International adoptions are full of joys and pitfalls. Virginians Robert and Pat Saunders, who adopted two children from Russia, didn’t find the road easy. (See story in the Religious Herald, Feb. 8, 2007.) Their experience parallels Brenda’s in several ways. They had to make two trips to Russia and were required to bring a large sum of money on the final trip.
“The rules changed as we went,” says Robert. ”They kept adding on things and then it would cost more.
“By law, Russian adoption agencies have to find some disability with each child that is put up for adoption,” says Robert. “so Russian doctors ‘play the game,’ in order to render children adoptable. My girls were diagnosed with flat feet, but haven’t had any problem over here.”
In 2007 Victoria and Alex joined the Saunders family of parents and three other children. They were already partly grown Russian children, and “it was a struggle at first,” Robert says. “But everything’s good now.”
Elinor Warren is a freelance writer and member of First Baptist Church in Newport News, Va.
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