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Laughlin family adopts three Russian siblings

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Austin M. May
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AETCNS) --  American Congregationalist Henry Ward Beecher once said "Children are the hands by which we take hold of Heaven." Many parents would probably agree, but perhaps those who may understand this sentiment more than anyone else are those who cannot have children of their own.

For childless couples who wish to have children, several options exist. One primary choice is adoption, but the decision to adopt a child is not made overnight. For Capt. Kenneth Fisher, 47th Flying Training Wing Protestant Chaplain, and his wife, Lee, it was a 14-year process.

Chaplain Fisher said he and his wife were enjoying living life for themselves, not looking for happiness far beyond the material things in life, yet over and over something didn't feel right. No matter how many things they had, life didn't feel complete, he said.

"As Christians, we realized happiness could not merely be found in the material aspects of life, and we had a decision to make as a childless couple," he said. "We had to decide if we wanted to live life for ourselves or for someone else."

It took a while, but the Fishers said they realized their purpose was to become parents. "God had been preparing us for this role our entire lives and now was the time to embrace it," said Chaplain Fisher.

One question the chaplain believes was one of the most important he and his wife had in the entire process was when a specialist asked if they wanted to have a family or a biological child. "That question resonated with us for 10 to 12 years," he said.

After weighing their options and carefully considering their faith, it became clear to the Fishers they should adopt. In addition to that, Chaplain Fisher said, God made it clear to them, through their assignment to Laughlin, who they should adopt.

"As difficult an assignment as some people may see Laughlin to be, if they look at it through different-colored glasses, they may see it as an opportunity to discover something new in their life," he said. "For us, we discovered now was the time to adopt."

"We were eating dinner at one of the Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training graduations, and I think we found out four of the five couples we were sitting with had either adopted or were involved in the adoption process," he said. "Of those four, three of the adoptions were from Russia."

Chaplain and Mrs. Fisher had lived as missionaries in Russia in 1999 and 2000. "Russia is a big part of our lives," he said, adding that Russian was the first language other than English he and Mrs. Fisher learned. "It all seemed natural, like God had opened a door for us."

When the Fishers decided to definitely adopt, the grueling process caused the couple to examine every aspect of their lives, the chaplain said. The adoption agency they worked with sent photos of two sets of three children. One of the sets of children had what they were looking for: two young girls and an older boy.

Pursuing the adoption involved extensive paperwork to include background checks, medical clearances and personal questionnaires. Chaplain Fisher said they were grilled on everything from childhood memories to what they considered to be each others' weaknesses.

They were told by a Texas adoption agency to expect the home study process to take nine months. It took less than 60 days. They were told they would wait a minimum of 14 months for the adoption to be complete, but it was done in nine.

"It was the fastest process I know of," Chaplain Fisher said. "For us to be able to adopt three children in nine months, internationally, is nothing short of a miracle."

On March 16, after spending thousands of dollars, completing stacks of paperwork, and taking weeks of leave during two trips to Russia, the Fishers were able to add Olga, 6, Kristina, 7, and Victor, 14, to their family.

Their children love America, but are being slowly introduced to life here, Chaplain Fisher explained. "They are very overwhelmed by America," he said. "They are experiencing sensory overload. Going into Wal-Mart overwhelms them."

He said the children like the smallness of Laughlin and Del Rio, and they love swimming. "They don't care if it's in pools, rivers or the lake - they just love water," he said.

The Fishers are preparing to move to Washington, D.C., something the kids are very excited about, the chaplain said. Once there, the children will start school, which Mrs. Fisher said she is looking forward to. The children only speak Russian, which hasn't been a problem since both parents speak it reasonably well. But she said school will force them to use English, and that is what the parents want. "We want them to be bilingual," Chaplain Fisher said, "but English is a must here."

The chaplain offered advice to others interested in international adoptions in particular, saying a couple has to be ready for anything. "You cannot look at adoption with the attitude 'I want a healthy baby,'" he said. "Be aware it is very common for kids to have medical issues."

Time is a valuable commodity during the adoption process, he explained, but added that Congress has recently approved 21 days of non-chargeable leave in addition to the normal 30 days for adoptions taking place after January 2006.

Finally, Chaplain Fisher offered a final observation for anyone interested in pursuing international adoption. "Remember - our culture is not theirs. Sometimes you just have to roll with the chaos."