America World Adoption News

Honor Your Mother by Blessing A Child: Baby Formula Drive

This Mother’s Day, honor your mother with a gift that will help meet a Chinese orphan’s daily nutritional needs. While we reflect on Mother’s Day, our thoughts may often center on our own mothers who cared for us; however, as an agency we never want to forget the many children around the world who, due to poverty, sickness, or other situations within their country, are unable to grow up with a mother.

America World is fortunate to partner with orphanages in China and help meet many of these children’s basic needs. Nutritional baby formula is always in high demand in orphanages throughout China and being able to provide high quality formula can have long-term benefits for these children. Since these are items that are needed regularly, you may also want to consider partnering with us, not just this Mother’s Day, but throughout the year to help us raise funds and awareness by sharing this simple project with your friends, your church, your small group, your church’s missions department, or your child’s school. This is also a great project for churches to participate in for Orphan Sunday.

To donate towards providing nutritional formula to our partner orphanages in China, please click here and select "Isaiah 1:17 Fund" from the dropdown menu and include a note marked  “China: Formula” (read more about the Isaiah 1:17 Fund). All online transactions are safe and secure. If preferring to pay by check, please have them payable to America World Adoption and on the memo line include “Isaiah 1:17 Fund- China: Formula”. Print a Mother's Day certificate to give to your mother to show the donation given in her honor!

This Mother’s Day, please consider giving a gift to honor both your mother and a motherless child; a gift that will significantly impact the daily life of an orphaned child. 

HIV Adoption Advocacy

America World has been privileged to partner with many families over the past several years who have adopted children with HIV from our Ethiopia program. HIV adoption opportunities could be available in our Ethiopia, China, India, and Kenya programs. If there are any future advocacy opportunities for waiting children with HIV in our Haiti, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Honduras and Ukraine programs, we will keep clients and prospective families informed of these details.

Recently the India and Kenya adoption programs have also begun to offer HIV adoption opportunities for families. We cannot guarantee any specific referral for a family in these programs until the approved home study has been received and we can then see what referrals are available for adoption at that time. However, there is currently no waiting list for families in the Kenya or India program for an HIV adoption. Families who may be interested in learning more about these adoption opportunities can contact us.

There are many outstanding resources for parents who want to learn more about caring for a child with HIV.  Some of the resources include the websites and nonprofit groups Positively Orphaned, Project Hopeful, and the AWAA HIV educational manual.

We are committed to educating and equipping parents for these adoptions and for advocating for these children around the world. Please join us in prayer for children with HIV waiting for their forever families, and for those families who are training and equipping themselves to bring one of these children into their home.

A Change of Plans: The Schrader Family’s Story

Like many families who begin the adoption process through China, the Schrader family originally began their journey seeking to adopt a healthy infant when they first started their process in 2007.  At that time, the Schrader family had 2 children, but dreamed about adding a baby girl to their family through adoption. The Schraders would like to share a brief testimony of what happened in their process and their video of their adoption story. 

“We began our adoption process in 2007. Five years later and after having a third baby, we were still waiting. After much prayer and consideration, we realized an older child would be a perfect fit for our growing family and made the decision to switch to China’s Waiting Children Program with America World. We were soon matched with our daughter Mia (age 7) and we brought her home this past November. Our daughter, Mia, is full of joy and laughter, and we can’t imagine life now without her. Please watch our family’s story through the video below.  We also invite you to learn more about our story through our blog.

Adoption Video - 2012 from Adam Schrader on Vimeo.

Welcome Home!

Pictured are some of our China families who have completed adoptions within the last year. We join in celebration with these forever families and are excited for them as the Lord continues to orchestrate every detail of each of their journeys. We look forward to all that the Lord has in store for our China program families in 2013! 

Merry Christmas from China!

These families recently returned home from China with their children. Join us in praising God for these new families! 

