In the e-mail from NHFC it was casually mentioned that the host dates are December 13, 2010-January 15, 2011! I'm sure that information will be sent to us host families shortly, but when I saw the dates in the e-mail I felt like I had hit the jackpot and gotten some kind of super secret insider information! YAY! I can now officially start the countdown until we get to see our oldest daughter again! 39 days!
If you would like to contact me directly to ask questions about our personal experience, please e-mail at: SusanPirkey@gmail.com Here is the e-mail from NHFC:
Dear Friends and Family of New Horizons for Children:
This will be my last update email asking for additional prayers for the few remaining children who do not have Christmas host families. I prayed and thought about what to write. Yesterday, it became clear as to what it has to be…
An 18 year old young lady, by the name of Sidney, has been doing her Senior Project with me over the past month. She decided that she wanted to learn more about the hosting program, the reasons for it, about adoptions that often result from it and wanted a better understanding of how it all works. She came in a few times to question me, interview Renee and her daughter, Michelle and one of her sons and has sent me several follow up emails along the way. Through our time together, I have been really impressed with her professionalism and dedication to her work. We’ve had University interns that put in less effort than Sydney! I’ve learned that she carries a 4.25 GPA and is presently number 18 in her graduating class of 505 students at a public High School and aims to be in the top 10 by graduation in May. I asked how she achieved a GPA above 4.0 and she explained she took Advanced Placement classes in Human Geography, (English) Language Arts, World History, US History, Micro Economics, Literature, Statistics, Government and Honors classes in Spanish which “count more” due to the difficulty level. She also earned college credits from these classes ready to transfer as soon as she graduates! Sidney wants to attend either the University of Georgia or Georgia Tech and major in International Business if things go her way. She is also President of the Spanish Honors Society and was in Beta Club in 10th and 11th grades in addition to being a member of the both the National Honor Society and Model United Nations which is a debate team.
Yesterday, she came back to our office for her final meeting with Renee and I and met with a young man, Taylor, who is 24 and now a senior at Kennesaw University also majoring in International Business. They went into another office and talked for a long time. When they finished, she exclaimed, “We have SO much in common and understand each other a lot!” When I asked what she felt they had in common she had a lot to share: Taylor graduated as Valedictorian of his high school class, and had many achievements both in school academics, soccer on two teams and other extra-curricular activities. But, they share something even more special… They were both adopted as teens from foreign countries: Taylor is actually my oldest son, who was adopted at age 13 from Russia and Sidney is actually one of our first Latvian children who came on a hosting program 5 years ago. They both came to America not speaking a word of English and not knowing a soul except for the family who adopted each of them. Sidney has a younger brother and they were hosted as a (hard to place) sibling group, while Taylor left behind a younger sibling in Russia, he has now has many younger siblings who were also adopted. Sidney and Taylor both kept their first language of Russian and were able to communicate in that too! Their goals in life are similar and the things they shared and realized since being adopted are also very much alike.
When I asked Sidney how she felt she has changed since coming to America, she shared, “I am now more accepting in regards to other kinds of people and different cultures.” This led her to choose International Business for her intended major in college. Taylor has shared similar feelings with me and this was one of his deciding factors in choosing International Business! Sydney stated she appreciates what she has now, more than ever before; especially her family and friends. One of the things she does better now and she feels makes her successful is that she knows how to make friends since she is more outgoing and sociable. In Latvia, in the orphanage she said, “I never had any incentive to do this before.” She credits her family for teaching her “to go out there and take a chance even without knowing if the outcome would be totally successful…even when she didn’t know English very well at first.” She shared her self esteem is so much higher now, which was apparent without asking… and she feels successful and ready to have a future both personally and professionally.
| Meet Sidney: | Meet Taylor: |
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Perhaps you are one who receives this email, and goes through one of these scenarios:
- Looks at the children, prays for direction on what to do… but, hasn’t felt called to host.
- Thinks, “I’d like to send a donation to help one of these children, but what if (how, where)….”
- Believes, “I live in the state of _________ and therefore I can’t host…”
- Has called before and thinks that the mandatory training day is not offered close enough to your house.
- Thinks it’s too late, and therefore, won’t make the decision to move ahead.
And to answer some of the concerns above:
Donations can be made via PayPal on our website: www.NewHorizonsForChildren.org
Host Parent Training is now offered in many places:
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Lastly, but most importantly: Go view the remaining children who need prayer warriors, sponsors and host families and forward this email to others.
Children arrive from Russia, Ukraine, and Latvia, on December 13 and return January 15.
We always solicit prayers, prayer warriors and churches around the country who are looking for an orphan ministry to operate within their church. November is National Adoption Month and many churches are focused on the grim future of orphans and want to find ways to help.
NHFC is a non-denominational, non-profit, Christian ministry. Our goals are to reach orphans in Eastern European countries and bring them to the USA to visit with American Christian host families for 4-5 weeks over Christmas and in the summer. This shows them a functional family environment, immerses them in English, gives them love of family, and of their Father in Heaven. It undoubtedly builds their otherwise non-existent self-esteem. They realize they DO matter and can succeed in life. In the end, more than 65% of children who come on New Horizons for Children’s host program and are eligible for adoption, do find forever families, and are later adopted. It may not be their host family who adopts them, but perhaps someone who knows their host family and met them through the program. Some children still have partial scholarships to offset their hosting fees. Others have families interested to host, but need financial assistance from donors. All of them need prayer warriors!
May God bless you on this journey,
Le Ann Dakake
Director of Hosting Programs
New Horizons for Children
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