YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE !

The following post was originated by another host mom.  It discusses a very delicate subject that we will need your help and cooperation with while we open our home to Gundars and Elina this summer.  She has shared the post and given both her permission and encouragement to share it with our friends and family.  Please read this post with a discerning and understanding heart.  We want nothing to hurt our kiddos or endanger the various hosting programs across the country that minister to the hearts and lives of orphans around the world.

 

The "A" Word

With Gundars and Elina arriving in less than a week I thought it was time to cover a very important topic...the "A" word!!

 

What might the "A" word be, you ask???

  

ADOPTION !!!

 

New Horizons for Children is NOT an adoption agency. They are a hosting program only, and any mention of the word adoption jeopardizes their program. While it is true that 65% of the children who are hosted this summer will go on to be adopted by families in the United States, it is not beneficial to the children for adoption to be discussed in their presence. The ONLY thing they have been promised is a summer in America. They are essentially going on a five week vacation to another country, that is it!  They all know they will be returning to their own countries once the five weeks are up!  The only thing worse than a child living in an orphanage, is having hopes raised that their life is going to change, they will be adopted, and then they are not. More often than not, children who are told they are being adopted, or being led to believe this, are the same ones WHO ARE NOT EVER ADOPTED.

 

We may NOT talk to Gundars and Elina about any aspect of adoption; or mention the possibility, the concept, the thought process, or any form of the "A" word in their presence, and we ask that you respect this rule as well.  Living my entire life as an "adopted child", that word is a part of my everyday life.  I would consider myself to be a huge advocate for adoption, but I, myself, will have to be oh, so, careful.  Please join us and help us to protect these kiddos. 

 

You may THINK the kids do not understand any English but they may actually pick up on various parts of conversations. We have been asked to be super proactive in letting others know this rule before we run into a problem (hence this blog post).  In the past, slip ups have occurred in the following ways and have really caused heartache.  Here are some examples of actual instances that have happened.

 

• In the concept of discussing a pet's "adoption"...a child heard the word and didn't realize it was in relation to a pet, but thought it was for him! It wasn't..... 
• When attending a church service, the pastor was so excited to welcome the hosted children present, he asked for church members to pray that each child would get adopted.
• When a mom was driving down the road with music playing, she thought her hosted child couldn't understand, so she called someone and discussed adoption of the child. The child heard and soon spread the "news" to others at group events that they were all being adopted. 
• In discussing the joy of personally being an "adopted" child, a parent was trying to share a personal experience, but the child misunderstood and thought it was about him/her. 

Please help us protect all hosted children you may cross paths with this summer from disappointment, especially Gundars and Elina. We know Gundars and Elina really want to live in a family as we were told when we began this program that in their interview they stated they wanted to be adopted.  As exciting as that may sound, it is part of our job as their host family to protect them from any possible heartbreak and abide by the program guidelines that we have agreed to.

In other news, we are still some $2800.00 away from our hosting fees being totally funded.  We are excited about the upcoming Spirit Day at Chick Fil-A - Waxahachie on this next Monday, June 25.  We have been blessed today with the community support we have seen in an effort to get the word out.  We cordially invite you to join us if there is any way possible you can attend. 

http://www.active.com/donate/summer2012/Myers-Partyof4

Be Blessed,


Carol

 

Save the Date - Times 2

Truth be told, I am not sure anyone still checks my blog.  I probably wouldn’t be checking it either, if I wasn’t so eager to see if someone had just accidentally “stopped by.”  Life has been busy preparing for the arrival of our kiddos.  It’s just ONE.MORE.WEEK. until our lives change for the summer, if not forever…  One week from tonight, we make the trek to D-FW Airport to pick up our kiddos.

We have been working on transforming the house from where we crash, into a home that is kid-friendly and welcoming.  I have been busy “girling up” our guest room for Elina and refreshing Daniel’s room for Gundars.  There is so much I would love to do, but will try and control myself – at least until we have all of our hosting fees taken care of.

