Adam and Mateja: 2012

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Haiti Travels

Adam and I continue to have a huge heart for Children of the Promise. We had been planning a trip to visit this Christmas break since we left Haiti nearly 5 months ago. Adam will still be visiting, but I am not going with him. Some of the children are sick with cholera. I love these children and would appreciate it if you would join me in prayer. You can read updates on the children at the COTP webpage. Please pray for Adam's safe travels as well. He will leave December 27th and return on January 5th.

Monday, July 9, 2012

4th of July

In school we had a pretty normal start to our day. We made our own 4th of July fireworks and then dressed up in red, white, and blue.

At night we watched the movie Madagascar.

Children of the Promise has given explicit permission for the posting of photos on this site. Photos taken of children in the care of Children of the Promise are not be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

12 Things Here and There

$355.00 Dorm Size Fridge
$2.00 Off Brand Mac&Cheese
$0.30 18oz. Coke Bottle
$24.00 Large Kraft Parmesan Cheese Shaker
$10.00 Gallon of Apple Juice
$8.00 Rice Cereal Large Box
$0.06 8oz. Bag of Purified Water
$0.25 Super Glue
$0.15 Clove of Garlic
$0.60 2.5lbs. of Potatoes
FREE Mangoes - Although we aren't grateful for their overabundance. We just try to avoid them and
the injuries they cause.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Central Baptist Youth Group

This week has been one of my favorite weeks in Haiti. Our church's youth group joined us for a week of service last Tuesday. They worked hard on many projects. Below are photos of some of them. They painted three large murals. Our youth pastor, Jason, drew the murals and then the team did a paint-by-number kind of thing.

The students helped the cleaning staff wash the baby clothes, clothe diapers, and blankets. At COTP all laundry is done by hand. No washing machines and no wash boards. Instead, the items is rubbed between your wrist. Each item is washed three times. This is easily the hardest job. The students were great sports about helping wash clothes.

The students also put up the walls to our first house. Before the youth group arrived all that was there was the foundation and the first layer of blocks to outline the walls. These students worked along side the construction crew to put up all the walls.

The student also spent a lot of time investing in the children at COTP. This was by far the most meaningful part of their trip. The children at COTP are so precious! The children love listening to stories, so everyone received the opportunity to read a few stories. The photo below is story time being interrupted by a baby lizard.

Feeding 60 kids is a lot of work. The team helped feed breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.

Four girls helped photograph our 60 kids for their formal pictures. Bi-monthly we post photos of our children.

Monday, May 28, 2012

A Birthday

Birthday's at COTP are a big deal. Most of our babies/toddlers come to us malnourished, premature, or ill; therefore it is a celebration that these kiddos make it to their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd birthday. They have had a tough beginning and have fought to survive. It is such a joy to celebrate a birthday.

Typically Chante throws the birthday parties. We have 60 kids, so 60 parties a year. A week ago we through the party instead. What a blessing!

Children of the Promise has given explicit permission for the posting of photos on this site. Photos taken of children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The caretakers of our children at COTP are Haitian women. We call these wonderful ladies nannies.

It has been a desire of the COTP staff to conduct a nanny training. We were thrilled when Adam figured out a schedule that would allow the nannies to attend a training session.

April 30^th we held our first of six training sessions. Each nanny attended one session.

The nannies were eager to attend. They told me that the children always get to school and this training session is school for gwo moun big people.

Nannies waiting for their session to start.

Nick, our director shared the new vision for family homes. He walked the nannies out to our back property to show them the first home. Nikki brainstormed how to better care for the children with the nannies. They came up with possible activities. She also introduced our baby house room changes. More to come about this in another blog.

Fifi (our nurse) teaching how to use the new intake/outtake chart.

Our nurses, Sheila and Fifi, led the nannies in health care return demonstration that allowed for them to practice on dolls. The nannies loved the dolls so much they named them after their favorite children. Fifi named her baby doll Rose Guerda after the baby she loves.

Fifi leading a return demonstration on mixing a bottle and feeding a baby.

The nannies holding their baby dolls.

Renel taught the nannies how to cash their checks. We use to handout money, but with a growing number of staff we are moving to checks. He taught them how to sign a check and where to go to deposit the check.

Renel teaching the nannies about their paycheck.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

2 English Preschool Teaching Positions Vacant

Children of the Promise is in need of 2 preschool teacher for the 2012-2013 school year. In the upcoming year, the organization will have 34 children between 2-5 years of age in their care. Many of these children will be adopted by American or Canadian families. It is vital that these children receive an English education prior to arriving in the States or Canada.

