By Michelle Wilson
The 700 Club

"Gosh, nine kids, nine-college tuitions, nine cars, nine everything."

Brian and Anita Robbins had two sons. When they found out they couldn’t have more children, they decided to adopt. Imagine the joy and trepidation when they adopted seven brothers and sisters from Russia. But opening their hearts and home required courageous steps of faith that would take them across the world and change their lives forever. 700 Club producer Michelle Wilson follows their remarkable journey.
Brian: In Russia, the orphanages were bad situations. The physical aspects of the buildings were what really caught my attention. You walk-up and it was overgrown and there was no paint and just peeling, sidewalks were in disrepair.

Anita: We were only looking at maybe adopting one child to begin with. And then, this adoption agency had three little triplets that were two-years-old from Russia. And so we were just overwhelmed thinking about three.

Wilson: The Robbins wanted the triplets, but they were adopted by a Russian family. Then, they were asked if they had an interest in seven siblings. The children's mother died of cancer and their alcoholic father abandoned them. Not wanting them to be separated, the Robbins began to search for a family who would adopt them all.

Brian: We were telling all of our friends, `Hey, if you know anybody that can afford to adopt seven children, these kids are going to be split up. The Russian government will send them in three directions.’ And so we just were telling everybody about it.

Wilson: After many hours in prayer, they decided to adopt all seven.

Brian: Somebody would have to beat me off with a shovel to try to separate my two kids, and I felt the same way about those kids for some reason.

Wilson: But as the Robbins pursued the adoption, reality set in.

Brian: As a provider, my initial reaction is, `Financially, how are we going to do this?' I'm thinking, `Gosh, nine kids, nine college tuitions, nine cars, nine everything.' So the Lord had to do a big work in our hearts.

Anita: As I spent time in prayer, the Lord just showered me with peace, just incredible amounts of peace. And I just felt secure in the fact that He was going to take care of things, that He was going to make a way.

Wilson: After almost a year of paperwork and over $50,000 in adoption costs, the Robbins headed to Russia to meet their new children for the first time.

Anita: The younger children just immediately said, `Mama, Papa,' and they ran and hugged us.

Wilson: Brian and Anita were shocked at the living conditions the children had to endure.

Brian: The windows were all dirty, and you could hardly see out of them because they were so filthy. The bathroom facilities were very rough. The toilet was basically a hole in the ground.

Wilson: After two weeks, the Robbins and their seven children headed home to America. Friends and family met them at the airport with `Welcome home' signs in English and in Russian.

Anita: When we touched down on American soil, we realized, `We've got these children out of Russia and out of the conditions that they were in. They had no life, no future there. And now they were so excited looking out the window and they said, `America! America!' And so they all were clapping their hands and really excited.

Bonnie Gibson, a family friend: This is just perfect evidence of what faith is; stepping out into the unknown, without all the answers, without every 'I' dotted and 'T' crossed. You've just got to step out and let God handle it, and that's what they've done.

Wilson: The Robbins built a seven-bedroom home on a 69-acre ranch to accommodate their new family. Now it was a matter of them getting to know one another.

Anita: They all wanted to interact, but they couldn't communicate, and it took them really about a week to finally start figuring how to use sign language, pointing and drawing pictures.

Wilson: And now, along with their Russian names, they also have names taken from the Bible:

Milla Faith Robbins

Garteti Jacob Robbins

Anastasia Hope Robbins

Cody Thomas Robbins

Martino Joshua Robbins

Caleb Taylor Robbins

Lieba Charity Robbins

Ilya Noah Robbins

Tatyana Rachel Robbins

Wilson: The younger Russian children accepted Brian and Anita right away, but Noah had a difficult time understanding that he really had a new life and new parents.

Noah: I think probably I had another mom. I didn't want to call want to call them yet.

Brian: We told them right from the beginning, `We're not going to replace your Russian mother and father. We're your American mother and father.'

Wilson: After several weeks, Noah's trust grew. He began to call Brian and Anita Mom and Dad.

Anita: And that was one of the most special moments, I think.

Wilson: The Robbins household is always full of adventure.

Anita: It just warms my heart to watch them together, playing and how much they love each other. And its really blesses me to know that they know Jesus and that they have a Christian home and they can grow up together knowing one another.

Wilson: Still, the Russian children had a hard time believing that this new life would last.

Noah: When I came in here, I was laying down at night all the time in the evening, and I was thinking that it's just a dream. I couldn't believe it.

Anita: I would be straightening beds and, straightening up bedrooms, and I would see food. They would stash food all around: apples, bananas and crackers. And it brought back a lot of memories of what it was like there, when they were there living at the orphanage.

Brian: We assured them that they were staying and that everything in our house was theirs. And they didn't have to hide it or take it to themselves. `It's all yours.'

Wilson: One of Anita's biggest adjustments was learning how to cook in mass quantity, especially when a typical breakfast for a family of 11 consists of 80 pancakes.

Noah: A whole stack will be gone in half an hour.

Brian: Some people looking in from the outside would think it's easy for a doctor to adopt this many children. But the Lord has made it possible.

Wilson: The Robbins feel strongly that those who are considering adoption should not overlook the older children.

Brian: There are so many older children in all of those countries that are just tremendous kids that just need a mom and a dad, that just need love to blossom. And we've seen that happen here with our kids.

Wilson: The seven orphans whose future was bleak now have a loving family and a loving faith in Christ.

Noah: It feels good that God had a plan for us to get adopted.

Anita: If the Lord is speaking to your heart and he's telling you to do something, I just want to encourage people to do it.

Brian: It may have nothing to do with children.

Anita: Right.

Brian: It can be anything. But you have to be willing, and you have to make that decision to say ‘yes’ to whatever the Lord asks of you.

Rachel: I will thank God for giving me a new family.