We want to make those of you who are local to be aware of the following two dates:

Monday, June 25, 2012 -     Chick Fil-A Spirit Day – Waxahachie, TX

Chick Fil-A of Waxahachie has blessed us with a Spirit Day to help us with our fundraising efforts.  From 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. they are giving us 15% of their pre-tax receipts for that day’s sales.  This opportunity is available both for dining inside and drive-thru customers.  Everyone has to eat sometime during that day, so if it is at all possible, please enjoy one (or more) of your meals with us at Chick Fil-A in Waxahachie.  REMEMBER THIS:  In order for your purchase to count toward our fundraising, YOU MUST TURN IN YOUR RECEIPT.  Don’t forget that.

Thursday, June 28, 2012 -   D-FW Airport

We would like to invite those of you from the area to join us at D-FW Airport to welcome the children who will be arriving there from Latvia.  There are 5 who will be arriving together for their summer in Texas.  The other hosting families are from out of this area and traveling in to pick up their children from D-FW.  Please join us to give them a “proper” Texas welcome.  Bring your balloons, posters, American flags, noise makers, and anything else you might think of.  Don’t forget to wear your Red, White, and Blue.  Help us give these kiddos a welcome they won’t ever forget.

Now for the details:

Flight:         American Airlines – Flight # 787

Terminal:     It has been coming in at Terminal C – Gate 33.

Plan to arrive around 9:15 p.m.  This flight has been consistently arriving by    9:40 p.m.

Plans now are to meet at Baggage Claim – C31.

Please check my FB/Blog for any last minute changes.

Thank you all for following along on our journey.  We are looking forward to the days to come.  We are still ACTIVELY fundraising for our hosting fees.  We pushed through the half-way point in the last twenty-four hours, but still have about $2900.00 to go.  I will keep the Active.com site open a few more days.  You may receive a tax-deductible receipt for gifts made through them.  You may also use the “Chip-In” widget on the top right of my blog.  Tax-deductible gifts may also be made through newhorizonsforchildren.org.  Our children’s “number” is L-109.

http://www.active.com/donate/summer2012/Myers-Partyof4

We look forward to sharing all that is to come in the following weeks.  Please continue to pray for us and with us as we walk this road.  Pray that God will enable us to be the best that we can be to bless the hearts and lives of these kiddos.

Be Blessed,

Carol

Can You Imagine ? ? ?

It was just a few days ago that I came across the following paragraph while doing some reading in preparation for our hosting adventure this summer.  It moved me.  Please read carefully…

“Imagine that you are eleven years old, that you live in an orphanage in Latvia, where there is food to eat and clothing to wear. But, there is NO mama to kiss you goodnight and NO papa to carry you on his shoulders. There is NO promise of a future for you. There is NO hope.

Then, imagine that one day you are selected by a group of kind American missionaries to visit their country, where you will stay four weeks in the home of a real family, with a mama and a papa, and perhaps brothers and sisters. You will ride in a real airplane, and once there, you will surely be happy, because you have been chosen, for the first time in your life, for something that is good and fun and special.

                 

Such is the goal of New Horizons for Children, an International Orphan Hosting Ministry that organizes two hosting events per year: one at Christmas, and one in the summer. According to founder LeAnn Dakake, NHFC gives children hope for their lives, because of the opportunity to travel to America, to experience unconditional love and “to learn that they do have a Father, the same Father in Heaven that we all have who loves us dearly and is always with us.”

Without intervention, upon leaving the orphanage, 60% of the girls will end up in prostitution, 70% of the boys will be on the streets or in jail, and 15% will commit suicide within the first 2 years on their own.  Through the efforts of NHFC, some 2000 orphans from Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine have traveled to America. Although it is not an adoption program, Dakake is pleased that 65% of the children who are hosted do find their forever families.

Imagine that.”

I came across the article again this morning, and again, I was moved; perhaps because I had been mulling over in my mind what I had read a few days ago and this just confirmed it again.  Perhaps, it is the realization that comes with reading the statistics.  Perhaps, it is because God is doing a work on this heart of mine, helping me to take my eyes off of myself and helping me to see the world a bit more closely through His eyes.

