Adoption Blog

CEO Blog

I am posting this from San Salvador.  I am flying home today after a very successful trip.   While I was here I met with new staff at both the Procurador’s Office and OPA.  One of the really exciting things that came up in our time together is the desire of these officials to be processing more orphan’s paperwork.  They want to work with partners to see this process happen faster and smoother.  I am hopeful that with new leadership at ISNA and OPA a more efficient and effective system can be made to help move these children through El Salvador’s child welfare system.  Your prayers for the leadership of OPA, the Procurador’s Office and ISNA are greatly appreciated.

America World will be working with a new staff person in El Salvador.  We are transitioning from working with Alexis to a new staff person, Jamie Arritea.  Mr. Arritea is a lawyer by training and has some experience working with adoption in the past.  Not only does he come highly recommended to our agency by child welfare advocates in El Salvador, but he shares our Christian commitment to finding families for orphans.  We wish Alexis and his family the very best on their future endeavors. 

There is also a change in the staffing at China’s adoption authority, the CCAA. The long-time Director-General, Mr. Lu, is going to be working for China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs.  The new Director-General will be Mr. Zhang Shifeng.  Mr. Zhang has worked in China’s child welfare system for a long time and is familiar with inter-country adoption.  America World expects that this transition will be very smooth, without any complications or changes for our families.  We look forward to continuing to partner with the CCAA and wish Mr. Lu the best for his future at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.  We found Mr. Lu very support of child welfare in our countries and are glad to know that he is maintaining a role in the child welfare system within China.

I’m leaving beautiful El Salvador for cold, windy, rainy Virginia.  Next week some of our staff will be participating strategic planning and budgeting for 2010.  Your prayers are coveted as we plan and seek the Lord’s will for our agency.

A man's heart devises his way: but the LORD directs his steps.  -Proverbs 16:9

-- Brian Luwis, CEO

Thanks for Coming to the AW Family Reunion!

Dear Families,

Thank you for joining us at America World Adoption’s Family Reunion.  Despite the inclement weather, we had a great time being around you all.  Celebrating Lineker & Amy’s wedding was very special for many of us and your stories about them were very touching. 

We all went to church together, but I forgot to but I forgot to ask for an offering.  Part of the reason I’m emailing you is to ask you to help financially support the outreach work our agency is participating in.  There are a few different opportunities for you to give:

Wedding Gift for Lineker & Amy
Aside from paying for the international flights from China, America World wants to give Amy & Lineker a gift to remember this special event that we had.  If you’d like to help contribute to their trip and wedding gift, please send America World a check with “Lineker & Amy” written in the memo line. By the way, they made it safely home and are touring another group!

Online “Silent Auction” 
We weren’t able to do the silent auction at the park pavilion on the Saturday of the reunion, so we are posting the donated items online for bidding.  There are lots of great items, including artwork, a Starbucks Coffee Basket, a Mary Kay basket, kids’ toys, books about adoption, and much more.  We’ll email you in the coming weeks with details about how to participate in this.

Orphan’s Ticket Home Campaign
The Orphan’s Ticket Home campaign is an effort by our agency to help children around the world who live in orphanages.  One result of this campaign is the tremendous success we’ve seen in Honduras, where over 300 orphans have been provided documentation establishing their identities, enabling them to have the opportunity to be raised in a family.  Many of those children have been reunified with their families, placed in foster care, placed for adoption or are now eligible for adoption!

We hope to provide funding to groups doing similar work in Ethiopia, Rwanda, China and El Salvador.  In addition to providing identity paperwork, the Orphan’s Ticket Home Campaign also provides funding to America World’s transition home in Ethiopia and toward America World’s new program development.  Your continued support of this campaign will help hundreds more children have the opportunity for a family.

Hopefully the next Family Reunion will have less rain and warmer weather!  Thank you again for joining us; thank you for blessing Amy and Lineker with kind words and gifts; and thank you for your consideration of supporting our ongoing efforts to provide parentless children with a family!

Sincerely,
Brian Luwis, CEO

Updates from this Past Week

The family reunion on Saturday was cold and rainy – but we really enjoyed seeing all the families and it was wonderful celebrating Amy & Lineker’s marriage vows together.  We had a time of sharing memories and stories of Amy and Lineker’s work on behalf of families.  Many of you told about how they solved problems, remained calm and helped you through the travel portion of your adoption.  Afterwards, in our pavilion, we had burgers, hot dogs and got to catch-up with one another.  Thanks for making this a special event for Lineker and Amy – and for me!

