It's Family Friday!!

We are a little late getting this up today, but the news is worth waiting for! Matches, matches, matches!!

Pearl 

Samantha

Harley

A huge congratulations to all of the families. We are so happy for you. Get these babies home! 

Like, comment, or share to congratulate the families!

Iris

Iris is a sweet little 5 year old girl. She is described a quiet and imaginative.

Iris' file indicates that she is developmentally delayed. She speaks in simple sentences, but it is noted that she has a lisp. She understands and follows directions. She runs and jumps and can kick a ball. She goes up and down steps and enjoys playing games.

She is close to her care givers and gets along well with the other children in her group. She feeds herself and can put on her own shoes, though she doesn't tie them yet. She really sounds like she is doing well!

We would love to share more information with you about Iris! Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information!

Ethan

What a cutie!  Ethan is described as an amazing, snuggly and happy go lucky toddler!  Ethan turns three this summer.  He loves to sing Twinkle Twinkle and is able to speak in Mandarin and English- he is in a multi-language speaking household!  

His American foster dad reports that he is a good learner, speaks clearly and easily engages in conversation.    He likes being around and receiving attention from older children and has other foster siblings in his current family.  

Ethan’s needs include blindness (no eye structure) and urogenital issues. He is able to get around the home and is learning shapes by touching the edges and working on vocabulary such as rough and smooth by exploring different objects. 

Could this handsome little guy Ethan be your son? Please contact us at superkids@gladney.org for more information.

A Cultural Lesson

The Superkids team spent day 4 of this Taiwan trip at Chungyi Social Welfare Foundation. When it was close to lunch time, we learned that we will have lunch at Chungyi. A beautifully designed flower printed lunch box was laid down at the front of each seat. Along with the lunch boxes, there were three big fruit bowls, one for grapes, one for guava, and the last one is sliced pineapples.

While we were still waiting for the last child evaluation in the morning to complete, we were all standing there around the table. Jokingly, some young Chungyi social workers asked us if we knew  the meaning of pineapple in Taiwan. Several of us said we don’t know, but Janel, a Superkids volunteer, said that in Hawaii, pineapple means “welcome.” She was expecting it means the same thing in Taiwan. Vina, a young Chungli staff member continued, “pineapples in local dialect in Taiwan means PROSPERITY. So we social workers do not eat it at all.” That statement puzzled me, and other Superkids volunteers as well. What? Your social workers don’t like being PROSPEROUS? Isn’t it that being prosperous is a goal that many people pursue? I looked around and found my colleagues eagerly waiting to learn why Chungyi social workers turn down prosperity.

The girls were giggling, naturally as they noticed the puzzled looks on our faces, so they went on to explain.

“Prosperity is a good thing, but social workers, as case workers, do not want to be “prosperous.” To them, being prosperous means the increase of case numbers, hence work load. Giggling young social workers even pointed one of Jane, a colleague of theirs, saying that the last time when she had pineapple, the next day, she got two new cases from Penghu Island.  Everyone began laughing. Penghu is one of the 64 islands from the Taiwan strait. This means she had to travel to that island when there is a need. That means hardships.

Erin was quick in thinking. She said you all should have pineapple. Prosperity, when it comes to inter-country adoption, is a positive thing. We would like to see more and more children going to families through adoption! So, let’s try pineapples. Several plastic forks were extended, immediately.    

-written by Gongzhan Wu (program director)

Day 4 Superkids in Taiwan

Our last day in Taiwan is over. It was another good day. It was a fun mixture of seeing children we know and are advocating for, children we have never met, and children who are matched.

This morning we met some great, funny boys that I wish everyone could meet in person. This little guy was so polite asking for a second set of Legos. And he certainly enjoyed them!

We also met some young matched children. They are so sweet! I know their families are anxiously waiting for photos and videos! I promise, we are working hard to get them to you. It will be top priority when we get home.

Then in the afternoon we got to see both Daisy and Darby. Oh my, such cuteness! Daisy is quiet and shy while Darby is outgoing and silly. Both are so precious! Guess which one is in the picture below?

We also gave care packages to sisters who will be going home soon. Giving care packages is a wonderful part of what we do!

Tomorrow morning we head to the airport early. Next week will be busy as we process all of the material we have gathered!

Day 3 Superkids in Taiwan

{Just a reminder that we are not allowed to post full face photos per Taiwan's guidelines. }

Today was a very busy day! We spent the day at Chung Yi, our other partner agency, and visited with 16 children. Some of the kids we’ve met before, this is the first time we’re meeting some of them, and some are actually matched with families already! It’s always extra special when we can see the matched children and ask specific questions their families (their forever families!) thoughtful came up with and are curious about. We even got to give an early birthday present to one awesome girl!

We met Denver and Dallas for the second time – what amazing brothers! Each boy has a very distinct personality. They would bring so much fun energy and happiness to a family! Dallas struck a very “cool boy” pose with his sunglasses for us, while Denver gave a sweet smile and quietly went back to his Legos. When asked how he would describe himself, Dallas said he was like a ninja turtle!

We also saw Dixie again. It took her a little while to warm up but once she felt a little more comfortable she was talkative and even recited a Taiwanese poem she has memorized. When I asked her what made her happy she said sneezing!

10 year old Danica was shy and quiet at first, but she was proud of the self-portrait we asked her to draw. She has a super cute, sweet smile. When asked what her favorite color was she quickly responded “yellow!” in English!

We will be seeing even more kiddos tomorrow! Remember to follow along on the Facebook page for more photos and videos from the day!

Day 2 Superkids in Taiwan

We spent our day at Cathwel again today. The morning was spent seeing children and in the afternoon  we spent time visiting with and sharing a presentation with the social workers and staff there.

We saw this bridge from the restaurant where we ate lunch

Let me tell you about a few of the children we met. Anthony was so very sweet! He aced all of the developmental stuff we did with him and had the cutest little grin while doing it. Then he kept coming over to share little treats with us, marshmallows and little cakes. The staff said he is always very generous. What a precious boy!

He had a little friend there too who was just as cute. He had so much fun doing all of the running, jumping, and ball throwing!

The thing that just amazes me about this place and these children is how very much the staff cares about them. They want to be sure we know everything there is to know about each child. They want them to find loving forever homes. And it shows in the children! They are thriving. Don't get me wrong, this is an institution, and an institution is not a family, but they are doing what they can to minimize the effects of being in that setting.

Their care and concern was evident again in the afternoon sharing time. They listened carefully (Don't ask about the jet lagged American ladies who couldn't understand a word of the presentation. We were thankful for the lady who saw how tired we were and offered us coffee!)  And the discussions continued after the presentation was over. Even when it was well past the time that we had planned for. It was so encouraging to see such a thoughtful group in charge of these little ones.

Learning a little about the history of Gladney

Tomorrow we head to ChungYi. Thank you for following and supporting our trip. We are so hopeful that more and more children will find there families as a result of us being here!