HURRICANE HARVEY: HELP US, HELP THEM

While Hurricane Harvey has brought devastating floods to many areas of Texas, we have been very fortunate and are happy to announce that our Austin office has not been impacted. We are safe and operating under normal business hours. Our thoughts are with our friends, families, and fellow Texans who have been impacted by the hurricane.

That being said the team at GWCA/CAN/SAE are gathering donations for Central Texas Food Bank and Austin Pets Alive to be allocated to our friends in need all over southern Texas. If you are local we encourage you to donate to the above organizations or you can bring your goods here and we’ll deliver them for you.

If you would like to participate, please bring whatever of the following:

  1. Canned Foods
  2. Anything from this list for cats/dogs (note that they do not need any dog food or dry food anymore.)

We appreciate your support and our continued thoughts go out to all those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

GWCA/CAN/SAE Address:

248 Addie Roy Rd. Suite A102

Austin, TX 78746

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New Kids on the Block

Meet Camilla!

This precious kiddo’s name is Camilla, and she is 4 years old! Camilla has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but with rehabilitation treatment she has made incredible progress. She is able to walk without assistance and has excellent fine motor skills! Her teachers describe her as having some overall developmental delays, but we believe she would make amazing progress with more specialized attention. She is sweet, smiley kiddo who loves her caregivers and the other children at the orphanage. Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Meet Rebecca!

**AGING OUT** Rebecca is a lovely young girl from China that will turn 14 years old this January.  If Rebecca is not adopted before she turns 14, she will age out of the China Adoption System and will never get the chance to have a family.  Rebecca has expressed to her caregivers that she very much wants to be adopted by an American family and that she desires to have a home and parents of her own.

Rebecca is missing her left eye and has corneal leukoplakia in her right eye, so her right eye has some sight, and can walk around freely in a familiar environment without any assistance. She goes to a special school for children who are blind. Her cognitive abilities and language abilities are normal and she is doing very well in school. Rebecca is currently in 6th grade and she gets excellent grades. Rebecca has been awarded “Triple-A” student every year at her school. This year she won the second prize in a singing competition at her school. Rebecca can also read in braille.

Rebecca likes to sing and will often perform at different celebratory events at her school and at the orphanage. Rebecca gets along very well with her peers and with her caregivers! Her teachers describe her as being obedient, sensible and polite. Rebecca is a very outgoing and active girl and has a ready smile.

You can contact the China Home Finding Team at Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting sweet Rebecca. We hope we are able to find Rebecca her Forever Family soon!

Click Here to Watch Rebecca’s NEW Video where she is singing beautifully!  

Meet Lyla!

I found my family!

Lyla is a sweet little girl from China that just recently turned 1 year old. Lyla only has two fingers on each of her hands and only two large toes on her feet. Lyla is doing well developmentally and cognitively in all other regards.

Lyla is described as an active girl who has a ready smile. Lyla can pick up objects, including food, and can feed herself snacks. Lyla is good at imitating what adults are saying and she is already saying a few words. Lyla can walk on her own and can climb up and down stairs.

If you would like to learn more about Lyla, you can request her file today!

Meet Ziggy!

Meet Ziggy! Ziggy is an incredible 13 year old boy in need of a home as soon as possible. Ziggy ages out of the adoption system in February of 2018, so he urgently needs to find his family. Ziggy is a smart, healthy boy who’s only need is colorblindness! He is currently in school and is learning basic English introductions. He is extremely athletic and loves to play football, even wining second prize for his school football team! He is described as being very curious and disciplined in school. He loves to take initiative in class discussion and present ideas to the group! He is very independent and extremely bright. Ziggy is an amazing kiddo who would thrive with the love of a family. Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Meet Amara!

This beautiful girl’s name is Amara, and she is 12 years old! Amara has been diagnosed with Dandy Walker Syndrome, but overall she seems to be doing phenomenally well in regards to her general development! She was also born with polysyndactyly of both hands and limb differences of her legs. Amara is a smart, kind girl who loves her caregivers. She is described as being very happy and content! She loves to draw and her orphanage even sent us some of her beautiful drawings! Amara is an amazing kiddo who would thrive with the love of parents. Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Meet Joshua

oshua is a kind little boy from China that just recently turned 11 years old.  Joshua has a unique condition where he has XXY chromosomes and hypospadias.  Joshua is being raised as a boy and he appears to fully identify as a boy as well.  Joshua is overall a healthy boy who is generally on target developmentally and cognitively.  One of my friend’s at GWCA visited me in China earlier this year and she would love to speak with prospective families about me!

Joshua is in 4th grade in a regular school and he gets average grades compared with his peers. He enjoys singing and dancing. He likes to play basketball with his friends. He also loves to draw! If you give Joshua paper and pencils he can draw for hours! he often has a smile on his face and is generally a happy kiddo.

