Hello Alliance families!
We hope you are well and enjoying this holiday season. Below is a bit update on China Program:
Referrals
Alliance didn’t receive referrals for the month of December. This batch of referrals covered log in dates from December 9th to 14th 2005. This has been the second month in a row we didn’t receive referrals. Our next log in date is December 27th, 2005.
Travel
Three Alliance families have been home with their children. With the new addition home, we believe they will have very special Christmas and New Year holidays!
Warm season’s greetings from Alliance China Program staff
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
China Program Update-AFC Email
Referrals
Alliance didn’t received referrals for the month of November. This batch of referrals covered log in dates from December 1st to 8th 2005. Unfortunately Alliance did not have any families between these days and our next log in date is December 27th, 2005.
Travel
Five Alliance families are traveling in China right now and will be home with their children this weekend. Their journey has been smooth and wonderful. Another three Alliance families will be leaving for China late this month to bring their children home. We wish them a wonderful journey and look forward to hearing their stories and seeing their photos upon their return.
Alliance didn’t received referrals for the month of November. This batch of referrals covered log in dates from December 1st to 8th 2005. Unfortunately Alliance did not have any families between these days and our next log in date is December 27th, 2005.
Travel
Five Alliance families are traveling in China right now and will be home with their children this weekend. Their journey has been smooth and wonderful. Another three Alliance families will be leaving for China late this month to bring their children home. We wish them a wonderful journey and look forward to hearing their stories and seeing their photos upon their return.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
China Program Update-AFC Email
Referrals!
Three Alliance families received referrals last week. Congratulations! Among these three referrals, one was expedited case and two were from dossiers logged on November 30th, 2005. The CCAA’s cut-off date for this batch of referrals is November 30th, 2005. Alliance’s next log in date is December 27th, 2005.
Travel! Four Alliance families brought their daughters home in mid September. Another four Alliance families will be leaving for China late this month to bring their children home.
We wish them all the best!
Three Alliance families received referrals last week. Congratulations! Among these three referrals, one was expedited case and two were from dossiers logged on November 30th, 2005. The CCAA’s cut-off date for this batch of referrals is November 30th, 2005. Alliance’s next log in date is December 27th, 2005.
Travel! Four Alliance families brought their daughters home in mid September. Another four Alliance families will be leaving for China late this month to bring their children home.
We wish them all the best!
Monday, August 6, 2007
China Program Update-AFC Email
Dear Alliance Families,
Referrals
Two Alliance families received their referrals on August 2, 2007. This little girls are from Hunan Province. The cut off date for this batch of referrals is November 21, 2005. We are now waiting for referrals for the families with a Log in date of November 30, 2005. Through the waiting child program, three families with a log in date of mid May 2007 have received their Letter of Acceptance. We are so happy for the families! Congratulations to all of them!
Travel
Seven families are now in China with their little girls. Both the adults and the girls are doing well. We wish them a safe trip home. Another Alliance family will be traveling to Nanjing this week. We wish them a wonderful trip.
Best regards,
Referrals
Two Alliance families received their referrals on August 2, 2007. This little girls are from Hunan Province. The cut off date for this batch of referrals is November 21, 2005. We are now waiting for referrals for the families with a Log in date of November 30, 2005. Through the waiting child program, three families with a log in date of mid May 2007 have received their Letter of Acceptance. We are so happy for the families! Congratulations to all of them!
Travel
Seven families are now in China with their little girls. Both the adults and the girls are doing well. We wish them a safe trip home. Another Alliance family will be traveling to Nanjing this week. We wish them a wonderful trip.
Best regards,
Thursday, July 12, 2007
China Program Update-AFC Email
Dear Alliance families,
As CCAA’s cut-off date for July referrals is November 14th, 2005 whilst our closest log in date is November 18th, 2005, we did not receive referrals this month. However, through the waiting child program, two families with a log in date of mid April 2007 have received their acceptance letters.
Three families have returned home with their beautiful daughters. Seven families are expecting their travel approvals anytime now.
Best regards, China Team
As CCAA’s cut-off date for July referrals is November 14th, 2005 whilst our closest log in date is November 18th, 2005, we did not receive referrals this month. However, through the waiting child program, two families with a log in date of mid April 2007 have received their acceptance letters.
Three families have returned home with their beautiful daughters. Seven families are expecting their travel approvals anytime now.
Best regards, China Team
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Chinese Proverb
An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
Friday, June 8, 2007
China Program Update-AFC Email
Hello! Alliance for Children Families!!!
Referrals! Alliance for Children is delighted to announce that six families have received referrals on June 6th. The little girls are all from Hunan province and range in age from 5 months to 9 months old. These referrals were from dossiers logged on November 3, 2005. Our next log in date is November 18, 2005.
One Alliance family on waiting children program has also received their acceptance letter on the same day.
Travel! Two Alliance families are leaving for China this weekend to bring their daughters home. We wish them safe and smooth travels!
