("Holt International Children's Services")
"We had Never seen such emaciated arms and legs, such bloated starvation-stomachs and such wistful little faces searching for someone to care."
~Bertha Holt
THe holt Story
Bertha Holt was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1904. After earning a nursing degree in 1926, she married her cousin Harry Holt in 1927. From Iowa they moved to South Dakota, where they farmed for several years. During the Depression, they moved to Oregon, where the Holts were successful in the lumber business. During that time, they had six biological children (Dewan).
After seeing a documentary in 1954 of Amerasian children in Korean orphanages, the Holts prayed for God's guidance about how they could help the orphans. At first, they sponsored children and sent money. But they wanted to do more, so they decided to adopt eight Korean orphans (Herman).
At that time, a family could only adopt two foreign-born children because of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. So while Harry went to Korea to get the children, Bertha was working with Oregon Congressional legislators to pass a special law.
After seeing a documentary in 1954 of Amerasian children in Korean orphanages, the Holts prayed for God's guidance about how they could help the orphans. At first, they sponsored children and sent money. But they wanted to do more, so they decided to adopt eight Korean orphans (Herman).
At that time, a family could only adopt two foreign-born children because of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. So while Harry went to Korea to get the children, Bertha was working with Oregon Congressional legislators to pass a special law.
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"On December 14, 1954, our family went to hear a talk by Dr. Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision. He told about the orphans in war-torn Korea and showed us the movie 'Dead Men on Furlough.' He was raising money to feed and care for orphans in the devastated country. Harry and I were so overcome with the tragedies of the conflict, neither of us could forget those pictures night or day. They haunted us—those forlorn, emaciated children who were crowded into institutions where they were starving for love as much as for lack of food. We saw pictures of the children who were born from Korean mothers and United Nations soldiers. Because they resembled their Caucasian fathers, they were ostracized and often hidden by their mothers, or abandoned and taken to an orphanage. Some little blonde-haired babies were washed up on the seashore. (Holt, Bertha) |