Aloha House

A Fun Month

2008-04-25T05:56:00.000-07:00

Jamie (the volunteer from Canada) poses with Child. She is helping in the nursery with the little babies and filling in where needed. She's a real help and a blessing to the children and staff.

This girl is learning to walk this month.

The nursery has lots of babies and we enjoy seeing them all talk with each other throughout the day.

Funny face.

The super teapot performance.

Our visitor from Wisconsin visits the babies.

Child practices the auto-harp.

We have 2 new interns in our farmers training program. They are both from different orphanages and will be learning our technology to help others. Jimboy and Leo pose with our staff farmer BenJoe.

Growing tomatoes and bananas on the neighbor's lots. We have an opportunity to purchase permanent property below us.

Pineapple fruit is sweet when grown with proper moisture and compost.

Keith, Narcy and Archie pose on a good hair day...

Door of Hope

2008-04-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Miks traveled through the mountians to visit a new orphanage starting on the West Coast. It was a fun trip for us and our hosts were very excited to show us their vision for helping children from remote villages and tribes in Palawan. It's a well done facility considering how remote it is. We were there to help them with registration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on behalf of the Area Based Standards Network (ABSNet).

They also are interested in producing there own fertilizers, so we did some composting with the staff and created some future fertility to grow high nutrient vegetables on the farm.

Archie hiked and swam and jumped the cliffs. They have a beautiful stream and waterfall area with a great swimming hole!

A Mom's Overview

2008-04-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Sharon has been home schooling her 9 children for almost 20 years, with some now graduated and in the work force! She came to Aloha House with her 17 year old daughter to help out. Her blog is www.nehemiahmoms.com

"My daughter Kelly and I just returned last week from a delightful time at Keith and Narcy Mikkelson's Aloha House orphanage in the Philippines. Below is an exerpt from an email I sent out to friends and family who supported us.

...Our team consisted of Barb Palmer, an older friend from church, Don and Kathy Shire, seasoned missionary travelers, Kelly and me. Don, a professional trumpet player, was our team leader. His experience helped us make it through customs, flight transfers, etc. We were VERY thankful for his leadership, both practically and spiritually.

What we did on the trip:
Played with babies and little ones at the orphanage
Took them up over the mountains to the beach one day
Dodged jellyfish in the ocean
Helped the orphanage staff do feeding programs for squatter-village children
Cleared area for more garden space

Taught a few goat-care skills
Learned and learned and learned
Helped create the children's Lifebooks
Introduced the autoharp and recorders to the staff /children.
Sang at Don's trumpet concerts at many local churches.
Led a worship workshop for a small local church worship team
Led a homeschooling workshop
Enjoyed the cultural differences (communicating through facial expressions, pointing with ones lips)

What we learned:
Our primary goal in going on this trip was to serve the orphanage staff and children however we could. But a personal goal was to put myself in a position for God to do a work in my heart. He did that by showing me example after example of people with servant hearts, more pliable and less proud than mine. Kelly noticed this as well in many of the Philippine people we met. I now have a picture in my mind of what a servant is to be like, and my desire is for God to continue working that out in my life.

We learned that the need for a relationship with Jesus is the same everywhere, no matter ones location, situation or income. We met with believers who live near the dump. There are so many people surviving off junk in the dump, that there is a church there for those who are believers! Don led a service there. Kelly shared a bit while the pastor translated into Tagalog. We all worshipped together. What an incredible delight to worship our common Lord, even if we had little else in common. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ! And it seemed so as well. Don commented that as we approached the little bamboo hut, it felt strange and out of our comfort zone. But as soon as we stepped in, it was as if we were with family. Indeed we were.

We learned a lot from our host, Keith Mikkelson, who is a constant teacher, expounding on topics from theology to sustainable agriculture. We brought back ideas to help increase food yields of gardens and farms and how to integrate resources. At their orphanage, everything is integrated. The roof is designed to catch water that they use for washing the 200 diapers each day, and for filling the fish pond where they raise talapia fish for the children and staff to eat. Several worm beds produce "vermicast" which is used to fertilize the gardens.