Did you know that Eastern European orphans reach “adulthood” at the age of 15 or 16?  At that time, they “graduate” from their life in an orphanage to life on their own.  For the great majority of these kids, they will know no one outside of the orphanage and will have no support system to help them on their way.  That is why the statistics are so daunting.

Without our help, a typical Russian orphan faces a bleak future: drugs, alcohol, prison, prostitution, suicide, violent death.  We often refer to the the Russian orphanage system as the world’s most cruel “surprise party”.  For many years, until an orphan reaches age 15 or 16, the orphanage provides shelter, food, clothing,  and structure for the child.  In this environment, the orphan becomes very dependent for all of his or her needs.  They learn almost nothing about responsibility.  Then, suddenly the orphan “graduates” and is sent into the world with no family and no support structure to help them.  They are “free” and often use their freedom to launch into all of the wrong things that the world offers them.
         

The quotation above is taken from http://www.bigfamilyministry.org/.

This is not only the case of Eastern European orphans, but for orphans in much of the world.  Just as many American teens are experiencing the many highlights of their teen years, these orphans of the world are stepping out on their own with little chance of a positive future and oftentimes no hope at all in their lives.    

I am so thankful that God is giving us the opportunity this summer to impact the future of two of the world’s orphans.  When I consider the open door we have before us, I am almost speechless, somewhat overwhelmed, and totally expectant of God’s blessing as we step out and follow him.  Please pray with us that God will prepare our hearts as we receive Gundars and Elina into our home.  Please pray, also, that God will be preparing their hearts as well.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper  you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future .          Jeremiah 29:11

Be Blessed,

Carol

Check out our new "fundraising thermometer on the side of our blog!!!  We are ALMOST half-way there.  Just $3400.00 to go.  We thank God for His continued blessing.    www.active.com/donate/summer2012/Myers-Partyof4 

Prayer Letter

P-R-A-Y-E-R   L-E-T-T-E-R

Dear Friends and Family,

Gary and I just wanted to update you on the latest in  “Our Unexpected Adventure”.  As most of you know, we have stepped out and made the decision to host a brother/sister sibling set from the country of Lativa in our home this summer.  These children are orphans and have NEVER experienced the opportunity of living their lives in a family setting.  They have probably never experienced the joy of receiving love from another person.  In fact, it is quite possible they have never even received a hug or heard the words “I love you”.  I.Cannot.Imagine…

Let me introduce you…Gundars is soon to be 13 years old.  He enjoys sports, cats, and dogs.  One of his dreams is to learn to ride a bike  He hopes to be a firefighter when he grows up.  (Just perfect for our family-don’t you think???)  Elina turned 11 in December.  Her favorite color is pink.  Her favorite animal is a horse and she enjoys playing soccer.  If given the choice of anything she could do, she would like to

read a book. 

We are three weeks away from their arrival at D-FW Airport – just twenty-one short days.  AAACCCKKKKK ! ! !  We still have a lot to do as we prepare for their time with us.  They will arrive with just the clothes on their backs, so we have been on the hunt to have everything they will need when they arrive. 

In the orphanage, everything is “communal” so to speak.  The children are issued one set of clothes each week.  It may or may not fit.  There is a good chance that it will not match.  If it gets dirty during the week, it is their responsibility to clean it themselves or choose to wear the dirty clothing until the first of the next week when they will receive their outfit for the next week.  I am looking forward to seeing the looks on their faces when they realize they have a choice of what to wear and won’t be washing clothes for awhile…

There are many things we do not know about our kiddos.  We don’t know any family history, other than the fact that they are orphans.  We don’t know if they can speak English.  We don’t know what foods they will like/dislike.  We DO know however that God has led us to this and that he can use us to show Gundars and Elina the love of a family and ultimately the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We would love to have you join in our journey with your prayer support.  As we come to your mind, please remember the following prayer needs:

          Preparations necessary for their arrival

          Safety as Gundars and Elina travel to Texas

          Safety during their time in the states

          Adjustment to the time change as well as change of climate after they arrive

          Good health for each of us during their time here

          Ability to communicate with each other.  (It would be great if they know at

                   least a little English.)

