Hosting Yu Yu
“Hon, I know you are going to think I’m crazy, but I want to host an orphan from China this summer…” This is how I greeted my husband the day that I dared to take a peek at the photo listing of children who needed placements for the summer hosting program. After adopting my daughter as an infant (I was single at the time), I felt in my heart the pull towards adopting an older child. But after marrying and settling in to the joys and challenges of a blended family, I figured that dream was behind me. Well, what a surprise when my husband said “I don’t think you are crazy!”, and we quickly moved ahead to meet the looming deadline to be matched with the child we felt drawn to host.
While we were open from the start to the idea of adopting if things went well, we were very nervous about all the ways that things might NOT go well. Hosting seemed like the perfect way to see what it might be like to add to our family in this way, and to see if this particular child was a good fit. And he was. After weeks of nervous preparation, our lives were forever changed by the adorable 6 year old boy who greeted us at the airport with a huge smile on his face. He was small for his age, and acted much younger than 6, but he drew us in with his humor and the sheer delight that he expressed with each new thing that he tried and experienced with us. I spent about a day feeling a bit worried about his immaturity, nervous about how the summer would go, but it didn’t last! I had worried so much about communication with a boy who knew no English, but really that was not a very big deal. He surprised us by singing some songs in English that he had learned in school in China (BINGO, Twinkle Twinkle, ABC Song) . He very quickly learned some words and phrases in English, and we learned a few essentials in Mandarin. What we didn’t know got communicated through gestures and pantomime. Yu Yu fell in love with ice cream at the first, unexpectedly cold lick. Every time we went out in the car after that, he would say “Mama!” to get my attention, then pantomime holding and licking an ice cream cone, as his way of asking to go get some ice cream! (I could hardly ever say no!)
The best part of hosting was falling in love with this amazing little boy. Experiencing him learning to love hugs and being held, snuggling in close and giving kisses – all things that seemed new to him. Watching him play and bond with our girls. Seeing the utter joy on his face as he experienced not only the big fun stuff, but the everyday things like a bath, being tucked in, and eating a picnic lunch in the yard. Seeing him go from fear of the water to actually swimming! Seeing how well he compensated for his right arm disability. Was every moment fun and easy? Well, no. He did his share of testing the limits, and laughing when reprimanded. He turned out to be a sensitive boy, crying easily at small things and sometimes just shutting down. Those were the times when the lack of common language was the hardest. But as the weeks went by, I feel like we were starting to see wonderful progress with his trust of us, his bonding with us, and learning to live with the limits. Those sparks of progress gave us hope that this was a good fit, and that he was meant to be with our family.
To be honest, the hardest part of hosting is right now, afterwards. Watching him leave us at the airport was one of the hardest moments in our lives. He already felt like our son, and we were losing him. Now, to be separated so many months as we go through the adoption process, it is really hard. At times it feels cruel to both him and us. But I also know that we would NOT be adopting right now if we hadn’t hosted. I know that we wouldn’t have been brave enough to take on the unknowns of an older child without meeting him and feeling him melt into our family. What a gift he was to us. What joy we have in looking forward to the day when we will finally be reunited with him, this time forever!
Thank you to Yu Yu’s Host Family for allowing us to share their beautiful story. We can’t wait for them to bring their little Yu Yu home!
Visit www.orphanhosting.com to learn how you can be a part of our Hosting Program.
Read MoreHOLIDAY HOSTING PHOTO LISTING NOW AVAILABLE
Our Asia Holiday Hosting photo listings for China and the Philippines are now available.
These children will be coming to the U.S. the first week of December and will be staying until the first week of January.
We are looking for families that are interested in hosting to adopt as well as hosting to advocate.
Apply Today to be matched!
Visit www.orphanhosting.com to learn more.
Read MoreHosting Interview Team Made it to the Philippines!
Visit www.orphanhosting.com to learn more about the 2014 Holiday Hosting Program.
Friday in the Philippines
“Magandang Hapon (Good Afternoon) from April in the Philippines! Would anyone reading this believe I’m in the midst of a tropical storm in Philippines after being chased by a typhoon in China just a few days ago? In Texas they call me the “tornado magnet” (you can imagine why), but in Asia the team is calling me a “typhoon magnet!” I’m getting out of here first thing Saturday morning so these poor Filipinos can get a break from the rain! On the way to visit two orphanages today to interview the host children, we got stuck in floods that eventually reached the second floor of one orphanage, and the roads were blocked off to the other! The word is that the children are OK, and apparently everyone here is used to this. Unfortunately this caused me not to be able to interview the children today (I’m a “slave to the fatherless” up until I have to swim through garbage-filled street water to interview them, then the social workers get a call instead).