You can contact the China Home Finding Team Great Wall if you would like to learn more about adopting Joshua!

Click Here to Watch Joshua’s Video #1!

Click Here to Watch Joshua’s Video #2!

Resources

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20 Kids Home In August!

This August, 20 kids have come home from China to be with their forever families! This is a day that both these children and their families have anticipated for quite some time, and we’re so happy that it has finally come. While some of these kiddos have just met their families for the very first time, others have already had the opportunity to get acquainted through GWCA’s past Orphan Hosting programs.

Some of these children have been with their families for mere days, and yet the transformation that we have seen already through photos and videos is truly astounding. It’s incredible to see what can happen when a child has the love and support of a family. Congratulations to each of these kiddos and their forever families from all of us at GWCA, and welcome home!

China Waiting Child Adoption

Families in GWCA’s China adoption program can be matched with Special Focus children at any point in the process, making the adoption journey as a whole relatively quick! We receive new children’s files each week, both from our orphanage partnerships and from the Shared List, which provides our families with the opportunity to review multiple files until they find a child that they feel would be a good fit. Contact our China matching specialists or visit our photo listing to learn more about the kids that we’re currently advocating for!

Resources

– Visit the China Waiting Child Photo Listing
– Contact our China Matching Specialists
– Learn more about the China adoption process

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5 New Kids Added This Week!

 Meet Alice!

Meet Alice! She is a precious kiddo who is 6-years old. Alice was born with cleft palate and macrostomia, meaning her mouth is wider than her peers. She has had surgery for both and has recovered extremely well! Alice also has a patent foramen ovale, but it is unclear at this time whether or not this need impacts her daily life. She is delayed overall, but she has made progress since arriving at the orphanage! She has excellent fine motor skills, is able to stand without assistance and walk with the help of her caregiver, and she is able to follow simple commands. She is a bright spirit who would thrive with the necessary treatments and therapies.

Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Meet Willem!

Willem is a sweet little boy from China that is 2 and a half years old. Willem has down syndrome and is doing well overall. He can crawl, use his thumb and index finger deftly. He can take blocks out of one cup and put them in another cup. He can make sounds such as “yiya” and can imitate the pronunciation of others. He is an active boy with a ready smile. He likes playing with toys and has quick reactions.

If you would like to learn more about Willem, please request to review his file today!

Meet Lexi!

Lexi is a lovely little girl from China that has just recently turned 2 years old.  Lexi has down syndrome and she also has polydactyly of her left thumb.  Lexi can sit up by herself, can roll over by herself, can hold her bottle to drink milk and can play with toys such as the toy piano. She can make sounds such as “ah” and “wawa.”  Lexi will smile and giggle when she is being teased.  She is generally a quiet girl that will play happily with toys by herself and near others.  Lexi likes listening to music and receiving cuddles from her caretakers.

If you would like to learn more about Lexi, please request to review her file today!

Click Here to Watch Lexi’s Video!

Meet Amos!

This precious little boy’s name is Amos! Amos is 2 years old and was born with differences of sex development. His caregivers describe him as being an active a cute kiddo who loves to cuddle and play! He has excellent fine motor skills and loves to engage with his caregivers during playtime. He can easily track sound and can distinguish between his caretakers and strangers. He is a smiley kiddo who loves to play with others! Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Meet Jorah!

I’VE BEEN MATCHED WITH A FAMILY!

Jorah is a precious little boy from China that just recently turned 2 years old. Jorah has post-operative annular pancreas and some verbal delays, but otherwise this kiddo seems to be doing really well!

Jorah can make sounds such as “dada” and “ah.” Jorah will wave goodbye and blow kisses when someone leaves the room Jorah enjoys pushing the walker back and forth in the activity room and enjoys riding the wooden horse. He likes playing with adults and is very close with his caretakers. Jorah is described as being active and having a sunny personality.

Resources

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I Found My Family!

Hooray! We are so incredibly happy to announce that this sweet 3 year old girl has a family that is working towards bringing her home forever!

This particular kiddo holds a very special place in our hearts, as one of our China Adoption Specialists had the chance to meet her in person at her orphanage in China over one year ago! We have been advocating for her to find her family ever since, and we are so delighted that the day has finally come.

Congratulations from all of us at GWCA and CAN, we can’t wait to see you come home!

China Adoption – Special Focus

Since this beautiful girl’s file was considered Special Focus, our China matching specialists were able to advocate for her on our Waiting Child photo listing. Once her family had reviewed her file, they were able to submit their paperwork to be matched with her right away rather than having to wait until after their dossier had been submitted. All of the kids whose profiles are currently on our photo listing have the same designation of “Special Focus,” meaning families can be matched with them even if they’re just beginning the adoption process.

