By Tanya Yurlova

Finally, the day we have been waiting for with such joy and impatience has arrived. On July 5, late in the evening, after a long and exhausting trip, our eight Operation Hope children from Smolensk Region in Russia and their guardian arrived in Nashville airport. They hadn’t slept for almost two days and, in spite of that, they were still very polite, considerate, and well behaved.

The group spent the night at Brenda Barker’s home and woke up early the next day, ready for the swimming pool!

All the children memorized the letters their host families sent them, and would tell each other and us about them. So, when the families started coming, one by one, to meet their long-awaited children, the kids not only recognized them but also remembered the names and every little detail the families shared with them in their letters.

As the children left with their host families to begin their new adventure in America, we, in our hearts, hoped that everything would work out and that these beautiful and smart children would find their happiness and their bright future, which only a loving family can provide.

In 2002, CHI hosted 46 older Russian children with Operation Hope being held in Chicago, Kansas City, Nashville, Portland, OR, St. Louis, Little Rock, New York and Seattle. To almost all of them we were able to say “See you soon!” as they left for Russia.