However, one lovely lady that I had the pleasure of meeting yesterday brought a huge smile to my face. She is a previously hosted child from this summer who was not adopted by her host family simply because they were doing a relative adoption already in Philippines, and they were hosting to advocate for her. So far, she has not been matched, and her eyes LIT UP when I asked her if she wanted to go to the U.S. again. She said YES and told me her favorite thing she learned this past summer was how to swim. She also LOVES to play badminton. This 13 year old girl has a heart of gold, and when I asked her to show me her favorite place in the orphanage, she brought me to the babies room! She said she loves babies and immediately picked one up and cuddled him and played with him. Her caretakers said she loves helping care for the babies and also loves helping them cook meals. I asked If she had any special talents, and she decided to sing me the song “Let It Go” from Frozen. It made my day!
If you would like to host a caring, sweet, athletic and smart young lady from the Philippines, contact us for more info on her! To have VIP matching priority, apply by TODAY (Friday, 9/19) and be the first to be matched with one of our Filipino children. (Note: you must be residing in TX or GA to host from the Philippines.)
Day 3-5: The team is wrapping up their interviews with one day left. It’s like they’ve been running a marathon! There is a Typhoon Warning in Guangdong so that’s keeping their trip a wee bit interesting. We got lot’s of photos over the weekend and even a cute video! (https://boulevardsaintlaurent.com) We can’t wait to see all the kids that will be participating in the Holiday Hosting.
Day 2:
“Today we wrapped up our interviews in our first orphanage and we spent hours deliberating which kids to select for hosting. They ALL stole our hearts, but unfortunately we could only select about half for the program! After all, we still have kids from 2 other orphanages who deserve a chance to have a life changing trip to America this winter. As we bumped along in the car on the way to orphanage number 2, the three of us American-sized bodies squeezed into the backseat of a Chinese-sized compact car, we finally settled on the sweet kids from orphanage 1 we will match with our families.
I could not have asked for a more amazing, talented, intelligent, dedicated and fun interview team. “Dr. G.” and Alex, our program coordinator, are superheroes for these kiddos. Of course, the only thing we’ve argued about this whole trip is which one of us would host our “Karate Kid.” (We finally agreed we should let one of you guys host him, because we just couldn’t decide who would be lucky enough to have this honor among the 3 of us.) Here is how our interview went with him:
“Bruce” (honorably nicknamed after Bruce Lee), walked in with a stoic and serious look on his face. He was ready to get down to business. He promptly obeyed every task we asked him to complete and matter-of-factly answered each question. Oh, he was aiming to please! We kept asking him things that would get him to show personality, and he certainly took initiative to do things like write his name. Finally, we got to the “what would he like to learn to do?” question. All of the sudden he lit up and said, “get better at martial arts!” And he immediately proceeded to perform and entire sparring routine, complete with perfect form, “hi-yas”, and ended with a bow. Then he posed like a real karate kid for his hosting photo! He was so proud to impress us, and thanked us for letting him show off his skills. And we just have to add that he is incredibly handsome for a 9 year old, so watch out ladies, this little Cupid will be on the looseSeptember 20th, so get your applications in before that for a chance to be matched with our sweet Bruce!
DAY 1:
Ni Hao from The interview team in Guangzhou! We’ve had two amazing days interviewing the sweetest, fun loving, most beautiful children we’ve ever seen! We can’t wait to share their smiling faces with you in a few days. As we prepare their bios and photos for our first 40 VIP families (still a few spots available!), you can look forward to some cute stories and photos from the trip.
(Part of our team interviewing one of the children.)
Here’s our favorite interview story of the day:
Little “Caleb” walked in with a big smile and kind eyes. He waved and said “ni Hao” and was so happy to see us! He had a look like, “it’s finally my turn? Can I draw a picture for you?” One interview technique we use to evaluate he kids’ cognitive abilities is to have them draw a face or person. He eagerly drew a face, and looked up at our “Dr. G.” Seeking approval for his drawing after each feature: eyes, nose, mouth… As we asked him questions, with a sheepish grin he shyly but willingly answered. Favorite color, red; favorite food, spicy! Then came the question where he melted our hearts with his answer: “If we could grant you one wish, what would it be?” And his answer was, “I want to go find some parents in America, and then come back every three years to visit my foster mom and friends.” We looked at each other, and “awww” was a universal word for all of us, both Chinese and English speakers.