The gardens produce food for the orphanage and the extra is sold to generate funds. The peelings and left-over garden produce are carefully fermented a special way to make more fertilizer and livestock feed. The animal droppings are used to create fertilizer. Several bee hives keep the gardens pollinated for better yield and also produce honey. So everything is used to help something else. It's fascinating. Keith teaches local farmers about all this, and we learned a lot too. I'm hoping to use what I've learned. This is a very specific and practical answer to a recent prayer of mine about how to generate more good foods at less cost for our family."

Mission Team Visits Aloha

2008-04-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

Don Shire Ministries does short term mission trips with local churches and teams around the world. He has been in 33 countries working on building projects, helping orphanages and playing his trumpet. He came with his wife and 3 others from his home church. They are all from Wisconsin. They spent two weeks here helping at Aloha House and reaching out to the community that we work with in Palawan. It was a real blessing to see an old friend from my high school days, Sharon Duke (Carlson) and her daughter Kelly.

Narcy and I met part of the Duke clan on a previous trip in Northern Wisconsin while visiting a child we placed into a family. Kelly Duke was interested in visiting Aloha House when she gets older. So after a few years went by, through a series of blessings they were able to cover their airfare and expenses for her and Mom. They proved to be eager helpers with the children and staff. They saw all the babies that they have been praying for the last 8 years or so. Kelly has been following our websites over the years and was keen to learn as much as she could about culture and ministry here in the Philippines.

She was also part of the music team and was able to give testimony to several groups of Filipinos. Kelly's Mom, Sharon, was able to teach our son Archie and Abigail to play a song for the last night of the outreach. Sharon is an excellent teacher and loves music and worship.

Each night of outreach Don and Kathy sang on stage an opening worship song with Barb Palmer and the Dukes. Then Don took over the night with amazing slides set to music from various trips he's taken around the world.

Don Shire has many albums and enjoys performing to small churches or large crowds. He's a real adventurer and enjoys fellowshipping with Christians from all walks of life.

http://www.donshire.com

Visit his website to learn more!

Barb Palmer is a nurse and was a great asset to the team. She enjoy scrap booking and stamping with our staff and brought a suitcase of papers and tools to help out our Mother's with Hope program. As a grandmother she enjoyed all the babies and was able to spend time in the nursery as well as join on outreaches and feeding centers.

The whole crew helped bring the babies to the beach. The children enjoyed the extra attention and played in the water.

We saw some jellyfish and met fisherman.

The children get to swim and see the ocean and get sand in their toes.

The van temporarily got stuck and needed a quick push.

Down the beach they hiked. Always an adventure with Don, he will play his trumpet anywhere people will gather!

Time for a quick concert at the fisherman's village.

A tough day at the beach with the team.

Don mixes some microbes that help build up soil and create fertlity. They all attended our Sustainable Agriculture Seminar to see the technology that can help so many people. Don is on the BOD for an orphanage in S. America and he wants to help them to grow more food.

Barb with another baby. William is filling out and growing stronger each day.

The big event brought in over 500 people from the community and various churches in Plalawan!

October at Aloha

2007-10-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

The lower barns are getting finished.

The goats look over the new roof.

Children's Update

2007-03-15T03:28:00.000-07:00

New Boys Arrive

2007-03-14T03:42:00.000-07:00

The gang catches some morning sun.

Click here to get the updates for this month on the whole gang.

FAQ

2007-02-25T22:44:00.000-08:00

Frequently Asked Questions by Prospective Adoptive Parents

Once a family is matched by the Aloha House Director, and the family has accepted the child, they will prepare for our REQUIRED 3 DAY minimum visitation and bonding. This information will help you in your preparation.

Can we, the Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) write the Children's Home where our prospective adoptive child (PAC) lives?

The Inter Country Adoption Bureau (I.C.A.B.) allows an adoption agency to forward e-mails from the PAPs to the child caring agency -Aloha House (AH).

