[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 22495-22496]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE NOMINATION OF BELINDA GEERTSMA FOR THE 2009 ANGELS IN 
                             ADOPTION AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. PETER HOEKSTRA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 23, 2009

  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Madam Speaker, I rise here today to say that it is a 
great honor and privilege to nominate Belinda Geertsma for the 2009 
Angels in Adoption award. Belinda serves as an international adoption 
worker for Bethany Christian Services in Holland, Michigan.
  One co-worker describes Belinda as ``an amazing social worker with 
genuine passion for the families and children she serves. She is 
humble, gracious and has a servant's heart.''
  Belinda has a unique passion for special needs children, and has a 
remarkable history of finding homes for many children who are 
considered hard to place. In 2008, of all the international social 
workers in Bethany's nationwide constellation of offices, Belinda 
placed the most special needs children with their forever families.

[[Page 22496]]

  In July of 2009, Belinda traveled to China by invitation of the 
Chinese Government to assess 41 special needs children in an orphanage 
in Shanghai. By the end of August of 2009, 31 of these precious 
children had been matched with a family, and many others were under 
consideration.
  While in China, she was asked to find a family for a 13-year-old girl 
who desperately wanted to be adopted. In China, children are no longer 
made available for adoption when they turn 14. Her 14th birthday was 
only 4 months away. Within a week of being home, Belinda had found a 
family that was thrilled to adopt this girl.
  Belinda is a person who allows herself, through hard work, 
persistence, and compassion, to cause miracles to happen for children 
and families. I cannot imagine a better candidate for the Angels in 
Adoption award.

                          ____________________