Thousands of Americans are watching the consultations in Moscow with anxiety and anticipation: those who already have brought orphans from  Russia,and those who are still dreaming to do it. They are confident that        each child has the right to love and be loved, especially if he or she has  already experienced pain, cruelty and injustice at the very beginning of his  little life. History 7-year-old Artem Saveliev, thrown on a plain by his  American  mother doesn’t go away from the pages of American  newspapers,  it is broadly discussed on television and radio. The petition in two  languages, Russian and English, addressed to the presidents of Russia and  the U.S. is signed by 26 thousand people inseveral days. Its authors, a Washington public organizations ask not to terminate the right from Americans to adopt young Russians due to the drama with Artem Saveliev.

Why would Americans care so much about our children, and why would this story arise such emotions in the USA? Answers to these questions can be found, for example, in the Smith family, who, like many others, have signed a petition to the President. In addition to their own child, they have adopted 6 more from the United States, Uzbekistan, and 4 of which came out of Russia.

Why would Joyce and Mark need all that? They are simply of those people who decide for themselves clearly one day- “if not us, then who?”. Now they are just as clearly can explain what happened to the woman from Tennessee, who left Artem Saveliev.

Girls and boys from the orphanages had once presented Joyce and Mark with all the hardest lessons that could easily make up the encyclopedia of difficulties in adoption – conflict, runaways, aggression. But the answer to that was love and ultimate goodness, multiplied by patience and years of work.

Joyce Smith: “Often it seems that everything is falling apart. But we must realize that adopted children are very scared at first – they are in another culture, they learn a new language, the food is different, smells are different! Yes, generally everything else is so different, I know what I felt when I was in Russia – everything was different. And it’s me, an adult, but now imagine what the child feels. “

8-year-old girl from Kostroma, enjoys the most how her mom and sing a song about a little star. Three years ago, David and Elizabeth decided that they probably have everything to make happy a child that feels the most miserable in the whole world.

For 3 years in America, Milana went through five successful operations and gained vision, whole her parents gained the conviction that every child should be in a family. But why would they sign a petition to
President asking not to prohibit the adoption in Russia into American families?

Elizabeth Dzhaffin: “This is our problem too, because our daughter is from Russia, it is – part of our family, and Russia is a part of her,so Russia is a part of us.”

David Dzhaffin: “And we want people in Russia to know that lots of Americans disapprove the woman from Tennessee, we feel that it was an absolutely wrong thing to do. If you take a child, you should solve all the problems. This is how the world is made. It’s not a car you’re buying that you return if its transmission is not working. It’s your job to take care of the children while they grow. “

The story of Artem Saveliev is not the first accident with adopted
children from Russia. Of course, the fact that out of 60,000 children adopted during nearly a quarter of a century,17 kids were killed is not a reason to be careless about it.

In order to exclude tragidies from the dry statistics and protect the life of each child, the commission of State Department brings their proposals to Moscow. Thomas Difilipo, one of the main experts in the
country on the subject, is sure that the U.S. side will make every effort to save the situation.

Difilipo Thomas, president of Joint Council of International Service for children in the State Department: “We are working hard to tighten the standards for adoption agencies that work with the Russian side.
It does not freeze the adoption process and it is an improvement so more children may have a new family, and that will be completely safe for them. ”

Steve and Christine fly to Moscow. They are in total confusion. At the coffee shop of the New York airport – photos of four of their children who were already adopted from different countries. The fifth
one, Valera, was to come from a children’s home in Nizhny Lomov. They had hoped to return with him.

Christine Jack: “It was a moment of pain. We have learned from the news about the suspension of adoptions. We needed to understand what was happening, I called Steve horrified.”

Stephen Jacque: “We started thinking, what to do, all of the Valera’s the documents are submitted and we have tickets in hand.”
Steve and Christine would like to think that the 14-year-old Valerie does not know about the possible difficulties. It is enough that he knows how he was found in the snow with frozen hands at the age of 2. And now he knows that soon parents will come after him. It’s not the loss of twenty thousand dollars they are concerned the most at this point The when they sign the petition to the two presidents. They do it because the act of one woman messed up the possibility of thousands of Americans to adopt someone they are ready say to:

Christine Jack: “I love you.”
Stephen Jake: “You are my son.”

