Why international adoption?

Why would you adopt internationally when there are children in the US that need to be adopted?
We are "pro" all types of adoption- domestic, international, and from foster care.  There is definitely a need all of over the world!  Look at this:  2009 Orphan Statistics.
There are advantages and cautions that go with each type of adoption- See links:
Adoption from Foster Care
Domestic Agency Adoption
International Adoption
We personally felt like God was calling us to adopt from Africa.  Then after doing some research Rwanda seemed to be a great match for us, which we believe was also God's directing.  In a later post I would love to share more about the experience we had at the orphanage in Kajo Keji, Sudan where we felt God began calling us to adopt.  

At the orphanage in Kajo Keji, Sudan

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11-12)
It is our desire that we are able to be imitators of several of the families who have courageously traveled the path of adoption from Rwanda before us. It is hard to imagine that we would be starting this journey if it weren’t for what these families have done before us, and for that we are thankful. One of the biggest reasons that we decided to start this record was how much we appreciated families ahead of us sharing their experiences. It is my hope that someday God will use our story to encourage another family in this exciting decision to adopt. As it happens several of the families that I read about (blog stalked) as we were considering adoption are currently in Kigali being united with their children! Most of the links for these stories can be found in the sidebar, but the families in Rwanda right now are:

http://fisherbloggers.blogspot.com
http://hunterandadrianne.blogspot.com
http://www.littlewats.blogspot.com
http://maddoxpartyof5.blogspot.com
http://susiehereonly.blogspot.com
http://sneadventure.blogspot.com
http://dokolasadoption.blogspot.com
http://man-of-melissa.xanga.com

I also wanted to point out (and give a big thank you) to two couples who were instrumental in getting the ball rolling with us on Rwanda adoption- the Braners who brought their little girl Gabby home in the fall of 2007 and the Watson’s who are bringing Desmond home right now. I went to high school with Suzanne Watson and it was following their story from a link on facebook that first got both Tara and I thinking about adopting from Rwanda. The Braners were a pilot family in the AWAA Rwanda program – and we’re among the first to adopt from the country. We’re familiar with the Braners through Kanakuk and it was encouraging to know that they’ve been through the experience. The courage they demonstrated in tackling the unknown processes in an East African country is inspiring.

Some statistics on Rwanda adoption from http://adoption.state.gov/country/rwanda.html -in 2007 there were only 5 adoptions from Rwanda to the US, that number has climbed to 17 in 2008 and 16 in 2009. As a country with around one million orphans, you can see that the need is colossal. If you aren’t familiar with Rwandese history I would encourage you to read up on the conflict and rebuilding that has taken place in the country all in the past 15 years, the history simply amazing.

The "Clan"

My mom and I in Tulsa last summer

The "clan" in our blog title isn't totally random. We can thank my mom for it. At our wedding reception my mom was interviewed by our videographer. She was doing great, and being her sweet encouraging self and at the end she gave a shout out to Isaac: "Welcome to the Walthall, Kohlbacher, Tulsa, ... Clan!" My mom hasn't stepped in front of a camera since and my sister, Erica, opted not to have a videographer at her wedding perhaps in order to save us all embarrassment.  My family is the best at rubbing inside jokes into the ground for years to come. We've played this one up a ton in the last six years!  And one day we'll tell our baby, "Welcome, to the Kohlbacher, Dallas, Rwanda, ... Clan!"

This is the "Healey, Kohlbacher, Walthall, Edmond, Waco, Dallas, Bangkok.... Clan!" at Watermark Community Church over the Christmas holidays.

Our Trip to Sudan

Back in October Isaac and I went to Kajo Keji in southern Sudan with e3 Partners.  We went out with a team to a small village called Joru with a translator from sharing the Gospel. We then drew the believers to the new local church. During this time it was incredible how God used our testimony to reach others. Our struggling marriage over the last few years kept becoming more relevant over and over to so many people. Also, many Sudanese struggle with guilt/shame, believing good works buys salvation, fear of turning from patterned sinful ways and trusting Christ in all things, etc. All things we, too, wrestle with! Many came to know the Lord and at the end of the week three new believers were baptized.

