Meeting Their Needs - The Sacred Portion Children`s Outreach

THE SACRED PORTION
CHILDREN’S OUTREACH
A Child Caring Ministry
Spring/Summer 2005
“And you . . . shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given you and your household. And you . . . shall say before
the Lord your God, I have removed the sacred portion from my house, and have given it to . . . the orphan according to all thy
commandments which thou hast commanded me . . . I have listened to the voice of the Lord my God.”
Deuteronomy 26: 11, 12 & 14
Our Mission
Meeting Their Needs
by Jan Druckenmiller
I had the pleasure of spending
several weeks at the Rehoboth
Children’s Home in February. It
had been six months since my
last visit. My first impression upon
walking into the facility was how
the fabric of the daily life of the
home. For me, this is affirmation
that these children are used to
getting their needs met. There are
institutions in this world where you
could walk into a room full of
clean everything was.
My
second impression was how
bonded the children had
become to their caregivers.
They respond to their caregivers
as any child would to their
mother, which includes crying
for attention! In fact, the sound
of crying children is woven into
children and not hear a single cry.
That is because the children have
given up. Crying is a conditioned
response that is reinforced when a
child’s needs are met. There is no
reason to cry when you have
learned that no one comes.
The Sacred Portion Children’s
Outreach is a non-profit
organization dedicated to providing
for the needy children of the world
who are without homes or families.
Formerly known in our community
as Southwood Child and Family
Education Center, the organization
was directly involved for 22 years
in the development and operation
of an early childhood program. In
1997 the organization passed the
care and continuation of that
program into another’s hands and
the founders, Craig and Jan
Druckenmiller, turned their hearts
towards serving a more needy
population of the world’s children.
The organization, as part of its new
mission seeks to assist facilities
that care for orphaned and
abandoned children in providing
healthy, secure environments in
which these children can grow and
develop as normally as possible.
Continued on page 2
Meeting Their Needs
Continued from page 1
slide and have plans for an
outdoor play structure as well. We
also have a separate play area
for the crawling babies and had
some foam ramps and stairs
made to satisfy the mobility needs
of these little explorers. Although
the schedule of the Home
sometimes necessitates the
children being confined to their
play areas, they are also allowed
to roam through the house as any
child would normally do in their
We are blessed to have
caregivers at Rehoboth who are
very loving and attentive to the
children’s needs.
Recently I received, via e-mail,
the picture that is on the front of
this newsletter. When I opened
the picture on my computer, I
rejoiced that the staff at the
Rehoboth Children’s Home seem
to have an intuitive sense of what
kids need apart from any formal
child development training. One
can only wish to be inside that
picture to hear the screams and
squeals of delight as the children
splash around in the water-filled
tubs out on the lawn. Our babies
at Rehoboth have grown into
toddlers and, as their needs
have changed, the staff have
responded accordingly. The
toddlers are being introduced to
paint, play dough, markers and
other basic art materials to give
them sensory experiences that
are beneficial at this stage of
their development.
Sensory
experiences extend into meal
time where the toddlers are
allowed to feed themselves
even though it makes for quite a
mess! Recognizing their need to
climb and their love for hiding
inside of things, we now have a
toddler playroom equipped with
a Little Tykes indoor climber and
2
h o m e en vi r o nm ent .
The
atmosphere is natural and homey,
rather than institutional.
The
children live together as a family.
They call each other by name,
play and fight like siblings.
Birthdays are celebrated with a
party in the traditional Filipino
way. On Sundays, the children
and caregivers head up the road
to attend church as a family.
For the children at Rehoboth, this
is their home and the caregivers
are doing their best to meet the
physical, social and emotional
needs of the children. But it’s not
enough.
These children need
parents. Although it has been
difficult to find someone to
commit to the position of
permanent, resident social worker,
we have been able to utilize the
services of several social workers
to get the children's’ case studies
and other paperwork completed.
As a result, some of the children
are finally moving through the
system and are being matched
for adoption. The children must
first be made available for a
certain period of time for “local”
matching to families in the
Philippines.
Angel is our first
We are so very grateful to all of our sponsors for the part they are
playing in assuring that the needs of the children at Rehoboth are
being met and that they are getting off to a good start in life. We
currently have sponsors for ten out of the fifteen children who reside
at Rehoboth. We are seeking sponsors for the remaining five children
shown below. If you are interested in sponsoring one of these
children, please see the child sponsorship form on page 5.
Jelly Rose
Age 1 year
Jayson →
Age 7 months
Rehoboth child to be blessed with
a family. She has been matched
locally with a Filipino couple. As
the family waits for their adoption
paperwork to be completed, they
have started visiting Angel at
Rehoboth so that she can
become acquainted with them.
A match was not found at the
local level for Joel, Leah or Ruthie
so their paperwork moved on to
the Intercountry Adoption Board
of the Philippines.
They were
mat c he d f or int e r nat i on al
adoption on June 14. Fe, our
deputy administrator and our new
social worker reviewed a pool of
applications from prospective
adoptive families from all over the
world. It’s so exciting to know that
these precious toddlers will soon
have families of their very own.
We hope to get the paperwork
moving on the other babies and
toddlers at Rehoboth as well. We
are praying that our new social
worker who was hired in June will
stick around!
← Michael
Age 8 months
Mark John →
Age 3 months
← Jazzreel Ivy
Age 8 months
3
NEW ARRIVALS AT REHOBOTH
As we prepare for some of our children to leave Rehoboth to go for adoption, God is quickly filling their places
with new arrivals. We recently admitted a sibling group of three who was removed from their family situation.
The siblings are part of a family of nine or more people who, for the past eleven years have been living in a
space smaller than the inside of a passenger van. The children in the family have not been receiving
education and are neglected due to the poverty of the family. It remains to be seen, at this point, whether
these three will be returned to their family or if another plan will be made for their future. In addition to the
sibling group, we have also just admitted an abandoned baby who is very malnourished. The staff at
Rehoboth were very worried about this child because he was not showing any emotion. They are more
encouraged now that he is “crying with small tears asking for his milk and smiling.”
Siblings
Jonathan
Age 18 Months
Jonalyn
Age 4 Years
Joann
Newborn
John Rey Carlos
Age 10 Months
4
A Portion of Love
Child Sponsorship Program
Now that it is up and running, the Rehoboth Children’s Home needs to develop a
support base for the ongoing operation of the Home.
