This December, our family will be hosting a Ukrainian orphan named Dima for three weeks. Dima is 9 years old and will be participating in a program offered through Children's Cultural Connection (http://www.wix.com/hostukraine/ccc#!about).   Having added Meredith to our family through adoption, we are really happy to bring Dima over to the US and help find him a forever family. Quietly advocating to find Dima a family is part of our job as hosts.

This particular cross cultural program is co-run by a Lafayette parent who owns an adoption agency in Pleasant Hill.  The kids come from the Ukraine to the US for 3 weeks and live with a host family and experience typical American life. The children all do return to the Ukraine at the end of the 3 weeks, but the hope is that while they are here visiting, they might be introduced to and have an opportunity to spend time with a family that is considering adoption (and those details are worked out while the child is back in Ukraine- as far as the child is concerned, they are here for a three week American holiday).

We are hoping to let other families in the community who are thinking about adding to their families through adoption know about the opportunity to meet Dima. The best way of finding these children their forever families is by passing this information on to other families we know. Hopefully, a friend of a friend of a friend of someone you know may be considering adding another child to their family through adoption and we are hoping to get the word out in this way. 90% of the kids came that came in the summer 2011 hosting group ended up being adopted!

His orphanage director describes him as follows: “This is a sweet 9-year-old boy from Ukraine. He is not a simple one... Even at his small age, the boy is very smart and has an adult attitude to life. The little cutie is always smiling, he has elated mood for all 24 hours a day. Dima is a calm kid, he never argues with his friends, that is why everybody from the smallest to the biggest likes him a lot. The boy is gifted - he can be a part of school theatre, can play for a school soccer team, also outdoor games are a great admiration of his. Dima likes painting, drawing and making little things from paper (origami)”

I will post a photo separately.

Thanks for passing the word.  This can make a huge difference in a little boy's life.

Randy