New Day Foster Home - Thomas Christopher

Thomas has had a very eventful month. On November 23, he was able to undergo surgery. Before having surgery, the nurse told him that he wasn’t able to eat for approximately eight hours. He listened very well to the instructions that he had been given. While he was waiting to undergo surgery, he starting reciting and singing all of the rhymes and songs that he knew. While he was in the hospital recovering from surgery, his caregiver talked to him a lot. While they were talking, she asked him where Matthew and Abby, two of his former roommates went. With tears in his eyes, he told his caregiver that they both joined their new adoptive families and went to live in America. Finally, on December 8, Thomas was able to back to the New Day Foster Home. When he was told that he was finally able to go back home, he became very excited and started jumping up and down for joy! Even though the surgery was unsuccessful and he will need another one, Thomas continues to be an active young man. When he is in the playroom, he especially enjoys playing on the slide. Sometimes when he is playing in the playroom, he will pick up a small bag and walk back and forth. When his caregivers ask him where he is going, he tells them that he is going to America! We are hoping that he will soon receive word that he has a family waiting to adopt him. Thomas is a charming young man. It is wonderful to watch him develop and change with each passing month.
Blessings,

Karen Brenneman
New Day Foster Home
www.newdaycreations.com/foster

Qingyundian Township
Daxing District
Beijing, P.R.China 102605
86-10-8028-1586 ext 8023

The above post is an update of the little boy we sponsor that lives in a foster home outside of Beijing. He touches my heart. Please pray for his health -he has hypospadia. He also needs a home and he wants to go to America. Please pray, Anita

Love Without Boundaries December newsletter

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/newsletter/december05.pdf

Above is a link to the December 2005: Kids for Kids newsletter from "LoveWithout Boundaries" organization.

http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com

"Love without boundaries is a group of volunteers around the world who have realized that people who have a pure love for helping children can truly make a difference. We all donate our time and gifts in an attempt to brighten the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable children. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization."

" One of LWB's projects for 2006 is to compile and translate a teaching manual for orphanage staff on medical special needs. This book will explain each special need in a very simple and basic way, with lots of photos and helpful information, as well as an encouragement that the majority of children with special needs are highly adoptable. Each section of the book will be reviewed by a medical specialist for that particular need both here and in China. One of LWB's main goals for this project is for more orphanages to submit children with special needs, and we believe this book can help orphanage staff know how wanted and adoptable these children are. LWB's believes it can also provide some helpful information on day to day care of the kids, such as the need for sunscreen for children with albinism. "

I will be assisting the medical director of Love without Boundaries as well as other adoptive parents to compile a handbook that will be distributed throughout China's orphanages

This is a wonderful opportunity and I will be helping with the orthopedic section of this book.

LWB's will be sending a team to China in Jan. 2006 to present this to CCAA.

If you have adopted from China and/or have expertise in the medical conditions descibed below please contact me and I will forward your information to the medical director of LWB's.

Blood Diseases (Hepatitis B and Thalassemia, Diabetes)
Skin Conditions (Clefts, Burns, other Scars, Port Wine birthmarks, Albinism)
Tumors (Teratomas, Hemangiomas)
Heart
Orthopedic (Club Feet, Syndactlyly, Missing limbs or fingers)
Heart Defects
Spinal Defects (Spina bifida, scoliosis, funnel chest)
Ear Defects (Microtia, Deafness)
Eye Defects (Blindness, Glaucoma, Cataracts, Small Eye lids, Missing Eyes)
Colon (Anal Atresia, Mega Colon, Hernia)
Brain Defects (Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Down syndrome, Hydrocephalus)
Genital Defects (Ambiguous genitalia, Hypospasdius, Undescended testes)

-Anita

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a figure in the distance. As he got closer he realized the figure was that of a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean. The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die.""Son," the man said, "Don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't possibly make a difference." After listening politely the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the surf.Then smiling at the man he said, "I made a difference for that one."

I saw this story on a blog about adoption. This story answers the question "Why adopt?"
I have been asked this question so many times it astounds me.

Beautiful story and with the statistics that I recently read about the estimated 143 million orphans in the world ; I think we all should say ," Why not adopt ?"
http://www.waitingchild.org/malea.html This is a link to a story about a family who adopted a special needs child with clubfoot (like Jude ) from China

-Anita

Took these photos before going to a Chinese restaurant to celebrate my birthday and Jude's gotcha day. Aren't they cute? 

HI all,
On this past Sunday afternoon , we all went to Orlando for the America World Adoption Association annual Christmas Party. It was so nice to see all of the families with their beautiful children. Lots and lots of Chinese children and some children from Ukraine too. I love get togethers like that; even though we are all virtually strangers , we all feel such an incredible bond that we feel like family. Jude is pictured here with Santa and the first thing he said when he saw him was ," I want a carebear." (Rachel on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with Santa and wouldn't go up to him. ) He and Rachel both want carebears; little do they know that "Santa" already delivered and they can look forward to seeing them under the tree come Christmas morning. This Christmas is so special as we feel more relaxed ; last year was rough at Christmas because we were working off jet lag.
I am still sending out our Christmas cards and will soon begin wrapping the gifts.
We hope and pray all of you can put aside some time to reflect on what the Lord has done this past year and what he continues to do in our lives and the blessings he has given to us. Take time to reflect on the awesome wonder of that time long ago when Jesus was born. Read the book of Luke which talks of the birth of our Lord- lest we forget what this season is truly about.
Blessings to all of you, the Kellihers

Music video about orphan care

http://www.helporphans.org/home_pg_news/2005/08-18-videos/dancing-with-orphans.html

Here is a link to a music video that is about orphans and our need to come to their aid- Anita

Where has the time gone?

Can you believe it has been nearly a year since we were in China to get Jude? December 6th to be exact. Where has the time gone?

We took this photo on Thanksgiving day ; it is so difficult to take photos with small children - as you can see Jude is putting his fingers in his mouth.
I haven't posted in a while and its not that we didn't have anything to write about; we have just been so busy. Bill put up the Christmas lights on the house - he used blue icicle lights and they are so pretty. Jude and Rachel are fascinated by all the neighbors decorations , like the snow man across the street- which is one of those air-blown types- they unplug it during the day and Rachel thinks it's melted. I love this time of year.
I have officially finished all of our Christmas shopping which is very unlike me to do so this early in the season. I did most of it online -which is great; I highly recommend it. Amber and I went shopping on black Friday ( the day after Thanksgiving) at 5:45 am - I never do that ,but I couldn't sleep , so I said ," I might as well go shopping."
Well , I turn 35 in 10 days and to be honest with you , I feel sad about it. There is so much that I want to do with my life that I feel like I won't have enough time to finish it all. I seriously want to be a missionary. I know now that that was my calling in life. I can't stop thinking about it . I have read so many books on missions- so many bio's on missionaries. I went to hear a woman at church speak about her 30+ years working in Peru about 2 weeks ago and I got the documentary "Beyond Gates of Splendor" which is awesome-highly recommend it. This coming year I am going to work hard to receive my certificate in biblical studies through Moody Bible Institute - I will do that by correspondance, which will make it easier.
I can't believe it is almost 2006.
I hope to write before the end of the year- Anita