May 1, 2004

Caring for and serving families in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama,  Mississippi,
Florida, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana 

Attached is a picture of my little boy – one picture out of 5 rolls and 40 digital pictures.  His personality is absolutely precious!  His laugh will melt your heart.  The time I spent with him was wonderful.  I never thought that I could learn so much about him.  I found out that he likes to play with toys that require him to think (stack cups) rather than non challenging toys (model cars).  He is shy and has a very limited vocabulary, but that can easily change.   Throughout the visits, he would do something and then look for my reaction, if I laughed, he would laugh – he was extremely proud of himself when he spilt his milk this afternoon. His personality is so precious, when he finds humor in something, he wrinkles up his nose and the laugh comes from his belly. These are only a small list of things I learned about him.  I am very fortunate and grateful to have him come into my life.   Thank you both for everything, from showing me the waiting children book to getting me to the baby home to meet him!  I can’t wait for you and Natalia to meet him.  I truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you and all of the people that have helped bring him into my life. 

We are back and had a wonderful time!  I can't tell you how helpful CHI has been in this whole process.  Every single tiny detail (including drinking water already purchased for us) was taken care of over there.  All transportation, tours, translating, etc.  I just don't know what we would have done without CHI and your amazing Russia team.  They were all incredible, nice, patient and kind.  I kept saying to Bruce "What would we do without CHI?"  I don't understand how people do it on their own.  There are so many details on the other end we never had to give a thought or to figure out because it was all done for us.

We made great friends with your team over there because they never treated us like clients.  They treated us as friends, which made the trip that much better.  I just wanted to thank you guys and your entire team for a job so well done and with such expertise!

We are so happy with every aspect of this process.  It has been an amazing, fulfilling, life-changing event in our lives.  We truly came home from Russia changed people.  I'm now on a mission to gather as much as I can to take back to the orphanages from big corporations and donations from my church.
 

Our adventure started when Janis and I discovered we were unable to have children of our own.  We waited a couple of years before deciding we would look into adoption.  Two days after we decided we may adopt we saw an ad for an informational meeting by Children’s Hope International to be held at a local church.

The church is a well respected church in our hometown so we decided to attend the meeting and see what it was all about.  We were pleasantly surprised and there was even a child at the meeting that had been adopted from Russia a few years ago.  Janis and I decided after little debate that this sounded like an ideal situation for our (future) family.  We talked with couples that had adopted internationally and chose to send in our application to Children’s Hope.

Gathering the dossier material took longer than we thought it might, but it was worth every second.  There were times that were trying and times that were exhilarating.  We plugged on with much help from our trusty representative Natalia Sirotyuk in the Brentwood, Tennessee regional office.  With her help and Brenda Barker’s assistance we were able to complete our dossier and submit it to the home office in St. Louis, Mo.  Any questions we had were answered quickly and efficiently.  And believe me there were a lot of questions.  Thank goodness for cell phones with lots of minutes.

With this guidance we did not have anything rejected from our dossier.  The St. Louis office also provided information at the smallest request.  No question was too silly for them.  Pam Bischoff was our assigned rep from the Russia Team and Mareda Eckert helped out several times when we were in a bind.  Pam graciously helped us understand how the entire process would take place from this point.  She gave us the lowdown on what to expect and it all unfolded just as she said.  So after a short wait we were ecstatic when we got the call that our dossier had been translated and a child was waiting for us in Novosibirsk. 

The adrenaline was pumping so fast I had a hard time talking to Janis to let her know that our trip was only four days away.  We knew at that point that we would be providing a home for a child that needed us as much as we needed them.  With all of the problems that we have had having a baby of our own we held many of our emotions in reserve until we were sure we could provide for a baby.  Boy oh boy, were we ever flooded with emotions from this point forward.

Neither of us had ventured out of the country any farther than Toronto, Canada.  Personally, I had only taken one commercial round-trip flight to Cleveland in my entire life.  Just getting to Siberia was going to be a brand new experience for us, not to mention the language barriers.  Wow, were we ever surprised at how everything was handled by Children’s Hope when we arrived at Moscow and at our region in Novosibirsk.  We were met at the airport by a translator and a driver every time we had to fly.

Susha was our translator in Moscow and she put us at ease right away.  When there was an important time to meet or a need to have forms filled out she was there to help.  When we needed to be transported someplace the driver was always on time.  Once again no question was too silly.  Olga was our tour guide on our first trip when we toured the Kremlin.  Her knowledge of Russian history is vast and we were able to grasp the pride of Russian people through our tour.  The food was great and the hotel staff at the Marriott were helpful as well.  We have nothing but great memories of our time spent in Moscow.