We had a “staff reunion” the following day at my house.  Current and former staff, along with spouses and children gathered to see each other, reminisce and encourage one another in our work.  It was great to see that the God who started our work is continuing to provide.  The Lord has provided our agency with faithful, intelligent, compassionate and hard-working staff for years – and the Lord’s faithfulness to us in this measure is the biggest reason for our agency’s ability to serve as a blessing to more families.

I traveled to Nashville this week to participate in a board meeting of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.  We talked a lot about the Orphan Sunday initiative that is coming up in just a few weeks.  If you haven’t heard about Orphan Sunday, please take this opportunity to visit the Orphan Sunday website and learn more.  If your church isn’t involved, see if there is a way you can have the pastor/preacher talk about the Bible’s message of advocating for orphans and God’s adoption of Christians that Sunday morning.  Perhaps you could setup a booth with information about adoption, foster care and/or orphan care.  

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ~Galatians 6:9

- Brian Luwis, CEO

CEO Note

This week has flown by.  I am writing to say that now that the Family Reunion is less than a week away, I’m getting more excited to see families and staff.  We hope you all got the update that the venue has changed (from one local park to another).  The website is updated with the current venue information. 

The staff here held a potluck lunch to celebrate my birthday – and they included a homemade cheesecake (my favorite!).  I was grateful my wife was able to join this lunch and we both greatly appreciated the thoughtfulness of my co-workers.

 Another family is traveling to El Salvador to adopt a sibling group!  We’ve been praying for you and will continue to do so throughout your travel to El Salvador. 

I had an opportunity to meet with some of our Rwanda Program staff to discuss the growth and changes in this program.  I’m excited about the future of this and believe that, by God’s grace, this will be a great opportunity for many orphans to be placed in Christian families.

Next week promises to be busy as well.  We’re open on Columbus Day (Monday) and we’ll be busy working as normal and preparing for the Family Reunion.  We have staff from China coming in and some of our former staff will be arriving on Friday.

-- Brian Luwis, CEO

CEO Update

This has been a great and busy week here at the office.   The families in the El Salvador Program know of Carmen who we’ve been partnering with on many issues.  Carmen was in town and joined some of our staff at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption Gala on Wednesday.  This is an annual event recognizing individuals that have had a substantial impact on the field of adoption or foster care.  CCAI is a great organization that works hard to inform members of Congress on issues pertaining to adoption and foster care.

Our meeting with Carmen was very positive.  We’re so glad to see the progress with families in the El Salvador program.  Another family is traveling soon to adopt siblings and we’ll be in prayer for them. 

A reminder that Orphan Sunday is coming up!  It’s not too late to have your church involved:  www.orphansunday.org.  America World is proud of our membership in the Christian Alliance For Orphans and our staff are getting their churches involved in this event.  We hope you’ll find a way to have your church involved, too.

Lastly, another reminder about America World’s Family Reunion.  As it gets closer, I’m looking more and more forward to seeing the families, former staff, Lineker & Amy and all the others who’ll be joining us for this day of celebration.  Registration is still available <http://www.awaa.org/events/national-reunion-2009.aspx> .  We’ll see you there!

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

-Psalm 9:9-10

-- Brian Luwis, CEO

CEO Note

Adoption officials from China’s government were in D.C. this week meeting with the National Council For Adoption, the U.S. government and various other meetings with adoption agencies, including America World.  Staff from the CCAA as well as provincial government officials came to our office yesterday to learn more about adoption of children with special needs through America World’s Waiting Children Program.  We are grateful for those families that came into our office to talk about their adoption experience with these officials. 

Our co-worker Jenny is in town as well.  Jenny works for America World in Beijing and has been on our staff for many years now.  It is always great when she is here to work with us in our office.  We’re very fortunate to have Jenny working so hard for America World families. 

AWAA’s National Reunion is only a month away.  In the past, travel groups have met together and had mini-reunions of their own.  The D.C. area offers out of town families many free and enjoyable tourist attractions, including museums, monuments and much more.  There are a limited number of hotel rooms in the America World block – please sign up today to ensure you get a spot.  Registration is only $25 per adult and $12 for children 2-12 years old (children under 2 are free).  You can register online on our website.