If you’re interested in learning how you can be matched with one of our Waiting Children, contact our matching specialists or visit our China adoption photo listing today!

Resources:

– Learn more about China adoption
– Visit the Waiting Child Photo Listing
– Contact a China adoption specialist!

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The Reality of Gotcha Day

Gotcha Day – it’s the moment that you look forward to from the second you begin your adoption journey and receive notification that you’ve been matched with your child. Countless families find it difficult to prepare for this moment, as it’s impossible to know how your child will react in the situation. While some children run into their Forever Family’s arms right away, others may need time to process the loss of their old life as they transition into the new.

The blog below was written by one of GWCA’s incredible Orphan Warriors about the challenges and triumphs that their family experienced on their recent Gotcha Day. While many families’ experiences may be different, this family does an great job of explaining the magnitude of the transition both for the kiddo and their new Forever Family.

The Day His Name Became Son

We knew it was going to be hard.

The sweet boy we’d been dreaming about for seven long months had been living in a foster home for the past three years. And from the reports both in his file and the ones we’d received in our updates, we knew that this shy and tentative boy was very well attached to his foster family.

We celebrated that our angel likely already knew the meaning of love, because we SAW love in his pictures, we saw love in his family’s eyes, and we EXPERIENCED the love his foster mama had for him as we read every word she wrote in each of her reports.

DJ definitely knew LOVE.

So we knew that taking him away from everything he’d ever known — not from a group environment where he’d never gotten to experience one-on-one attention, but from the home of a couple who loved him and another foster child from his orphanage so very well that he even slept in their bed each night — was going to be excruciating.

We’d asked in our update request if there was anything holding this precious foster family back from adopting this sweet boy themselves, and at the time, they just said they wanted Superhero 4 to have his own “true family.”

When we arrived at the civil affairs office for Gotcha Day, our guide and translator found out from the orphanage workers that DJ’s foster family was an older couple with biological children grown and out of the house who just loved children and took two at a time from the Wuhan orphanage to love and care for until they were adopted. The foster mama stayed home with the children and poured her entire life into them so that, even though she and her husband felt too old to raise these children again themselves, these children could experience LOVE.

Over the years, our little man lived with two different foster siblings and watched one of them leave for a forever family … all while he waited for his chance at “forever.”

But “forever” in fairytales is so different than the “forever” that happens in real life.

Because “forever” in real life means leaving behind to move ahead. And what this precious boy had to leave behind was an entire lifetime of love and care and attachment and relationship with a couple we will forever thank our God for giving to our boy.

All to move ahead with a family who didn’t look like him, didn’t speak like him, didn’t smell like him, didn’t KNOW him.

The hardest move of probably his entire life.

So when our family spotted the two nannies walk through the civil affairs door holding the boy we haven’t been able to stop thinking about for seven months, my heart nearly burst.

With joy for our family.

And with heartbreak for the loss of his.

As the nanny who brought him to the meeting place knelt down to introduce us to him, we all tried our hardest to give this precious boy a tiny bit of space. We found out that his foster mama had just dropped him at the orphanage earlier that morning, just hours before meeting us, and we couldn’t even imagine the kind of emotional roller coaster he was experiencing as one set of strangers took him away from his family and to another.

I could nearly feel my heart in my feet as I knelt down in front of the nanny who held our boy —the boy with the eyes so tender, so fragile, so scared, so broken, that I just wanted to close them and wrap them in love and transport them to a place months and months away from now to give him HOPE for a future I knew he couldn’t possibly understand.
But I couldn’t, and as Supersoldier videotaped and the boys and I knelt beside him, I could feel his fear and I could taste his loss.

His foster mama had placed a beautiful handmade silver bracelet around his wrist and sent him with a bag of treats and gifts. His clothes were clean, his hair was freshly cut and as he rejected the boys’ offers of banana puffs and cars and stuffed animals and snacks, I knew exactly what he wanted instead.

The woman he called his mama.

For two minutes, this boy they called “Long Long” let us just observe him and even gently touch the back of his hand, but when the nanny started introducing us as Mama and Baba and Ge Ge, his lip quivered and the flood gates opened as he cried for the only woman he’s ever known and loved: “Mama!”

My heart just broke for him. Superhero 2, who has more compassion for the pain of others than any other child I’ve ever met, began to cry. And Superman, without another word, immediately shut down and retreated.

I looked back at Supersoldier, and our eyes silently communicated what we knew we needed to do. He put down the camera, scooped up Superman, who was now sobbing, and took him to a corner chair, where he held him, loved on him and just let him grieve over the gamut of emotions we knew he might be experiencing in that moment.