Related posts:

1. Artem Saveliev send back home to Russia
2. A letter to an Orphanage Director
3. …”The Rest of the Story”

In 1991, Valera’s father took him, at about the age of 5, to tag along for a day’s work on a farm to chop wood. This had become a normal part of Valera’s life as mom was now at home with his toddler sister. On these days, Valera would entertain himself while his dad plowed fields, watered farm animals, sheered sheep, butchered hogs, milked cows, did simple repairs or like today; he chopped wood for the coming winter. At the end of the day, if the work was satisfactory, the family might invite them to have leftover dinner portions On this particular day, the father’s work seemed satisfactory, so he and Valera were given some food to eat. After dinner, as is customary, the woman who owned the farm handed the boy’s father a glass of wine. However, this day’s glass of wine was very unlike any previously offered to his dad. Apparently, the family didn’t have the money to pay for the day’s wages and some alternative was sought to get out of doing so. Not quite understanding what he saw, Valera would later remember something: the woman took a thermometer, broke it, and poured some liquid from it into the glass of wine. She then handed it to his dad.

Soon after eating, Valera and his dad began their journey down the dirt farm road towards their home. But unlike other days, his father stumbled and rolled off the road and into a ditch. Valera, thinking his dad was playing a game with him, rolled down the hill as well, thinking there would be some fun on the way home as had happened on days before. However, after some time passed, and it became dark and started to get cold, Valera realized his dad was not playing any games. He lay down to sleep next to his dad, but later realized his dad would never wake up again. He had witnessed the poisoning and murder of his father and it was a day that changed the rest of life as he knew it.                                                                                                                                          

This began the demise of a family; something that no one would have expected or desired for a child of his age to endure. His mother, stricken with grief over the loss of her husband and the economical destruction of her family, soon lost her home and turned to vodka as a self prescribed medication. Without any spiritual, financial, emotional or social support systems, she soon began a life of living on the streets with her 2 small children now 6 and 4. Valera’s role quickly changed from being a happy child to the new head of family. This all occurred during the initial years of the break up of the Soviet Union. Food was scarce, jobs were few and there was no extended family or government system in place to assist them. The political outlook was chaotic and dysfunctional at best. The small family lived wherever they found shelter, never staying in one place longer than a few days. Valera now became the one to gather food, and provide for his sister and mom. He learned how to jump fences and steal whatever fruits and vegetables he could get from others who had small gardens. He realized that if he could snatch a bottle or two of nail polish from a flea market vendor, he could return the next day and sell it to another vender for some coins. Making things even more unbearable, his mom became pregnant again and soon had another son. For the first year or so, it was Valera who had to stay up at night and care for his baby brother as mom had turned to prostitution to earn money for her drinking habit. However, the baby’s father eventually came and took the baby which provided some needed relief for the short term. Valera never had any stable home so he was not able to attend school. But, about 4 years later, around the age of 9 or 10, they happened upon an older couple who had a mentally ill son who offered a place for them to stay in their barn. In exchange for assistance to care for their farm animals, work the fields etc they were offered a place to sleep and access to food to eat. Because Valera had remembered learning and watching from his dad’s work on farms he was able to drive the tractor, slaughter the hogs and chickens and milk the cows. The woman taught him how to sow crops and eventually harvest them. So, for about 2 weeks, Valera and his family lived in the barn and life was drastically better.

However, his mom, who now suffered from an alcohol addiction, was unable to stay in one place very long. One day, mom announced she was tired of the farm and she was moving…again. Fed up with a life of uncertainty and constantly seeking shelter while having to steal to eat, Valera finally rebelled! Mom gave him an ultimatum…go with her and his sister or stay on his own. So, Valera made a decision that no child should ever have to make. When mom announced her departure, he hid in the barn and refused to go with them. That was the last time he ever saw his mom and younger sister.

