Please read the following...
ORPHAN HOSTING INFO:
(From Cheryl Ramirez): New Horizons for Children is an organization that brings orphans from Latvia and Ukraine to the US for six weeks twice a year (winter and summer) to live with a host family here. This is an incredible opportunity for these children to learn what it means to be part of a family and more importantly being taught what it means to be part of God's family. Many of them also find their forever families while here. Would you please pray for this organization and especially for these children and youth? There are about 200 children who are still are waiting for host homes. There is a link to the New Horizons for Children website where you can read all about what they are about and also a link where you can see pics of some of the children who have not yet been chosen by host families for this summer's hosting program. And if you know of any Christian families who might be interested in hosting, please pass this along.
Dear Friends and Families of New Horizons for Children:
It’s that time again…we seek and rely on your commitment to pray for these children. Please read our email and pass it on, so that others can commit to pray for these orphaned children as well. PRAYER WORKS. We have seen it each program! Photos are attached to this email for you to visually see some of our kids and pray for each and every one! They need host families, and this is how we find them.
Remember, our mission is simple. We send a mission team abroad twice a year to personally meet and interview orphans who live in orphanages and foster families in Latvia and Ukraine. Now, we have nearly 200 children who we need to urgently pray for their hosting family to come forward. This will be our 17th program and our hope is to FIRST, seek God’s will in ALL that we do and to glorify Him in everything. Specific details about hosting can be found on our website: www.NewHorizonsForChildren.org.
BUT FIRST, please read some exciting news!
1. Hosted Children learn about FAMILY and how it’s supposed to work. (maybe for the first
time in their lives)
2. Hosted Children learn about God and His love for them. They are valued!
3. Hosted Children learn English; many times well enough to help translate for our team on
future visits to their orphanage! This also gives them a tool to build upon and
have a unique job skill later!
4. Hosted Children gain SELF-ESTEEM: they are CHOSEN! They are SPECIAL! They have
IMPORTANCE too!
Step 1: Complete a pre-hosting application.
Step 2: Choose a child… But, first, I want to share a very honest and true story with you.
Please, make sure you also SEEK HIS WILL in this mission; His will, just might be different than your own.
Confessions of a “Girly-Girl”
by Michelle Vernon
“I admit to being a girly girl. As a little girl, I loved dolls and dresses that twirled. Pink rollers were a staple on Saturday nights, so my hair would be pretty for Sunday morning. To this day, the sight of a smocked dress makes me smile, I look for excuses to buy Hello Kitty and I would gladly embroider everything I own with a monogram. When we first considered hosting in summer 2007, I explored the host child list and had my eye on a particular girl. Since we had no children at the time, choosing a child was a big decision that rested solely on my husband and me. Without expressing my opinion, I showed the same host list to my husband. I wanted to make sure we were both equally invested in the host decision. I secretly hoped his eyes would fall to the same girl, yet he pointed to a BOY! I think I responded something like, “a boy… what am I supposed to do with a boy?” Admittedly, I knew nothing about being a boy, but knew enough that they would care nothing about dolls, the color pink, Hello Kitty or smocked dresses. I retreated to think on my husband’s choice. While I still had no idea how I could relate to a boy, I wanted above all else for my husband to feel invested in that first hosting experience. So, we made a decision and, yes, my first experience as a mom would be with a teenage boy!
That was 3 years ago…
I don’t think I even fully understand or can explain how love can grow so fast and so deep for someone who is so different from yourself. But, he had me from the moment he said, “watch this mom.” Boys love attention, they love to show off, make you laugh and try new stunts. Yet, when they fall, there’s only one place they go… straight to mom. Even teenage boys readily accept the tenderness a mom has to offer and the quiet moments of shared conversation. That hosting started the journey that God ordained for us; a journey to our sons. Not only did we host and adopt a teenage boy, we later hosted and adopted another boy! I still remember the moment I laid eyes on my second son and, for a brief moment, it crossed my mind that he didn’t have long pig tails as I thought might be next in line after my first son. Alas, I am now the very proud momma of two sons. I cannot imagine my life without them. Recently, one of my son’s teachers remarked to my husband that my son must be a “momma’s boy” because he talked about me all the time. I don’t think my heart could have swelled any larger in that moment. As an adoptive mother who started out not knowing a thing about boys, it was a moment of validation that my bond with my son was very real and deep. The greatest thing about being a mom to boys is raising my sons to become men like my husband and my dad.
Perhaps somewhere in my future is a season of ruffles and lace, but for now, I wouldn’t trade fixing bike chains, playing basketball, bb guns, super heroes or flexed muscles for anything in the world. In hosting, as with adoption, the hardest children to place are our older boys. I’m so grateful that I stopped and listened to the Lord, working through my husband, with that decision to host a teenage boy. My journey to motherhood began that day. For any others out there longing for hair bows and painted nails, I would simply ask you to do the same thing He led me to do... pray and allow God the opportunity to lead you to the child He wants you to host.”
We don’t only bring boys on our hosting program, however, God led us to MANY awesome boys that each of us would love to host and adopt! But, He has made a way for us to share them with you now. To see some of our many “boys”, click here.
May God bless you on this journey,
Le Ann Dakake (mom to an adopted (former) teen boy, who led me to start this hosting program…)
Director of Hosting Programs
New Horizons for Children
www.NewHorizonsForChildren.org
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