Projected Number of Students for 2012-2013 School Year
Child Age	# of Students
5 years	2
4 years	4
3 years	11
2 years	17

Children of the Promise (COTP) is a creche in the rural village of Lagosette in northern Haiti, about 8 miles outside of Cap Haitian. It was started by Bud and Jan Bonnema 12 years ago with a few infants in a small apartment in Cap Haitian. It now sits on a few acres of land, where around 60 infants receive care.

In a nation where unemployment hovers around 70%, COTP is the largest employer in the area, providing work for 80+ local residents! COTP provides for infants with needs such as malnutrition, significant illness, or family difficulties, where the goal is to reunite the child with their family as soon as conditions allow. COTP also cares for and facilitates adoptions for orphaned babies needing a forever family.

Other programs of COTP address the conditions in the community that necessitate bringing a baby to COTP. They are: the prenatal classes, formula program, nutritional supplement program, school sponsorship program, and water filtration.

Check out COTP's website @www.childrenofthepromise.org

Feel free to contact:

Jamie Groen (COTP Director) cotpdirector@gmail.com

1-320-444-8180

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Financial Assistance for Adoptions

Family and friends I urge you to consider adoptions if you are interested in adding children to your life. Living at COTP with babies waiting to be matched has broken my heart for the world of adoption. We photo list our special needs babies who are waiting here. There is a photo list of children and family groups in my hometown of Sioux Falls waiting for families.

If financial assistance is the issue for you see below some of the resources out there. I received this list for Lutheran Social Services when I was in the States this March. The list was updated as of February 2012.

CHSFS Adoption Support Fund

Scholarships between $70-3,000 based on the family need and child’s need. Available to all international and domestic adoptions.

Requirements: None

www.chsfs.org/adoptionsupport 800-952-9302 intchild@chsfs.org

Gift of Adoption Fund

Grants, $1,000-7,500

Requirements: Domestic or Int’l, must have approved Home Study

www.giftofadoption.org

The Lydia Fund

Adoption grants

Requirements: International adoptions only. Must be Christian and married.

www.lydiafund.org

MN Adopt

Reimbursement program based on child's need for families that have adopted children under MN state guardianship

Requirements: Child must have special needs or be a part of a sibling group

http://www.mnadopt.org/adoptionassistance.html

A Child Waits Foundation

Offers low-interest loans and adoption grants to families who have exhausted all other means of payment

Requirements: Child must be older than five or have special needs

www.achildwaits.org 866-999-2445

Love Knows No Borders

Adoption Assistance

Requirements: None

For information, send self addressed envelope (2 stamps) to Love Knows No Boundaries 500B Monrow Turnpike PO Box 350 Monroe, CT, 06468

Cadman Foundation

Fundraising and grant opportunities

Requirements: Preference given to married couples and those adopting a child with special needs.

http://cadmanfoundation.org/wiki/tiki-index.php

God’s Grace Adoption Ministry

Matches fund raised by family’s community up to $2,5000

Requirements: Christian, two-parent families

www.ggam.org

Katelyn’s Fund

$3,000 Grants

Requirements: Married, heterosexual, Christian, married couples

www.abbafund.org

The Micah Fund

Grants for international adoptions

Requirements: Children are lack or bi-racial. This grant is for families who live in the Midwest only.

www.michahfund.org

Show Hope

Grants for International adoptions

Requirements: Christian families

www.showhope.org

Britany’s hope

Adoption grants

Requirements: waiting children with special needs

www.brittanyshope.org

Moriah Adoption Fund (through All God’s Children agency)

Adoption grants

Requirements: Special needs children, older children, or sibling groups

http://www.allgodschildren.org/moriah_fund/

Golden Dawn Adoption Assistance

Adoption grants up to $2,000

Requirements: Special needs children, African children, sibling groups. Families with be Latter-Day Saints or Christians

www.goldendawnaa.org

Helpusadopt.org

Adoption grants up to $15,000

Requirements: None

www.helpusadopt.org

National Adoption Foundation

Fundraising assistance, grants, and loans

Requirements: None

http://www.nafadopt.org/fund-your-adoption/fund-your -adoption.shtml

OATH Ministry

Grants for families adopting internationally

Requirements: None

http://www.oathfairhope.org/apply.html

State Non-Recurring Expense Subsidy

Requirements: None

http://www.nacac.org/adoptionsubsidy/stateprofilies/southdakota.html

Sea of Faces Foundation

Grants between $1,00-3,000 for families adopting from a developing country

Requirements: Must have referral at the time of application-you can apply after the child is already in the home. Must be married, heterosexual, Christian couples

