Speaking the Same Language - Love and Compassion

We have spent the last several days in New Zealand, first doing training for adoption social workers on Thursday and then taking part in an awesome adoption conference from Friday to today (Sunday).

What David and I have experienced is that people with a heart for adoption speak the same language of love and compassion everywhere we go. It has been a valdiating time here. The people we have met have been so gracious, welcoming and kind to us.

We had planned for three days of sight-seeing, but a residential treatment center asked us to train their families on Wednesday, so we just have two days to see this beautiful country. We leave early Thursday to return to the US.

We have some pictures of the training event on Thursday and will post pictures of the adoption conference later this week.

Adoption leaders in New Zealand receive the internationally acclaimed Field Guide to Child Welfare

Paula Atrill, Director of Adoptions and International Casework and Wendy Hawke, director of ICANZ, an international adoption agency in New Zealand, (and our hostess for these days) attended the social work training and received copies of the Field Guide to Child Welfare written by Judy Rycus and Ron Hughes.

According Paula, the adoption system is under going some major changes in terms of how parents are assessed and prepared for adoption. She shared with us that the information given in the seminar was timely and looks forward to further communication.

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting these foster and adoption workers from around the country. David joined me in this presentation on assessing and preparing parents to care for traumatized children.  It was such a privilege for us to be with them.

MORE COMING ON THE ADOPTION CONFERENCE

Another Journey

We believe that God gives each one of us a life message. For over 25 years, a part of our message has been focused on building healthy adoptive families, supporting foster families, adoptive families and professionals. We leave this afternoon for another journey - to New Zealand. This privilege has been in the calendar for over18 months, and we are excited and humbled by the opportunity. 

Both of us will be speaking at the ICANZ adoption conference in Aukland and presenting a full day of training to social workers as well. It will be fun to meet new people, hear their stories and hopefully, support them in their work and with their families.

We return on June 10 and plan to be home for most of the summer preparing for our September return to our dear friends in Krygyzstan.

Thank you for your interest and support...the journey continues