Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

The Olympics are just around the corner in Beijing!! Here's the official website. http://en.beijing2008.cn/

We love the Olympics, no matter where they are held and no matter if it is summer or winter, but we are particularly excited to get to see coverage of them in China.


Over 1,000 Chinese homes are being opened up to foreign visitors. Here is a link to the NPR story about this, called "Chinese Open Homes To Olympic Tourists," as well as some other interesting pieces (inlcuding one called "Ahead Of Games, Beijing Switches To English.")
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92768048



Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.

Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.

Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.

When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.

Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.

CHI Hague Accreditation

Children's Hope International was under review for accreditation from the Hague Convention (international adoption rules/standards -- click on the title above for more information on the Hague Adoption Convention). Their accreditation was denied based on the discovery made last year of improper procedures done by two staff in the Russia program in the St. Louis office. There was a misuse of Notary privileges and mishandled paperwork to Russia.

Their investigation last summer found that 10 documents in 6 states were affected and they began the process of notifying those states and undertaking any review of their license that those states deemed necessary. Except for two states, Kansas and Illinois, this license review process was complete within 3 months. They continued to work with Kansas and Illinois to follow any requirement they thought necessary. Children's Hope believed that all requirements had been met in Kansas were still waiting for Illinois to finalize what turned out to be a 9 month process. Therefore, they could not meet all the Hague requirements in the first round of approvals for the Hague on February 29, 2008, so Children's Hope was issued a "Pending Status" from the Hague Commission.

When Illinois finalized their corrective actions and issued CHI's new permanent 4 year license in June, they immediately applied for Hague approval. They reviewed CHI's case on July 9th. On the same day, they found out through their new KS Office Director that they were not in compliance in all points as they had thought. This meant - as they found out on July 17, 2008, that their Hague approval was denied!

The problem, as crazy as it seems, is that they were deemed non-compliant to the regulations required for domestic adoption agency licensing in the state of Kansas, even though they are not a domestic – but international - adoption agency. In an international agency, for example, it is impossible for the social worker to visit the child before it is placed, which is one of the regulations. They had already instituted what they thought were all the requirements of the state. Talk about miscommunication!

They've immediately begun talks with the Kansas officials to resolve any licensing issues so they can re-apply to the Council on Accreditation (COA) for Hague Accreditation within the next few weeks. But it is the discretion of COA to schedule their application for review, or make them wait up to one year before re-applying.

They are also talking with Holt International http://www.holtinternational.org/ about how they can work under and through them to assist any families in application and those whose dossiers have not been submitted – and that possibility looks very positive.

Our dossier has been submitted and we have a current I171-H form with one free extension still. I will submit the paperwork to be granted the extension soon (Ours expires in December). My hope now is that we are able to receive a referral before the extension expires. If not, we may have to work with Holt as well.

They said this road would be bumpy.

Hal Stiff "Dadeo" 1941-2008

Who knew that we would lose my dad before this adoption journey would be over. I know he would have doted over our little China girl. She'll know of him someday, if only through pictures and stories. And I'll take it as a sign that he's with us somehow every time the Cardinals score a homer! :)

Here is the text of the obituary that ran July 13.

Harold "Hal" Stiff
MATTOON - Harold "Hal" Stiff, age 67, of Mattoon, IL passed away at 5:30 P.M., on Friday, July 11, 2008 at the Odd-Fellow Rebekah Home in Mattoon, IL. A private family graveside good-bye will be held at 1:30 P.M. Sunday, July 13, 2008 at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens in Mattoon, IL. There will be no visitation. Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Hal was born February 6, 1941 in Trilla, IL, the son of Merle and Rosa (Stewart) Stiff. He married Deana Jackson on June 11, 1982 in Charleston, IL. She survives. Surviving children include two daughters; Kacey Lynn Stiff of Mattoon, IL and Krista Myer and her husband Brent of Columbia, MO; one brother, Lew Stiff and his wife Patty of Mattoon, IL; two sisters, Barb Bridges of Mattoon, IL and Shirley Goudie of Mahomet, IL; one sister-in-law Diana Beck and her husband Jim of Mattoon, IL. Several cousins, nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, his parents and mother-in-law. Hal worked for thirty two years at Ameren CIPS in Mattoon, IL. He served in the United States Army from 1961 to 1967. He also served in the Army Corps of Engineers in 1968. Hal truly loved his family and enjoyed traveling with them. He had a passion for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and never missed a game, either by watching and listening at home or by actually being there at Busch Stadium, surrounded by all of the excitement. He also loved the game of golf, NASCAR, old westerns and reading books about military history. Hal was a very down to earth, simplistic man. His goal in life was to make sure that his family felt loved and comfortable. He had the ability to make everyone feel special with his warm smile and wonderful sense of humor. Memorials may be made to Lincoln Land Hospice of Mattoon, IL. To share a memory or light a candle, please visit www.mitchell-jerdan.com. Obituary written by family members.