The brief time spent at the Moscow office for Children’s Hope was also very helpful.  We were able to meet all of the nice people that had helped make this dream come true.  We were especially touched by the last meeting we had there when they wished us well in our future.  The entire staff was very nice and wanted to help with anything that we had questions about. 

Our fondest memories are of our trips to our region.  Marina Matovetskaya was our Children’s Hope representative in Novosibirsk.  We thank the good Lord above for letting his angel be our final guiding light.  She cares as much about these children as the parents that are there to adopt.  You can see it in her eyes that she wants what is best for the child.  Not only was she our rep, but she was our friend while we visited her country.  We cannot possibly say enough good things about Marina.  She is a Godsend that deserves all the praise in the world for her humanity and grace. 

On a side note:  Is there anyone in Novosibirsk that Marina doesn’t know?  She has got all of the right connections.

Since this is where we spent the majority of our time the translator was especially important.  Our translator was Alyssa and she was there at every turn when it was crucial.  Janis and I were both impressed by her language skills and she is a lot of fun to be around.  We really got a kick out of her asking the meaning of certain English slang terms.  Our driver in Novosibirsk (and Moscow) was very talented at negotiating traffic.  For those who have not been to Russia it is a totally different style of driving than what we are accustomed to in the United States.  It is a more aggressive and offensive style (versus defensive).  Once again he was very timely.  Although our hotel room was small we were well taken care of and the food here was very good.

The biggest thrill of my life was when we finally met our son.   He is a beautiful 13 months old baby boy that loves to be held.  His name is now Brantley Sergey Harriman.  We can not get enough of his smiles and laughs.  He was walking some when we first met, but since has taken off.  It has been two weeks since the adoption and already he will walk as far as he wants without holding our hands.  We see him improve in all areas everyday.  He is also starting to say Mama and Dada.  It is pretty clear that he does not understand why or to whom he is saying it every time, but it will not be long before he does. 

Brantley was in orphanage #3 in Novosibirsk.  You could really tell that he loves his Chief Educator.  His eyes would light up every time she entered the room.  The Chief Doctor was helpful in answering any questions about Brantley’s past medical history.  Both of these ladies care about all of the children in the orphanage and would do anything in their power to improve their lives.  For that we are extremely grateful.  It is obvious that these administrators and the caretakers had taken time to work with the children on everyday tasks.  The orphanage itself was very clean and it was being renovated in some places while we were there.  The combination of the fine personnel and the clean facility made it much, much simpler to leave Brantley until we returned on our second trip to bring him home.

Our love for our son is immense and grows every day, but that is a different letter in itself.  This letter is intended to convey our many thanks to all of the people that gave the time and effort to help us bring home a loving son.  Everyone involved is to be commended for a job well done.  Life will be different for us after bringing Brantley home, but we are loving every minute of it.  We fully intend to tell him about all of the fine people involved in bringing him home and would recommend Children’s Hope International agency to any family considering international adoption, especially from Russia. 

To say the least, we were overwhelmed when we saw Alexei - he is such a beautiful, healthy and happy baby. Alexei is almost 11 months old. Alexei is beautiful and I can say that all the couples we saw in Moscow adopting babies (including the 2 other couples from CHI), all got beautiful, healthy babies, mostly from 9-18 mos.  It was hard leaving Alexei, but we are anxiously looking forward to returning to Moscow to pick him up on the second trip.   

Todd and I wanted you both to know that we have been more than pleased with CHI - Nashville, St. Louis and Moscow - and had a wonderful trip to Moscow. Everything went smoothly and we were very well taken care of by CHI. Based on our experience thus far, we would highly recommend CHI to any prospective adoptive parents!

Take care and THANKS for all your help and concern. We look forward to making the second trip in a few weeks. 

Brenda, Carrie, Caroline, Julia.  We're home and she's beautiful.  We couldn't be happier.  Honestly, it's like she's never not been a part of our family.  We needed her just as much
as she needed us, you see. Just wanted you to know we are pleased as can be, praising God for all the miracles we've seen Him do over the last 5 months.  The Lord surely matched us with Divya centuries ago before laying the foundations of the earth, and He used you all to hook us up with her.  Thanks for all you did, for being so sensitive to what we all needed.  We needed her.

Trivia Night & the silent auction were a huge success raising over $2200 for the children of Amor orphanage.  Hats go off to Rebecca Smeltzer, our volunteer coordinator of the Humanitarian Aid effort.   

Please mark your calendars and gather your junk for May 22^nd, for a Foundation Garage Sale, being spearheaded by Joan Lanier for the needs of orphans. Donations accepted. More info to come!!