For about 3 years, Valera stayed and worked the farm and lived in the barn in exchange for food and “home”. The woman offered that if he managed his daily chores, he could also attend school. So, Valera got up about 4am, did his morning chores and went to school, starting the first grade at the age of 10. After school, he would come home and do afternoon and evening chores and study by candlelight until he fell asleep. This went on until about the age of 12. One day, the family’s grown mentally ill son, chased him and attempted to kill him with a pitchfork. Fortunately, this attempt was not successful and Valera escaped. However, first hand experience of living with this crazy boy and knowing how successful he had been in killing a horse in the same way, Valera knew his life was in danger. The next day, he confided in a school teacher and he was immediately removed from the home.

At first a foster family was located and Valera was moved in with them. However, because the town was rather small, there was talk and constant fear that the crazy boy would come to harm Valera and his foster family. So, it was soon decided that it would be safer for everyone to move Valera to a larger city where he was first taken to a hospital for a full medical evaluation and eventually moved into an orphanage in the city of Ulyanovsk Russia. This was in the summer of 2000, and Valera was now 12 years old.                                  
A few weeks later, Valera would meet Americans for the first time in his new home at the orphanage. Little did he know or could he even contemplate, that he was meeting his new parents! Life as he knew it, would, once again, change forever. However, this time God was answering prayers of a couple who were in the midst of adopting their infant son, and happened to stay in Valera’s orphanage during the process. On the night before their departure, Valera would receive a gift that he would never forget and to this day, continue to share the importance of, with others. The couple came to say goodbye to Valera who had played with their family during the week’s stay in the orphanage. He also gave them a gift from his personal stash of treasured items: a small metal “Matchbox” style car with a few broken pieces, but one of a few items he could actually call “his own”. This American mom, reached for Valera and wrapped her arms around him…he was so small and slight and boney! She could have wrapped her arms around him twice! At first, Valera didn’t know what to make of this: his first hug. But, quickly, he felt warmth, love and something he had never known before: safety and a sense of belonging. He felt chosen and important! Ten months later, the couple returned to his orphanage, but not to adopt a baby. This time, they came for Valera, their new son who was now 13 years old.

So, who is this boy and why is Valera’s story so important today?

As a famous radio announcer Paul Harvey, once coined, “And now, for the Rest of the Story”…

That was 10 years ago. Now at the age of 24, you’ve possibly heard about Valera. However, his name has been changed and he is known as Taylor Dakake. You see, Taylor was adopted by my husband and me in June, 2000, and finally came home to his “forever family”. We enrolled him as a scrawny 74 pound, 7th grader in a Christian school with only 4 years of formal education behind him. Seeing his resilience factors such as his exceptional abilities in sports and art combined with the ability to laugh at himself with a keen sense of humor, he had the tools to succeed. He excelled in soccer and was asked to join the Varsity team as an 8th grader, while playing on a YMCA Select Traveling team during the same season! He was voted by his peers to be their Homecoming Prince as an 8th grader. The end of his first year in school, he received numerous awards for “Outstanding Achievement” in Bible, Mathematics, Art and Physical Education along with “Outstanding Christian Character” in Soccer. He also received awards for “Most Improved” in English, History and Science. However, the most noted award that he received that year was the Principal’s Choice Award. This was given to a select child from the school’s population whom the principal saw as overcoming a Life Obstacle and Excelling. This was the “Eagle Award” and Taylor proudly received it before a group of tearful teachers and students, and of course, both of his parents. Above all, he accepted Christ that year as his Lord and Savior at a chapel gathering: He received Eternal Life.

It didn’t bother anyone that he graduated High School at the age of 19 while being named Valedictorian of his graduating class who had to give the commencement speech in a language he had only learned over the past 6 years. He was also named to the All Region and All State Varsity Soccer teams and was offered college scholarships in both soccer and academic achievement. Now, Taylor is a junior at Kennesaw State University and is studying International Business. He recently bought his first home after working full time for the past 3 years at Discount Tires. He had the ability, but no opportunity to succeed in Russia as an orphan. In America, he had the opportunity and grabbed it with both hands, along with 2 parents who love him dearly and has succeeded. Yes, we missed most of his childhood and the time we had together at home felt way too short. But, that comes from selfish desire and not a necessity in loving and parenting a child. I challenge you to please consider bringing one of these teens, who is facing the end of their opportunity to find a way to succeed in their lives.

