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By Maggi YiJu Liebetrau

Maggi reconnects with her foster family on a Holt heritage tour

Traveling to China was an eye-opening experience. I had the opportunity to see my birth country, learn about the Chinese culture and experience the friendliness and openness of the Chinese people. Most were curious about why 23 Chinese girls were in a large group with Caucasians. But when it was explained that we were adopted and the Caucasians were our parents, most of the people were excited for us. Experiencing the Chinese traditions was exiting. I went to a market in my home city and saw how ordinary people make a living by selling cooked food, fresh fruits and vegetables, livestock, and clothing. In America, we don’t see something that big and productive every day.

The country itself is big and beautiful. We went to the countryside and saw the mountains. I liked seeing some of the famous tourist sites, like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. But I really enjoyed seeing the sites that weren’t so well known. We attended a foreign language school and took a couple classes with the students there. I was surprised to see that the schools are so different than they are in the United States. I enjoyed seeing the students’ reactions to Americans coming to their school. They spoke very good English and Chinese.

Going back to Mother’s Love, my orphanage, in Nanning was very touching. I saw the old building where I was taken care of for a couple months before moving to a foster home. We were the last group to go the orphanage before it was to be torn down. It is sad to know that my orphanage will no longer be there, but brand new buildings for all the homeless children and disabled orphans are there for the children to grow up in.

I was fortunate enough to get to meet my foster parents. That made me really happy. They were happy to have me come back and meet them. They told lots of stories and gave me a picture of my foster mother and me on the day I was adopted – a special memory that I will never forget. I now feel more complete about where I came from and know who touched my life before I was adopted and brought to the United States.

If you are considering joining next year’s tour, I would recommend it. It’s a great experience. I feel more at peace with myself, and I can say I’ve seen China at it’s very best. Holt was really good to us and we were treated with only the best.

I not only made lifelong friends – friends who truly understand what I’ve been through as an adoptee — but I made lifelong memories too.

Interested in traveling on one of next year’s Heritage tours to China? Contact Lisle Veach at lislev@holtinternational.org for more information and to be put on an interest list. Hope to see you next summer!

I look forward to the Holt marathon every year!  This will be my fourth year as a member of Team Holt.

I learned about Holt International through some good friends who adopted two beautiful children. When I started looking into adoption, I knew that Holt was the agency for me. On April 3, 2008, about one year after starting my adoption journey, my son Jack came home and was delivered into my arms on what turned out to be the best day of my life – the day I officially became a mom. I remember so many things about that day, and every day since then with my little guy has been a joy.

As a participant on the Holt team, I am spreading the word about an amazing agency and raising donations to help the agency continue its vital work around the world.

I will be running the 10K portion of the Omaha marathon this year. My goal is to raise $400 for Holt’s Ethiopia program. Will you help me? Any donation amount is appreciated, and 100% of the donation goes directly towards maintaining and growing Holt’s Ethiopia program.

Thank you,

Cathy Morin

Help Cathy reach her goal! Click here to support Cathy and the rest of the marathon runners!…..

Holt has a long history of commitment to children with special needs.  We strive to ensure that expenses are not a barrier between a child with special needs and a loving adoptive family.

This year’s Gala Dinner and Auction will raise money to support Holt’s Children with Special Needs Adoption program — helping to bring children with special needs home to their families.

A message from Jackie Miller, Gala Chair:

On Saturday September 25, 2010 the idea for an annual New Jersey Holt Gala Dinner became a reality. New Jersey Holt families had enjoyed an annual dinner in the past, but this time we were challenged with making a fun evening into a gala event. Despite a small but wonderful dinner committee, I wasn’t sure we could pull it off.

The evening was a mix of a silent auction, make a difference and live auctions. Parents, adult adoptees, community members as well as many of the Holt staff came together to make the New Jersey dinner a very  special event. We enjoyed the food, the camaraderie, and the knowledge that each of us was helping New Jersey families who had adopted a child with a special need.

Late into the evening, a committee member whispered into my ear that the evening’s proceeds were at $20,000. I was so overwhelmed by everyone’s support and generosity that it was difficult to announce it to the group.

Currently, we are in the process of planning the 2011 New Jersey Holt Gala Dinner for September 24, 2011. It will be held at the Princeton Westin. We are currently seeking dinner sponsors and donated auction items.

I would love to see everyone at the dinner in the fall!

For more information about the Holt Gala and Dinner Auction in New Jersey and to RSVP, Click here

So this will be your seventh summer working at Holt camp?

This is my sixth summer on the leadership staff. The first year, I was a counselor.

What are your responsibilities as a leadership staff member?

We prepare the camp curriculum and schedule, and manage the counselors and camp staff.

How do you prepare the curriculum every year?

We have a foundation of subject matter that we talk about, such as race and identity.  Every year, we tweak it.  We brainstorm ideas of new and fun ways to relate those ideas to campers.

What’s an example of a fun way you relate issues to campers?

