31 Russian orphans fly in to visit prospective parents

05:45 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 20, 2004
By KATHY A. GOOLSBY / The Dallas Morning News

Tracey Yarbrough could hold back no longer.

Pushing through the crowd at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the mother of two squealed with delight as she scooped 12-year-old Tonia Pestsova into her arms. Joyful tears wet the faces of Ms. Yarbrough and the girl she and her husband, Matt, hope will become their fourth child.

Tonia is one of 31 Russian orphans who arrived Monday evening for a three-week visit with families hoping to adopt them. The trip's organizer, International Guardian Angels Outreach in Richardson, has placed more than 100 Russian children with Texas families in the last seven years.

The Yarbroughs, who live in Valley View, met and fell in love with Tonia during a recent trip to Russia. But many of the children, ages 7 to 16, were meeting their potential American families for the first time.

Most hung back shyly at first, peering past the bright lights of local TV news crews, searching for faces matching those in the photos they wore around their necks. Tony and Pat Rodriguez of Colleyville spotted Denis Voshkin, 10, and his 9-year-old sister, Maria Voshkina, almost immediately.

Like many of the families gathered at the airport, the Rodriguezes learned about the program through Gateway Church in Southlake. They have a 5-year-old daughter, Ariana, but said they felt led by the Lord to take in two older children.

"I think my wife said it best," Mr. Rodriguez said. "When you adopt a small child, you do it for yourself, but when you adopt an older child, you do it for them."

"But we're not going into this with our eyes closed," Mrs. Rodriguez added. "We know there might be problems, and we're ready to face those challenges."

Among the challenges will be communicating, because none of the children speak English. A translator accompanied the children, and most of the families have been practicing simple Russian words.

In the next three weeks, the children and their host families will see a rodeo, spend a day at Six Flags Over Texas and visit a ranch. The children also have appointments with dentists and doctors for checkups and with a Bedford salon for haircuts.

"This is basically time to get to know each other," said Dana Peters of Plano, a potential parent, with her husband, Mike. "By bringing the children here, it essentially knocks out two trips to Russia for us."

The three-week visit costs $1,600 per child, officials said, and is paid for with International Guardian Angels Outreach donations. If the matches are deemed successful, the parents will travel to Russia to finalize the adoptions and bring the children back in a few months.

The parents will pay about $20,000 plus airfare to adopt the first child, said John Peterson, who with his wife, Maria, volunteers with the nonprofit Richardson group. The Frisco couple adopted twin girls in 2002 and three more girls a year later.

"To adopt siblings, it may cost another $500 to cover the extra physical and passport," Mr. Peterson said. "This isn't an agency that charges $20,000 for every child."

Although 31 children arrived Monday, he said the trip would result in about 50 adoptions because many have siblings who will join them later.

After arriving at the airport, the orphans gathered for dinner with prospective parents and siblings at the Ranch at Lonesome Dove in Southlake. The children piled their plates with fresh fruits and vegetables and nibbled on sugar cookies.

Anastasia Artemeva, 9, sat on the lap of her host dad, Larry Wilder of Southlake. They took turns pointing at pictures in a book and pronouncing Russian words printed underneath.

"We're reading a book," Mr. Wilder told his wife, Bonnie, who couldn't stop smiling. Mrs. Wilder's mother, Dorothy Lunday of Fort Worth, sat across the table laughing and wiping tears as she repeatedly asked, "Isn't she beautiful?"

Mrs. Lunday, who has two grandchildren, plans to spend this week getting to know the blond girl she hopes will be her third.

"When they first called me about adopting a Russian child, I said, 'Go for it!' " Mrs. Lunday said. "Children are children everywhere. They all need love."

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