries and had 21 international adoptions, so our little starfishes live all over the globe: the US, Netherlands, Norway and Spain and our latest adoption to France. We currently have 49 babies under the age of 3 at two foster homes.
www.thestarfishfosterhome.org
http://chinesestarfish.blogspot.com
http://chinesestarfishcleft.blogspot.com
chinese.starfishthrower@gmail.com
Cell: 86.1348.812.4847
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Families for Orphans Act Online Petition JULY 27, 28, and 29
The Joint Council, helped draft the Families for Orphans Act, which was recently introduced into the House( H.R.3031) and Senate (S.1458 ). The ultimate goal of the legislation is to develop an office within the Department of State to coordinate efforts to preserve families and provide legal, permanent relationships for orphans. This would also create a formal diplomatic channel to discuss related topics, something that doesn't currently exist in the U.S. Government.
The Joint Council website (http://www.jcics.org/ ) and attached press release can describe the initiative in far greater detail. The organization has also launched a Call to Action for July 27, 28 and 29 (http://www.jcics.org/call_to_action.htm) to drum up Congressional support. This involves constituents signing an online petition, as well as calling their Congressional leadership during this 72-hour window. I would really appreciate it if we could publish this information since this could ultimately benefit kids like the ones living at Starfish. Thanks to Joelle for sharing this information with us.
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda
Starfish Children's Services
US Tax number: 20-4682916
Xian China
At Starfish, we have taken care of 92 children to date, arranged more than 55 surgeries and had 21 international adoptions, so our little starfishes live all over the globe: the US, Netherlands, Norway and Spain and our latest adoption to France. We currently have 49 babies under the age of 3 at two foster homes.
www.thestarfishfosterhome.org
http://chinesestarfish.blogspot.com
http://chinesestarfishcleft.blogspot.com
chinese.starfishthrower@gmail.com
Cell: 86.1348.812.4847
Bill Introduced to Address Global Lack of Parents for Epidemic Numbers of
Children
The Families for Orphans Act (FFOA) will place a new emphasis on the need to improve US
policy for supporting healthy development of children globally. AIDS, war and poverty are
causing an explosion in the number of children worldwide who are growing up without parents in orphanages and long term foster care. Spearheaded by Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA) and John Boozman (R-AR), The Families for Orphans Act will empower the US government to proactively address a global gap in the most basic of human rights - a permanent family for every child.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 29, 2009 -- The Families for Orphans Coalition announces support today for The Families for Orphans Act, introduced in the House on Friday (HR 3070). The Families for Orphans Act (FFOA) will place a new emphasis on the need to improve US policy for supporting healthy development of children globally.
AIDS, war and poverty are causing an explosion in the number of children worldwide who are growing up without parents in orphanages and long term foster care. Spearheaded by Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA) and John Boozman (R-AR), The Families for Orphans Act will empower the US government to proactively address a global gap in the most basic of human rights - a permanent family for every child.
If enacted, The Families for Orphans Act would establish the Office of Orphan Policy, Diplomacy and Development within the Department of State and provide diplomatic authority to help the 30 million children orphaned worldwide and the 100 million plus vulnerable children who have lost one parent or are at risk of losing parental care. The new office would be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to support diplomacy and policy focusing on the preservation of families and the provision of permanent families
and legal, permanent relationships for orphans. This function is currently not a part of the US government's diplomatic portfolio.
Research has shown that families are essential to the healthy development of children, and those unfortunate children who grow up without the support of a permanent family often face homelessness, suicide, incomplete education, teen pregnancy and emotional disorders. "The human cost for children growing up without parents is steep," said Terry Baugh, President of Kidsave, and a member of the Coalition. "Children lose one month of development for every three months in an orphanage. With this handicap it is not hard to understand why these
children are unprepared for independent living when turned out of institutions starting as young as 8-years-old. As a result an estimated 50% turn to crime and prostitution, over one-third experience a period of homelessness and most are highly vulnerable to human trafficking and to adults recruiting terrorists and child soldiers." The Bucharest Early Intervention Study appears to support Baugh's assessment. The Study, conducted over five years by notable researchers from Harvard Medical School, the University of Maryland, Tulane, the University of
Virginia and the University of Minnesota reported that children living outside of family care suffered decreased brain activity (including lower IQ's), poor growth and a variety of emotional delays. "An investment in permanent family care for children is an investment in the health of the global economy," said Thomas Difilipo, President of the Joint Council of International Children's Services, a member of the Coalition. "Cost benefit data shows that effective, high-quality interventions to improve parenting skills and reduce child maltreatment save between $2 and $8 for every dollar spent. In a global economic crisis it only makes sense that
every country - and every community -- would begin to invest in permanent family care."
The new office will elevate the plight of children, giving the US a clear, dedicated, diplomatic authority to represent the interests of orphaned children. The office will advise the Secretary of State and President in all matters related to global family preservation and permanent parental care for orphans, as well as developing global strategy, including the coordination of all foreign policy and assistance related to global family preservation. The new office will also conduct research designed to better understand the size of the population of children living without parental care and global efforts to support these children. Oversight of three grant
programs directly related to preserving families and providing permanent parental care for families is an additional function of this new office. "The Families for Orphans Act emphasizes that activities that keep a child in the country of birth through family preservation, domestic adoption, legal guardianship and kinship care, are always the preferred child welfare
methods. However, when these are not timely options, a family through international adoption is clearly in the best interests of those children languishing in orphanages or living in temporary foster care," said Chuck Johnson, Coalition member and Chief Operating Officer for the National Council For Adoption.