You can look forward to seeing him and others who expressed their interest in visiting the US to live with a family very soon! These kids are already stealing our hearts and we are barely halfway through the interviews! Check back tomorrow to read about our favorite “karate kid”!
Below is our Interview Team with the Director of the Guangzhou Orphanage.
Orphan Hosting – VIP Registration Now Open
– Priority Matching
– Free CCCWA Keepsake Book
– Exclusive early viewing of child list
– Tax deductible fees
15 Kids Home in August
Oh Happy Summer! 15 Kids have come home with their families in the month of August. Thirteen of these beautiful children were from China, and two from Latvia! We are so thrilled to have the kiddos home safe with their forever families. Look at some of the smiles that have finally made it home!
Host Kids Need Forever Families
Our summer host program has come to a close. Now comes the big task, bringing all of these kiddos home for good! Several of these kiddos are being adopted by their host families or have found a family because of this program, however there are a few kiddos that still NEED families. Their host families have been advocating for them since day one and brought them here to the U.S. to try and help them find a family. The files for these kiddos are far more extensive then a normal file. Their host families are more than excited to talk to prospective families and share all of their experiences. If you can’t bring one of these kiddos home, at least share this blog so we can bring these little ones home for good!
Meet Tanner!
My name is Tanner and I am 7 years old. I have swollen glands under my tongue and some hearing loss in my right ear. I am lively kid and just returned to China from a hosting trip in the United States. I am hoping to be able to return one day with my forever family.
Meet Gwen!
Hi, my name is Gwen and I am 8 years old. Some of my muscles are weak and I need some help but other than that I am a lot like my peers. I was just hosted by a family in the United States and had so much fun. They are helping me find a forever family, and I hope to one day return to the U.S. forever!
Meet Gavin! – GWCA has $3000 grant available for my forever family!
Hi! I’m Gavin! I just started school at home last September and am learning a lot! I know my numbers and can count different objects I see. I am still working on learning my colors. I like to charm others and I love getting to play with my friends. My doctors helped me correct my cleft in my palate and lip and they also tell me that I am a Hep B carrier. I can hear well but I do have to eat softer foods. My favorite things are watching little bear cartoons and playing with cars and legos.
There is nothing negative to say about him. He is just a wonderful little boy who would fit in any family. -Gavin’s Host Mom
Meet Bo! – GWCA has $3000 grant available for my forever family!
My name is Bo and I am 10 years old. My doctors say that I have Spina Bifida and I need help getting around. I am very friendly and love being active. I just visited the United States for the first time and really enjoyed my stay with my host family. I would love to be able to return someday with a family of my own.
Meet Jim!
HI, I’m Jim and I will be 11 years old soon. I am currently being hosted by a family in the United States and want more than anything to return with a forever family. My doctors say that I have good health. I am a smart boy and I get a long well with my caregivers. I love watching cartoons and playing outside with my friends.
Meet Hope! – GWCA has $3000 grant available for my forever family!
Hi, I am Hope and I am 9 years old. I am currently enjoying my time in the U.S. with my host family. My host Mom shared a lot about me in hopes to help me find a forever family.
“Hope is a fun loving 9 year old. She smiles and laughs alot. She has cerebral palsy but can walk using a walker and can transfer to low lying chairs as well as use the restroom and dress herself with some assistance. She tries hard but needs encouragement to keep pushing herself to do new things. She responds well to praise. She loves music and after three weeks with our family picked up many songs and even began using phrases in English. Hope enjoys crafts and will spend hours using markers, making things with foam stickers and always has a pen and paper near by to draw with. While she was part of the hosting program she received glasses which helped her enjoy things like TV shows and movies since she could finally interact with them and know what parts were funny. She likes the Disney movie Frozen and can sing part of the song “Do you want to build a snowman?” She also received AFOs (leg braces) and is learning to walk using those and her walker. We are a large family and she was able to learn our names and get along with each member well. Hope is strong willed and also a perfectionist. While her initial adjustment to our family was difficult and she had trouble adjusting to schedules, foods and boundaries, she learned to like all American foods and eat well (except pizza!). She benefits from love and a good schedule with consistent boundaries as she learns what it means to be part of a family. Her response to disappointments resembles a much younger child (meltdowns and tantrums). As she made daily progress in our home, these became less frequent. She has learned what it means to have a “mommy”, “daddy” and lots of brothers and sisters but might thrive in a smaller family than ours. We believe she would do well in a family that understands the complex needs of cerebral palsy, who have the physical strength to attend to daily needs and also possibly older siblings that could praise her often. She will need help learning to manage emotions and behaviors in positive ways and how to be part of a family and accept love but not demand constant attention or help with the things she can do for herself. ” – Hope’s Host Mom
Meet Dean!