While other types of
contributions and gifts can be sporadic or seasonal, a sponsorship program provides
a predictable and consistent income for the Home by which to meet the daily needs of
the children for food, clothing, and medical care. In addition to providing a stable
income base, the sponsorship program is an opportunity for others to become
involved and have a role in providing love and care that can transform the life of a
child. A child sponsor can be an individual or couple, a Sunday School class, youth
group or civic organization. Once a sponsor is matched with a child, they will receive
a description of their child and how he or she came to be at the Rehoboth Children’s
Home. Regular updates and pictures will be provided throughout the year. Sponsors
will have the opportunity to send letters, cards and small gifts to their sponsored
child.
The sponsorship amount is $25 per month. Since it costs more than $25 per month
to provide for the many needs of a child at the Rehoboth Children’s Home, a
sponsor’s gifts will be combined with others to form an extended family of support for
their sponsored child.
If you are interested in becoming a child sponsor through the PORTION OF LOVE
sponsorship program, please complete the form below and return it to us at the
Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach.
Yes, I would like to sponsor a child for $25 per month.
Enclosed find my first payment of
$_____________ to cover ______________ months.
I cannot become a sponsor at this time, but I would like to make a contribution of
$ _____________ .
Name (please print):______________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________
Make checks payable and mail to:
E-mail: _______________________________________
The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach
7104 Bristol Lane
Bozeman, MT 59715
All contributions are tax-deductible
5
The Rehoboth Early Learning Center
Completes Its First Year
The Rehoboth Early Learning Center was
established to provide the children in
residence at the Rehoboth Children’s Home a
program of stimulation and learning. Since
the current population of the Home is mostly
babies and toddlers, the Early Learning
Center was opened to needy children of the
community during its first year of operation.
Although they came into the preschool
lacking in many skill areas, the children made
great progress throughout the year thanks to
their preschool teacher, Ms. Marivic Relletta.
The children were very happy in their learning
environment with all of the wonderful toys
and materials. The Rehoboth Early Learning
Center finished out the school year with a
field trip to a television/radio station in Manila on April 15th. This was the culmination of a unit of
study on Communication. Manila is about a three hour drive from Rehoboth so it made for an
all day outing. Parents of the community children enrolled in the preschool joined in on the field
trip as did some of the Rehoboth staff. It was a great learning experience for the children (and
parents) and the day was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
On April 19th, the preschool held a graduation
ceremony for those children who will be
moving on to public school. The children
received a certificate presented by the Pastor
Ike of Christ to the Philippines church and a
“commencement address” was given by Ms.
Grace Parica, University of Rizal. The children
were very proud of their accomplishments and
full of smiles on this special day.
Carlo, the only residential child in the preschool this
past year will be continuing for another year and will
be joined by his buddy, Angelo, another residential
child. In addition to Carlo and Angelo, eight new
children from the community were enrolled for a
total of ten children at the start of the school year on
June 13th after the two month break.
6
SUMMER MIRACLES 2005 PUT ON HOLD
Our auction fundraiser held on
April 15 was a success, host
families had completed their
training and two groups of
children had been identified to
come to Bozeman, one from the
Philippines and one from Russia.
Then, came an unexpected and
unforeseen turn of events.
The primary purpose of the
Summer Miracles program is to
give older orphans a break and a
summer vacation away from
what is often a grim existence
within the walls of an orphanage.
It is a chance for them to
experience life in a family, to
receive proper nutrition and
medical care, and to have fun! A
secondary outcome of the
summer program is adoption.
People who meet these children
often want to adopt them. In
fact, the Summer Miracles
program has proven to be an
effective strategy in finding homes
for older, waiting children. Over
the past three years, 40 out of 49
children who participated in the
Summer Miracles program in our
community have found adoptive
families.
The Sacred Portion Children’s
Outreach has been the sponsor
and coordinator of the Summer
Miracles program in our
community. Once the summer
program has ended and the
children have returned to their
orphanages, we refer families who
are considering adoption to a
licensed child placing agency.
The adoption process is something
that happens separately and
apart from our organization. Yet,
the Department of Child and
Family Services, which is the
licensure authority in our state
government, recently made an
interpretation of our summer
program as being involved in
“placement” activities since we
attempt to make contact
between older orphans and
prospective adoptive families.
We are being told that, in order
to continue, we must become a
licensed child placing agency.
This is something we cannot do
overnight and, consequently,
we have had to put the summer
program on hold until we can
complete this process.
Summer hosting programs are a
new “genre” of placement
activities that have come about
in recent years. Thus, the state
statutes are antiquated and do
not address this type of
program.
The
current
interpretation of the adoption/
licensure code being applied to
our summer program would
make the program unworkable.
We hope to educate key
people in state government as
to the concept of summer
hosting programs and work
cooperatively to develop a
different level of requirements
that will not be so arduous and
more relevant to a short term
stay of children in our
community.
Kidsave
International, the umbrella
organization over the Russian
part of our summer program, has
successfully blazed a trail in this
regard in several other states
where the issues have been
identical to what we are
encountering here. The staff of
Kidsave are offering their
assistance to help us do the
same in Montana.
the meantime, all of the funds
that were generated for this
summer’s program are being held
in a reserve account. We would
greatly appreciate your positive
thoughts and prayers in the
coming days that this obstacle
that has come into our path
would be removed so that we
can continue to advocate for
children who are without families.
We are very grateful to everyone
who has been a part of the
Sum m er Mi racles program
through your gifts of time, talent,
money, and goods or services.
Your support has been a great
blessing to us.
Thank you for
believing in the worth of these
children and for putting aside a
“sacred portion”, a gift from your
heart that has helped to sustain,
rescue and bring restoration to
innocent lives.
We have every intention of
continuing the Summer Miracles
program and are confident that
we can complete the licensure
process before next summer. In
7
SUMMER MIRACLES 2004
HOME FROM THE PHILIPPINES!
Kim Mason traveled to the
Philippines on March 5th to be
reunited with summer host
children, Jeje, age 13 and Jojo,
age 10.
These two brothers
have permanently joined the
Mason family and Dauren, Olivia
and Ruthie are very happy
about their two big brothers.
Liz and Rich Barton traveled with
their two children, Joel and
Tessa, at the same time as Kim
Mason.
The Bartons were
reunited with the sibling group
they hosted during Summer
Miracles 2004 composed of
Jane, age 14, Joseph, age 12,
and Leonora, age 8.
8
SUMMER MIRACLES 2004
HOME FROM THE PHILIPPINES!
Annette Osen traveled to the Philippines on January 28th to fetch summer host
child Giovann, age 8. Giovann permanently joins Don and Annette’s brood of
children including Thomas, Dawnette, Mariette, Juliette, and Timothy.
Joan Van Natta traveled at
the same time as Annette
Osen and was reunited with
host siblings Timog, age 14,
and Canaway, age 12.
They are now at home in
Iowa with their new parents
and siblings, Meridith, Peter
and Amy.
