International adoption can be an overwhelming idea for many people. The challenges, the danger, and the expense frequently lead couples looking to adopt to simply find someone in the United States who needs a family. Both domestic and international adoption can be extremely important, but fear of what it may cost sometimes keeps families in Georgia from taking the next step. While working to adopt one child, a couple found room in their heart to welcome three others into their home.
A couple with two grown sons heard about a girl from another country in need of adoption. Having longed for a daughter, the father was eager to see if they could bring her into their family. The couple decided to work on adopting the 16-year-old before she even came for her 10-week visit last summer. When the wife went to return the teen to her native country, she met two other girls in the orphanage and thought it would be great for the three friends to stay together.
She and her husband agreed to now bring the three Ukrainian girls into their family, rather than just the one. They then discovered that one of the teens had an 8-year-old brother who had been living on the streets; the number of children had now moved to 4. As the couple traveled to bring the new members of their family to the United States, the riots and tension between Ukraine and Russia began to reach its climax. As they anxiously awaited their passports, protests and violence could be seen in the streets below their hotel room. The adoption process had led them into one of the most dangerous situations in the world.
Over a month after arriving in Ukraine to pick up their children, the family was finally able to travel back home. All four children are now enrolled in school and the surrounding community has reached out to assist this family as they get acclimated to their exciting new situation. Although this adoption seemed to be filled with challenges, some of which seemed to put their lives at risk, the couple believes having these four children in their lives makes every moment worth it. Georgia families can experience this same sense of joy and purpose through adoption and may wish to utilize the available resources so they can understand what is required.
Source: The San Luis Obispo Tribune, “During overseas adoption, family is caught in the midst of Ukraine conflict”, Dugan Arnett, Apr. 1, 2014