Kim Brown joins Ilsan Center residents and staff in seeing a longtime resident go to his adoptive family

By: CEO, Kim Brown

My recent trip to Korea coincided with what would have been Grandma Holt’s 105th birthday. We planned to spend the day with Molly Holt (Harry and Bertha’s daughter) at Holt’s Ilsan Center.*

We visited Bertha’s and Harry’s graves–a very moving and emotional time, just as I knew it would be. Ilsan residents, staff from Holt’s Seoul office and some guests participated in a small program at the gravesite, remembeing ‘Grandma’ and how she had so profoundly touched all our lives.

“This is a special day here at Ilsan for another reason besides my mom’s birthday,” said Molly, as we walked back down the 59 steps from the gravesite to her house. “Soo-hoon, a 13-year-old boy who lives here, is going home tomorrow to his adoptive family, and we are having a farewell party for him this afternoon.”

A few minutes later I met Soo-hoon, a handsome, lively young man who smiled his million-dollar smile when he shook my hand. Soo-hoon is something of a celebrity at Ilsan. He is part of the Ilsan choir and ‘conducts’ along with the choir director during performances. He even directs the choir himself during some of the numbers, and is a true star in the eyes of his friends and fans that have watched him over the years.

Soo-hoon was about to join his own family. I thought about the amazing turn his life was about to take in a few short hours. Read the rest of this entry »

Holt Chairman, Will Dantzler remembers his childhood as he connects with the children in Ethiopia

Something happened to me as I hugged and kissed the children at Holt’s Durame intake center in Ethiopia. Walls that had shielded me from dwelling on my beginnings began to crumble, and windows to my past began to open as I saw a reflection of myself in this generation of orphans. As most of the group began leaving the center, I found myself openly crying as I felt the loneliness of these children without a family—buried feelings that I knew once all too well were now surfacing again.

I loved seeing the children that came out to greet us at the Durame Center and I just had to hug every one of them because of the connection I felt with my little brethren. The conditions and environment were the same as I vaguely remembered from fifty years ago…the only difference was the country. Read the rest of this entry »

Caregiving at the Nanchang Orphanage Baby Unit

by John Aeby, Director of Communications

Nanchang, China–It was a simple gesture, made by parents around the world every day, but you seldom see it in orphanages.  A caregiver, holding a little girl, pulled the infant’s face up close to hers.  Nuzzling the side of the baby’s head, she pressed her lips to the baby’s soft cheeks and sniffed the fuzzy scalp.  I’m sure it was meant to be a private little moment; I don’t think this caregiver was even slightly aware of my watching.

This level of affection and nurturing may be typical for a family, but not an institution.  But then, this is a special kind of place.  A cozy room on the second floor of the large Nanchang Orphanage, the “Baby Unit” was established by Holt some fourteen years ago demonstrating the effectiveness of loving, attentive care.  The children come from around the city of Nanchang, usually found abandoned at a place where they are quickly found, such as the gate of this orphanage Read the rest of this entry »

Holt’s CEO attends a service honoring Bertha Holt

by Kim S. Brown, CEO

Ilsan, Korea–A simple service on the hillside overlooking the Holt Ilsan Center seemed a fitting celebration of someone so beloved. Bertha “Grandma” Holt would have celebrated her 105th birthday today.

A handful of friends and Grandma’s daughter, Molly, gathered at the graveside to pay tribute. As the years pass, the memories of Grandma Holt seem to become more vivid, the stories of her person more colorful.

It is impossible for me to think of Grandma Holt as one person. She touched the lives of so many children and families in many different ways. And yet, each one of us senses a very personal connection to this woman. It seems that all of us adopted from overseas or helped to have families of our own have a touch of Grandma within us. To each one of us, she is our Grandma.

We all miss her on this day, but thank God for her love, still felt on this day of remembrance.

February 5, 2009 would have been Bertha Holt’s 105th birthday

by John Aeby, Director of Communications

Eugene, Oregon–People who knew Bertha Holt often mention her energy and pace of life. A brisk walk wasn’t fast enough for all she had to do in her day; she ran nearly everywhere she went. News media some

times referred to her as “the jogging grandma,” and even in her 90s, she was still trotting down the lane near her little house in Creswell, Oregon, or around the track at the local middle school. To this day, if you know what you’re looking for, you can see the distance markers she set out alongside Gibson Lane.

But of course, she was so much more than running and energy.

She and her husband Harry founded Holt International because they believed that children should have mothers and fathers of their own. It was simply a matter of obedience to God to pursue an opportunity He set before them. Of course, few people would have recognized this as an opportunity, only the many formidable obstacles that lay in the way of such an idea.

Later on Bertha’s faith helped lead this organization through difficult times. When her husband, Harry, died of a heart attack in 1964, many people assumed that the Holt program would simply close up. But Bertha said, “From the beginning this has been God’s work. If He wants it to continue, it will.” She had a remarkable way of bringing complex issues down to a simple choice to follow God and trust Him for the results. Read the rest of this entry »

CEO, Kim Brown is inspired by the dedicated staff at Holt-Korea

by Kim Brown, CEO Holt International

Seoul, South Korea–I am humbled and inspired just being around the staff at Holt Children’s Services of Korea.  Seeing the daily activity in this building (it’s really much more than an office), I am reminded of the great dedication and compassion for serving children represented by those who have walked these halls over the decades.  These servants have helped find homes for so many homeless children, and their commitment has been consistent for over 50 years.

Today was just a normal day at the Holt-Korea office, and I got to witness some of the many ways this staff touches the lives of people–from seeing children brought in by foster mothers for health checkups to talking with expectant mothers.  These are only two examples, but they illustrate the scope of work that has gone on since Harry and Bertha Holt initiated this organization.

Social and economic pressures continue to challenge the resolve of all who advocate for homeless children globally.  It is reassuring to know that here, where our work all began, Holt-Korea continues to be a beacon for the entire world.

Staff at Holt’s Durame intake center open their hearts, as another abandoned infant enters its doors

By: Phil Littleton, Senior Vice President

Durame, Ethiopia–We’ve spent the last few days in Southern Ethiopia at Holt’s intake care center located in Durame, where we were once again, greeted with smiles and a flower. 50 infants and toddlers now occupy the Durame Center, where the loving staff individually cares for each child who enters its doors.

We were there when a local official brought in another abandoned infant, which seems to be a daily occurrence.  Although the children are well cared for by the staff, there are tremendous needs for the center that you can see all around. The children are bathed daily outside with cool water, where there is no working bathroom facility.

In a center where the electricity struggles to stay on, the staff continues to give quality care to children and work by candlelight to feed them.

Please pray for the children and our work in Ethiopia