People ask me every day, why consider a teenager for hosting or possibly adoption? My answer is simple and one that comes straight from my heart: “Why not?” The children we are spotlighting on this “Children to Pray For” email are those who our interview team has met over the years and we have fallen in love with them. We see the hope that remains in their eyes and the smile in their heart with a desire to come on the hosting program. They are boys and girls who probably have similar histories to Taylor’s. But, without someone to step into their life at this late hour, their future will be nothing like the story you read above. They have literally no hope. While I visited our daughter, Valerie, who still lives in Saint Petersburg Russia in January, she received news about a few of her friends she grew up with in the same orphanage where Taylor lived before being adopted. Two of them had died: one by suicide and one in an accident. Two others had babies recently: both were placed into an orphanage as they had no job and no home. She, however, is now engaged to an intelligent and loving Russian Christian man. They are both employed; have places to live and she finished high school in Saint Petersburg with our help and accountability for her success. She also attended the local university for 2 years learning English which gave her an exceptional ability to communicate with our family and others. While she aged out and we were not able to adopt her, she did come to live with our family for a year during the 10th grade where she also became a Christian while learning “family” and how to make better decisions other than her friends did. We recently completed the adoption of her younger 16 year old sister, Ashlee whom we met during the adoption of Taylor 10 years ago. God works miracles in these children’s lives, but He uses us and needs us to hear and practice His Commands: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unspoiled from the world.” James 1:27; “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will.” Ephesians 1:5.

Related posts:

1. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid
2. A letter to an Orphanage Director
3. “Why would they care?”

In the center of attention today is the fate of 8-year-Artem Saveliev

The day before he flew to Moscow on his own from the United States.

The note, which he had brought, said that his American adoptive parents, namely, his mother decided to abandon him. According to some reports, the boy at the airport was supposed to be met by a businessman from Moscow – it is said senior inspector juvenile ATS Tver district of Moscow, Natalia Tereshkina

The boy had a Russian passport with expired U.S. visa. The Russian government is already searching for a foster family in Russia for Artem Savelyev- said in a TV channel Russia-24 Chief of custody and guardianship of Tverskaya area Larisa Bondarev.

According to Bondareva, the child did not know that his foster mother refused from him, he was told that he was going on a tour to Moscow.

The accompanying note said that the foster mother abandons the child for the safety of her own family, it is argued that the management of the orphanage in Partisansk, where Artem was raised, didn’t warn the family about psychological instability of the child. “This is not true”, – said in an interview with NTV director of the Department of Education and Science of Primorsky area Vera Kuznetsova. According to her, the guardianship board of Primorye will be in court to seek the cancellation of Artem Saveliev’s adoption.

The orphanage director in Partizansk, Irina Guseva, argues that there never have been any special problems with Artem.

Artem was in an orphanage after his biological mother’s right has been terminated.
U.S. officials still do not comment anything about Artem Saveliev’s story. However, the U.S. embassy told us that, perhaps, diplomats will say something later. It is possible that this will be the ambassador himself, John Byerly. By some accounts, last night, U.S. diplomats have tried to go to hospital, where Artem was placed, but they were not let in.

Adoption Statistics

The problem of adoption of orphans rises each year in Russia and becomes more acute. According to official statistics, every year only about 10 percent of orphans find adoptive parents.

Year by year the number of orphans in Russia is growing. Most of them have remained in orphanages. In 2007 in Russia, there were nearly 750 thousand children without parents. According to the Ministry of Education, of which only 14 thousand have been adopted. However, the number of children who fall under guardianship was much bigger, nearly 90 thousand. But this is not the main point. More than half a million children have remained in institutions. Statistics from the General Prosecutor office on orphans is very sad. Only 10 percent of boys of girls are adapting to life. The rest either become addicted to drugs or get up on a bad track, or commit suicide.