9
SUMMER MIRACLES 2004
HOME FROM RUSSIA AND THE PHILIPPINES!
Twin brothers, Andrey and Victor, age 7
came home for good in April, 2005. These
boys were two of a group of five children
who came from Russia for Summer Miracles
2004.
The twins were adopted by the
Heaton family.
The Chapman family including
parents, Holly and Doug, and
children, Juniper, Conner and
Lacy traveled to the Philippines
on July 11. They were reunited
with host children, Jason, age 10
and Jennifer, age 13.
As the children settle into their new lives with their
adoptive families, they experience many changes.
Changes in routine, changes in diet, changes in
education, changes in weather and climate, to
mention a few. In a regular adoption process, it
can be overwhelming for a child to suddenly be
taken away from all that is familiar and plunked
down into a strange culture with strange people
thousands of miles from their home country. The
advantage of the Summer Miracles program is that
the children have already had a taste of life in
America, have gotten to know their host parents
and siblings and have become familiar with the
food, daily routines and lifestyles of their families.
Although there are still challenges, the fact that
these children were able to spend four to six weeks
with a family prior to adoption does make for an
easier transition.
10
Giovann Osen touching snow for the first time upon his
arrival home in February, 2005.
ONCE UPON A TIME…..
By Kim Mason
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, a man, his wife and their three children were
living together in relative peace and harmony in the land of The Last Best Place. Their
children had been given to them through the gift of adoption from faraway lands and
each child had been received with great joy. There was nothing more the man or woman
could have wished for until the day they met their fairy godparents. Then they knew they
would be bound for distant lands once again.
The fairy godparents brought news of beautiful princes and princesses who would be seeking shelter and
amusement of a different kind than which they were accustomed to in their Pacific Paradise. The man and
woman thought it would be a privilege to entertain such fine lads or lasses. They had learned that, although
these special young people were well looked after in their tropical kingdom, they were lacking the one thing
their hearts desired most - the honored title of ‘son’ or ‘daughter. The man and woman knew they could not
bestow lavish gifts or fantasy rooms in a castle on these future kings and queens, but they could make them
heirs of their own humble kingdom if God should so direct them. Two such princes came to be with the family
during the time of year when the days are longest. They shared much laughter and conversation during their
time together. The days were filled with games and festivities of the kind especially known for the The Last Best
Place. During those precious few days, something magical began to occur. The family came under the spell
of those two princes (who were brothers by the way) and their hearts revealed what God had already known
- the seed planted by the fairy godparents had grown into love. The man and woman would seek to bestow
the title of ‘son’ on the two princes.
But first, the man and woman would need to be tested. The lads would have to return to their home country
and could not know of the man and woman’s wishes for many months. During that time the man and his wife
were questioned about their intentions and about their proposed title of ‘father’ and ‘mother’ to the princebrothers. Many of their friends and family wondered at them but always rallied to their aid. At last, when all
the royal seals had been affixed to each royal decree, the man and woman were granted permission to offer
their hearts and home to the princes.
Oceans were crossed and the prince-brothers bade a fond farewell to their kingdom,
castle and comrades. Once again, they have returned to The Last Best Place, this time
as sons of the man and his wife and new brothers of the three children. Time has
passed and the days have grown long again. The hearts of the man and woman are
filled to overflowing with love that has not only grown, but is now blossoming. Every
day they are thankful to the God who joins hearts across His world and to His agents,
the fairy godparents. The End.
To adopt an ‘older’ child is very much like a marriage in some ways, at least that is what we have found. Both
the adoptive family and adopted children bring a lot of varied history and experience into the relationship.
They may learn as much about each other as possible before the union, but really, little can be known until
you are living together under the same roof. In fact, this union requires a real leap of faith for both parties, just
like a commitment to marry.
For us, the Summer Miracles program sponsored by The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach offered the
opportunity for a period of ‘courtship’, a time to ‘try one another on’. We were already a family with three
adopted children when we met Craig and Jan Druckenmiller. Our first daughter had been with us since her
birth (in Texas) and was now five years old. We adopted two more children as toddlers from Kazakhstan, and
they were now five and six years old. We had heard about the Kidsave Summer Miracles program when we
lived in Connecticut (we had moved there from Bozeman in 2000) and were intrigued that many children
from Kazakhstan had found adoptive families in Bozeman through this program. When we moved back to
Bozeman in 2003, we began to meet some of these families. Since we were slightly more comfortable with
adopting non-infants now, we were eager to meet Craig and Jan when they arrived at our church to give a
presentation on SPCO’s upcoming 2004 summer program.
Continued on page 12
11
before Christmas, 2004. Because
they were older, they had to
‘agree’ to be adopted by us.
They said yes, and we spoke by
phone a few days later.
The
conversation was awkward but
happy, and we were so relieved
that they finally knew how much
we wanted them back in our
home. Things went very quickly
after that and, by mid March, the
boys were home, this time for
good.
Continued from page 11
The idea of adopting ‘older’
children was a bit intimidating, but
hosting a child for a month was
well within our comfort zone.
Although we went into the hosting
experience with the hope that it
would lead to adoption, we knew
that we were under no obligation
to make our arrangement
permanent.
We chose to host two boys,
brothers ages nine and twelve
from the Philippines. From the
description we were given, they
seemed so well-rounded, funny,
and interesting. In their pictures
they were all smiles. But a nine
and a twelve year old? What
about birth order? You’re not
supposed to mess with that, right?
Well, we had already interrupted
birth order with a previous
adoption, and we could find no
hard evidence that doing so
presented any more challenges
than adding a new baby to the
family. Nearly every family we
spoke with who had adopted an
older child or children had
interrupted birth order with only
minor, expected adjustments. So
for us, it was mainly a time of
seeing the desire and ability from
all involved to solidify as a family.
12
We eagerly awaited the boys
arrival and our younger children
looked forward to having big
brothers for the summer. The
boys slid easily into our family life
and, because their English was
so good, we had very few
p r o b l e m s c om m un i c a t i n g .
Within a week or so, we realized
that the descriptions and
pictures of the boys we had
clung to prior to their arrival were
inadequate.
These children
were so much more than words
or pictures; they were real
people with needs and dreams.
We wanted to give them their
hearts’ desires of finding an
adoptive family since bringing
them into our family had
become our heart’s desire.
Midway through the summer
program, we committed to
moving forward with a formal
adoption.
The boys had to
return to the Philippines while we
went through the process of
paperwork and approvals. They
could not know of our wishes
until a certain level of approval
had been reached.
In the
meantime, we had the privilege
of staying in touch with them by
e-mail.
They were finally told that we
wanted to adopt them shortly
Because of the wonderful care
they received at the Children’s
Shelter of Cebu in the Philippines,
they have made the transition to
family life much easier than we
would have thought possible for
children ages ten and thirteen.