I pulled in Superhero 2 close, and Superhero 1, the practical, logical, total rock of our little falling-apart team, stood up to grab tissues while two nannies, our guide and Superhero 2 and I sat on the floor with the little boy whose world had been thrown into total chaos.

With half the room erupting now in tears, our guide, who was a total God-send from the moment we met her, suggested we move DJ into the back play room, where the older boys and I could bond with him and she could take the nannies outside to ask my three single-spaced pages of questions. (You get one shot to ask questions. This former journalist wasn’t going to blow hers. :))

There, with the nannies out of sight, the older boys pulled out the slide and the piano and everything they could find to distract their new baby brother, and, without any other familiar person in sight, this precious boy who was still stiff and hysterical allowed me to pick him up for the very first time.

As I held him, my heart melted for us … and just broke for him — for his story, for what he’d been through that day, for the deep loss I knew he was experiencing again for the SECOND time in his life — and all I could give, all I could muster, were a few measly words that I kept whispering into his ear over and over again.
This is so hard!

You are so brave!

Wo ai ni. Chinese for “I love you.” Forever and ever and ever.

Nothing calmed him. Nothing distracted him. And over and over again, he kept looking over my shoulder and around the room and just crying out for Mama.
In my wildest dreams, I can’t even imagine that pain.

The boys continued trying to play with him and offer him snacks, and as they did, I just rubbed his back, held him close and prayed silently over his precious, breaking heart. I wasn’t hurt. I wasn’t offended. I was heartbroken for HIM … and simultaneously SO VERY GRATEFUL. Because I knew without a shadow of a doubt that, even as he walked this world an orphan, though his pain was great today, he’d had someone to show him love EVERY DAY.

What an incredible gift to have that kind of bond.

As I sent the boys to go check on Superman, who had curled up tightly in his daddy’s arms, I moved out to the room where we had first met. I sat on the couch, where Superhero 1 approached his new baby brother with his i-pod. For a moment, DJ stopped crying, and he looked at this bright yellow device in fascination.

Superhero 1 didn’t waste a moment taking advantage of the opportunity, and he immediately pulled up animated games that might distract his new brother for a moment.
I stole that moment of calm to make space on my lap for Superman, who I motioned from across the room to join us. Supersoldier brought him over, where he snuggled up beside us to meet really for the first time his baby brother. With four boys now on a lap and either side, I looked up at Supersoldier, who had spent his entire Gotcha Day experience loving on the first boy who ever walked through civil affair office doors. And I paused right there to thank God for that moment and thank God for that priceless man.

While my arms were wrapped around the boy whose world had erupted, the man God had given me as my best friend, teammate and partner in crime was loving on and comforting the boy who had just been reminded of the day his world erupted, too. Supersoldier told me later that after a few minutes of cuddling, Superman told his daddy that the reason he was crying is because it made him remember that he once had a mommy before me … and seeing DJ cry for his first mama made him miss his, too.

In all his wisdom, Supersoldier just held that boy we love so much tight and told him how much his mother loved him — that she loved him so much that she wrapped him in a blanket and placed him in the corner of a hospital ward in a place where he could receive the immediate life-saving surgery he needed in order to survive — all at great risk to herself. He retold Superman his story, and he told him how true love sacrifices self for the greater good.

“We don’t know your whole story, buddy,” Supersoldier told him, “and we maybe never will. But we do know this — your mama LOVED YOU. And so do we. And you are every bit as special and important and precious as each of your brothers. You and DJ just grew in our hearts instead of our bellies.”

That affirmation of love and belonging was all Superman needed to rebound, join the group and then joyfully jump into the distract-DJ game that all of us had been playing for the previous 30 minutes.

With three of four boys now sans tears, Supersoldier and I signed the official custodial paperwork (adoption registration and finalization isn’t until this morning) and followed our guide, who had graciously gathered everything we needed from DJ’s orphanage while we bonded, to the minivan that waited for us in the parking lot.
In China, there are no car seats. There are sometimes no seat belts. And there are no times when you do not fear for your life as your drivers are forced to play chicken with the merging cars and bicyclists that just don’t stop.

So I buckled up, pulled a still-sniffling DJ onto my lap and just held on tight as I prayed that we would make it long enough to experience our first day as a family of six.

Superman asked to sit next to DJ in the car, and, when he noticed how enamored he appeared to be with electronic devices, asked to use my phone.

From his place in the captain’s chair beside me, Superman turned on my cell phone camera and began snapping photos he could show his baby brother of himself. And at the exact moment he snapped his first photo, DJ stopped crying, looked into my eyes for the very first time and SMILED!

It literally took my breath away.

