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CEO Blog

Today (August 15th) is a very special day for me and my family.  Fourteen years ago today, my wife and I were in Shanghai completing our first adoption.  Today we celebrate my daughter’s adoption day with a family meal, some cake and a small gift for my daughter.  This morning I was reflecting upon the work that God has done since this agency began – that first adoption has been followed by hundreds and hundreds more. 

It seems like the Olympics are all over the news.  My family has certainly been watching the games every night – cheering in amazement at the breadth and depth of these athletes’ feats.  We are very proud to be a Chinese-American home and to have more than one country to root for!  As a Chinese-American co-worker told me, “we have two hands so that each can hold a flag for the countries we want to win.† My prayer and hope is that when these games are over the same spirit of unity among nations will allow us to better  partner with foreign governments’ child welfare departments to find homes for the world’s orphans.  One of my prayers is that with all the attention on China, the children waiting for homes will not be negatively affected (as they were with the Seoul Olympics).

Our agency’s China Waiting Children program has continued to help build families in truly remarkable ways.  Their hard-work and dedication is inspiring to me and the rest of our staff.

The America World Board of Directors met last week, as they do on a regular basis.  Their support, encouragement and wisdom has been instrumental to our agency throughout the years.  Every one of our Board members shares the same passion and commitment that I have for the future work of this agency in building Christian homes according to God’s plan of adoption.   The primary issue that the Board of Directors discussed was the recent financial struggles that adoption agencies have had across the country.  We’ve seen small and large agencies that have been forced to close down and we’re resolved not to allow that to happen to America World.    As many of you know, I have never taken a salary from America World… the Lord has blessed me and my family financially and it has been my pleasure and privilege to serve this agency as a volunteer.  During this time of economic hardship for our nation and the international adoption community, my wife and I have supported the agency more than ever so that the work of America World can continue for as long there are orphans and families called to adopt… and that will be as long as we are on this Earth.  For others who have been blessed financially – I hope you’ll consider supporting this ministry through our Orphan’s Ticket Home campaign or in other creative ways.  If you’d like to talk to me about ideas you have – I’d be happy to discuss them with you.

Our staff has a one-day retreat coming up in two weeks.  This is something we do every August to get out of the office, have some fun and talk about agency-wide accomplishments, goals and our future work.  Please be understanding if you’re unable to reach a staff member on Wednesday, August 27.   

My wife, and I will be traveling to El Salvador next week along with some America World families.  We have spent a lot of time preparing for this trip and we greatly need your prayers.  Our God is mighty and able to do abundantly more than we could think or ask.  I will also be making a brief trip to Honduras to follow-up on an agreement we’re negotiating with an NGO in Tegucigalpa to give more orphans the opportunity for a family.

Sincerely,
Brian Luwis
CEO

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