With five children, our family
dynamic changes constantly, with
each child getting a chance to
form attachments with one
another.
They each have
different roles to fill depending
upon age, interests, length of time
in the family, etc. After having
lived together for a month last
summer, we saw each other’s
good, bad and ugly sides, so
there have been no real surprises.
Like a marriage, our relationship
will grow and change and
constantly need to be worked on
to stay healthy.
But we are
grateful to God, that in His
providence, we are bound
together as a family - forever.
Tim and Kim Mason are the proud
parents of Olivia (6), adopted
May ‘99, Dauren (7) and Ruthie
(6), adopted November ‘01, John
Joseph (13) and ReyCarlo(10),
adopted March ‘05.
AID TO ORPHANS IN MADAGASCAR UPDATE
By Annie DeMeij
Life in Madagascar continues to
be a struggle for the poorest
people. This past rainy season
was difficult to endure. Maholy,
our project leader, had to skirt
around many washed out roads
to find and deliver enough food
for the children. Meanwhile, the
rice
growing
region
of
Madagascar is suffering from a
drought. All of this along with a
government that is trying to
convert from a socialist system to
a free market adds up to a
devastating rise in food costs.
Food prices rose by 51% in one
year!
That is impossible to
compensate for. So many families
are struggling and hungry. The
latest hardship is electrical cuts.
The electrical company is hurt by
the high fuel costs used to make
electricity and the people cannot
pay the difference in an already
impossible situation.
Businesses
cannot survive, hospitals and
clinics are brought to their knees.
Fortunately, our projects do not
depend on electricity.
The
Miantso Center, which is one of
AOM’s feeding sites, still cooks
with coal and does not have
electricity.
At T a n g a i n a
orphanage, another feeding site,
there are only three rooms with
one electric bulb each.
Despite the difficulties ever
present, Maholy finds a way to
feed as many children as he can
with what funds we send him. He
squeezes every penny and makes
it all work. His wife, Tiana, is a very
warm and loving person who visits
with the children and mothers
them.
She brings her own
adopted daughter, Oceanne,
along with her and considers the
children at Tangaina and Miantso
as family.
Tangaina Orphanage
The past five years of support
from all of our contributors has
had a long term positive effect.
The money given for fruit trees
and garden seeds, a garden
wall and a small chicken project
at Tangaina have helped to
balance some of the food costs.
The trees have matured and
now bear healthy fruit, the
c h i c k en h ouse i s b e i n g
converted for egg laying hens
and the garden provides for a
few vegetables which are grown
in every free square inch of
space.
Sponsorship of a third of the
children at Tangaina orphanage
has also been very critical in
covering the sharp rise in food
costs.
All the sponsorship
contributions are being used for
food at this time. The children are
healthy and that is everything.
Continued on page 14
13
Continued from page 13
Miantso Center
This past holiday season we had a
fantastic response to the giving
cards. Many people chose to give
a gift to AOM in honor of friends
and relatives. Children at Miantso
Center had three festive meals,
which are the best gifts
imaginable. The children ate well
and all were merry. Seven sewing
machines were gifted to the
mothers of Miantso who had
completed a six month sewing
course. These mothers are mostly
illiterate and have only domestic
work skills or manual labor skills.
They could not support
themselves or their children who
were diagnosed as malnourished.
These newly trained mothers were
able to start their own businesses.
Through AOM, our goal is to
continue to implement projects
that are sustainable approaches
to poverty and malnutrition. One
of the long terms projects that we
have in mind is to develop a
community garden that would be
tended to and run by street
children. We would also like to
assist older orphans in learning to
live on their own by helping them
acquire property that they can
farm.
Your support to Aid to Orphans in
Madagascar has been critical by
simply supplying enough to eat
and grow on. Without you, the
children would be hungry,
probably malnourished and ill.
The frail ones would have died. In
addition, I am continually grateful
and amazed at what a big
difference donations such as
seeds and sewing machines can
make for people who are
struggling to survive and need to
have a means by which to sustain
themselves. We take so much for
granted but these are gifts of life
for children of Madagascar and
their families.
14
AOM Needs
Airplane Tickets: Frequent flyer
t i c k et s al l t h e w ay t o
Madagascar are now only
80,000 frequent flier miles after
September. If you have miles
you would like to donate
towards the cost of an airline
ticket, this would be so
appreciated. It has been three
years since I have traveled to
Madagascar. I want to meet
with officials about the closing of
adoption in Madagascar which
occurred after a baby selling
ring was discovered. I would like
to see if we can be a positive
influence and help with
establishing new adoption
policies. I would also like to look
into the cost of houses now that
the dollar is finally stronger.
Miantso Children’s Center is
sinking into the mud and the
walls are falling down. We need
to determine whether it would
be better to repair the building,
rent another facility or buy a
property with land for gardens.
Orphan Vacation:
While
contemplating camps and
activities for my daughter this
summer, I realized that the
children of Tangaina have never
had a vacation even though they
live on an island with white sandy
beaches. It is winter now on the
other side of the equator and the
sea level beaches are perfect. If
they stay at Tangaina they get
sick and catch colds from being
all crammed together on chilly
school holidays.
For $500 we
could rent a mini bus and drive
them off to a beach and warmth
for at least a week. I think of all
the hardships and losses the
children have experienced and I
wish for them some delight and
childhood playtime. Imagine that
gift!
If you would like more information
on Aid to Orphans in Madagascar
or are interested in child
sponsorship, please contact Annie
DeMeij, founder and director at:
Aid to Orphans in Madagascar
13670 Lone Bear Road
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 587-3012
ON BECOMING A FAMILY - PART 2
Stray Cats and Broken Wings
By Jan Druckenmiller
Two years ago I wrote an article
for this newsletter that shared our
varied bonding experiences with
our adopted children.
My
purpose in doing so was to paint a
realistic picture for people who
might be considering adoption. I
felt it was important for people to
realize that adoption is not always
a storybook experience and that
bonding with a child is a process
that sometimes takes time and
grace. We are still on that journey
and here is a continuation of our
story.
Daughter #1
As I write this piece, it is a mere
four days before we board a
plane with our oldest daughter to
fly to Korea. We will be joining
thirty other families for a
motherland tour for Korean
adoptees. It is something we had
always planned to do and now
that our daughter has graduated
from high school, we are finally
going. We will spend twelve days
seeing
the
sights
and
experiencing the culture and
people of Korea.
But more
importantly, this trip is an
opportunity for our daughter to
discover her roots and connect
with her past.
As her adoptive
parents, we are bonded strongly
enough to allow her to do that.