The response to our plea on behalf of the orphans affected by the Kemerovo floods has been so encouraging! Thanks to all who have helped spread the word... 

The flooding hit 22 towns and villages, affecting more than 5,000 houses inhabited by 23,529 people. Ten deaths have been reported. The situation appears to be stabilizing, but houses remain flooded and the governor of Kemerovo estimates the losses incurred by local residents at about $25 million USD (or 700-750 million roubles). In the city of Tashtagol alone, the flood broke 37 pedestrian bridges, damaged 100 km of roads, and inundated 500 homes.  

Among the orphanages that had to be evacuated were the following children's homes in Tashtagol, Kaltan, and Osinniki:

1. school/orphanage #3 (106 orphans)

2. special school/orphanage #19 for mentally impaired children (224 total, 52 of whom are orphans)

3. school/orphanage #26 (150 orphans)

4. school/orphanage #4 (number of orphans still unknown) 

The greatest needs continue to be warm clothes, shoes, bed-linens, textbooks, and paper. Due to customs fees and transportation costs, CHI is unfortunately unable to accept in-kind donations for the Kemerovo orphans. However, a monetary gift of $50 will supply all of the above-mentioned needs for one child.   

Click here to read Russian newspaper accounts of the flooding. 

To Help: Make checks out for “Kemerovo Flood” to CHI Foundation.

 Or online at: www.chifoundation.org
 

We have 3 babies in India (ages 4-6 months) with medical issues who desperately need families. One has a heart issue, one was partially aborted and one has a club foot. Families do not need to meet the normal India requirements (larger families are fine). Children could come home within a month. Please call 615-309-8109 or e-mail Caroline at Caroline@childrenshopeint.org.  

News Flash:

As of 04/28/04, CIS will not accept families for fingerprint appointments, (even if a letter with a date was received) unless there is a finished homestudy presented. This is for TN families only. Please take a finished homestudy with you when you are fingerprinted (photocopy is fine).

Effective April 30, 2004 new CIS fees are:

Fingerprinting - $70 per person

Filing fee for I-600A form - $525

Please visit CIS website at http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm for more details.

Please join us for free information meetings:

For more information, please go to http://www.childrenshope.com/southeast/index.htm

May 6, 2004, Memphis, TN

First Evangelical Church

735 Ridgelake Blvd, D. L. Moody Room, Memphis, TN 38120

6:30-8:30 PM

May 11, Brentwood, TN

Children’s Hope Office, 7003 Chadwick Dr, Suite 350

6:30-8:30 PM 

May 24, Arlignton, TX

Lake Arlington Library,

6:30 -8:30 PM 

May 25, Rockwall, TX

First Baptist of Rockwall

6:30 -8:30 PM 

June 1, Lubbock, TX

Mahon Libary

7:00-9:00 PM 

June 4, Little Rock, Arkansas

Terry Branch Library

6:30-8:30 PM 

June 15, Brentwood, TN

Children’s Hope Office, 7003 Chadwick Dr, Suite 350

6:30-8:30 PM

May 7                    Russian Class                      6:30                                   Woodmont Hills, rm 201

May 17                  Home Study Group              6:30-8:30 PM                    Children’s Hope

May 14                  Parenting Class                   6:00 PM                             Woodmont Hills, rm 201

                             Op Hope Orientation #1        6:30                                   Woodmont Hills, Office Annex

May 8                    Dossier Class                       8:30 AM                             Woodmont Hills, rm 201

                              Travel Class                         10:00 -12:00 Noon            Woodmont Hills, rm 201

                              Pre-Adopt Class #1            12:30-6 PM                         Woodmont Hills, rm 201

June 12                Yard and Bake Sale            8:00 AM  - 1:00 PM            Woodmont Hills

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth
would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted
in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained,
or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much
less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his
youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day
because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more
while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't
show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every
moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only
chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go
get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's." More
"I'm sorry's."
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look
at it and really see it .. live it and never give it back. Stop sweating the
small stuff.

Happy Mother’s Day….and for those of you waiting Happy Mother’s Day in Waiting!!  We don't want to burden you with a lot of information, but we do want to help you if you are looking for a way to adopt. If not, please let us know and we will regretfully remove your name from our newsletter.   E-mail me at my address below with any question you have.  I would love to hear from you.   

Brenda

 Southeastern U.S.
 Brenda Barker, Director
 7003 Chadwick Dr. Suite 350
 Brentwood, TN  37027
 615-309-8109   Fax: 615-309-8483

 Brenda@ChildrensHope.com
 Also serving the following states: TN, KY, GA, AL, AR, MS, FL, TX and LA