Dean is a very sweet boy 11 year old boy. He is very active and likes to try new things. He is considerate of others and helpful around the house when asked. He loves to do anything that is active, but doesn’t like to read. He is a very good athlete and can do flips, and other tumbling activities. He also can ride a bike and rip-stick well. My husband played baseball with him and said he had very good hand-eye coordination. He didn’t know how to swim when we met him, but when we took him to the local pool, he watched others and worked at it independently and after 4 weeks of swimming almost every day is a very good swimmer now. He loves to dive and would watch the dives other people did, then work on them until he could do them. He is very mechanical and likes to figure out how everything works. He is a good eater. He was willing to try most any food, and enjoyed most of them, especially if they were spicy. Particular favorites were pizza, cheeseburger, Spanish rice, chips and salsa, French fries, and noodles. His very favorite thing to eat is Pineapple and he taught me how to cut it like they do in China. He enjoyed all fruits, and vegetables. Like any other 11 year old boy, he enjoyed electronics. But always asked before using the Kindle or DS, and when I told him no, or he had enough time on them, he was always very obedient and put them back on the charger. He does not particularly like movies on DVD. He would rather be doing something more active…whether that was video games or outside activities, or puzzles. He loved to watch videos of himself and other family members on my phone. When he first arrived he did not know much English. But he is very good at reading gestures and body language and figuring out what you are trying to tell him. After the first time communicating something with gestures, if you made that gesture again, he immediately knew what you meant. After one month in the U.S., he spoke some basic English phrases and would use them readily. He bonded well with both host mom and dad. He particularly liked his older brothers. He had one younger host brother who was 4. He generally was very kind to him, but was a bit impatient with his annoying 4 year old behaviors. We believe he could thrive in a family here in America. He also loved both our cat and dog. He loved the song Gangnum Style and would dance to it and always say it to make our 4 year old smile! He has no known special needs. While he was in America, his teeth were checked and determined to be very good. He has very good personal hygiene. Bathing regularly and brushing his teeth every morning and evening. He also had his eyes checked and has good vision. -Dean’s Host Mom
Meet Elliott! – I HAVE FOUND MY FOREVER FAMILY!
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WOW Kids
Hi, I’m Minnie and I recently turned 5 years old! I love to play music and especially love to sing with my friends. I have been diagnosed as being an HIV carrier. I came into the orphanage in 2011 when I was 2 years old. When I came into care, I was behind my friends developmentally. Since I have been living with my foster family, I have been learning and growing. I am still a little small for my age, but I can take care of my own needs. I take my medication daily and I seldom get sick anymore. My favorite things to do are sing and dance. Sometimes I have been a little b it shy but I warm up once I get to know strangers. I love going to school and I recently won 1st place in an event in my school!
Hi, I’m Kolby and I am 3 years old. I love to blow kisses and wave good-bye to my caregivers!! I have hydrocephalus but my caregivers say that I am doing well developmentally. I am able to say words, follow commands, and respond to questions when asked. I also have a deformed femur that has caused me not to be able to stand or walk around. When I was younger I had a minor heart condition, ASD, but I had surgery for this and I am doing really great! I am super friendly and my caregivers love to make me laugh. I always have the attention of my caregivers, and I love to play with my toys.
Hi, my name is Allie, and I’m 3 years old. My legs don’t seem to work as well as they should, and I need help from my caregivers to walk around. But, I am able to stand up all on my own and walk around my crib if I’m holding on to the railing! I’m a little behind my friends and I still need help eating. I am able to say a few words and I love to babble! I am super happy all the team, and I love watching the other kids at the orphanage play. I also love pretty clothes! When my caregivers accidentally put me in pants I can’t help but sit sadly in the corner. But, as soon as they realize their mistake and put me in a pretty skirt I am all smiles and giggles! My favorite toy is anything that makes noise, and my favorite part of the day is when my caregivers take me outside to play!
