Welcome Samantha Kim Morris, our new Director of Asian Culture

We are excited to welcome Samantha Kim Morris as our new Director of Asian Culture.

Samantha is currently married, with a two year old son named, Josiah, and is expecting her second child. Samantha was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States when she was 3 1/2 years old. She grew up in Chicago and Palatine, IL. She attended Judson University in Elgin, where she met her husband, Curtis. She graduated with a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and Science.

Samantha was very involved in Judson's multicultural club, United Cultures of Judson, UCJ. She still keeps in touch with many of her international friends and hangs out with them now at their children's birthday parties. She coordinated a trip to Chicago's Koreatown with her socialology class her senior year. She was the president of the Circle K Club, the college version of Kiwanis and volunteered in many projects like Make a Difference Day and building a school playground in Elgin, to name a few.

Samantha started her non-for-profit career as an AmeriCorp member for the American Red Cross of Chicago and worked her way up to being the Director of Youth Services for the Red Cross of Silicon Valley in San Jose, California. She worked with the American Red Cross for 5 years and switched gears. She has been working with Junior Achievement for the past 5 1/2 years, starting as an Education Manager at JA of Silicon Valley and transferred back to Chicago to work as the Senior Operations Manager for JA of Chicago.

Samantha enjoys sharing her Korean culture to others, as well as getting to know many other cultures. She had several friends, growing up, who were Korean adoptees and has a special place in her heart to help adoptees and their families. Samantha is very active in her church, Prayer Garden Ministries in Evanston, as the Children's Ministry Teacher. Some of her hobbies are dancing, listening to music, playing the piano and hanging out with family and friends.

Please check out the web site in the next few months as Samantha builds the "Cultural Information" section. If you have questions about Asian culture or ideas about what would be helpful information on the web site, please contact her at samanthakimmorris@gmail.com.

Thank You Loyola Students!

Last night a team of MBA students at Loyola University gave their final presentation of a business plan they created for theAsianBridge. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to Lucia Cho, Samantha Jerusalmy, Katie Larcher, Urmi Mehta, David Mjavanadze, Pat Thornton and Professor Michael Welch. After months of research and planning, they put together a creative plan that will help us take our Foundation to the next level, and will literally change the lives of orphans on the other side of the world. Thank You!

The Arenson's Are Home

Hello everyone, Feb . 7, 2008

We are happy to say that we are home from Taiwan! After our Tuesday morning AIT appt., Bella's visa was ready at 11:30 a.m. We left for the airport at 1:30 & flew out at 6:20 p.m. After an 11 hour flight to L.A., we went through customs where Bella became a U.S. citizen. By the way, she slept for about 8 hours of the 11 hour flight. Our excitement was short-lived when we found out that our flight from L.A. to Chicago was cancelled. The weather all around the country caused many flights to be cancelled. They told us we were re-booked on the 6:00 a.m. flight Wednesday morning. We got a hotel room & went to bed. We checked out of the hotel at 3:30 a.m. & went to the airport. We were very nervous that our flight would be cancelled yet again because of the snowstorm in Chicago. Luckily, we left on schedule & flew into snowy Chicago at 12:30 p.m. We had to be one of the last flights to arrive at O'Hare. My brothers Tom & Pat, Mom & Mia were there to greet us.

We are adjusting well, just very tired. Bella was not too crazy about the dogs, but she is getting used to them. She loves to watch Mia dance around. Even with all the frustration & anxiety of the last 10 days, we still know that we brought home the best souvenir ever!

Lori & Marc

China's Winter Storm Crisis

As many of you know, China is in the midst of a winter storm crisis. The southern provinces are particularly vulnerable since they are not prepared for the snow or ice. Many of the orphanages are without heat, food and other supplies to keep themselves and the children safe. I urge you to visit http://www.halfthesky.org/ to get more details and to donate money to help purchase heaters, blankets and food. They have a listing of each orphanages needs, and the progress that already has been made with the money already received.

A rescue man carries an 80-year-old woman, out of Jinlian village in Longnan county, central China's Jiangxi Province, Feb. 3, 2008. Some 1761 people in Jinlian village trapped for days of frozen weather and without electricity and water supply were rescued successfully on Sunday. (Xinhua Photo)

Stranded train passengers wait outside a railway station in the southern city of Guangzhou on Friday. Millions of Chinese were stranded by snow ahead of Spring Festival, the most important holiday of the year. (China Daily/Reuters Photo)

Arenson Update #4

Hello everyone, Feb. 4, 2008

Yeah, we are finally coming home!!!! Here is what has happened. It is Monday night in Taiwan. We woke up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for a breakfast buffet Super Bowl Party that started at 6:30 a.m. & to meet our adoption representative at 8:00 a.m. After being told that the AIT still did not have our paperwork, we decided to call the owner of our adoption agency. He contacted Guangzhou, China & found out the tracking # of the package. As of this morning, it was in Taiwan, at the airport. Marc contacted Fedex & asked them to please deliver the package to AIT by 3:00 p.m. At about 3:30, the package arrived at our hotel room??? We were very confused, but think that Fedex changed the delivery location when Marc phoned about the package. Anyways, Marc hopped in a taxi & delivered the package to the AIT personally. They determined that everything was in order & told us to come back on Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. for our appt. We could finally get Bella's visa to come home. We are now booked on the 6:20 p.m. flight out of Taiwan. We should arrive back in Chicago sometime around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night after a layover in L.A. Anyone feel like picking us up??? We are very excited to be returning home.

Bella's 1st birthday was a little stressful for Mom & Dad. We will make it up to her with a party. I included a photo of Bella telling us she is 1 & one of the three of us at the Super Bowl party. See you all soon!

Lori & Marc

Arenson Update #3

Feb. 1, 2008

Hello everyone,

We are doing well here in Taiwan. Bella is adjusting well & is very attached to me. Tonight, she couldn't fall asleep because she kept checking to see if I was still there. Right now, I can't be out of her sight or she starts crying. Very loud. Like a thunderstorm! She has finally shown us that she can walk. Up until now, she didn't let us put her down. She is getting more comfortable & has started playing with some toys on the floor. She continues to imitate everything we do & has started laughing at things. It's fun to watch her true personality come out. She seems to love seeing other children. She will fit in perfectly at home!

We can't wait for her to meet you Mia! As of right now, we are supposed to call the AIT on Monday morning to see if they have received our paperwork or know if it is on the way. If so, we will complete our appointment for her visa & they will try to complete her visa the same day. If that happens, then we are free to leave Monday night. If not, we may not leave until Tuesday. We have contacted the airlines & have an open reservation & will try to get on the next flight out. Either way, we will get home Monday or Tuesday night. With the time change, we gain 14 hours so it's like we get home in a few hours. (Don't we wish!) Will keep you posted.

Lori