He looked at Superman. And then he looked up at me. And his eyes lit up and he smiled again.

I was just a puddle.

I squealed for the boys and Supersoldier to see this boy’s sweet smile, and when they appeared around the chair from their place on the back bench, he smiled again at them.

“Mom!” Superhero 2 exclaimed. “I was so sad inside because he was so sad missing his mama. But this smile makes me so happy and warm inside, and I’m so, so happy for him now!”

Superman giggled his infectious giggle and named himself the car ride photographer as he had the very important job of documenting DJ’s very first smiles inside our family.

The entire 15-minute ride back to the hotel, DJ smiled and observed and explored and giggled, and all of us who had prepared our hearts for MONTHS of total rejection and grieving just sat in awe.

Although we knew we were still at the very beginning of the journey, we knew it was God alone who could have transformed a devastated, grieving little boy into the content and contagiously happy creature now sitting in my lap. Even if for only a car ride home.

When we arrived back at the hotel, I prepared myself for another breakdown. Walking into a new room in a new structure with strange people was going to be scary, and I knew it could cement for him the goodbye he’d experienced earlier that morning.

But the boys, in all their brilliance, didn’t give him a chance to grieve. Within seconds, they’d busted out puzzles and Legos and books and toys, and they had him sprawled out on the bed with him just taking in all the entertainment they had to offer.

Supersoldier and Superhero 1 ran to the bank and the grocery store with our guide, and Superhero 2 and Superman stayed back in the room with DJ and me, where they looked at each other with twinkles in their eyes and then initiated DJ’s first pillow fight.
This boy who had experienced two different foster siblings but never older brothers paused momentarily, not knowing what to make of these two older boys tossing him pillows. But within seconds, he began laughing hysterically and immediately joined in on the fun.

For almost 20 minutes, these boys romped and wrestled and pillow fought their hearts out as we saw our first glimpses of our new boy’s fun-loving spirit and heart. His reports had described him as quiet, shy and very much against rough or loud activities.

Apparently until he had brothers.

Because it took all of five minutes for this boy to become the loudest and most raucous pillow fighter of the crew.

I just stood back and videotaped and allowed these brothers to bond the way our boys at home always have — through a little bit of physical play. They’re not big huggers, our superheroes, but they will romp and wrestle with each other all the live long day.

And the newest superhero didn’t waste a moment getting in on that crazy action.

By the time Supersoldier and Superhero 1 returned with water bottles and lunch (YUM, amazing dumpling cart down the way — we will definitely be visiting you again!), this boy’s shell had been cracked wide open, and he was a wild, free-playing spirit with an infectious laugh and a huge appetite.

He did have two small breakdowns during the day — moments where he looked around and realized that familiarity was nowhere in sight — but one lasted five minutes and one lasted 15, and he allowed me to hold him and love on him and snuggle with him during both. And although during the first one he called out for Mama, during the second, he just let me hold him and serve to fill her shoes.

As we ate our dumplings, Kathy, our guide, sat down to download all the information she had gathered from DJ’s nannies while we were bonding in the civil affairs office. She let me know that he took a nap every day from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and I should probably go put him down before she shared with me all the rest of the detailed information.

Not knowing what routines his foster mother had followed when putting him down for naptimes, or even where he napped, I just guessed from the notes about his co-sleeping and snuggled up in bed next to him.

I thought for sure we’d face Meltdown 3. After all, sleeping is a special and intimate thing, and I didn’t look or smell or snuggle like his foster mama did. But he snuggled up next to me, looked into my eyes and just smiled. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and within five minutes, fell fast asleep.

Supersoldier, who was snuggling on his other side, and I just stared at each other over the top of his snoring little head.

Seriously?! I mouthed at him. There is NO WAY that was that easy!

But it was.

Supersoldier took a nap with his newest son, and I carefully got up and strolled back in the other room, where I called Kathy to finish giving me all the information I needed about DJ’s diet, schedule and routine. I was still on Cloud 9 that this boy not only went to sleep at the drop of a hat but also apparently slept EVERY DAY for 2.5 whopping hours!
Until, that is, she told me what time he goes to bed every night.

10 p.m.

Are you serious right now, foster mama? 10 p.m.! 10 p.m.?! You couldn’t have thrown this turns-into-a-pumpkin-after-7:30 girl a bone?! Supersoldier and I no joke go to BED by 9 p.m. most nights, and last week, we even crawled into bed at 7:30 after tucking in the superheroes! There is no stinking way we can keep these eyes open until 10 p.m.!

Kathy must have noticed the glazed over panic in my eyes, because she reached out to me and said, “You try 8:30. Then 8. That’s a good bedtime for a child his age.”