We always talk about identity on the first day. That helps us ease into being able to discuss other subjects, such as race and adoption, in a group setting.

When we talk about identity with the youngest group, we ask them to name TV characters that have multiple identities.  They usually come up with super heroes and Hannah Montana.  We talk about how Hannah Montana is sometimes Miley Cyrus, but she’s also a daughter, a sister and a student.

We always close that day with having the campers write down as many of their identities as they can come up with.

What do you hope the campers will get out of that exercise?

We want them to understand that we have multiple identities and they’re always changing – and that’s a good thing.

We definitely make the point that being adopted is an identity.  That helps the campers acknowledge that about themselves, and empowers them to take on that identity with confidence.

Did you go to Holt camp growing up?

I went one year when I was 10 or 11.  I don’t remember that much.  I do remember being really nervous and scared.  I grew up in Alabama and flew to the Midwest Camp with my little sister, who is adopted from Vietnam.  It was my first time flying somewhere by myself.  And it was my first time being around other adoptees.

Growing up, did you know very many other adoptees in your community?

No. My parents sent us to Holt camp to kind of throw that out there and see if that was something we wanted to pursue – getting to know other adoptees.  At the time, neither of us did.

I did have a fun time, though.  It was mostly about making friends and hanging out.

What brought you back to Holt camp, years later?

The summer after my senior year of high school, my mother took me on one of the Holt family tours.  I was resistant at first, but it ended up being a great experience for me.  Being older, I was able to take more out of being with other adoptees.

The experience made me want to be around other adoptees. So when someone on the trip mentioned that they were a counselor at a Holt camp, I called Steve (Holt’s camp director, Steve Kalb).

So, your first year you worked as a counselor.  How is that different from being on the leadership staff?

Being a counselor, you have more direct interaction with the campers.  Your relationship is a little different because you’re with them 24/7.  I enjoyed it.  You feel like they look up to you.  As leadership staff, you still have a relationship with the campers, but it’s different.

As a counselor, did you have one-on-one conversations with campers about issues that came up for them?

It just comes up naturally when sitting in the cabin, because we’ve all had similar experiences.  We talk about identity, or family issues.  It’s a cool opportunity not only for the campers, but also for me to share what’s on my mind.

That’s what brought me back the next year – the friendships I developed at camp.

Do you have many friends outside of camp who are also adoptees?

Not back home in Birmingham.  But my relationships with Steve (Kalb) and Michael (Tessier) have become some of the strongest relationships in my life. (Michael Tessier is Holt’s youth adoptee coordinator).

Josiah (center) with a group of counselors at Holt camp in Georgia.

Besides great friends, what do you gain from going to Holt camp, year after year?

I feel more comfortable and more confident with who I am.  Since the tour, I think I’ve changed a lot.  Before my involvement with the adoptee community, I was a completely different person.  I attribute that to camp, because of the friends I’ve made.  It’s little things that have changed.  I’m naturally an introvert.  Now I’m comfortable enough to have a conversation with a stranger.

Summer camp often creates that feeling of belonging that builds confidence in kids.  Do you think you would have benefited as much from any camp? Or do you think it’s unique to Holt camp?

For me, it’s about being around other adoptees. For 6 weeks, I feel really good about myself.  Because of camp, that (feeling) has carried over throughout the years.

I’ve been to other summer camps.  I don’t know if I could commit this much time to another camp because I wouldn’t be as passionate about it.  It’s easy to relate to campers and counselors at Holt camp.  The relationship is more unique.  We all have friends at home, but those friends can’t instantly understand things about you.  The atmosphere at camp creates instant comfort.

When Steve Kalb became camp director, he shifted the focus of Holt camps from birth culture to the adoptee experience.  Do you think campers get more out of exploring adoptee issues than learning about their birth culture?

One thing we talk about is that culture is good, but what makes camp special to campers isn’t culture.  What makes it special is about being around other adoptees.  Focusing on that is more beneficial to everyone.

Steve’s main point is that adoptees just wanted more time to hang out with each other.  Both parents and campers have for the most part responded really well to the curriculum. The activities change every year as well. We keep the foundation of the subject matter, but we try to make it interesting for the returning campers.

You did at one time attend a birth culture camp in Georgia, though.  How was that different?

You’re still around adoptees, which is why I go to camp.  The culture aspect is fun, but for me, an adoptee camp is more educational.  I feel that everyone at camp can relate to adoption issues, whereas not everyone can relate to or find interest in all the cultural activities.

What is your favorite camp activity?

We have electives in one-hour sessions.  I lead an art elective.  It’s a time I get to hang out with campers directly.  Each elective has a project the campers are working on to present to parents on the last day.  That’s always fun.

Seven years is a long time.  And 6 weeks is a big commitment.  How long do you foresee yourself working at Holt camps?

I’m not sure.  I think the program is really strong and I really respect what Michael and Steve do.  I definitely support the program.  That’s why I keep coming back.