Host a Latvian orphan Christmas 2007

    Provide an orphan with the adventure of a lifetime!
    Big Family Mission and other ministries and churches in the Northeast are
    partnering with New Horizons for Children to conduct a hosting program for
    orphans in the Northeast (PA, NY, NJ, DE, MD) during Christmas time 2007-2008.  
    This is not an adoption program, but many of the children who come to the United
    States can be and will be  adopted by families they meet during the 4-week
    hosting program.

    Quick facts about the hosting program:

  • Latvian orphans, ages 5 years to 15, will be coming to live with host families for
    about four weeks (tentative dates mid-December to mid-January).  
  • The orphans will stay with families who reside in PA, NJ, DE, NY, MD and
    surrounding states in the Northeast.  (For information about New Horizons’ hosting
    programs in Georgia, Florida, Texas and California, please visit:
  • Hosting families fund-raise or contribute $1950 to New Horizons for Children.  The
    $1950 contribution helps cover the cost of airfare, coordination in Latvia, travel in
    Latvia, passport, visa, medical insurance, safety and child abuse clearances for
    host families, and some of the expenses for the Latvian orphanage workers who
    must accompany the children.
  • Hosting husband and wife must be of the Christian faith and attending a church.  
    (Single mothers may also host.)
  • Children who are participating in the winter 2007 program have now been
    identified by a mission team that traveled to Latvia and Russia during the month of
    September.  Photos of the participating children and brief biographies are now
    available.  If you would like to view the photos and information, we ask that you
    complete the form (above, right), and we then will email you the link to the photo
    and information page.
  • You can learn more about the hosting program on the New Horizons for Children
    website.  
  • If you wish to host a child for the 2007 program, you must make a commitment by
    early November (firm deadline to be announced).

    New Horizons for Children is a Christian, non-profit organization located near
    Atlanta, GA.  For five years, New Horizons has conducted hosting programs for
    Eastern European orphans.  The New Horizons for Children hosting program
    allows an orphan to come to the United States and have the wonderful experience
    of living with a Christian family or individual.  Although adoption is not the objective
    of the program, many of the children are eventually adopted by either the host
    family or other families who meet them during their visit.

    U.S. host families provide these orphan children with an intimate view into what a
    Christian family is like by having them stay in their home for five weeks.  Many of
    these children have never had a positive family experience.  They get a first hand
    glimpse of what healthy relationships can be!  Some of these children have never
    experienced love in a healthy manner or been able to show affection.  They also
    learn about hygiene, American culture, and they're immersed in the English
    language!  Their lives can be impacted greatly by their time in the USA…and in
    your family.

    Orphans usually feel left out, left behind and unworthy. Their self esteem is often
    so low because they have been labeled in their home city by peers as "orphan".
    After coming to the U.S. for four weeks, most children learn as much English as
    they would typically learn in 4-5 semesters if taught in their school. This gives the
    children pride in themselves and helps boost their self esteem tremendously!   
    Receiving unconditional love and nurturing and being treated as a member of
    their host family (who will usually maintain contact even after the child returns to
    their orphanage) gives them hope!

    The orphans learn they do have a Father, the same Father in Heaven that we all
    have:  a Father who loves us dearly, who is always with us, and who always cares
    for us.

Complete this form to access
photos and bios for children
* Required Field
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Your name:
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Email:
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Church
affiliation:
Optional information:                       
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Questions, comments, or feedback:
    Here’s how you can help with the
    Christmas season 2007 hosting program:

  • Consider hosting a child (complete the
    form above for more information);
  • Ask your home church to consider helping
    a family host a child as a mission project;
  • Consider hosting  a Latvian chaperone
    who will accompany the children;
  • Help us spread the word about the hosting
    program to other families who might be
    interested (posters and other
    communication materials are available:
    send us an e-mail, info@bigfamilyministry.
    org );
  • Help us publicize the hosting program in
    churches throughout the Northeast;
  • Consider giving a financial donation to help
    a family who would like to host;
  • And most important of all:  pray fervently
    for the children and families who will
    participate in the 2007-2008 winter
    program.

    To learn more about New Horizons or to
    begin your application process to host in
    the summer of 2007, please visit:  

    www.newhorizonsforchildren.org .

    If you cannot host, but would like to get
    involved with helping Russian orphans,
    please visit Big Family's website:

    www.bigfamilyministry.org