In the adoption of Russian children foreigners play a significant role. In general, they are Americans. Annually thousands of orphans from the Russian educational institutions are leaving to the States. In 2002, American families adopted 4900 young Russians. In 2003 – 5200. However, later cases was less. Three years ago, from Russia to the states moved a little over 2 thousand orphans. State Department statistics show that Americans prefer adopting children from neighboring Guatemala or from distant Ethiopia. Mainly due to the fact that the process of adoption of Russian children has become harder and longer. Unfortunately, participation and cases where the adoptive children ill-treated in their new families. However, as time has shown, most boys and girls who have been adopted by the Americans are now receiving everything that is necessary for the children of their age.

Statistics show that most American parents are adopting children from China.

Russia intends to conclude with other countries in bilateral agreements for the protection of adopted children. Itar Tass said the head of the Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev. According to him, Russia already has a similar experience. The first such agreement signed and ratified by Italy. Negotiations are in progress with the United States. At the same time, U.S. officials point to have the Hague Convention on international adoption. According to Kosachev, Russia also wants to ratify it, however, Russia still has questions to this document.

Related posts:

1. “Why would they care?”
2. John Beyrle, the US Ambassador in Russia: The meaning of Victory Day for me
3. A letter to an Orphanage Director

The Hosting Program is entering it’s last few weeks when families and Russian orphans from Saint Petersburg along with orphans from Ukraine and Latvia are matched.

In the list of participants Russia is traditionally the most difficult in terms of permission from directors and first one to close out the list for hosting as it takes the longest to collect papers.

Among other struggles was the decision of one o the directors not to take part in the program as there was another case in US where an adopted child was killed.

Below are several quotes from the letter from a hosting family who was about to host a child from that orphanage.

“We understand your concern over the horrific tragedy involving an adopted Russian child resulting from an American individual.

We are as appalled as anyone over this situation, however, as with any situation, we ask that you not punish all individuals based on the act of one. We appreciate and respect your decision, however we beg you to reconsider and send not only Anya, but the other children as well.”

We assure you that we are respectable, upstanding, loving individuals, who are parents of ten year old twin boys. We promise to care for Anya , keep her safe, a provide her memorable experiences.

We have completed our home study, have character references, and have always dreamed of helping and providing an opportunity for a child in need. We feel Anya is this child.

We want to comfort her fears, provide her with confidence, an education, a home, a family atmosphere, and joy and happiness.

Our son recently asked us while he was looking at Anya’s picture, “can you love someone without meeting them?” We told him “yes” as we feel we have all fallen for this little girl and are planning our summer with her in mind.

Then, please reconsider your decision and send Anya and these children for the amazing summer hosting program New Horizons for Children provides. Please trust that they will be cared for and loved.”

The hosting program continues it’s work in 5 other orphanages in Saint Petersburg. There are 2 more weeks to match families and children before the list is closed.

If you’d like to host a child, contact New Horizons for Children www.newhorizonsforchildren.org.

Related posts:

1. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid
2. Christmas in America
3. Summer program

We are starting to work on the summer 2010 Hosting program. So, next week we will go to administrations of orphanages. Please, pray about that!

For us is very important to recieve permissions from these leaders. It’s necessary for children (from new orphanages) in order to be part of summer program.

Thanks for your support!

Related posts:

1. A letter to an Orphanage Director
2. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid
3. Christmas in America

I like drawing and traveling. I like animals, especially dogs, cats and horses. Also I like to walk and listening to good music.

One of my desires is to know English like I know Russian.

Related posts:

1. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid
2. A letter to an Orphanage Director

As many of you know MIR partners on a hosting program with New Horizons for Children over 5 years now. This program had its ups and downs, has been through so many changes in terms of management, reporting to Russian government and orphanages participating. When we learnt this fall most orphanages have a concern about H1N1 and would wait till summer to participate, I was wondering if it was worth even tryin to get any of the children to come. I asked Mike to help me discern this and he had a feeling some children would still be able to come. Two months later when Katya and I were siting in US consulate and I was having a moment of discouragement, she said: remember, some children should come so this is what we are here for.