Also during our trip we partnered alongside the Seed Effect team. While we were there they launched their first Loan Orientation Seminar and issued mico-loans to the first group of 19 clients. Of the 19 clients all were women and many of them had never been given the opportunity to attend school or even a seminar on these topics. They were truly grateful for the opportunity they received and were eager to implement what they learned!

Before going to Kajo Keji, we couldn't even imagine what living on less than $2 a day looked like. While we were there we soon saw the reality that essentials like food, education, and healthcare were often not being met. We saw that the women, in particular, do all they can to provide for their children even though many do not have any education due to war and/or finances. Giving a woman a small loan alongside business education and spiritual discipleship, can give her a chance to provide these essentials. Seeing the poverty first hand really opened our eyes. What's mind-blowing is more than half of the world lives like this. It's difficult to imagine that the conditions during the long civil war in Sudan between the North and South were worse. Isaac and I are so thankful for and passionate about Seed Effect. It truly is a valuable tool that is can overcome physical and spiritual poverty.

As you might have guessed, God not only used us to reach others, but He used the people and circumstance in Kajo Keji to change us! Both Isaac and I were amazed how God made the stories, instructions, and promises in His Word come to life. The Gospel that we've known for most of our life has begun meaning more than ever before. Luke 10 in particular had new meaning while we were there as it was our guidebook. Isaac and I both learned, saw and experienced so much through our trip, and through it all, God was so stinkin’ faithful! We both feel we were stretched; however, in return, we learned to let God do the directing!

On the way to the baptism

Top 10 FAQ About Our Adoption

1. Why are you adopting? Can you not have kids? We pursued having biological children for a short time, but after returning from Sudan in October we both felt God calling us to adopt.  We are so thankful for God’s perfect timing and provision!  We’re taking this one step at a time, but we’re open to having biological children and adopting again in the future. 
2. Why from Rwanda? Isaac and I went to Kajo Keji in southern Sudan with e3 Partners back in October to help with church planting and also serving alongside Seed Effect (www.seedeffect.org).  The entire trip was amazing and life changing including the small time we spent at the local orphanage.  We both had such strong feelings during and after our visit to the orphanage in Kajo Keji, but sadly adoption isn’t an option in Sudan.  After returning from Sudan as we continued to think about and pray for the orphans in Sudan.  Slowly but surely, God kept revealing stories, blogs, people, and situations that started opening our hearts to Rwanda.  As we began researching Rwanda are hearts were captured in similar ways to Sudan.  They are both countries which have struggled through civil war and hardship for many years.  In addition, Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa with 10 million people and approximately one million orphans and vulnerable children primarily due to poverty. 
3. Are you adopting a boy or girl? We didn’t specify a gender- we’d be happy for either!
4. How old will your baby be? We requested a baby between 3 and 10 months.  Three months is the youngest you can adopt.  We also said we would also be happy to have twins.
5. What’s the process of adoption? It’s a long process!  Now that we’re accepted by America World Adoption Agency we’ll be assigned a family coordinator that helps us with the “paper chase” throughout the adoption process.  We then compile our paperwork for our home study which is part of our dossier. (A dossier is the main adoption packet that is approved by the US government then Rwanda government).  Once we mail in our home study packet then we are assigned a social worker who will come to our house and interview us and some of our friends and neighbors.  Then, we compile (which is estimated to take 3 to 6 months) our full dossier and mail it to Rwanda where we then wait (could be between 1 to 6 months) on a “referral” which includes a picture, medical information, and socio-biographical sketch of the child’s life.  We’re then given the option to accept or reject the referral.  So, that’s the brief summary as we understand it right now.  More details to come…
6. How long does it take? Approximate timeframe is 10 to 15 months. 
7. Will you know anything about the birth parents? Not likely because most of the children are abandoned as a result of poverty.   
8. Will you get a medical report for your child? Yes.  All adopted children are given a full medical examination.  They are tested for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and other medical conditions. 
9. Will you travel to Rwanda? Yes, America World does encourage both parents to travel and spend 7 to 10 days in Rwanda.  They didn’t have to twist our arm- we’re super excited to go!
10. Have you thought of any names? We have a few girl and boy names that we’re sitting on.  He/she will have an African name which we may keep as a middle name. 