Only the other three superheroes, who ALL still go to bed between 7 and 7:30 every night, heard this comment … and Miss Kathy pretty much ruined my life.

“Wait, 8 is a good bedtime for a 3-year-old?!” Superhero 1 exclaimed. “I’m 11 and I still go to bed at 7:30!”

Our perfect, early-to-bed life is now ruined. Ruined, I tell you.

After Kathy gave us the rest of DJ’s diet and routine information, she left us in the hotel room to bond, where we kept this shy boy’s world very small by filling our hours with coloring and Lego constructing and card playing.

In order to not disrupt the awesome, happy flow God in all His goodness had graciously established all afternoon, we decided to hit up the Korean restaurant inside the hotel for dinner.

There, this boy who was said to have a small to medium appetite ate EVERYTHING, from the kimchi to the Korean beef to the watermelon to the lotus. In fact, when all the other boys were finished (and these boys eat like horses), he kept shoveling in even the relish dishes.

Like the perfectly made fit to this food-loving, new-dish-exploring team. <3
As we took the elevator back upstairs, Supersoldier and I prepared ourselves for the meltdown we were fully bracing for at bedtime. We knew that DJ co-slept with his foster mama, and although we planned to put him in bed with us, we knew that we weren’t her, and our routines were not her routines.

We offered the bathtub that the hotel staff had graciously brought to our room (which was much less scary than the hard-pounding shower), and his eyes lit up as he tried to jump right in.

Superhero 2 asked if he could help with bath time, and this proud big brother washed DJ’s hair and helped him in and out and, when I put on a new diaper and dressed him in new striped pajamas, hilariously commented, “Ahhhh, DJ looks like a little robber! How cute.”
After bath and books and teeth brushing (which he was NOT excited about) and prayers, we ALL tucked ourselves into bed at 8:30 … and, as he drifted off to sleep, this boy who was an orphan 24 hours before looked up at me, touched my face and smiled.
And I thanked God for His grace, His providence and His ability to make all things new. <3

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7 New Kids on the Block

Hope

Hope is a beautiful little girl from China that just turned 2 years old.  Hope has post-operative repair of biliary atresia and mild anemia.  She is a little delayed in walking but she is learning to walk right now.  She can walk by holding on to a handrail or holding an adult’s hands.  Hope is doing well developmentally and cognitively overall.

Hope can say words such as “auntie,” “mama,” and “little brother.”  Hope is described as being a good girl who is active and brave.  One of Hope’s favorite things to do is to ride bicycles.  She also like games involving balls.  Hope is close with her caretakers and enjoys getting snuggles from them.

If you would like to learn more about Hope, including watching all of her new videos, then please contact the GWCA China Home Finding Team today!

Click Here to Watch One of Hope’s Videos! 

Visit GWCA’s photo listing to request Hope’s file!

You can watch more of Hope’s videos when you request to review her file!

Logan

This precious kiddo’s name is Logan! Logan is 2 years old. Logan’s caretakers describe him as cognitively delayed, but he appears to be doing great overall. He is able to express his needs clearly and can say “Dad” when trying to get his caregiver’s attention. He reacts when his name is called and is able to maintain eye contact with his nannies. He has excellent fine motor skills and is able to stand with assistance. He loves to play on the keyboard and likes to point at pictures in books! He is an adorable kiddo who needs a home to call his own. Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Visit GWCA’s photo listing to request Logan’s file!

Yara

Yara is a precious little girl from China that just turned 2 years old.  Yara has post-operative resection of the duedenal diaphragm and some mobility and verbal delays, but she is doing well cognitively and in overall development.

Yara can walk on her own now and is very curious.  She likes to play with dolls and stuffed animals.  Yara also likes to ride the wooden horse and also enjoys playing on the swings.

Yara is very close with her caretakers and she enjoys holding their hands and walking with them.  Yara is a gentle girl that plays quietly by herself most of the time.  She can make sounds such as “ah” and “ya” and can say “mama.”

If you would like to learn more about Yara, please contact the GWCA Home Finding Team today!

Visit GWCA’s photo listing to learn more about Yara!

Benji

This sweet kiddo’s name is Benji, and he is 3 years old! He was born with anal atresia and hypospadias, but after his surgery for anal atresia he appears to be doing very well. Benji’s thumbs are also malformed, but his fine motor ability is improving over time. Benji makes eye contact when his nannies are speaking to him and is able to visually locate different sounds. He is a smiley kiddo who is described as being very gentle and happy. He loves to play with toys and listen to music, and is very attached to his caretaker! Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more about this precious boy!

Visit GWCA’s photo listing to request Benji’s file!