Hi, my name is Sydney, and I’m 2 years old. I have something that called epilepsy which causes me to have seizures about every 15 days. When I had a CT scan done it looked like I might have hydrocephalus, and I am not able to walk but I do babble! But this doesn’t keep me from smiling all the time! I really like getting to spend time with my caregivers, but right now what I really want is a family all to myself!
Hi, my name is Romeo, and I’m 2 years old. The doctors tell me I have postoperative lumbosacral meningomyelocele, hydrocephalus, Chiari malformation, left limb deformity with paralysis, and Neurogenic Cystitis. I healed really well after my surgery and I am able to crawl, sit, and can stand while holding on to something for support all on my own! I am a super happy boy and when my caregivers put on music I like to wave my hands and feet. I really like listening to music, playing with toys, and giving my caregivers happy smiles. I am able to imitate speech, and I can follow the instructions my caregivers give me!
Read MoreWOW Kids
Hi, my name is Huck, and I’m 11 years old. I’m a healthy and happy boy looking for my forever family! I am very clever, outgoing, energetic and my caregivers say I adapt very well to knew environments. I get along really well with my peers and they tell me I am great at telling stories! I know some English, and my teachers tell me I am very expressive and have great language and communication abilities. As soon as I get home from school I start working on my homework right away (I’m a straight A student by the way), and then I like to help my friends if they are having trouble with their work. I also love sports! I’ve received multiple prizes in my P.E. class. Before coming to the orphanage I used to live with Tom, and he is available for adoption too! I would love to be able to stay in touch with him after I find my forever family!
Hello, my name is Tom, and I’m 12 years old. I am a super healthy boy! When you first start to talk to me you might think I’m a little shy, but once you get to know me you’ll see I’m actually really talkative! My teachers tell me I am very smart and independent. I take care of all my tasks and work without having to be reminded! I also love to read and play chess. I’m also ranked 36th out of the 300 students in my school! I am really good at focusing on my work, and I really enjoy learning new things. I get along really well with the other kids at the orphanage and am always up for a good game of basketball! I came to the orphanage with my brother named Huck, and he is available for adoption with Great Wall too!
Hi! My name is Audrina and I am 8 years old. I currently live with a foster family but I sometimes go back to the orphanage to visit my friends. My foster family says that I keep a good mood and am an extroverted girl. My favorite things to do are to go shopping in the super markets and play outside. My caregivers say that I am a bit behind my friends in my language and motor skills and my doctors say that I have epilepsy. I go to school and have improved a lot. I am a good girl in school and always show respect to my teachers and classmates. I hope that my forever family will bring me home soon!
Hi, I’m Miller! I am 11 years old and I love to dance and sing. I came to the orphanage when I was 5 years old. I have a blood condition called thalassemia. When I came into care I was diagnosed, and I have been getting transfusion about every 1-1.5 months since then. I am going to school and I keep up with my friends in all aspects of school. I am able to do all my chores independently. I enjoy doing new things and meeting new people. I love to read books and tell stories. My favorite thing to do is draw dragons!
Hi I’m Paul and I am 7 years old. I have a complex heart condition that includes acyanotic congenital heart disease, single ventricle, patent foramen ovale, severe pulmonary hypertension, cardiac function III degree. I had surgery to increase the blood flow in my pulmonary artery and this has helped; my cardio pulmonary function is normal! I am going to school and doing well. I am keeping up with my friends cognitively, but I am a little behind physically because of my heart condition. I love to draw and play with robots! My favorite things to do are play games, watch TV, and play on my computer!
Read MoreHosting is Underway!
Whew! The kids finally made it. Last week all 26 host kiddos made it safely to their destinations. The chaperones may need a week to recover, but everyone made it in one piece. Stay tuned to our blog and Facebook page as our families share this wonderful experience with us.
2014 Family Reunion was a Success!
The 2014 Family Reunion was a success! A big thank you to everyone that came out to support us. It was so wonderful meeting families and seeing all of the beautiful children thriving.
Stay tuned as the planning has begun for the 2015 Family Reunion.
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