Can we send a gift or toys?

Yes, a gift such as a book or a clothing piece is fine. You may send your PAC a washable toy that will not harbor mold, no stuffed toys or cloth toy items please.

Can we send pictures?

Yes, we recommend that you send one larger, high quality JPG format picture via the internet for your PAC to familiarize himself with you. It should be both parents together, a face shot, close up, with big smiles. He will have it posted on the wall and be trained to point at you, when asked, "Where's your mommy and Daddy?" You can also send up to 12 smaller jpgs (30K each). We will use them in a slideshow on our computer to familiarize your PAC with your family, house and friends.

Can we send a video?

In addition to a good picture, we highly recommend a 10 minute video narrating your PAC's future home, bed room, yard, pets, etc. The PAPs should be talking into the camera. "Hi, Jimmy, I am your daddy, this is your bed room. Jimmy, look over here, this is your truck..." A DVD in NTSC or PAL formats are allowed. You could also e-mail a Quick Time movie format.

If you are sending a toy (see above) you can "give" it to your PAC in your video. Then we will present it to him the first time he views the video, if it's not too much logistics for you it is a nice touch.

You should use DHL for shipping as a first choice, otherwise FEDEX. A big photo can also be included in the video if you want to go deluxe, we put parents pictures up on the wall where the child can touch it.

How long must we stay?

ICAB has it's own requirements. Aloha House requires 3 days in Palawan for successful bonding. More days are better, 3 is the minimum.

Where will we stay?

From time to time our guest room is available, but we always book rooms at Legend hotel if people need more privacy. You have to inquire with us on the availability of the guest room when you book tour trip.

When we have advance notice, we can access a 50% discount booking for our PAPs at Legend Hotel, if you book through us. They even stock the same crib that our children sleep in and make it available in your room. They also have hotels in Manila if you like seamless accommodations. We can book both locations for you. Check out The Legend Hotels for tourist options also.

If we decide to change his name, what would be your recommendation on how to start getting him familiar with his new name? What has been your experience with that process?

About half of our adoptive families change the name of their child. If you already know the name, we can start using both his old and new name till you come. Then, after you are home and settled to his normal routine, you can drop the old name. Too much change at once is hard to manage, young or old! Add punctuation to make sure we pronounce the new name properly, as the alphabet is different here.

Can we bring something for Aloha House?

Yes, our care package needs are as follows:
-*Care Package Current Needs*-
bibs w/pouch
cloth diapers
small shoes for toddlers
sandals for toddlers
training pants
plastic panties
washable development toys (no stuffed animals)
cough and cold meds for babies
diaper rash ointment
Batteries: Rechargable AA bateries and regular D, C and AAA please.

The best way to send is through a BALIKBAYAN box. It is the least expensive method to send items to the Philippines and is duty free. They are called LBC, ATLAS SHIPPERS, and DHL. Do not send through regular mail or shipping, as customs will not allow it's release without "special" fees. You can ask them for box dimensions. They sell you the first box, then each time you ship a box they give you a free box for the next shipment . There is no limit for weight as long as you have the right box dimensions.

When you send boxes thru a Balikbayan system, please use this address:

Keith and Narcy Mikkelson
C/O Aloha House Orphanage
Mitra Rd., Santa Monica
Puerto Princesa City
5300 Palawan
PHILIPPINES
(Tel. No. 048-434-6011)

Can we bring something for the staff?

Yes, but money is not appropriate for the staff. You can show your appreciation to the care givers, cooks, gardeners and social workers with simple thank you cards and a small token of appreciation. Chocolate is always welcome. If you are from Wisconsin, you can bring cheese.

Is there malaria danger to us?

This is the tropics, please consult your physician. The cities are considered low risk.

Are there other dangers we should consider?

Yes. Please heed your embassy's instructions and be alert when you travel. The founder, Mr. Mikkelson has lived in Palawan since 1998 and feels safe, but there are no guarantees, so be wise when you travel.

What is the climate there?

Tropical, warm and humid. You might want some casual travel wear when you come.