We will meet the foster mother
who cared for her during the first
five months of her life, visit the
clinic were she was born and
meet with a social worker who will
open our daughter’s file to answer
any questions she has about her
birth family. It will be an exciting
time that carries with it the
potential for emotional issues to
arise that have lain dormant
within our daughter’s heart. We
honestly don’t know what to
expect but will be by her side to
support her in whatever way she
needs.
Daughter #2
Daughter #2 continues to be
on e of th ose st oryb ook
experiences where, after the
initial bump of adjustment, love
and bonding came as naturally
as with a birth child. I think that
she knows that she has been an
easy child and holds herself to
that standard. Any disharmony
that occurs between us is
crushing to her.
She is like a
fragile blossom easily blown
away by a mild gust of wind.
Daughter #2 is tightly woven into
the fabric of our family but
needs hugs and reassurance
that love remains constant even
when her behavior isn’t perfect
and that, in fact, it doesn’t
always need to be.
Daughter #3
Daughter
#3
was
the
roughhewn one and for the first
year of our life together I felt like
the directress of a “finishing”
school. Prior to coming to us,
she obviously had no one to
teach her even the beginning
forms of etiquette. Long gone
are the days when that chubby
preschooler slurped her food
and sneezed green bloogers all
over
my
photos
and
scrapbooking materials. She is
now tall and slim, lovely and
refined. But best of all, she has
become genuine.
She has
learned to genuinely love us and
has genuinely embraced us as
her family.
She is a genuinely
nice person who loves to be
helpful and do for others. She
remembers directions when I
don’t know where to turn and
keeps me from leaving my purse
in the restaurant. I have no doubt
as to who will be attending to my
needs in my elder years! This past
fall I visited a relative in the
hospital who was dying from
cancer. Her adopted daughter
had been faithfully at her side
through her illness and I was
touched by the deep rooted love
that was evident between them.
As ungenuine as our relationship
began with Daughter #3, she is a
testament of hope and change.
Daughter #4
Daughter #4 is as cute as can be
with a natural wave in her hair
that makes it go wild in a way that
matches her tomboyish energy
and bounce. She comes from the
ancestral stock of Genghis Khan
and there is a primitive strength
about her that I feel when she slips
her sturdy little hand into mine.
This bright spark of a child has
been the test of my soul. She
exhibits many behaviors that are
non-moral issues but nevertheless
annoy and frustrate to no end.
Shirts smeared with mud, clothes
stuffed in places other than
drawers, toys lost or broken after
the first day of use, and the list
goes on. More concerning is that
her behaviors extend into the
moral arena of lying, sneaking
and cheating.
Consequences
have not seemed to deter
repeated offenses which has
caused us to look deeper. We
have learned some interesting
things about brain development
in early infancy as related to
Continued on page 16
15
Stray Cats and Broken Wings
interaction and response patterns
that normally occur between
parent and child during this very
critical and formative stage of life.
In addition to impulsivity that
seems to override any rational
thought process and a delay in
the development of a social
conscience, Daughter #4 exhibits
other behaviors characteristic of
children where things didn’t get
wired up quite right in the frontal
lobe area of the brain. It makes
sense when we look at the facts.
All of our other adopted children
spent their beginnings either with
a birth family or foster family
where we assume there was a
certain degree of interaction and
attachment to cause this proper
brain wiring. Daughter #4 is our
only child who was in an
orphanage from birth. Drawing
that parallel confirms to us the
damaging
effects
of
institutionalization on children,
particularly during the first few
years of life. But, in our case,
there is hope. The brain can be
retrained given the right training
ground.
So, we are currently
conducting boot camp in our
home. As the sergeant, I have
failed
miserably
and,
consequently, have also enlisted
in training. While Daughter #4 is
being trained in responsibility and
trustworthiness, I am being trained
in heart issues.
Through a dear
friend who has served as a
spiritual counselor and mentor, I
have come to see that I have
created an idol of what I want
Daughter #4 to be. While what I
desire for her is good regarding
honesty and other worthy
character traits, I have let that
desire become more important
than wanting her to see the
character of God in me in terms
of patience and long suffering.
We have spent moments together
on the floor with tears flowing
16
Continued from page 15
down our cheeks asking for
each other’s forgiveness. For
her, forgiveness for what she has
done wron g.
For me,
forgiveness for my wrong
response. Our goal at this point
is to be able to send Daughter
#4 into the future with a secure
love based on grace. The same
type of grace-based love that
God the Father gives to us. It is
not a love that condones her
wrong behavior. But it is a love
that accepts the nuances of the
unique and special child that
she is. It is a love that forms a
bond that can’t be broken no
matter how many wrong
choices she makes.
Daughter #5
When I was a child I had an
attraction to stray cats and birds
with broken wings. Perhaps it
was a foreshadowing of what
my life would eventually
become.
My mode of
operation was that I would coax
a stray cat home and then tell
my parents that it had
“followed” me.
Because my
dad had asthma and an allergy
to cats, I wasn’t allowed to bring
them into the house. So, I would
prepare a cardboard box with a
blanket and set it out on the
porch along with food and
water. Upon encountering an
injured bird, I would likewise fill a
box with grass to make a soft
bed and keep watch, dripping
water into the bird’s mouth with
an
eyedropper,
naively
confident that it would survive.
Of course, I was devastated
when the birds died (which they
usually did) and the stray cats
moved on.
If my husband
wasn’t the stop gap, we would
probably have a house full of
stray cats and birds with broken
wings. And yet, he said yes to
adopting one more time. We met
Krista last summer when she came
to Bozeman with a group of
children from the Philippines for
Summer Miracles 2004. We didn’t
intend to host a child. But when
Krista’s first host family situation
didn’t work out, we felt obligated,
as coordinators of the summer
program, to take her into our
home for the duration of her stay.
Believing that there was another
a d o p t i on p l a n o u t t h er e
somewhere for Krista, I kept my
emotional distance, meeting her
physical needs and acting as
chauffeur to the summer camp
activities. As we grew to really like
her, thoughts of adoption began
to creep in.
I pushed those
thoughts away, rationalizing that
Krista was one of millions of
orphans in this world and,
obviously, “we can’t take them
all.” Yet, after holding her hand
through two hours of dental
procedures, observing her joy at
learning to ride a bike at the age
of 11, and having her sob in my
arms when I escorted her back to
her orphanage in Cebu, Krista
suddenly wasn’t one of millions.
She was Krista, and a very lovely
girl at that. We felt committed to
seeing that she had a family. We
continued our advocacy efforts
on her behalf, giving God time
and space to work. When no
other family was forthcoming, we
requested that the social worker
at Krista’s orphanage counsel with
her as to how she felt about being
adopted by our family. Krista’s
answer was affirmative. On June
17th, we received word that we
have been approved by the
Intercountry Adoption Board of
the Philippines to adopt Krista.