This November will the be the launch of a new initiative called Orphan Sunday.  America World is a proud proponent of this effort to have churches show their unity and compassion by dedicating one Sunday a year to talk about orphans, adoption and the biblical message of advocating for the fatherless.  The Christian Alliance For Orphans is helping organize this inaugural event.  I’ve already met with my pastor to ask if this is something our church can focus on; I hope many of you will do the same thing.  For more information, please visit www.orphansunday.org. 

Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds
 — his name is the LORD — and rejoice before him.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling. 
Psalm 68:4-5

Sincerely,
Brian Luwis

Family Reunion

We’re really excited for the National Family Reunion on October 17, 2009.  Information about the reunion can be found on our website.  There are a lot of fun activities planned, including outdoor games for kids and lots of quality time for families to spend with America World Staff (including some former staff coming in for the occasion).

On Saturday, we’re meeting at Lake Accotink, a beautiful public park in Springfield, VA.  That morning, two of our China staff will have their wedding ceremony and afterwards we’re celebrating with a reception/lunch for everyone attending the Family Reunion.  The National Family Reunion is designed as a great way for families to connect to one-another and to connect with your travel group, family coordinator and others you’ve worked with through this process.

D.C. is a great city to come visit with lots of free attractions for the entire family.  We’ve reserved a block of rooms at a great negotiated rate – the details on our website link.  Register as soon as you’re able.

-- Brian Luwis, CEO

The Fall Season

I’ve been on vacation with my family this week – the last week before the kids are in school again.  It’s been nice “getting away” though I’ve been doing email and some work, too.

We have two new interns in our office, both college students, who will be here for the Fall semester.  We’re grateful for their administrative support and looking forward to working with them throughout the coming months.

We’re doing more planning for the America World Family Reunion this coming October.  We’re also looking forward to the Orphan’s Ticket Home Galas in Stockton, California & Orlando, Florida coming up in October.  Our annual Photo Calendar Contest has also offically started and will run through the end of October.  All photo submissions and release forms can be sent to media@awaa.org.  Winners will be selected and placed on our annual America World calendar.  All AWAA families will receive one of these fantastic calendars as a gift for the holiday season.  We hope that you’re able to participate in one of these great events.

My encouragement to you this week is this:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

-- Brian Luwis, CEO

CEO Note

The family in El Salvador successfully passed court and is will returning home soon with their son.  Congratulations to this family and we look forward to many other families following in your footsteps! 

We have more Waiting Children Referrals this week in the China Program.  I know many families will be in prayer as they review this information; please know our agency is in prayer with you.  In addition to the new referrals in China, we’re continuing to see progress in our Eastern European Programs.

I thought I’d take the time in my blog this week to highlight the work of AWAA’s Finance Department.  The employees in this department often have much less interaction with the programs and adoptive parents – but maintain the same enthusiasm the rest of us have to see orphans placed in Christian families.  Mary, Candice and TongHong stay very busy with the many financial transactions that happen every day (not to mention having numerous Affiliate offices throughout the country to work with).  We also have an accountant on temporary hire, Akohleng, who is a great pleasure to work with.  This department is such an important part of our agency that often goes overlooked.  As you remember our agency in your prayers, please remember these employees.

In thinking about our Finance Department and our agency overall, we seek to be an example of an agency whose foundation is rooted in Christ.  1 Corinthians chapter 3 tells us:  “But each one should be careful how he builds.  For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.  If any man builds on this foundation… his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light.”

- Brian Luwis, CEO

Another Good & Busy Week

I am traveling this week, but in communication with our staff back in the office as there is a lot going on. 

Many of your know the Warner Bros. movie Orphan came out this past weekend.   Our agency has joined with the Christian Alliance for Orphans to mark our distaste for a movie with such a negative theme toward adoption.  My friend, Tom Davis, has suggested a great way to protest this movie:  Use this as an opportunity to share a very positive story about an orphan and/or adoption in a public setting.  This could be on a personal blog, facebook, with friends or any other creative venue you can think of. 

We have a group of families in China this week.  As I think of families traveling, I always think back to my first time traveling to China and adopting my oldest daughter, Fei.  What a great, fun, nerve-racking and memorable experience it was for us and undoubtedly will be for these families. 

We have another family in El Salvador this week and are pleased to see the progress that is happening there.  I know I join with other families in this program as we pray for this family and families waiting on referrals.

Finally, this week America World is saying goodbye to Lauren Barnett.  Lauren has worked with our China Program for 3 years and has focused primarily on our Waiting Child Program.  She is moving to be closer to her family.   Her contribution to our agency has been very significant and it’s hard to imagine our China Program without her.  She’ll definitely be missed!