www.seaoffaces.org

Adoption Tax Credit

Requirements: None

http://www.nacac.org/taxcredit/taxcredit.html

http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html

I Support Adoptions

Assistance for families in need

Requirements: None

http://www.isupportadoptions.org/ISA/Home.html

A Mother’s Love

Fundraising opportunities

Requirements: None

http://www.amotherslovefundraising.com/amotherslove.html

Lifesong for Orphans

Matching grants and interest-free loans

Requirements: Chistian, married couples adopting internationally

http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/index.htm

Pathways for Little Feet

Interest-free loans

Requirements: None

http://www.pathwaysfor littlefeet.org/

Home For Good Foundation

Free Christian-based fundraising materials

Requirements: None

www.hfgf.org

Elijah’s Truth

Grants available

Requirements: Must live in Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota

www.elijahstruth.com

JSC Foundation

Grants available

Requirements: Christian homes

Wwww.iscfoundation.orgindex.cfm

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Make adoption costs fully refundable in the 2012 & 2013 Tax Years

The average cost to adopt a child is any where from $25k- $35k or more. Currently, for the 2011 Tax Year Adopting families are eligible for:
• A maximum of $13,360 for 2011 returns
• Fully refundable as long as the adoption is initiated in 2011 or before, and finalized before the end of 2012 (domestic) or was finalized in 2011 (international)

But in 2012 the Tax Credit is going to change:
• A maximum of $12,360 for 2012 returns only

The 2012 Tax Credit will not be refundable for adoptions initiated after 2011, which means a large number of families may not be able to get any of the $25k- $35k back and possibly prevent people from adopting a child at all.

In 2013 it will revert back to a maximum tax credit of $6,000 for parents adopting children with special needs, and there will be no adoption tax credit available for all other adoptive parents beginning in tax year 2013.

We are petitioning to make the adoption tax credit permanent and refundable, so that more money is available to families allowing them provide a financially stable home to the adopted child.

To learn more and sign this petition click here.

To read two great adoption stories from COTP visit here and here.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

McKennan's Gift

Many of the youth at our church were excited to see Adam and I come to Haiti last August. McKennan was too. We didn’t realize the amount of excitement McKennan had until we received her gift. Apparently she has been saving her allowance to give to COTP.

Last February we received an envelope with $150.00 inside and the instructions to use it for the babies.

We were a little surprised since we had no idea she had been saving at all. After talking with her dad he reassured us that McKennan did intend for us to use all the money however we could for the babies.

COTP has been punching numbers for milk. Here in Haiti milk is difficult to get. My mom sends me down milk for our birthdays and holidays, because I miss it like crazy. The powdered milk, Bongue, is expensive. This spring we attempted getting it pasteurized from the cow, but it was even more expensive. Therefore, we are sticking with giving our children two glasses of powdered milk a day and mixing it in with some meals.

McKennan

Why the COTP children need milk? The children come to us malnourished. They need the healthy fat, calcium, and protein to grow strong bones and able minds. Some of them were not breastfed as infants, so they are behind. 60% of the brain and sheath that surrounds the nerves is made of fat.

McKennan’s gift provided us with 250 glasses of milk for our children.

I am amazed at her generosity. A generous generation of youth is rising up.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Child Sponsership

Yesterday we were able to go to church with these beautiful children, while our home church in the States had a child sponsorship kickoff for them at Central. Already 18 of these children are sponsored.

The children pictured above are 5 of 41 children that live at Bethlehem Foundation in Cap-Haitian, Haiti. Unlike the children that live with us at Children of the Promise these children live in an orphanage. Bethlehem Foundation is their permanent home.

Pastor Brian has become friends with the director of Bethlehem Foundation, Pastor Blot, over his 3 visits to Haiti. He introduced us to Pastor Blot and we too have become good friends. Pastor Blot pastors a church and has a 540 student primary school. When the 2010 earthquake devastated southern Haiti the Haitian government was looking for places for orphaned children to live, Pastor Blot took in 37 of those children. Since then he has added 4 more.

Our church is teaming with 1-by-1 Haiti to sponsor his 41 children. The Bethlehem Foundation is completely Haitian staffed. The goal of this child sponsorship is to continue to have the Bethlehem Foundation Haitian run. The money will go toward schooling and feeding the children.

If you would like to get involved contact Pastor Brian at brian.mulder@centralsf.org

Pastor Blot and his wife with Adam and Pastor Brian