Although we have experienced
adoption of an infant, toddler,
preschooler and school age child,
this will be our first teenage
adoption. It’s an undeniable risk
as we don’t know what
underlying issues we might
encounter in this child who spent
a few short weeks in our home last
summer. We can only hope that
the bond of affection that we
experienced with her will continue
and t h at he r p e rma n ent
adjustment into our family will be
as effortless as it was when she
stayed with us.
Riding the Crest
The decision to adopt again was
a difficult one as our family did
not present a united front. Our
younger children loved Krista
when she stayed with us and are
excited to have her as part of our
family. Our two adult children,
however, feel that enough is
enough. Our biological son, age
26, is thick as thieves with our
oldest daughter because they
grew up together. He has made
an admirable effort to bond with
his younger sisters but it has
been a challenge for him since
they came along after he was
already out of the home. He
doesn’t hesitate to voice his
opinion that the life we lead is a
crazy one.
Recently, after
having lunch together in which I
shared some long range goals
for our family, he qualified that
with a very sweet statement that
he “has come to love our
craziness.”
I would prefer to
term it “purpose drivenness.”
After all, we passed our preadoptive psychological exam
with flying colors so the crazy label
doesn’t apply. We did get into an
enlightening discussion, however,
with the psychologist regarding
the zones in which people live
their lives. His assessment of us as
a married couple is that we live in
the yellow zone, riding the crest of
the wave. He stated that it’s an
admirable place to be as people
who live in the yellow zone are
usually affecting positive change
in the world. But it’s also a risky
place to be because taking on
too much can sometimes plunge
you over the crest into the red
zone with the danger of sinking. I
pondered this analogy for several
days after our session with the
psychologist, as it seemed to ring
so true. I’ve been in the red zone
before and have had to learn to
throw myself a life preserver.
There are times when I long to
retreat to the green zone, the
smoother, calm water behind the
crest. And yet, I know I would not
stay there for long. I would be
back riding the crest. There are
too many stray cats to feed and
broken wings to mend.
For more information on the Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach visit our
web site at www.sacredportion.org. You can learn more about the various
focuses of the ministry and current projects, read past newsletters or get
adoption information.
17
Our Contributors
Gifts Received from 9/17/04—7/15/05
General
Daniel & Stacy Fox
Evangelical Free Church
Gaston Engineering and
Surveying, PC
Phil & Cindy Bruckner
Coleman Charitable Trust/Mike &
Carol Coleman
Mr. & Mrs. Roger Van Dyken
Charles & Carol Kankelborg
Mike & Joni Westfall
Steven Fladhammer &
Robin Zetzer
Fred & Jan Schweitzer
John & Harriet Tamminga
(in honor of Janet Bonnema)
Anne Lucille Middel
(in honor of John & Harriet
Tamminga)
Gregory & Monica Shouse
(in honor of Joel & Claudia Shouse)
The Henry Charles & Jane Graves
Otten Foundation
Joel & Claudia Shouse
(in honor of Greg & Monica
Shouse)
Don & Ramona Linabary
Harry Armstrong/Half Circle Ranch
Jim & Leslie Drummond
Tim & Marybeth Adams
Mary Karen Grande
Dave & Molly Thompson
John & Kate Mickus
Art & Joy Shellenberg
Eric Wandishin
Danielle Frost
Keith Flannigan/Aspen Properties
Paul & Arlene Wylie
C.R. Bard Foundation, Inc.
Stacy Hostetter
Mike & Kathy Pollard
Jeff & Pam Thompson
B.W.A.G./Bozeman Women
Activity Group Birthday Club
Kathryn Ricardi
Tim & Joan VanNatta
********************************
Howard & Lucille Hendrickson
Sam & Becky Hubbert
John & Mary Robbins
A Grateful Thanks also goes to
those contributors who have
chosen to remain
anonymous.
Thankyou!
Most of the contributions coming in these days are designated for specific projects. We rejoice over this as it
indicates to us that people have found a place of giving within our ministry that matches their heart. Yet, we
still need to buy stamps, pay the phone bill, print our newsletters and provide a small salary for the hands that
keep things going. We started this ministry with a reserve of funds from a previous business which has carried
the general operation of the organization. Now, after six years, that reserve is nearly depleted. We are
grateful to those people who have allowed us to use their contributions as we see fit. Yet, we still need to
develop more of a regular support base for the general fund that we can count on. We need some friends to
come alongside us who would have a heart for supporting our general fund on a monthly, quarterly or annual
basis. We would hope that this kind of giving is viewed as equally noble since the general fund is the
backbone of the organization and, without it, we cannot operate. If you are interested in becoming a regular
supporter of this ministry, please use the form on the back page of this newsletter to let us know your
intentions.
18
Our Contributors
Gifts Received from 9/17/04—7/15/05
Child Sponsorship
Clayton & Gail Wells
Jerry & Shawn Cole
Philip & Greta Clark
Rehoboth’s Children’s
Home
Jeff & Wendy Brown
Otto & Mary Stein
National Christian Foundation
Steve & Kris Vandyken
Chris & Gay Passano
Joe & Alyssa Nardinger
Steve Gipe & P. Baird Godvin
Billie Warford
Daniel & Alice Nice
Tim & Wendy Hiebert
Jeff Van Dyken
Longhorn Development, LLC/
Mike & Kathy Pollard
Jack & Tana Devine
Deb Schulz
A Gift of Confirmation
The demise of our summer hosting program this year, which you can read about in this newsletter, was
a great discouragement to us. Last summer was a pinnacle year for the Summer Miracles program in
every way and it has been so difficult to understand why God would allow this to happen when we
clearly know His heart for the “fatherless.” Walking is my main mode of exercise and it also serves as a
prayer time for me with the Father. Of course, I gave Him an earful regarding my disappointment over
the unforeseen turn of events that was occurring with the summer program. In fact, I acted quite
childishly and told Him that I could just hang up the whole ministry and go back to my self focused life
that I used to lead. The next day, a neighbor called who had friends visiting from out of town. They
wanted to come over and talk to us about the ministry. I assumed it had something to do with interest
in possibly hosting a child. Instead, this couple whom we had never met before, sat in our family room
and proceeded to tell us that they had felt led to give their tithe from the sale of their home to our
ministry. They had perused everything on our web site and felt that this was where God was directing
them to give their money. They also said that they were aware, from reading a copy of our holiday
mailing archived on the web site, that we were in need of support for our general fund. Thus, they
were giving the money with no strings attached, trusting us to use it as we saw fit. I accepted their gift
with humble gratitude, remembering my attitude the previous day. This unexpected encounter was
such a confirmation to me that God does indeed care about this ministry and wants it to continue. He
has not forsaken us even in time of trouble. We entrusted this ministry to God at its inception and have
relied on Him to mold it into what He would have it to be. We don’t know where this current string of
events will take us, but we have to believe that God has something in mind that we cannot yet see.
