An interview with Orson Mozes, the heart in International Adoptions

An interview with Orson Mozes, the heart in International Adoptions

Orson Mozes has helped over 1,000 people adopt internationally. We asked him how he got started in adoption. He answered by saying, “I believe that we are led to everything we do and everyone we meet by a higher power greater than ourselves. Over twelve years ago I was standing in line at our church waiting to hear the choir perform, when my wife, who is very friendly and talks to everyone, heard the couple behind us complaining that they were frustrated because they were having a hard time adopting a child. I was not paying too much attention to the conversation; until my wife turned to me and said, ‘Orson we have to help them. Doesn't

know people in the government in Romania?’ Well, I hadn't talked to Eugene more than four or five times in my life and not being as spiritually attuned as my wife told her that he was a dentist and what would he know about adoption?

said, ‘at least make a call and see what you can do.’ She then proceeded to get the hopeful couples phone number”.

You must have called him, we remarked. Orson replied, “You can imagine that very quickly I contacted my brother, who amazingly had just helped a couple from France adopt a Romanian baby. He put us in touch with a Romanian lawyer and, miracle of miracles, I was actually able to help this couple find and adopt their daughter. These new parents were both so happy that they appeared on a Los Angeles morning show and gave out my name and home number. Over 150 people called me for help. I was overwhelmed at this response. Before I knew what had happened many of the agencies in California were referring their couples for me for Romanian adoptions. I began to realize how beautiful and rewarding it was working as an adoption facilitator”.

We then asked him, “You said you were led into this field, how does this work?” He replied, “For me it worked like this. Six months went by and I had a dream, I rarely remember my dreams, but I woke up from this dream and what I needed to do was clear as day. I told my wife, that I had to go to Russia to help the orphans there. She asked me, ‘How do you know there are any orphans there’? I told her that in the dream there were many orphans and that I was going to go. My wife and friends were convinced that I was led to Romania, but I was taking this a little far going to Russia in 1991 before democracy had come to this country”.

“Did you go?”, we asked. “Yes, I was convinced I should do this. I bagged donations of clothing and arrived at the wrong ministry in Russia, but they took my donations and pointed me in the right direction. I was told that there were no orphans and no adoptions. I came back to the states disappointed but knowing in my heart that I had done the right thing. One year or so later I got a call from the Ministry of Education asking, ‘Did I want a contract to do adoptions with the Russian government?’ I was shocked and asked, ‘Why me’? They said ‘you are only one of two people that had ever inquired’. Working in Eastern Europe and Asia has been an amazing and fulfilling experience for me. Never so more than in 1994 when I found and we adopted our own precious daughter, Zoe. The rest as they say is history”.

“How long will you facilitate adoptions?” we asked.. His reply was, “This feels like my life work. I actually can’t imagine myself doing anything else. Today I realize that I have the best job in the world; helping children that have not had much of a chance to become part of a loving American family. Who would have ever thought that I, Orson Mozes, could help so many children? I guess in retrospect God has a plan for each and every one of us, we just have to listen”. “It was a pleasure to listen to you and hear your inspiring story.” we responded.