War in Ukraine interrupts adoption process for Gulf Coast families

Between the three families are eight Ukrainian children waiting to call South Mississippi home.

The love of a parent knows no bounds– no matter the time, distance, or language barrier.
For three South Mississippi residents– that love has grown to include children in Ukraine they were in the process of adopting when Russia invaded.
The bond they share is special.
It’s based in faith and the pieces of their hearts that are a world away- in a country in the middle of war.
Between them are eight Ukrainian children waiting to call South Mississippi home.

“We have friends who hosted two girls from Ukraine over the summer. We had never heard of the hosting program. We had such a great experience that it softened our hearts and opened our eyes to the statistics of the Ukrainian orphans and the crisis of orphans in Ukraine,” says Angie Arguello.

Arguello, Mallory Stieffel, Jarred Rushing and more local families jumped at the chance to host children when the opportunity came up again in December.
The children had to return to Ukraine in January, a couple of months before Russia launched an invasion.
The children Arguello and Rushing came to love as their own have been safely evacuated to a neighboring country but emotions are still high.

“A week ago I was on a call with the oldest and I had to translate when I got off the call and he said that ‘I don’t feel good and this maniac is going to kill us.’ And in just one week he’s in a much safer place. It’s just so much better now. But it was not. They were fearing for their lives,” says Rushing.

It’s a different story for the four children who stole Stieffel’s heart.

“My children are still in Ukraine and their area has had heavy shelling. The last time I was able to speak to them was six days ago and they were afraid. We know that they are okay right now but we are just praying that today will be the day we get the information that they’re going to be evacuated to a neighboring country, but right now, this has been extremely hard,” says Stieffel.

But her faith remains strong.
While the journey to legally becoming their parents and bringing them home is far from over -the faces in the photos say it all.
They are loved.

“We love them so much with all our hearts and we have been praying and we will never stop fighting for them. They’re part of our family,” says Stieffel.

“They are loved more than they know. Not just by us and our children but every person who met them while they were here. They have been fought for on every level that we can,” says Rushing.

“We have an entire community of people who are praying for them and their safety. I know I am going to botch this but, slava Ukraine, which means ‘glory to Ukraine’ and stay strong,” says Arguello.