For God’s gifts and call are irrevocable (Romans 11:29)
God does not change His mind with reference to His call. Even though we may presently be
in a state of unbelief, God’s purpose will be fulfilled.
19
Our Contributors
Gifts Received from 9/17/04—7/15/05
Timothy & Tina Visscher
The International Foundation
Geoffrey Black
Jerene Mortenson & Kari Thiesen
George & Eleanor Peckham
Andrew & Nora Martin
Al & Brook Cunningham
Jeffrey Arntsen
K.T. Janney & R. Chandrasekar
Lila Bishop
William & Elsa Howard
Jan Demeij
Joan Peckham
Darrell Conklin
Mary Ellen King
The Leaf & Bean/Balerno
Corporation
Chris & Gay Passano
Otto & Mary Stein
Aid to Orphans in
Madagascar
Nona Bennett
National Christian Foundation
Hobart & Martha Collins
Edwin Danenhauer, CPA
Roger & Patricia Holm
Jacquie Poisson Persons
Greg Mortenson & Tara Bishop
Pilgrim Congregational Church
Women’s Fellowship
Horace & Penny Dodge
Doug & Susan Mavor
James & Mary Harris
Ross & Julia Bruner
Deborah Klein
Duncan & Jennifer Moran
Heartland Monthly Meeting/
Helen Alexander
Thomas & Nichole Reier
Arete Foundation
Tom & Melani Burnett
Robert Kasmer & Catherine
Cooper
Shelley Watters & Steven
Malmberg
Sharon Baker
Sara Williams
James & Marie Mitchell
Deloss Taylor Charitable Trust
Linda Pierce
Hooley Farms/Gene & Mary
Hooley
Mary Reier
Susan Bianchini
Deborah Klein
Michele Carriel
Deanna Popp
Sarah Young
Andrew Deutscher
Margaret Bennet
Jack Hargis
The West Foundation, Inc.
20
Thank you so much for feeding
the hungry children of
Madagascar and financing
projects to sustain life in this
very poor country.
Adoption Assistance
Gifts Received from 9/17/04—7/15/05
Charles & Karen White
Kate & CD Forrest
Larry & Jeanne Johnson
Judith Worley
David & Tamys Hoffman
Cal & Lisa Doerksen
Bruce & Rebecca Ruefer
Steve & Christie Schlumbohm
Bryan & Darcie Capdeville
Randy & Margo Kirchoff
Ken & Sandra Bowers
Len & Cindy Ramsey
Eric Wandishin
Norm & Vicki Millikin
Mike & Bonnie Burgard
Darrell Conklin
John & Susanna Graves
Jill & Jesse Chase
Don & Ramona Linabary
National Christian Foundation
Valerie Brown
Craig & Jan Druckenmiller
Rebecca Lockie
William & Donna Hawley
George Carson, DDS
Greg & Bobbi Lovegren
Keith & Cindy Aune
Maurice & Polly Burke
John & Jane Phillips
Kathy Tyers
Keith & Marlene Stearns
Charles & Carol Kankelborg
Ryan Billing
Michael Sidders & Lane Wraith
Christian Center
Tim & Cheryl Tuscan
Richard Barber Homes
In October of 2004, we received a $10,000 grant from the Gilhousen Family Foundation for our Adoption Assistance Fund.
In addition to this generous gift, the Gilhousen Foundation offered us a $5,000 challenge grant, doubling any gift to the
Adoption Assistance Fund of up to $250 per giving unit. We are pleased to announce that we were able to meet the $5,000
challenge grant and that we have received these matching funds!
ADOPTION ASSISTANCE FUND
Some people have a God-given desire in their heart to adopt a child but do not have the financial resources to do so.
Others may not have the desire or feel called to adopt but have the financial resources to help facilitate an adoption
for another family. Our Adoption Assistance Fund provides a mechanism to match up the funds with the families. To
date, we have been able to provide financial assistance in the form of interest-free loans and grants to five families.
Adoption can be expensive, costing anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000. Most families will be able to take advantage
of the $10,000 adoption tax credit in the tax year following when their adoption is finalized. The difficulty can be,
however, in coming up with the funds to pay for their adoption expenses as the family goes through the process
leading up to that finalization. The Adoption Assistance Fund provides interest-free loans to families to help them front
the cost of their adoption. As families receive the benefit of the tax credit the loans are paid back, and the money
can then be given to help other families. In this regard, the Adoption Assistance Fund becomes a self-replenishing
fund.
Some families, however, do not pay enough income tax to benefit from the tax credit. For those families,
grants are a more appropriate form of assistance. For families who may receive some, but not the full benefit of the
adoption tax credit, a combination of a grant and loan is a solution.
If you would like to make a contribution to the Adoption Assistance Fund, please send your check made payable to:
The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach
7104 Bristol Lane
Bozeman, MT 59715
Please make a notation on your check that it is for
Adoption Assistance. We will provide you with a
tax-deductible receipt. THANK YOU!
21
Our Summer Miracles Contributors
Gifts Received from 9/17/04—7/15/05
Financial Contributors
Barnard Construction, Inc./
Tim & Mary Barnard
John & Jane Phillips
Bill & Louise Keightley
Laurel United Methodist Church
Youth Fellowship
Bob & Megan Spring
Montana Homes of Belgrade
Danielle Frost
The Wood Shed
Kenneth & Karen Walsh
Video Shoppe
Gabor & Susan Benda
Bridger Fence
Darrell Conklin
Lee & Dads
Montana Gift Corral
F-11
Lance Casey
Featherstone Mill Antiques
Van Dyke Angus Ranch/Keith &
Evelyn Van Dyke
Bridger Accounting
Muriel Koenes
Harry Armstrong/Half Circle Ranch
Pam Spinelli
The following businesses
generously sponsored our
Summer Miracles ad in
the Mini Nickel and gave
a cash donation:
Jack & Tana Devine
Gilbert & Theresa Schmit
Dell & Holy Fuller
Robert Hughes & Robin Morris
Ron & Karla Edwards
Steve & Linda Ough
Stuart & Kim Howard
Kenneth & January Lambeth
Robert & Laura Underkofler
Hogin Machine/Jim & Renee Hogin
Philip & Barbara Hoberecht
Doug & Susan Mavor
Mike & Toni Hickman
Richard Cole & H.E. Lindblom-Cole
Judith Worley
22
We Care Chiropractic
Land West
All Paws Great and Small
Speedy Print
UPS Store
Fireplace Center
Zigs Building Materials
Lonn Counts & Associates
Outwest Furniture
Lux Transfer & Storage
Party On
Dr. Scott Lawson
Radio Shack
Interwest Tire
County Market
Grannie Irene’s Attic
Big Country Landscape
Automatic Transmission
Americinn
Aspen Properties
Arts on Fire
Andy’s Glass
Big Time Inflatables
Action Pawn
Butte Dental Arts
Gallatin Valley Furniture
Frost Excavation
New Look Floral
Dahl Auto Body
Thank you so much for
your support of
Summer Miracles!
