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 | From Russia With Love
by Trista Ehlers |
Our adoption “odyssey,” as our pastor would say, began on Halloween Day 1999. In the depths of our souls, we had known for quite some time that adoption was the way the Lord wanted us to build a family, so we opted to decline fertility treatments and chose adoption with a full heart. Our first trip to Villa Hope International Adoption Agency was made that following Tuesday and we left there with sheer excitement and a bundle of paperwork. We managed to survive the paperwork and almost felt helpless when all of it was finally complete — now the wait would begin.
During the wait for our referral we attended Alabama Friends of Adoption coffee and conversation meetings, spent a lot of time with other adopting and adoptive parents, and prayed. Through Villa Hope, we met the Hambeys, our guardian angels. They had just returned from Russia with their son, Jason, and were eager to offer their insight, support and friendship. Jason is from Samara, Russia. He was, and still is, a healthy, happy and adorable child. As the Hambeys shared their experiences of Russia, in particular, their rave reviews of the care and facilities in Samara, we continued to pray. First, we prayed for a healthy child and second, we prayed for a little boy from Samara.
God was listening. He granted our wish. On March 9, 2000, we received Laine’s referral. He was 11 months old at the time and being cared for at Samara Orphanage No.1. We were beside ourselves with joy and fell in love with him at first sight. Of course, we knew we must have his medical reports analyzed, but in our hearts, we knew this was our little boy. Dr. Johnson at the University of Minnesota indicated that there were no major medical problems and we accepted the referral immediately. We were told we would travel by the second week of May.
That was the plan until Russia began restructuring its International Adoption Program. Initially, we were told that we would not be affected by the policy changes because our dossier had been in Russia before the chaos began. We went on that assumption for a few weeks and were hopeful that we would leave for Russia in May. May came and went and no travel date was confirmed. In great despair, we began to wonder if the adoption of Laine would prevail. It seemed as if everything was going astray. No one could answer our questions and speculations about Russia’s intentions made us weary. We kept the faith and continued to pray.
God was listening once again. We finally got the call — our travel date was set for June 9, 2000. As it ended up, our departure was delayed until June 12, but on that day, we embarked on one of the greatest journeys of our lives. We arrived in Moscow on June 13, visited Red Square, and spent the night. The following morning, we flew to Samara, 500 miles east of Moscow, and finally, after what seemed like forever, arrived at the orphanage.
Laine was so precious. He was affectionate and adorable . . . everything we had envisioned in our dreams. There are not enough words to describe him or our first meeting. We enjoyed every minute with him that afternoon and the next morning before setting off for Moscow again. It was awful leaving Laine behind; however, we knew he was receiving the best of care and we knew we would return in just two short weeks. We arrived back in America four short days after our journey began. It was, to say the least, a whirlwind trip. The next two weeks passed quickly. There were more documents to prepare and, of course, there were a few more toys to buy for Laine. We anxiously prepared for June 30, the departure day of the second greatest journey of our lives.
After traveling in four different aircraft, 6,000 miles, and 17 hours we were back in Moscow. It was a glorious feeling. We made our way to Samara the next day; however, we were not able to see Laine. Our patience had grown strong over the months, but it was pure agony being in the same town as Laine and not being able to go to him. The next day, July 3, finally came and we got to see our little boy. He was still the most precious sight we had ever seen. We were given a tour of his orphanage and we took as many pictures and videos as possible for his keepsake. Laine’s orphanage was beautiful. The hand painted murals inside of the baby home were simply magnificent . . . one could not help but smile passing through the corridors. We have no doubt that our son would not be the wonderful child he is today without the love and care he received for the first 14 months of his life at Samara Orphanage No. 1. We will be forever grateful to his caregivers.
Finally our long awaited court day came — July 4, 2000. The date could not have been more perfect. Although we missed the fireworks in 2000, we knew that every year thereafter they would be brighter than ever. Independence Day and freedom have a whole new meaning in our home now. On the following day, we returned to Moscow and tended to the U.S. Embassy details and on July 8, we began our journey home to America. We made it as far as New York the first day and Laine was such a trooper. We’re proud to admit that he survived the grueling travel better than we did. On July 9, 2000 we were welcomed at the Birmingham Airport by friends and family, all of whom fell in love with Laine just as we knew they would. After a full day of visiting, Laine settled in for a 12 hour, uninterrupted night of sleep. And we thought we had already been blessed!
The blessings have been abounding since then. It’s almost impossible to believe that Laine has been with us for three years already. He is happy, healthy, and full of vitality. Now 4 years old, Laine is a typical American boy, who speaks with the sweetest Southern accent ever heard and loves to play with cars and trucks. We give thanks each day that we were chosen to be the parents of this amazing little boy.
Laine is our Samara angel . . . a true blessing, sent by God, with love from Russia.
Trista Ehlers lives in Alabaster, Alabama with her husband and children. She works full-time outside of the home as a system support analyst and dedicates her free time to her family and the Russian adoption community. In 2001, Trista created Alabama Families of Russian Adoption, a support group whose mission is to unite Alabama families who have experienced the miracle of Russian adoption. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors for Villa Hope International Adoption Agency and was also a recipient of the 2002 “Angels in Adoption” award, presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. To see Trista’s story online, visit http://ehlers-family.com.
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