Happy New Year from Gift of Adoption!

As 2009 draws to a close, we'd like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts -- and on behalf of the children and families whose lives you've improved through the gift of adoption.

We are making a bigger difference this year than ever before. With your efforts we're striving to put adoption in reach for 100 children this year; kids like Gabi for whom there is no gift as precious as a family that will love her forever.

I think this story says it all; one night Gabi came to us and said that she had a dream. These were Gabi's words:

'I sad -- Mama, Papa, Hailee and I'm go Bulgaria - I'm stay Bulgaria - Mama, Papa, Hailee go America - I'm sad in Bulgaria , no Mama, Papa, Hailee to love me.'

Needless to say these words broke our hearts - we did our best to explain that she was ours forever and that wouldn't happen. During this conversation we learned that Gabi always had this fear with her foster mom because she knew that she could be sent or taken back to the orphanage at any time. She also knew that her foster mom was 'old, old' (according to Gabi) and that if something happened to her they would send Gabi back to the orphanage. Constant reassurance has helped, along with hugs and holding. But it was a little ornament that she found in her stocking that seemed to get the point across to her. The ornament is a heart and written across the heart it says "Forever Family". She clutched that little ornament in her hand and told us that she was happy now. Knowing that she is a part of our family forever has given her peace - a peace she would have never had without adoption!

Without your generosity our adoption would not have been possible."


May you and your family enjoy peaceful, happy holidays!

Your friends at the Gift of Adoption Fund

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Mia - Five Years Later

We are always excited to hear from past Gift of Adoption grant recipients. To hear how things are going and to hear what the gift of adoption has meant to them and to their children. Today we received this letter from Cody. Cody and his wife, Kristina, adopted Mia alomst five years ago. The picture of Mia and her brother running through the sprinkler this summer says it all.

"To say that everyday is a miracle in our lives is somewhat of an understatement. We are fast approaching the 5-year anniversary of our daughter Mia’s adoption. A long drawn out adoption process that neared two years in length ended in March of 2005. Gift of Adoption was there for us in the final moments and made it possible for us to close our adoption without worry. You are such a big part of our life and we are ever grateful.

Mia turned 6 this summer. She is loving life and school in her first grade year. She is excited to be a part of a new Spanish immersion program in our area schools. By 2nd grade she will be speaking Spanish fluently. Since the adoption was finalized, we have returned to Guatemala to serve on mission and service projects with Mia and her younger brother Carter.

Every day begins with a new found joy as we watch both of our children grow and learn. It is a gift to be a parent. It is our prayer that we never lose the appreciation for what we have been given and the gratitude for those and to those who so generously helped us become a family."

Visit http://www.giftofadoption.org/ to learn how you can make adoption possible for more children like Mia.

Welcome to the Gift of Adoption Blog

Welcome to the official blog of the Gift of Adoption Fund. We are excited to begin this blog in conjunction with the launch of our new website at http://www.giftofadoption.org/. We hope you enjoy your visits to both our blog and our new website. Our goals for both are to:

Empower you to act on behalf of the millions of children in the U.S. and around the world who are living without families of their own,

Invite you to get involved and make a difference in the lives of these children, and

Connect you to the results of our collective efforts - sharing the stories of the lives that are forever changed as a result of your generosity and the stories of the people who are choosing to get involved to make those differences.

We hope you will check in with us often to see what we are up to. In the meantime, feel free to let us know what you think of our new look.