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

What's it like to visit a real orphanage in Russia?

     When ministry teams from the USA visit orphanages in Russia, we usually experience smiling children running up and down hallways, much laughter, and many hugs.

     It is difficult to get the children to open up and let visitors know what is really happening in their lives. 

     We have asked our ministry teams in Russia to try to find out more about the children’s dreams, their worries, and how we can pray for the children.

    In the last monthly newsletter of Big Family Mission, we share with you some of the conversations that our team from the Kommunar Church had with children at the Gatchina Orphanage and Internat School.

    Our thanks to Sveta and Andrey Ziablitsev for their report.  You can read the newsletter here.

See the hamster?  Children's pet rat was drowned in the toilet sink.

Orphans need more understanding from adoptive parents

   The early separation of children from their biological parents can trigger genetic changes that can affect how they think when they grow up, according to a study made by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine.  
   The conclusion: adoptive parents should be more understanding to keep the orphan's mental health development as normal as possible. 
   This finding comes from a small-scale study of 14 children who grew since birth in institutions along with same number of children raised by biological parents as controls. In the study, children’s genomes from blood samples, were profiled and examined to determine biological processes in their systems.
   Said one researcher:  "Our study shows that the early stress of separation from a biological parent impacts long-term programming of genome function; this might explain why adopted children may be particularly vulnerable to harsh parenting in terms of their physical and mental health."
    You can read more about the study here.

Share your love with an orphan today!

    

Coach Dungy will encourage adoption in Super Bowl video

     As football fans gather today to watch the Giants take on the Patriots, winning Super Bowl Coach Tony Dungy is hoping to spread a personal message in households across the country.
    A free downloadable video is available online for local game-watching party organizers, which features Coach Dungy and his wife Lauren, an Edgeworth native and former Edgeworth Elementary teacher. 
    The couple, who have adopted, will greet thousands of football fans entering the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI with a 30-second public service announcement they recorded. Their personal appeal frames the current orphan crisis and the need for broader adoption awareness.
     The Dungys are involved with The Adoption Journey Project, a group of organizations working to encourage more couples to consider adoption.

Why does God allow so many orphans in the world?

How do we answer the difficult question of why God allows so much evil in the world?


In Mark Mittelberg's book, The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask, he suggests these "points of light":


First point of light: the world is as Jesus predicted
Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble;" it's good to know that we follow a Savior who really gets it – who sees this fallen world for what it is, and who (contrary to many other religious leaders) tells us the truth about it.
Second point of light: evil was not created or caused by God
The Bible is clear: God is not the author of evil. But he did create us as real human beings with the ability to love and follow him … or not. Unfortunately we chose the "not," and brought sin and evil into the picture.
Third point of light: the cause behind most suffering is human
While it doesn't remove the pain, it can be important to remind people who are tempted to shake their fists at God for the suffering in the world that the vast majority of human pain has been inflicted directly or indirectly by other humans.
Fourth point of light: we live in a fallen world
There is also suffering due to what some call "natural evil" – pain that results from events and disasters that are not caused by humans. The Bible shows, however, that these are the result of the curse we live under due to human sin – see Genesis 3 and Romans 8.
Fifth point of light: God will finally judge evil
Some people criticize God (or those who believe in him), saying, "A good God would eradicate evil." My question for those folks is, "Okay, are you ready to be eradicated, since you – like me – are to some degree evil?" Seriously, I'm glad that, although God will judge and wipe out evil, he's chosen not to yet, out of patience for us and for our friends (2 Pet. 3:9).
Sixth point of light: God suffered too
It's easy to forget that the Holy God of the universe chose, out of love, to humble himself, become one of us, and ultimately to suffer in ways none of us every will (or ever could imagine) in order to purchase our redemption (Phil. 2). As a result, he can not only forgive our sins and freely give us salvation, but also sympathize with all we're going through (Heb. 4:14-16).
Seventh point of light: God can bring good out of bad
Though this truth is often bantered about in ways that are insensitive to the person who is suffering, it is still true that while bad things happen to God's people, he promises that he'll bring good – sooner or later – out of everything we experience (Rom. 8:28).

God promises to bring good out of everything we experience... visiting with orphans

Adoption, child welfare, orphan care symposium coming to New York

The Joint Council on International Children Service's 36th Annual Child Welfare Symposium will be held in New York City, April 16–18, 2012 at the Conference Center, 130 E.59th Street, New York, NY.

The Symposium brings together 200 professionals in the area of child welfare, adoption and orphan care for three days of information gathering, idea sharing and networking. All those with an interest in ensuring that children live, grow and flourish in a permanent, safe and loving family are invited to attend.

This year, sessions cover topics such as post-adoption nutrition, the future of international adoption, and the changing media landscape with regard to permanency solutions for children.

Speakers include Rita Soronen, Executive Director of the Dave Thomas Foundation, Kathleen Strottman , Executive Director of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and Ambassador Susan Jacob from the U.S. Department of State. 

Big Family Mission encourages adoptions by Christian families in Russia

Safe Families for Children™... alternative to temporary foster care

Safe Families for Children™, developed by Bethany Christian Services, is a national movement of compassion that gives hope to families in crisis. 

This network of host families help parents who need to temporarily place their children due to unmanageable or critical circumstances. A host family provides a loving sanctuary and serves out of a sense of compassion and love.

Safe Families is not foster care or adoption. In foster care, children are wards of the State and families receive compensation for taking children into their homes. Host families receive no compensation for caring for children, and parents voluntarily place their children with them. 


Children whom you host are also not believed to be victims of abuse and neglect. The goal of the Safe Families ministry is to offer support in a time of need and reunite children with their families in a stronger, more healthy home environment.


This temporary care for children in need gives parents time to establish stability in their homes. Can you open your home to a family going through a troubled time? Reach out with God’s love and compassion to embrace those who need help in your community.

Parents remain involved in Safe Families approach


Parents place their child into your home voluntarily. Children are not in the custody of the State. Parents are actively involved in their children’s lives and will develop a relationship with your family. Bethany staff work with the parents during this transition to identify steps to regain stability and be reunited with their children quickly and safely.

Interested in hosting an orphan from Latvia or Ukraine this summer?  Click here.