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Pam Bischoff and I, from Russia team in St. Louis, visited Russia from October 8 and left on Friday, October 18. During this time we visited 5 regions and 7 orphanages and met with 6 families at various stages in the process. My first visit to Russia was in October of 1999. I was so pleased to see how well the process has been fine-tuned in the past 3 years. Every time I travel to Russia, I love the country and the people even more than the time before.
Pam with one of our families’ baby in Kemerovo. The trip to Russia was a totally different journey for me. I saw, as a CHI employee, the adopting parent’s side—all the stress and anticipation in traveling and adopting and all of the unknowns. I knew that the staff in Russia would take very good care of them. Sue and I met with all the representatives, translators and drivers, who are an extremely important factor in our families’ adoption process, and they are all very caring, devoted and accommodating people. Whenever we would go to eat, I wanted things like borsch, potatoes, etc., but was advised by everyone to get pizza, or hamburger. Then I realized that this is the way CHI staff treat our families. They want them to feel as comfortable as possible and accommodate their every wish while they are there to adopt their children. I did get borsch twice, but also had to settle for pizza and McDonalds at least once. In visiting the orphanages, I found the orphanage directors, doctors, teachers, and all the staff very devoted to their work with the children. They do not have much, but they do very well with what they have. We have been home a week now and I still have not completely unpacked. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip, the Russian people, the culture, the caring and kindness of all our people that work there on behalf of CHI and our families, and will miss them very much. I do have to add that the borsch that I did get a chance to eat was to die for!!!!!
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