Our story
Our story began in January when Kidsave International contacted us about a little boy named Artur who needed a family. I had been coordinating the Virginia program and had recently discovered how much my family and I would love to adopt a boy. We just didn't know how we could make it happen. We all wished for a miracle. What we got was not just a miracle but a whole series of miracles that would eventually bring Artur home to us.
While I made every effort with a group of my high school students to raise the money to bring 7 Russian Orphans to Virginia through Kidsave International's Summer Miracles program, I also found myself writing letters to every foundation associated with children I could think of to help make our adoption come true. Between carwashes, bake sales, raffle tickets, speaking to small churches for Kidsave, I somehow found time to have a garage sale for our adoption. And ever so slowly the efforts for Artur and Summer Miracles began to bear fruit. Not only did my high school students, the Miracle Makers, raise the money to bring the children here we also managed to get free doctor visits and free camp activities too for the kids 6 week stay.
At the same time, we were delighted to learn that we were approved for financial assistance from A Child Waits which on top of all of the other things; mainly the plain generosity of our friends, our church family, Janey Demeo and Orphans First, we boarded a plane in October to bring Artur home at last!
While the court hearing and the 9 days in Russia seemed really to last forever, now it seems time just zipped by. The plane ride home was really where time seemed to be unnaturally stretched out. Artur cried the last 2 hours for his dear friend Andrei who he left behind. Through those tears-and the vision of those two brothers saying good bye for the last time at the orphanage in St. Petersburg I found a new mission. My new mission was to find Andrei who just turned 13 years old, and Andrei's little sister Lida a family here in the states.
The same energy and tireless effort that helped the Virginia Summer Miracles
kids find families has gone into this friend from orphanage 46 and his little
sister. So far, I have contacted the same radio station, and newspapers that
made such a difference with Summer Miracles. I have had several families contact
me initially, but so far none have followed up. I know how hard and scary it
is to commit to adopt a child, let alone two children. However, I know the right
family is out there for those two beautiful children. I just hope I find them
soon.
Joyce and David Schaller
Parents at last to Artur (12 years old)
Jasmine and Tempest! (3 and 7)