The Benton Bunch

photo credit: Gretchen Phillips

Check out this article in the Southern Maryland Online Newspaper about the Bentons, an America World adoptive family. Parents Bill and Toni, who are also AW Associates, talk about their eight children, seven of which are from China. Several of their children were adopted from the Waiting Children program. 

Read the full article here. 

If you have been featured in a news story and would like to share with our blog readers, email us at blog@awaa.org. If you haven't, you may consider reaching out to your local news outlet to ask if they are interested in featuring an adoption story! 

Two Grateful Families

The Dennis and York families of Spartanburg, SC recently shared their adoption stories in their local newspaper. It's an amazing testimony of God's goodness to read of the seperate paths both families took to begin their adoption processes, and then the shared time they spent in China meeting their daughters. 

David Dennis says about the adoption of his daughters, "People think we are a blessing to them, but they are a blessing to us. The blessings and the thanks that come from these little girls are a thousand times more than what we can do for them."

The Yorks heard David's adoption testimony at the church they both attend, First Baptist Spartanburg, and this solidified an earlier calling she felt to pursue adoption. Both families adopted a special needs child (learn more about this program here). 

We are grateful both families answered the call to adopt and encouraged others to do the same. Check out the full article here, as well as a photo gallery.

If you would like to share your family's adoption journey with our blog readers, please email blog@awaa.org. 

China Mission Trip - November 2012

It is not too late for your family to join us! We will be hosting an upcoming mission trip to China November 1-10 to visit several of our orphanage partnerships. Families will have the opportunity to minister to children and orphanage staff during their time in China. We are still accepting trip applications through Friday, September 28. The trip is open to any current America World families in the adoption process (individuals may accompany someone who is attending the trip) Those who have previously adopted through AW are also welcome to join us. America World will handle all trip details including booking flights internationally, booking flights domestically while in China, hotels, in-country transportation, guides/translators, and all meals.

Those who are interested in this opportunity should email waitingchildren@awaa.org to obtain a brief trip application as well as additional information regarding cost overview, itinerary, and other trip details.

Celebrating Culture and Experiencing China- Winter Tour of China

We are excited to announce a wonderful opportunity for all families who have adopted from China! In cooperation with the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA), NCFA (National Council for Adoption) is excited to announce the “Celebrating Culture and Experiencing China” Winter Tour from December 23, 2012 - January 1, 2013. This year’s tour will be open to children who were adopted from China along with their adoptive parents and siblings. This tour also allows for an optional visit to their child’s orphanage for those families who are interested.

Children born in China and adopted by American parent(s) are eligible for this trip at no cost to the child once they have purchased their child’s air transportation to and from Beijing.  Authorized chaperones can also be provided for children 12 and above whose parents cannot attend. (though availability is limited for this option) The trip will begin with a four-day tour of Beijing, during which participants will have the opportunity to experience the vibrant and colorful culture of China’s capital. From there, camp participants will travel to several cities throughout China, including Xi’an, Chengdu, and ShangLi. Among other activities, participants will visit the Great Wall, feed and clean panda bears at the BiFengXia Panda Center, and experience enriching local cultural activities. 

For full details, a complete itinerary, registration forms and cost overview, please click here. We hope that many families will take advantage of this wonderful cultural opportunity.

China Mission Trip Opportunity

We are excited to announce that we will be taking a team to visit several of our orphanage partnerships in China on September 20-30, 2012. The trip is open to any previous China program families or those who may accompany an individual who is attending the trip. America World will handle all trip details including booking flights internationally, booking flights domestically while in China, in-country transportation, guides/translators, and all meals.

We would like to have several trip members who are in the medical field (nurses, doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, etc.) attend this trip if possible. We will be visiting orphanages that are home to children with medical needs. We welcome any individual/couple and encourage you to apply regardless of whether or not you have a medical background, as anyone may take part in this opportunity. Space is limited.

Those who are interested in this exciting opportunity should email waitingchildren@awaa.org to obtain a trip application as well as additional information regarding costs, locations, and other details.