So, December, 13 was the day 8 children arrived to US and were picked up at the airport by their host families. When I called the children through the next couple of days to check in with them, all of them told me it was absolutely awesome. Welcome party at amusement center, and the Nutcracer show at Fox Theater  were the highlights of this week for those  staying in families in Atlanta area. I am very blessed to be able to come with the group and experience for myself what a gift of family is. I can testify God has given me a family in USA  and fills in the emptiness that I have since the time my mother is gone. I’m glad more then anything else Christmas becomes  a relationship experience for me and the children.

Related posts:

1. Christmas prep starts in September
2. A letter to an Orphanage Director
3. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid

Last week, the kids from orphanage #32 had their shopping trip. As you may have read in our last report, MIR, with the help of private donations, is able to provide an opportunity for the counselors of the “Fairy” group to buy things which the kids choose themselves.

Our friendship with this particular group has been going on for 4 years now. When I first got acquainted with the “fairies,” we had English lessons and cooking class and celebrated the birthday of each child.

Now the girls are growing up and their needs are changing; it’s really important for them as teenagers to be able to wear clothing which they choose themselves, and which feels right.

The “fairy” group has always consisted of girls, but 3 boys recently joined the group. Hmmm…what will the group will be called now?

As for shopping, the girls got their new clothes before September 1^st, and last week it was the boys’ turn. They chose sweaters, turtlenecks, slacks, sweatshirts, and mittens.

The counselor only took two of the boys to try on clothes, as the third boy is still little and would have had a hard time walking around the market for hours.

Here is what the counselor says about the two older boys: “Maksim is the favorite boy in the group. A very sweet, shy boy, he studies well. Gena is a trustworthy, affectionate child. Both of the boys are 9 years old.”

Friendship with the kids from #32 is really important to us, but our level of involvement depends on what resources we have available. We invite all those who desire to participate with us in the lives of these children.

Related posts:

1. Katya’s update: Get ready for school year!
2. Cooking lessons
3. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid

September began and a new phase of NHFC program started. We (Maria, our executive director, and I, our newly-made coordinator of the program) launched a campaign with running back and forth from one director to another, trying to find out the number of orphanages willing to take part in our venture.

In the list of orphanages there was #60 we have never worked with before. We decided to involve it into our trip and started with its Administration. The building of Administration we found rather quickly, but we had to demonstrate all our acumen to find the chief of the Department of Education there. After almost an hour of wandering along long tunnels (that they call passages) we finally met him and told about all the benefits of NHFC program… Unfortunately his answer was ‘no’. Conservative chief didn`t want the kids to go to America. But the rest five orphanages consented to participate. That was a success and the first step.

The interviews of the kids was the second step. On September 6^th Le Ann`s team came to Russia to meet with the kids. Tens of crazy (and not too crazy), serious, sweet and so cuuute kids were interviewed to find out their favourite food, colours and pastime (KGB would be proud of us). Most of them dream of going to America! We wish them good luck! We still have a lot of work ahead, but the important part of it now is done. The only problem we met on our way was scary swine flu… This monster scares everybody so much that our chief doctor of the country advised people not to go abroad during of uncertain period of time. This advise really can be dangerous for our project but we keep praying and believe that God will open New Horizons For His special Children once more!

Related posts:

1. Christmas in America
2. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid
3. Summer program

MIR is hosting several teams from the US who are serving in summer camps.

As always, we are happy to have these fun Americans visiting, and the camp directors and campers are very glad to know them.

At Camp Druznik, teams from San Antonio are working with orphans for the month of July. They were at this camp last year, so they’re continuing to build relationships and bless the children. It’s great to have them here, and the kids LOVE them!!

Related posts:

1. Update: Hosting, Short-term teams, Humanitarian Aid
2. Summer Pavilion by St. James team