House of Dreams

Dawn's experience with Adoptions Abroad left her wanting to do more. Today, she's a board member and speaks regularly at seminars for prospective parents. Additionally, she helped to organize the Camp Kids Hope Program for this region. The program is a two-week cultural and educational opportunity that brings Russian orphans from ages four to 14 to the United States for a vacation with host families and exposure to a wider group of families considering adoption. Sponsors pay about $1,200 for each child to make the trip. Churches such as Covenant Presbyterian in Fort Myers (Dawn's church) and Bayshore Baptist in Tampa plan activities. Families that adopt one of these children eliminate a trip to Russia, thereby reducing adoption fees to about $17,000. This camp experience has resulted in 82 percent of placements of older children.

The couple found it too difficult to try to teach the girls Russian, but they're committed to keeping the girls' Russian heritage alive, even far away in America, through stories and pictures, Dawn says.

"Al's ritual is to read to the girls just before bedtime every night," Dawn says. "We plan to take the girls to Russia for visits, and if one day they want to research their origins and their families over there, I'll be supportive of that. We're giving our daughters the gift of growing up in a loving family, which is the same gift those two little girls are giving us. Sometimes I pinch myself in amazement that these children are actually mine. I just love it when I hear them calling 'Mommy' through the house."

Kid Connection
If you're interested in adopting a child from overseas or want more information on the Camp KidsHope project, contact

Jan Melis
Adoptions Abroad
P.O. Box 590165
Houston, TX 77259
(866) 720-7151
info@adoptionsabroad.org