          Gundars and Elina to trust us and feel loved by us

          Opportunities to share the love of Christ with them

          Gundars and Elina to have responsive hearts to the Gospel

          WISDOM for Gary and me as we respond to God’s leading in this adventure

God has provided in many ways as we pursue this.  Clothes have been given to us, a bicycle has been provided for Elina, our eye doctor has generously offered to provide eye exams for the kiddos while they are here, and others have given sacrificially toward our fundraising.  We have received $560.00 just this week for which we are grateful beyond words.  Our current total is $1080.00 of $5000.00.  If you are interested in partnering with us in this way, we would be so appreciative.  Tax-deductible contributions can be made at:       www.active.com/donate/summer2012/Myers-Partyof4

We have a Chip In widget on our blog if you are interested in that.  Our blog address is:

                                     Ourmissionofloveandhope.blogspot.com

We look forward to God’s hand in this and His blessing on this new chapter in our lives.  Please pray with us and follow along with us as we pursue this.  We thank Him for allowing us to play a part in caring for these children and ultimately making a difference in their lives.

Be Blessed,

Carol

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in  

           their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.     James 1:27  NIV

         

SAVE THE DATE ! ! !

Well now . . .I am guessing it might be a done deal.  We got our long awaited e-mail with Gundars' and Elina's flight manifest attached yesterday afternoon.  That certainly makes it all the more real, and maybe even a bit, hmmmm, scary, shall we say.  Suffice it to say, we have much yet to get done.

We would LOVE as many of you as possible to join us at the airport to welcome the Latvian children from New Horizons for Children's Summer Hosting Program who come into D-FW Airport.  Texas will be the summer home to 11 orphan children from Latvia this summer as well as some from Ukraine.  There are three families from the north Texas area who are bringing a total of 5 children into their homes for the summer.

Mark your calendars and make your plans now to join all of us as we reach out to these kiddos.  Let's make it a Texas-sized celebration.  Don't forget your balloons and signs, and anything else that will make the kiddos feel welcome.

Now for the specifics...The children will arrive on Thursday, June 28, 2012.  Their flight number is AA (American) Flight #787.  It is scheduled to arrive at 10:10 p.m.  I do not have gate information at this time, but will update the information further when we are closer to their arrival.  PLEEEEZE make plans now to join us for their arrival.  I am sure it will be an encouragement to see the love of other families celebrating their arrival in Texas.

We are still busy making preparations for their arrival.  Some dear friends donated a bike to us for Elina this week.  We look forward to picking it up and having it for her when she arrives.  We continue to be involved with the whole fundraising thing...I am almost to the panic stage there.  :)  Tax deductible donations can be made at www.active.com/donate/summer2012/Myers-Partyof4.  Those who are not interested in a tax-deductible donation can make a donation at the top right of our blog using the Chip In widget.  Thanks so much for blessing the hearts and lives of these kiddos.

                                        
                                           
We are planning to hold 2 yard sales to help with the fundraising effort.  If you have anything you think will sell well in a yard sale, and you live in the Midlothian/Waxahachie or Richardson/Garland areas of north Texas, please leave a comment on my blog or message me on FB and I will get back to you. 

Finally, I am not so sure anyone other than myself ever reads this blog...  Please leave a comment on our blog so I know someone, somewhere is out there reading about our adventure.  I have an Olive Garden gift card up for grabs this weekend for those who comment on my blog, share on your blog, share on FB, and/or share on Twitter.  You will receive one entry in the drawing for each of those you do.  Please comment on my blog regarding each thing that you do.  I will draw for the winner on Monday morning.  Thanks so much.  I am looking forward to hearing from each of you.....

I will leave you with one of my favorite passages of scripture.  Psalm 37:5 - Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Have a great weekend.

Be Blessed,

Carol