D/FW AIRPORT - Kelly Smith and Ekaterina Starodubtseva exchanged their first smiles amid a sea of well-wishers, balloons and cameras.

Smith spoke no Russian. Ekaterina spoke no English. But Smith's protective arm over the 11-year-old's shoulders communicated welcome.

"A lot of charades," Smith predicted.

Smith's Russian visitor is one of 31 youngsters greeted Monday by host families and members of Gateway Church in Southlake. They came ready to take part in Russian Orphan Exchange 2004 -- a program that enables Russian orphans to experience life with prospective families in the United States.

It is their first visit to this country. They carried little more than a few personal items when they arrived at D/FW Airport on Monday night.

"This is a way for them to find a family and have security for their life," said Maria Peterson, one of the event coordinators. This is the third such exchange; organizers conducted two similar events in the summers of 2001 and 2002.

The aim is to have many of these youngsters adopted by American families in the next 12 months. The children, ages 7 to 16, will stay three weeks and meet potential adoptive Christian families.

This year's agenda is filled with fun activities, including a visit to Six Flags Over Texas and the Mesquite Championship Rodeo.

The children come from 10 orphanages around Penza, Russia, about 350 miles southeast of Moscow.

Adoption advocates say economic woes after the collapse of the Soviet Union have broken up many families. In some regions, the lack of opportunity has led many parents to place their youngsters in orphanages.

"Families just become dysfunctional. It's almost as bad as it was during the Depression here," said George Goode, director of the Richardson-based International Guardian Angels Outreach. The exchange is part of the group's efforts to help orphans at an international level.

The organization has helped place 101 children with families since 1998.

Children in orphanages face an uncertain future. After the ninth grade, many are forced to live on their own. Some turn to prostitution or organized crime. Drug use and suicide are also common, Peterson said.

U.S. State Department statistics show that 5,209 immigrant visas were issued to orphans from Russia in fiscal 2003. That number is topped only by the 6,859 immigrant visas issued to orphans from mainland China.

Experiencing America typically inspires a sense of awe in the Russian youngsters because nice cars, houses and clothes are not the norm in their homeland, adoption advocates say. Seeing an amusement park or Wal-Mart for the first time can be stunning.

"They live in small rooms. In small beds. They share clothes. They don't get enough to eat. Their opportunities are none," Peterson said.

Texas-style hospitality has evoked curiosity from the children, said Peterson, adding: "They are amazed that people smile a lot."

The youngsters arriving Monday night found themselves soon wrapped in hugs from smiling new friends.

Waiting for Ekaterina to arrive at the terminal, Smith and her 11-year-old son, Cameron, counted the minutes before they would meet their new Russian friend. Cameron held a stuffed bear he planned to give Ekaterina as a present.

"I'm so excited," Smith said.

The event became a reunion for 12-year-old Nikolay Yakunin and 10-year-old Micah Sherman. The boys knew each other in a Russian orphanage before a Justin family adopted Micah.

On Monday night, they exchanged ear-to-ear grins. When Micah asked his friend how he feels about the United States, the Russian answered in his native tongue. Sherman quickly interpreted: "Good."

Building families

The Russian Orphan Exchange is a program of International Guardian Angels Outreach of Richardson. The mission is to work as a liaison among foreign governments, families and churches to provide humanitarian aid to orphans.

For more information about the program, contact directors Alexandra and George Goode at (972) 669-3669 or visit www.igao.org.