New E-Book "Practical Adoption Advice"

2006-12-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

I recently bought this e-book and think it would be helpful for those thinking of going through the process. It is a downloadable E-book for Adoptive Parents. How to go through the process and enjoy it! It may be helpful for people seeking to adopt.

This new E-Book "Practical Adoption Advice" can help make adoption less difficult...

Click Here!

The Farm

2006-02-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

Life on the farm is good. We are reporting great yields and enjoy eating our own produce. We have lots of papaya and tomatoes as well as many other vegetables, fruits and herbs. Even the goats are happy grazing and growing the way God designed them.

Our mega-papaya system is getting a lot of interest from local farmers and we will start the training when we return end of month. We have many seminar sign-ups and interest in our book on Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics. We hope to print a color version when we return also.
A 10 lbs. Papaya is posing with our organic Tundan banana, the most delicious banana available on the planet. Naturally grown foods are more nutritious and always taste the way food used to be...

The book is called A Natural Farming System: Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics and is available in the US at www.lulu.com/mik

Visiting Placed Children

2006-01-15T14:14:00.000-08:00

We were able to visit some of the children we placed into permanent homes this trip. We saw two of the little girls and a boy that are now loved and secure in their families. What a joy it was to see them de-institutionalized and able to bond to their own mommy and daddy.

One is living with her Christian parents in a great area of the country. Her mommy is a Filipino! They came to see us while we were near by. The child seemed to remmember Archie the most.

We posed with the whole family and it was a good day for us. We were encouraged by the progress of all the children we were able to visit.

Another is adjusting well and loved by two solid Christian parents who are guiding his future. He has lots of energy and enjoys sports and outdoor activities and does school work too.

Archie and him were old play partners and enjoyed getting to see eachother again. They were able to wear eachother out a little also...

Another new family. She still recognized us and was very friendly. She likes her new home and loves her mommy and daddy.

Manila Edition II

2005-07-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

Metro Manila is one of the largest, most crowded, dirtiest, worst traffic cities on the planet. With 10 million people and only 1 million jobs, it is a place of great despair. But despite it all, most are oblivious to the poor quality of life and would not dream of living in the provinces. A world calss city with world class poverty.

And the people keep coming to settle and try their "luck" in the city. A few thousand people move here every day. Usually their skill set is limited and they can't compete in the job market they dreamed of. They don't find a niche. They end up with few options. Of course at $1.00 per day you can recycle the waste from the middle classes. These school teachers, office workers or government employees earn about $300.00 per month and are a wealth of waste, with their plastics, styro foam boxes and paper wraps from their expensive $2.00 lunches. The hard working father can even support 2-3 children if he hustles his cart.

The traffic, smog and pollution become secondary in the daily task of getting a bus, finding parking or going to the air conditioned Mall. As each one pursues a career path they are sold a coping mechanism. It is marketed endlessly throughout the day on giant bill boards and droning electronic devices. Good cell phone reception and lots of movie and restaurant choices are some of the reasons they tell me "Manila has it all."

The tricycle is one of the best inventions for overcrowding. It allows up to 5 people to load up the 100cc Motorbike for economical transport. Getting one during rush hours or during a rain storm takes the fun out of it, but it can get through crowded streets that taxis and buses could never manage. And the growth will continue. As national government keeps propping up it's economy and printing more money, they strive to put the best press forward and suppress the rest. The building is very aggressive, with prime locations growing vertically at the expense of the infrastructure. Many multinationals are pulling out because of recent economic upheavals and political unrest. A recent rating put the Philippines as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. We've finished our necessary trip. We are glad to be going home to Palawan. And we are glad we can match our children at ICAB for adoptive families that will bring opportunity to the Filipino in years to come. And Manila just grew by a few more thousand today.