Our Miracles Makers Auction Contributors
We had over 150 donors who
gave items for our Miracle
Makers auction fundraiser on
April 15.
A number of
businesses also donated inkind services or gave a
discount on goods and/or
services.
A very heartfelt
thanks goes out to these
individuals and businesses who
graciously helped to make the
auction a success:
All Patched Up
Mary Sadowski/Bear Canyon Cabin
Bear Canyon RV Park/Campground
Bellisimo Belly
Bequet Confections
Bid Sky Carvers
Big Sky Resort
Bloom/Bev Coughlin
Bobcat Athletics
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Bozeman Icedogs
Bozeman Sew and Vac
Bozeman TV & Appliance
Bridger Creek Golf Course
Ann Brigham
Bucketmouth Productions
Stan & Lois Burgard
Tim Burke
Burns Telecom Center
Cantrell’s/Holiday Inn
Carter’s Cobbler Shoppe, Inc.
Jamin & Tanis Casey
Cashman Nursery
Catherine Lane Interiors/Bozeman
Doug & Holly Chapman
Clear Channel Radio
Clay Biz Pottery/Mardella Brock
Jerry & Shawn Cole
Color World Printers
Comfort Inn/Bozeman
Conlins Furniture
Costco Wholesale
Country Flower Shop
Country Kitchen
Culligans
Curves for Women
TransAria/Larry Lee
Jack & Tana Devine
Jim Dolan
Downtown Antiques
Kelly Fedge DuBose
Tim & JoAnna Dumas
Faces
Family Dermatology
Gretchen Fellerhoff-White
Ferraro’s Fine Italian Restaurant
Fiddlehill Music/Tom Robison
Floral Boutique
Floral Express
Frontier Pies
Fuddruckers
Gallery & Frame Center
Garage Soup Shack
Great Panes Window Washing
Hair It Is/Mary Jean Gaskill & Angela
Cliningsmith
Half Circle Ranch/Harry Armstrong
Hands On, Inc.
Heart & Soul Herbs
Helly Hansen
Von & Elke Helmuth
Don Heyden
Hot Shots
Felicia Hutchinson
I-Ho’s Korean Grill
J & H Office Equipment
J.L. Walsh Metalsmith
JC Penney Styling Salon
Jeni Fleming Acoustic Trio
Johnny Carino’s
Larry & Nancy Johnson
KL Solutions/Ken & Lorene Schmit
KGVW Radio
Kamp Implement
Kathy Lange (Graphic Design)
Kmart
Kwik Kopy Printing
Roberta LaShelle
Lee & Balyeat, CPAs/Charles Lee
Leslie’s Hallmark
Don & Ramona Linabary
Liten Hus
Livingston Floral
Looie’s Down Under
Dan & Arlene Lubbers
Lloyd & Craig Mandeville
Michele Oakland Originals
Tim & Kim Mason
McSpadden Photography, Inc.
John Mickus
Midwest Industries
Millikin Consulting, Inc.
Missouri River Flower Co.
Montana Aircraft, Inc.
Montana Expressions
Montana Trails Gallery
Montana Woolen Shop
Mountain Arts Pottery
Mountain Lodge Home Furnishings
Murdoch’s
Museum of the Rockies
New Look Floral
Old Main Gallery & Framing
Don & Annette Osen
Owenhouse Ace Hardware
Paintbrush Therapeutic Massage
Papa Murphy’s Pizza
Pat’s Pet Parlor
Pella Windows
Moira Pennell
Pepsi-Cola of Bozeman/Livingston
Phillips Hardwood Floors, Inc.
Posie Patch
Rent-a-Center
Rocky Mountain Design Interiors
Rocky Mountain Roasting Co.
Rocky Mountain Rug Gallery
Rosa’s Pizza
Bruce & Rebecca Ruefer
Mike Ryan
Savory Olive
Schmit Construction
Schnee’s Boots & Shoes
Kathy Schretenthaler
Aaron Schuerr
J. Scott
Senator Conrad Burns
Simkins-Hallins Lumber Co.
Sir Scott’s Oasis
Larry & Wendy Sonnenberg
Sterling Imports/Uganda Orphans Fund
Stix Yarn Shop
Stone’s Maytag & Home Appliance
Jackie Stonnell
Summit Aviation, LLC
Taylors’s Professional Cleaning
Terrell’s Office Machines, Inc.
Treasure State Oil Co.
Roger & Mary Ann Van Dyken
Sandi Van Middendorp
Visser Greenhouse
Wal-Mart
Westscape Nursery
Wheeler Mountain Metal Art/Jim
Thompson
WHO’s Conservation Enhancements
World Boards, Inc.
Yellowstone Bees, Inc.
Yellowstone Harley-Davidson
23
Name _________________________________ Address _______________________Phone ___________
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
I would like to support this ministry in the amount of $ ___________
r
monthly
r
quarterly
r
annually
r
general
r
special projects
r
adoption assistance fund
OTHER NEEDS
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I am interested in serving on the Board of Directors of SPCO. *
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I would like to help make teaching materials or with other hands-on tasks.
r
I am interested in joining a work team on an overseas mission.
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I will commit to praying for this ministry.
The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach is seeking to expand its Board of Directors. This commitment
involves attending a two hour meeting approximately every two to three months and some possible time on
special projects. If you have a heart for orphans, an interest in adoption issues, or an area of expertise such as
grant writing or fund raising, please consider this opportunity to serve. For more information call 586-5773.
Please return to:
The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach
7104 Bristol Lane
Bozeman, MT 59715
e-mail: sacrdportion@theglobal.net
web site: www.sacredportion.org
The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach
7104 Bristol Lane
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 586-5773
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
BOZEMAN MT
PERMIT NO. 160
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
SPCO
Board of
Directors
Craig Druckenmiller, Jan Druckenmiller, Linda Heydon, Rebecca Ruefer,
Elsa Geist, Sandi Van Middendorp, Lorene Schmit, Ramona Linabary,
Jeff VanDyken