"Hello Greg and Nina,
Happy New Year to you and your family! It is great to hear from you. Here is an essay my wife wrote for an English writing class she took at the local community college. I thought it might interest your readers to hear about the "A Belarus Bride" experience from a woman's perspective.
The Day That Changed My Life:
My day began like any ordinary day. I woke up early that Saturday morning to help my family work at our dacha. (A dacha is a small farmhouse outside the main city where families can grow their own fruits and vegetables.) At 7 am, I woke up my four year old son. We ate a quick breakfast.
After packing some food and toys for our trip, my son and I left our apartment for the long bus trip to the dacha. June weather in Belarus is not always pleasant. However this particular Saturday, the weather was sunny and beautiful.
My son and I along with my mother and stepfather spent a pleasant day working in our country garden. We returned to my apartment in the late afternoon.
Everyone was very tired after working outside in the sun. I was so exhausted that I wished to do nothing but rest.
When I entered my apartment, I noticed a message on my answering machine. It was a most unusual message.
It was from "A Belarus Bride", an introduction/marriage agency that I had joined almost 1.5 years before. The message said an American man had written a letter to me. Was I interested in writing him back?
If so, I needed to come to the agency that evening before 7 pm. I glanced at my watch. It was already 6:30 pm. Could I make it to their office in time? I was tired, sweating and not at all fresh.
I remember the dress I was wearing. It was a short summer dress made from denim, light blue colored with five buttons in front. My hair was in a ponytail because it was dirty.
And looking like this, I decided to go to the agency.
I raced out my door and made it to their office just in time. The lady there was very kind to me. She showed me the American man's letter and photo. I remember his picture very well as I still carry it in my wallet.
The first thing that crossed my mind as I looked at his photo was how much he looked like my father at a young age. I enjoyed the man's letter so much that I wrote him a return letter. From that Saturday in June, my life changed in a totally unexpected way. From that evening on, my life would never be the same.
This event changed my point of view regarding this kind of relationship. In the beginning, I did not believe I could meet a good man through an international marriage agency. My only knowledge of marriage agencies were the stories I read in Belarusian newspapers. Most of the stories were about women who were unhappy with their new marriage partners. Now I have a very different opinion of marriage agencies.
As my relationship with my future husband grew, I met several Eastern European women who married American men through international marriage agencies.
Most reported they were very pleased with their American husbands. I recently met a Russian woman while shopping at a local supermarket. I overheard her talking to her daughters in Russian so I walked up and introduced myself.
I discovered she had met her husband through an international marriage agency in Moscow. She and her husband have been happily married for 15 years and are parents of two beautiful daughters.
Another change in my life is I have become more patient, tolerant and understanding of other cultures.
Before coming to the U.S., I had not traveled much. I visited only Eastern European countries like Russia, Ukraine and Bulgaria. All these countries have similar histories, lifestyles and language.
What a different story it was when I entered the U.S.! I was not prepared for all the new sights and sounds. Everything around me was both new and strange. Shopping, paying bills, architecture and weather were completely different from my experiences in Belarus.
I remember my first week of living in Texas. It was two summers ago and the weather was very hot and humid. Our new home was empty. I didn't know any of my neighbors.
One evening, a pretty Brazilian lady knocked on my door. She introduced herself as our neighbor and invited my family to a barbeque at her home.
At the barbeque, I met 5 couples. Every person I met came from a different culture than my own.
There were Americans, Brazilians, Indians, Puerto Ricans and Yugoslavians. I could not imagine so many different cultures meeting together in one backyard!
All of us grew up in very different environments but it did not stop us from becoming friends. I learned a new lesson. The country that you come from does not matter. Personality and attitude are what really matter.
That sunny Saturday in June means a lot to me. Now I cannot imagine what my life would be like without that summer day.
My relationship with the American man grew quickly. Within a year of meeting him, we became husband and wife.
Now I have been living in America for over 10 years.
All the experiences of my new life in the U.S. have been both exciting and interesting. That summer day changed me in many ways.
It continues to change me even today.
Valya Pachachura-Bek"