Manila Edition

2005-07-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

We are here matching babies to parents and will be at ICAB Tuesday for the presentation of our picks. We just returned from an ABSNET Consultation with the DSWD. The Area Based Standards Network is helping Welfare agencies to get registered and licensed with the government. It is illegal to take children into your home and give them permanent care without proper monitoring. That's how many of the children end up getting abused. Narcy shared with a cabinet member of the president, the Under Secretary of the DSWD, as well as other presidents and directors of caring agencies and NGOs.

Anyone willing to help children have lots of options. But you have to file your intentions. Narcy's the President of ABSNET Palawan. They give you the starter pack and all the steps up front. You are required to at least be a licensed foster parent to take in children. That's how Narcy and I started out. Then we developed a local board of directors and incorporated Aloha House Inc. as a non-profit, non-stock, charitable mission with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Next we pursued licensing by developing an manual of operation, hired a social worker to monitor the paper work and develop care plans for the children. We were ready to license in one year and then pursued accreditation. That is a higher standard with more scrutiny of your paper work, case management and caring facility.

Archie was there and took copious notes in techni-color. He was able to sit through some of the boring stuff and do his work from the travelbox his grandpa made him in Seattle. It's full of little cars and papers and colors as well as a few bugs! We also toured the area and shot lots of video, so we had fun. It was good to see the government delegating some the responsibility of accountability to the private sector. We are more in tune and available to help the new organizations and spot the fakes trying to exploit the tribes, children, and elderly. People that want to help are always grateful for ABSNET guidance and coaching. And this consultation was just the first after two years of implementation of Administrative orders. Others will follow. It was worth the side trip to Lucene and I'm really proud of Narcy and the ABSNET leaders from around the countries.

Inter Country Adoption

2005-07-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

We are in Manila undergoing matching at ICAB. Archie and I checked the farm before we left. We will miss the open space and clean air. Our legumes are doing so well now. Archie bikes through the garden between the rows.

We spend lots of time reading and note taking at ICAB. Each child gets matched to pre-approved families. We will be looking at a list of 200-400 names, to find the best family for our guys. We read the case studies and background reports to determine the best family for our children. Some need siblings, others might not do well with pets, etc. We prefer full time moms who will be available for bonding, catching up with the child is important because they are one or two years old already.

We took a one hour flight and were able to meet the captain. That's Archie's favorite part of the trip. Air Philippines is a safe choice, but we always study the emergency cards. "Daddy,when do we get to ride the jump and slide?" Narcy finds Archie's questions amusing. At six years old and learning to read, we are constantly amazed at the active mind of our adopted son. What a blessing he is to our family. God intervened in his life and placed in a family that loves him and nurtures him. That's our job.

We also have a 3 day meeting to go to for the Area Based Standards Network. Narcy is President of our chapter and leading the nation in our region, I will be presenting a report on accomplishments for the Network. We will try to post again this week on our progress. We have some side trips planned to a farm and orphanage too.

Cultural Balance

2005-07-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

In Filipino culture adoption is not as widely embraced as most western cultures. Families often take in a neighbor or relative to help out in a crisis. But because of the extent of the poverty or moral failure or hardness of heart in some parents, they never come back for the child. The child is left with a reluctant family who is equally poor and just trying to cope with their own children. They feel used and resentful. The resent transfer to the child. Then neglect takes it's toll. Eventually, when the mother never returns, the child is treated as a servant at best. They end up working long hours in the house or farm and end up missing out on an education. They are also a low priority for precious calories. Nutrition suffers. Some of these families live day to day, just getting by on rice and salt two meals a day. One child who was left with a neighbor was left out at meal time and told "You're just adopted! You can eat when your mommy brings us rice."

So you can see why adoption is perceived as a less than desirable situation. Hopefully, a local pastor will be able to rescue the child and refer him to us. Or a neighbor will contact a government social worker who can hand the case over to Aloha House. That's when we are able to take in the child and track down the parents. The child has no opportunity for a real family till the mother can be located, counseled and assessed then sign papers. Otherwise an Abandonment case is presented at the Regional trial court. One mother we were counseling was persecuted for surrendering her child because of the hia (Hee-ah) system. It's a subtle but strong guilt structure that they are under when the family sees what is going on. The family will try to persuade the mother to keep the child, despite the neglect, unemployment and disinterest, but won't even offer to help them. The guilt is used to force the wrong decision. A decision that is not in the best interest of the child.