The Families for Orphans Coalition was established in 2008 to support both domestic and foreign efforts that ensure every child lives, grows and thrives in a safe, permanent and loving family.
Online visibility tool from PRWeb
The Joint Council website (http://www.jcics.org/ ) and attached press release can describe the initiative in far greater detail. The organization has also launched a Call to Action for July 27, 28 and 29 (http://www.jcics.org/call_to_action.htm) to drum up Congressional support. This involves constituents signing an online petition, as well as calling their Congressional leadership during this 72-hour window. I would really appreciate it if we could publish this information since this could ultimately benefit kids like the ones living at Starfish. Thanks to Joelle for sharing this information with us.
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda
Starfish Children's Services
US Tax number: 20-4682916
Xian China
At Starfish, we have taken care of 92 children to date, arranged more than 55 surgeries and had 21 international adoptions, so our little starfishes live all over the globe: the US, Netherlands, Norway and Spain and our latest adoption to France. We currently have 49 babies under the age of 3 at two foster homes.
www.thestarfishfosterhome.org
http://chinesestarfish.blogspot.com
http://chinesestarfishcleft.blogspot.com
chinese.starfishthrower@gmail.com
Cell: 86.1348.812.4847
Bill Introduced to Address Global Lack of Parents for Epidemic Numbers of
Children
The Families for Orphans Act (FFOA) will place a new emphasis on the need to improve US
policy for supporting healthy development of children globally. AIDS, war and poverty are
causing an explosion in the number of children worldwide who are growing up without parents in orphanages and long term foster care. Spearheaded by Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA) and John Boozman (R-AR), The Families for Orphans Act will empower the US government to proactively address a global gap in the most basic of human rights - a permanent family for every child.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 29, 2009 -- The Families for Orphans Coalition announces support today for The Families for Orphans Act, introduced in the House on Friday (HR 3070). The Families for Orphans Act (FFOA) will place a new emphasis on the need to improve US policy for supporting healthy development of children globally.
AIDS, war and poverty are causing an explosion in the number of children worldwide who are growing up without parents in orphanages and long term foster care. Spearheaded by Representatives Diane Watson (D-CA) and John Boozman (R-AR), The Families for Orphans Act will empower the US government to proactively address a global gap in the most basic of human rights - a permanent family for every child.
If enacted, The Families for Orphans Act would establish the Office of Orphan Policy, Diplomacy and Development within the Department of State and provide diplomatic authority to help the 30 million children orphaned worldwide and the 100 million plus vulnerable children who have lost one parent or are at risk of losing parental care. The new office would be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to support diplomacy and policy focusing on the preservation of families and the provision of permanent families
and legal, permanent relationships for orphans. This function is currently not a part of the US government's diplomatic portfolio.
Research has shown that families are essential to the healthy development of children, and those unfortunate children who grow up without the support of a permanent family often face homelessness, suicide, incomplete education, teen pregnancy and emotional disorders. "The human cost for children growing up without parents is steep," said Terry Baugh, President of Kidsave, and a member of the Coalition. "Children lose one month of development for every three months in an orphanage. With this handicap it is not hard to understand why these
children are unprepared for independent living when turned out of institutions starting as young as 8-years-old. As a result an estimated 50% turn to crime and prostitution, over one-third experience a period of homelessness and most are highly vulnerable to human trafficking and to adults recruiting terrorists and child soldiers." The Bucharest Early Intervention Study appears to support Baugh's assessment. The Study, conducted over five years by notable researchers from Harvard Medical School, the University of Maryland, Tulane, the University of
Virginia and the University of Minnesota reported that children living outside of family care suffered decreased brain activity (including lower IQ's), poor growth and a variety of emotional delays. "An investment in permanent family care for children is an investment in the health of the global economy," said Thomas Difilipo, President of the Joint Council of International Children's Services, a member of the Coalition. "Cost benefit data shows that effective, high-quality interventions to improve parenting skills and reduce child maltreatment save between $2 and $8 for every dollar spent. In a global economic crisis it only makes sense that
every country - and every community -- would begin to invest in permanent family care."
The new office will elevate the plight of children, giving the US a clear, dedicated, diplomatic authority to represent the interests of orphaned children. The office will advise the Secretary of State and President in all matters related to global family preservation and permanent parental care for orphans, as well as developing global strategy, including the coordination of all foreign policy and assistance related to global family preservation. The new office will also conduct research designed to better understand the size of the population of children living without parental care and global efforts to support these children. Oversight of three grant
programs directly related to preserving families and providing permanent parental care for families is an additional function of this new office. "The Families for Orphans Act emphasizes that activities that keep a child in the country of birth through family preservation, domestic adoption, legal guardianship and kinship care, are always the preferred child welfare
methods. However, when these are not timely options, a family through international adoption is clearly in the best interests of those children languishing in orphanages or living in temporary foster care," said Chuck Johnson, Coalition member and Chief Operating Officer for the National Council For Adoption.
The Families for Orphans Coalition was established in 2008 to support both domestic and foreign efforts that ensure every child lives, grows and thrives in a safe, permanent and loving family.
Online visibility tool from PRWeb
Sunday, July 05, 2009
A Reunion and XiXi's Birthday!
I spent some time with Lily and XiXi (Erica) and oh how I loved it. Lily was walking around kissing XiXi from time to time. Lily looked at me for a few minutes as if to say: "Where have you been" and then she went on as if nothing happened. She climbed on my lap, ate my food and drank my root beer. I loved meeting Donna and Rose, Lily's, mom and sister and we had a great time. On July 3rd Patrick and Cindy celebrated XiXi's birthday with their friends and here are some pictures.
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda
Life, Love and Laughter,
Amanda
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