Changing A Life Forever
April 27, 2010The bus slowly pulls through the crowded narrow streets of Surin, Thailand as school children in uniforms line the curb waving as the bus goes by; unaware that one of their own sits on the bus anxious to see where she was born.
In 1954, Harry and Bertha Holt lived in the small town of Creswell, Oregon where they were busy raising six children. Harry was a farmer and run a sawmill company. Bertha was a trained nurse. One evening while watching a documentary on the Korean orphanages set up after the Korean War, they became concerned of the future of these children. They were so devastated by the orphans’ situation, the Holts were determined that God was calling them to service and it was their duty to bring some of these children into their home. After a short two months, Congress passed the “Holt Bill” allowing them to adopt eight Korean children. Their act of love and kindness opened the door for other Americans to do the same. That same year the Holts founded Holt Agency, run from their kitchen table, in order to help facilitate other overseas adoptions of Korean orphans.
After, Harry death in 1964, Bertha Holt continued to advocate for the rights of children. Through her leadership and organization, she was able to work with twelve country government organizations to open communication and policies for homeless children and foreign adoptions.
Bertha Holt died in July 2000 at the age of 96. (wikipedia)
Today, Holt International continues to carry out the mission that was started over fifty years earlier. With fourteen international programs all over the world, Holt works closely with government agencies within each county to establish and develop services that are in best interest of the child. Holt has created models designed to develop programs to improve child welfare centers, develop foster care, create single mothers’ homes, and provide family services. They have also continued discussions with lawmakers, government officials and orphanage staff allowing for reforms on child welfare concerns. With the recent earthquake in Haiti, Holt International responded quickly to the needs of the children and because of their long-term relationships within the county, many of Holt’s staff members were able to escort over forty children into the United States to finish their adoption process.
Beyond adoption, Holt International works to assist children in many countries around the world, providing financial assistance for medical issues as well as expertise in adoption issues. Holt offers a child sponsorship program where the money is used to provide clothing, care, medical treatment and meals for orphans throughout the world. This allows people to help children in need of basic support while receiving progress reports and the opportunity to follow the child. Holt International continues to provide services for birthparents, adoptees and adoptive parents throughout their lives by providing heritage camps, homeland tours, family picnics, search databases, forums, blogs and through their “Hi Families” magazine (Holt).
The little girl who sat on the bus is one of my two sisters who were adopted through Holt International’s Holt Sahathai Foundation located in Thailand. In July 2008, my sisters had the opportunity to return to their birth country through Holt’s Heritage Tour.
As the bus pulled up to the rundown hospital, the social worker, my mom and my sister got off the bus and took several “Kodak Shots” trying to preserve this once in a lifetime moment. With tears in her eyes, my mom tried to explain to my sister the importance of this town. Not exactly a vacation destination, nor a place they will return, but a special place on Earth that will always be remembered and a part of my sister’s life.
Spending three weeks in Thailand, seeing the beautiful landscape, tasting the food, experiencing the smells and working side by side the villagers as they planted a rice field, gave my sisters a sense of their culture. It made them appreciate the chance they have been given and how lucky all of our lives have been enriched. And although, they are US citizens, Thailand will always be a part of them and a part of our family.
Holt International has served thousands of children over the last fifty years. It all started as a simple act of kindness and as spread throughout the world. Harry Holt said it best, “Every child deserves a home” and Holt International continues to be dedicated to carrying out God’s plan for every child to have a permanent, loving family.
Works Cited
Holt International. Holt International, 2010. Web. 6 Feb. 2010. <www.holtinternational.org>.
Wikipedia/Holt International Children’s Services. 25 Nov. 2009. Web. 6 Feb. 2010.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holt_International_Children’s_Services>.
