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Adoption Nutrition: country by country information

When adopting a child (or hosting a child) from a foreign country, one of the basic considerations is... nutrition.  What is the child accustomed to eating, what are possible deficiencies in the child's diet, what kinds of irrational behavior might the child exhibit concerning food?


Now there is a website that addresses these issues, with many details for specific countries and regions.


For children coming from Russian and many Eastern European countries, you will find more information here. 


For more general information, visit the website of Adoption Nutrition.

Russian orphan at McDonalds

An ordinary mom's fight against human trafficking

Brief review of Passport Through Darkness:


     "As she shares her extraordinary stories of fighting human trafficking as an ordinary mom, Kimberly Smith offers hope for readers who wonder if God is calling them to greater things.
     "Passport Through Darkness takes readers on Smith’s journey from normal family life and business, to Europe, to the deserts of Africa and ultimately, to the deserts of her own soul as she tries to live well as an imperfect American mom, crusade for justice for orphans around the world, and embrace God’s extraordinary dreams for her. When Kimberly and her husband risk everything to answer God’s call, they see God change and restore them—even amid exhaustion, marital struggles, and physical limitations.
     "This heartbreaking, heartlifting book is for anyone who longs to see God move their life from normal to one that matters. It is a call to readers to take one more step on their journey to know God’s heart."


Learn more about Passport through Darkness.


Time to register for Orphan Summit VIII at Saddleback Church

   Steven Curtis Chapman, Rick and Kay Warren, and Dennis Rainey are a few of the presenters for the Christian Alliance for Orphans’ annual Summit scheduled May 3 and 4 at the Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA.  
   The Christian Alliance for Orphans has become the national hub for what Christianity Today recently called, “the burgeoning Christian orphan care movement.” 
   Summit VIII in southern California is expected to draw 1,800 to 2,000 pastors, grassroots advocates, organizational leaders and church ministry heads. Alongside more than seventy workshops, the unforgettable plenary sessions will include Francis Chan, Rick and Kay Warren, Crawford Lorritts, Dennis Rainey, Steven Curtis Chapman, and other global leaders. 
   Summit inspires, equips and connects for adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry.
   Read more and register by following this link to Summit VIII.

If you can't hug an orphan by going to the orphanage, you can help those who are there and who are giving the hugs!

Should the adopted child be parented differently?

On her Hope at Home blog, Beth Templeton explains why  she has concluded that there is no difference between parenting the adopted and biological child:


"In the adoption community we talk a lot about the need to parent the adopted or foster child differently. Over the 12 years since our first adoption I have honestly gone back and forth over this question. With three children by birth and four by adoption Stephen and I have certainly had the opportunity to think this through in real life experience. I'd like to share with you why I have come to the conclusion that actually there is no difference between parenting the adopted and biological child. So, let me explain!


"I say there is no difference in parenting our children because it is clear to me that each and every child-- adopted, foster, or biological-- needs to be parented differently. If all we had was conventional wisdom to fall back on, then this question of treating our adopted child differently would be appropriate; however, we have more than just wisdom. As believers in the Living God who gives us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation (Ephesians 1:17), you and I have the incredible freedom and power to live our lives as parents according to the Spirit. We make parenting decisions based on what God is saying by revelation. So, when we parent in the Spirit, that is by revelation, the issue is not do we parent a child differently because she is adopted, but rather we parent each child differently because we can! What freedom! What privilege! What hope!"



Orphan hosting program summer 2012

   Children from Latvia and Ukraine have now been selected for the summer 2012 hosting programs!
   What is Big Family Mission’s reason for being?  In simple terms: To bring orphans into families:  on earth or in heaven… but ideally on earth and in heaven. 
   One very effective way to bring orphans into families:  hosting programs.
   Christian hosting programs are helping hundreds of orphans and children at risk find their forever families in the USA.  The typical hosting program brings orphans from Eastern Europe (and other countries) to the U.S. to live with Christian families for 4 to 5 weeks.  The programs we partner with have two hosting adventures each year: one in the summer and one at Christmas.
   The hosting programs are not adoption programs, but many of the children who come to the U.S. are eventually adopted, sometimes by the family who hosted them, but often by other families they have met during their visit.
   Big Family Mission started the “northeastern branch” of the New Horizons for Children orphan hosting program in the summer of 2007.  We (Dianne and Ken) will never forget the conversation we had with LeAnn Dakake (director of NHFC) about the feasibility of the northeastern U.S. program.  LeAnn told us that we would need to find families to host at least 6 children to proceed with the program.  At first, it seemed impossible, but God blessed us with 22 children from Russia and Latvia hosted that first summer.
   We were also blessed that first summer when God introduced us to John and Ann Devine who were much more experienced with hosting and adoption than we were.  The Devine family accepted the leadership role for the 2007 Christmas program in the northeast, and under their faithful service, the program has resulted in hundreds of orphans being brought into families.  The Devine family and other families in the northeast established a new hosting program for the summer of 2011: Open Hearts and Homes for Children.
   Big Family Mission continues to partner with New Horizons and Open Hearts and Homes to help find families who are interested in hosting children.  NHFC now offers hosting programs in most areas of the U.S., and OHHC focuses on hosting in the northeastern U.S.
   Children from Latvia and Ukraine are now available for the summer 2012 programs!   If you know of anyone who might be interested in adopting an older orphan or hosting a child for summer 2012, you can let your interest be known by registering on the websites of Open Hearts and Homes and New Horizons for children.
   If you are not able to host, there are other ways you can help:
  • Provide a scholarship to help another family with the expense of hosting a child; or
  • Spread the word about hosting in your church; or
  • Consider starting a hosting program in your area.
   Learn more about hosting programs here:
Open Hearts and Homes for Children:  www.OpenHeartsAndHomes.org .
New Horizons for Children: www.NewHorizonsforChildren.org


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