Hi Fenner,
Thank you for asking. I was adopted through Holt International Children's Services. The organization has an amazing history--the founders, Harry and Bertha Holt, were farmers in Oregon who saw a news documentary about Korean War orphans in the 1950's. Despite having 6 biological children of their own, Harry flew to Korea to see the orphanages there himself and they wound up adopting 8 Korean children (requiring a special act having to be passed by Congress.)
Despite all this, they felt that this was just not enough, and that God was calling them to serve in Korea. Holt International now has several branches in many different countries. Their first goal is always to keep the child with his or her biological family; if that's not possible, they look for a family within their birth country to adopt them. This usually doesn't happen though because most countries frown upon adoption (it's seen as bringing "bad blood" into the family line. Korea has, in the not too recent past, made adoption illegal because of this, but this ruling has since been reversed. However, it is still seen as socially unacceptable in most cases.) Holt's final course of action is to place the child with a permanent family in another country.
I know there is a lot of concern nowadays about whether services like this can be trusted or whether they are abusing funds, but I believe in Holt's work 100% because obviously, had it not been for them, I would most likely... Well, I certainly wouldn't be here posting on CC.
But God does amazing work through ordinary people.
I have been part of their sponsorship program for several years and this is the third child I've sponsored who has been placed into adoption. Others also no longer needed sponsorship because Holt was able to help their parents get a better job, etc. I don't think I've sponsored any one child for more than a year at a time because as I said in my other post, they meet their goals with the family and then commit to another child. It's an exceptional program and the other cool thing is that the people I talk to when I make my sponsorship commitments are Holt adoptees THEMSELVES who have now grown up and are working for Holt as social workers, child care specialists, volunteers, etc.
Please feel free to ask me if you have questions and/or check out holtinternational.org.
Thank you so much for asking.