Adeline

This sweet girl’s name is Adeline! Adeline is 10 years old, and was born with cerebral palsy and strabismus of her left eye. Adeline is a bright, smart girl who loves helping her caretakers. She has mobility delays overall, but is able to stand with support. She is very independent and is able to dress herself, use the bathroom, and help other children. She loves to sing and is described as being able to communicate well with others. Adeline is a precious kiddo who would thrive with the love of a family. Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Visit GWCA’s photo listing to request Adeline’s file!

Eli

Eli is a precious little boy from China that just turned 2 years old.  Eli has a heart defect when he was younger and received surgery at a very good children’s hospital in China when he was about 6 months old.  Eli’s surgery was to repair his atrial septal defect and ligation of patent ductus arteriosus.

Eli also deformity of his ears, so he has some language delays because his hearing is impaired.  Eli will greatly benefit from being adopted so that he can get hearing aids and speech therapy to fully grow and thrive.

Eli is a sweet boy that is very curious and active.  He can crawl and walk while he’s holding on to something.  Eli enjoys playing alone and with other children.  He will often crawl over to where other children are sitting and play with them.  Eli has good fine motor skills.

If you would like to review Eli’s full file, please contact the China Home Finding Team today!

Click Here to Watch Eli’s Video!

There are more videos of Eli you can view when you request to review his full file!

Visit GWCA’s photo listing to request Eli’s file!

Kaylie

Kaylie is a sweet little girl from China who just turned 3 years old.  Kaylie has dwarfism so she is small for her age, but she is doing well cognitively and developmentally in all other regards.  Kaylie is a shy little girl that enjoys playing games with others and receiving cuddles from her caretakers.

Kaylie has good verbal skills and can say things like “more rice” and “mama.”  Kaylie can walk on her own and is very curious.  She will wave goodbye to people when they leave the room and will blow them kisses.

If you would like more information on Kaylie, please contact the China Home Finding Team today.

Click Here to Watch Kaylie’s Video!

Visit GWCA’s photo listing to learn more about Kaylie! 

Resources

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Luke Needs a Forever Family!

Luke is a sweet 7 year old boy from China who was hosted by a family in the United States during Winter 2017! Luke was going to be adopted by a family, however, due to the recent changes in China’s eligibility requirements, the family is no longer able to move forward with his adoption. Now Luke is in need of a family once more – could you be his Forever Family?

Luke’s host family described him as being a very happy and smart kiddo who radiates joy and has a pleasant, fun personality. While he was in the United States for the hosting program, he would write in English in his workbooks, and he seemed to be very good at correctly copying information!

Luke’s favorite activities are exploring outside and playing on the playground. He has a bi-lateral hand malformation with missing digits and bilateral cleft foot deformity with missing digits, but that doesn’t stop him from doing what he loves. He’s walk and run normally, and he can do crafts such as painting, writing, stringing beads, and much more!

Visit our Waiting Child photo listing or contact GWCA’s China adoption specialists today to learn more about Luke!

Resources

– Visit the GWCA Waiting Child Photo Listing
– Contact a China Adoption Specialist
– Learn More About China Adoption

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Thank You, Summer Interns!

As the summer comes to an end, we are preparing to say goodbye to two incredible volunteers who have helped us immensely — our summer interns! These incredible interns have truly gone above and beyond over the past few months to help out with our agency’s programs. While we are so sad to see them go, we are very excited to see what their futures hold!

Thank you so much for all of your hard work this summer, and good luck with your future studies!

Internship opportunities at GWCA, CAN, and SAE!

Are you a junior or senior in college? What about a graduate student working on a master’s degree? GWCA, CAN and SAE offer internships to students in various fields of study to provide hands-on experience in international adoption and cultural exchange. This is incredibly beneficial for students interested in pursuing careers in international studies, communications, marketing, social work, psychology, sociology, and business. What’s the best part? Internships can be custom-tailored to your specific major and specific area(s) of interest!

**Note: These internships are unpaid. If you or someone you know is interested, please submit a cover letter, resume, and availability to: info@childrenofallnations.com.

Learn more about our internship opportunities: CANGWCA | SAE

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5 New Kids on the Block

Wayla

Wayla is a beautiful little girl from China that is 3 and a half years old! Wayla had hydrocephalus when she was younger, but she received surgery and a shunt in May 2015 and she has recovered well from this operation. She also has some speech delays. Wayla is not walking yet but is crawling very well and she can stand up when holding on to something. She can sit up by herself and play with toys.

Wayla is a shy and gentle little girl. She likes to push the ball between herself and her nanny. Wayla also enjoys threading beads. She is very attached to her nannies. Wayla will make sounds such as “ya” and “na” and can say “mama.” She likes clapping her hands when her nannies call her name.

If you would like to learn more about Wayla, please request to review her file today!