Referrals! Alliance for Children is delighted to announce that six families have received referrals on June 6th. The little girls are all from Hunan province and range in age from 5 months to 9 months old. These referrals were from dossiers logged on November 3, 2005. Our next log in date is November 18, 2005.
One Alliance family on waiting children program has also received their acceptance letter on the same day.
Travel! Two Alliance families are leaving for China this weekend to bring their daughters home. We wish them safe and smooth travels!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.
The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.
The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.
Chinese New Year begins on February 18, 2007, and is the year of the Pig (Boar). 2006 was year of the Dog!
The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.
The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.
Chinese New Year begins on February 18, 2007, and is the year of the Pig (Boar). 2006 was year of the Dog!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
The Waiting Families Meet
Tonight we got together with the other families that we will probably be traveling with to China. It was a really great dinner and we learned a lot about everyone. We met at the Yangtze River Restaurant in Lexington, MA and stayed several hours just chatting and getting to know one another.
One couple, Trena and Andrew, are adopting their second daughter and were a wealth of information about what to expect. Their daughter Quinlyn joined us as well and she will be taking the trip to China to meet her new little sister.
Our travel group includes:
One couple, Trena and Andrew, are adopting their second daughter and were a wealth of information about what to expect. Their daughter Quinlyn joined us as well and she will be taking the trip to China to meet her new little sister.
Our travel group includes:
- Sanna & Brian
- Trena, Andrew & Quinlyn
- Erika & Joe
- Melanie & Joe
- Thecla & Thomas (were unable to join us)
Friday, February 16, 2007
Xin Nian Hao
Xin Nian Hao or Happy Chinese New Year!
Lin Jing from the Alliance for Children, held a class this evening on Chinese cultures and customs, specifically on customs of Chinese New Year. As the Chinese New Year begins this weekend, she educated us more on how the Chinese people celebrate their biggest festival.
At the end of the class, she shared with us a slide show on some of the humanitarian foster care projects that the Alliance for Children is working on to give us more of an idea of foster care in Chinese orphanages.
Gong Xi Fa Cai
(We wish you good fortune)
Lin Jing from the Alliance for Children, held a class this evening on Chinese cultures and customs, specifically on customs of Chinese New Year. As the Chinese New Year begins this weekend, she educated us more on how the Chinese people celebrate their biggest festival.
At the end of the class, she shared with us a slide show on some of the humanitarian foster care projects that the Alliance for Children is working on to give us more of an idea of foster care in Chinese orphanages.
Gong Xi Fa Cai
(We wish you good fortune)
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Surprise Shower
Well they got me! Those sneaky people, Lara, Melissa & Lynn! Under the guise that Ken Marran had a "conference in Boston", Lynn and the gang came for the weekend for a visit. We went to Melissa's to spend the evening so the kids could play and the adults could also play. It turned out to be the best "anti-shower" ever and it was a very nice surprise. There was a last minute cake save by Barabara who stopped in Boston for some backups as the originals were involved in a kitchen fire at the Kondeitermeister.
My Aunt Jeanne flew in from Colorado, and I had family and friends from all over which was fantastic. At first I thought I was at my own funeral because there wasn't anyway that my friend Goose and my Aunt Jeanne would be in the same room unless it was my wedding or my funeral. Since I was already married, I thought it was the later. Thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating with us, it was truly great.
The guest list included:
My Aunt Jeanne flew in from Colorado, and I had family and friends from all over which was fantastic. At first I thought I was at my own funeral because there wasn't anyway that my friend Goose and my Aunt Jeanne would be in the same room unless it was my wedding or my funeral. Since I was already married, I thought it was the later. Thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating with us, it was truly great.
The guest list included:
- Melissa, Adam, Shelby & Tyler
- Robyn
- Jared & Cindy
- Lara, Jed, Luke & Jax
- Lynn, Ken, Sam & Julianna
- Gerry (aka Goose) & Gabrielle
- Brian
- Joy
- Aunt Jeanne
- Aunt Kate & Mr. Bob
- Uncle Robert & Aunt Margaret
- Barbara
- Ed, Jane, Taylor & Jack
- Carrie & Steve
- Nikki & Jason
- Karen, Andy & Kealy
- Susan & Roger
Thank you also to those that were not able to attend but were there in spirit: Dad, Deb B., Madeline & Mike, Bing, Amy & Fran, Jeff & Kerry, Mildred & Jim M., The Holmes Family, Uncle Roy, Aunt ME & Aunt Pat!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Chinese Class
We went to a Chinese class held today by the Alliance for Children in Wellseley, MA. The overview of some of the basic written and spoken Mandarin Chinese was interesting. With over 56,000 characters, if we can master a few of them it will be a miracle!
The class was held by two employees (Lin Jing and Weihang) from the Alliance for Children who are both native to China. The information provided by them regarding Chinese culture and how much it has changed since 777 B. C. was fascinating.
The class was held by two employees (Lin Jing and Weihang) from the Alliance for Children who are both native to China. The information provided by them regarding Chinese culture and how much it has changed since 777 B. C. was fascinating.
The above picture is of the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou. We will be staying here at some point during our travels.
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