In most countries these mothers would be in jail for criminal neglect of a minor. But here there is little enforcement of the law. So we must maintain a cultural balance in working with all parties involved so that they will be able to see how we can help. We get to direct the child through the cultural jungle and into permanent families where they are welcome. That's God's plan, loving families.

Adoption Vs. Institution

2005-07-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

The day when a child leaves Aloha House with the new parents is the day we start all over with the next one. We have 13 crib spaces and they refill soon after the last child is adopted. Each bed can serve 12 to 15 children in 18 years. Without adoption, the children would stay in an institution all their lives. One bed, one child. We love these children and give them the best we can. But the care never is as good as real parents. A proper home is where mom and dad are in the next room.

Children deserve to be in families. God's plan is for mothers and fathers to raise children, not institutions. Of course, an institution is better than living on the streets or enduring a life of abuse or neglect. But why stop at the institutional level. These children can be matched with qualified families through Philippine Law. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)oversees children's homes and orphanages so that they can give the best possible care to their clients while they wait for permanent adoption. We usually have 300-400 families to choose from. They are pre-approved and waiting for children to add to their families.

So why not give the children the best thing for them, a loving mommy and daddy!

Kimchi

2005-07-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

Kimchi is a fermented vegetable dish that helps Koreans to get through the winter. Just like Germans make sauerkraut . Seems every culture that goes through winter tries to preserve or pickle fresh fruits and vegetables for the time between growing seasons.There is a family of lactic acid bacteria that work to prevent putrefaction. My wife learned to make some of the best Kimchi from Koreans living in Palawan. As I learn to blog (weblog), I hope Narcy too, will share some of her great recipes from her international menus. We serve the children in the orphanage a wide range of foods so that they are accustomed to living abroad.
Most of the children end up in the US, Australia and Europe because culturally the Filipinos do not readily adopt. Do not worry, the five alarm Kimchi is only for the adults!

The key is to grow fresh organic white radish, but we also kimchi: red radish, ampalaya, swiss chard, pechay, cabbage and carrots. Next, you soak the vegetable overnight in a light brine of sea salt and drain in the morning. We use honey and chili powder, garlic and ginger along with some guest vegetables in lesser volume to give it color. The key is low salt and natural sugars. Make sure you wear gloves cause the chili will get in your eyes sooner or later. Ferment in the back of your ref for a week and do not worry if you forget, it will only get better in the coming months. We grow organic herbs and sell them locally, so we always have a good supply for food preparation and cooking. Our Italian basil will go into our Aloha Pesto, with local garlic right from our garden. We have Thai basil and lemon basil for Narcy's Tom Gong, lemon grass, Indian coriander, real cilantro, Chinese and curly parsley, and rosemary. And 3 main chili varieties.

While reading PyroManiac I noticed Phil Johnson takes his food and theology very seriously. He actually met a Korean saint when he was working on her Christian biography . As usual, it is a fascinating story. He tells of Esther Ahn Kim from Korea. She would not bow down to an idle during Japanese occupation. A real life application from the book of Daniel. I will look for the book If I Perish in the States when I visit.

And it seems Phil learned a valuable lesson about bridging the cultural gap through the stomach. He ate kimchi with fish head soup. Missionaries take note! I've been reading his bookmarks, Spurgeon site and blog. Phil and Tim Challies are the inspiration for starting my own blog. Why not, I'm a Christian with an opinion too. My theology is not as well developed. Some people are predestined to be Armenians, I have chosen to be a Calvinist. I love to learn from the Bible and I trust God's sovereign plan for mankind. We get to join God in His plan for His glory. That's the Christian life. That's why we started the orphanage. God's active in the midst of suffering. Their sites are very stimulating for the growing Christian and highly recommended. But come back to Aloha House because we know how to cook!