Luke

Luke is a sweet little boy from China that is 7 years old!  Luke was hosted by a family in the United States during Winter 2017 and had a great time while he was here!  Luke was going to be adopted by a family, but

becuase of the recent changes in China’s eligiblity rules, Luke was not able to be adopted by that family.  Now Luke needs a new family to bring him into their home and love him for the rest of his life.  Could you be his Forever Family?

Here is some information the host family provided about when Luke was in their home during hosting:

“Luke is a seven-year-old who radiates joy.  He loves life and has such a pleasant, fun personality. Every day he wakes up happy and ready for the events of the day.  He is very easy to deal with and transitions well from one activity to another.
It appears he is very smart. His writing in English workbooks during hosting shows he writes letters very well and can correctly copy information. The way he interacts with people and summarizes situations shows he is a thinker and processes situations well.

Playing outside or on the playground are two of his favorite activities.  He loves to run, climb and slide!  The Zoo, BounceU, Above All Trampoline and swimming are some of his other favorite activities during hosting in the US.

He has bi-lateral hand malformation with missing digits and bilateral cleft foot deformity with missing digits.  He does tedious projects with his hands such as making crafts, slotting beads, painting, writing and more.  If not looking at his hands, it is not obvious that his thumbs are not normal or that some fingers are fused. Because he has two thumbs, surgery on his hands would probably not be recommended.  His foot deformity does not affect his walking or running.  The pediatrician noted that these deformities do not require surgery, rather being aware that as he grows up, he may need wide shoes.

He is small for his age which is often typical of children who live in an orphanage.  The pediatrician thinks he may be a short stature child based on his shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle displaying some malformation.  In January 2017 he weighed 39 pounds gaining two pounds during hosting and was 3’5” tall. Oral care seems to be very good with no concerns at the dental visit.

A Chinese friend talked to him several times and says he speaks excellent Mandarin. She noted he does not speak the dialect that is heavy in the area where he lives. Google Translate works very well to translate his Mandarin into English because he speaks so clearly.  He is very conversational and speaks some English words now.

He is very obedient and rarely needs to be redirected. He has a bit of an obstinate streak that surfaces occasionally, but it allows him to express his opinion in an appropriate way.

His daily routine of hygiene, getting dressed, and chores is well-developed. Every day he sees what needs to be done to set the table for meals, get food out of the refrigerator, clear the table after meals and more and does it!  His favorite foods are bananas, oranges and rice.

Luke sees the beauty of family and expressed through translation to the host family that he wants to be adopted. He should transition well into a family.”

If you would like more information on how you can adopt Luke, please contact the GWCA Home Finding Team today!

Essie

This beautiful girl’s name is Essie! She is 5 years old and was born with esotropia of her eyes. This does not impact her vision in any way. She is also described as having cognitive developmental delays compared to the other kiddos in the orphanage. Essie does not appear to have mobility delays or any concerns with her fine motor development. She is able to understand adult’s directions and can speak using 1-2 word sentences! She loves to listen to music and dances happily when a song is playing. She loves to play outside and watch cartoons with her friends! Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Dane

This sweet kiddo’s name is Dane! Dane is 7 years old. He was born with a heart defect but appears to have had surgery prior to arriving at the orphanage at one year old. He is deaf in both ears and has needs impacting his eye development. He does not appear to have visual impairment. Dane is a bright, happy kiddo who communicates well with his teachers using simple gestures and lip reading. He has attached well to his caregivers and loves to show affection by hugging! He is extremely independent and is able to feed and dress himself without assistance. He does not appear to have any mobility or cognitive delays overall. Dane is able to write numbers from 1 to 100 and draw patterns! He loves to learn and has a natural curiosity. He also loves to play outside with other kiddos. He is a smart, sweet kiddo who would thrive with the love and care of a family. Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Mason

This precious boy’s name is Mason! Mason is 5 years old and was born with cleft lip and palate and congenital heart disease. He file indicates that he has had surgery to repair his cleft lip, but not to repair the cleft palate or heart defect. Mason is described by his caregivers as being a bright, smart, and polite child. He is very independent and is able to feed and dress himself without assistance. He always greets teachers when they come in and waves goodbye when they leave! He appears to be on target cognitively and is able to verbalize his name and age. He has a lot of friends and is able to tell you his best friends name if asked! Mason is very enthusiastic and loves to help his teachers. He will assist with other children and loves to push wheelchairs for his friends in need. His teachers all love him and praise him for his good memory, imitative ability, and ability to learn new things. He is speaking in full sentences and is very communicative. Mason is an incredible boy who would thrive with the treatment he needs. Please reach out to Great Wall to learn more!

Check out Mason’s video!

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