First Blog Entry- Hello 2010

When I was a child I came up with this cheesy slogan that I my sisters and I would chant every time we drove past a state border- “Good-bye Oklahoma and hello Texas!”  Of course, you have to do it with a really long, drawn-out hick/cowgirl accent.    Please, try not to visualize me doing this now.  I’m getting red just thinking about it.  So, here we are 2010 and I keep hearing in my head “Good-bye ‘09 and hello Twenty Ten!”

On December 31^st, 2009 as we celebrated the New Year and our 6 year anniversary we had a new appreciation.  Over the last few years Isaac and I have had some really rough patches in our marriage, however, we can testify today that God has restored and transformed our marriage.  In addition to celebrating the great place where we are in our marriage today, we also celebrated that we were both in agreeance about going forward and initiating adoption from Rwanda.  So, on the first day of the New Year we celebrated by filling out the America World Adoption Agency’s application.  And on the second day of the New Year we mailed the application first thing in the morning.  What a great start to the New Year!

Tara's Story

I grew up in Tulsa, OK, where I met my high school sweetheart, Isaac. We dated throughout college and got married on New Years Eve 2003.  Since then we've resided in Dallas, TX.

In the Fall of 2009 I made the goal to put myself in scary situations so that I would have to fully rely on the Lord. So, when God called us to go to Sudan- we went.  When God called us to adopt- we signed up.  And let me tell you what... God is faithful!

So, this blog will be about our journey, as God directs us, through adoption.

Riese's Story

I grew up in Dallas, Texas. I was born in Oklahoma, and my Dad bought me as a Christmas present for my Mom in 2004. I’m half French Bulldog and half Pug. My favorite activities are breakfast & dinner, tug-o-war, sleepovers, car rides, chasing squirrels, bedtime, cuddling, and anything another dog is playing with. I really don’t like squirrels, or wet grass. My favorite food is Bil Jac, but the truth is I’ll eat just about anything that’s not green and leafy. I can’t wait until we bring a baby into the house, because my dog buddies say that kids are a great source of table scraps. Speaking of dog buddies my best dog friends are: Bruce, Baxter, Eli, Puppy & Teddy, Holly & Lulu, Brady, Charlie & George, Baylor, Luna & Merckx and Kiva! I’m also very fond of giving kisses. One of my favorite targets is our niece Alyssa – she loves it! My Dad takes me on a walk most days after work. I can’t wait for the baby to join us on our walks!

Isaac's Story

I grew up in Tulsa, OK where I met Tara when I was just 16. We dated throughout our time at Jenks HS, and Baylor and were married in 2003. I work at HBK Investments, as a Trader in the equity and equity derivatives markets. In 2003 everything in my life was just how I wanted it, good job, beautiful wife, things were going according to plan – my plan. Lesson 1: God’s plans are infinitely more challenging and ultimately more fulfilling than my plans.

My plan was for marriage to be fun, enjoyable, comfortable! God’s plan was to use my marriage as a crucible to give me brokenness, show me the extent that I need him and demonstrate his faithfulness. After years of struggling with our marriage, in the summer of 2009 Tara and I were entering a new season. We were finally experiencing oneness in the sense that we had always hoped. So when Tara told me one night that she felt called to go to Africa I naturally said, “are you crazy!?” So… through some wise counsel from guys I trust along with considerable prayer, it became clear to me that God wanted me to go to Sudan with her. The experience was a walk in faith. I couldn’t imagine how going to Sudan fit in our budget but the funding was provided. I couldn’t imagine how we could relate to people from such drastically different circumstances but we were consistently amazed by how each encounter we had while in Sudan seemed tailor made for us. The trip helped shape in us a new perspective. Lesson 2: God is faithful!

While we were there we had opportunity to visit an orphanage, the experience we had led to some conversations when we got home about orphans, and adoption generally. Over the following couple of months Tara and I were both unaware of God speaking to each of us on the subject of adoption. A week before Christmas Tara raised the subject again, asking me if I knew that a high school friend of mine was adopting from Rwanda (she had found her blog from a link on facebook). Not only was I aware, I had independently read most of this friend’s blog only a few days before. I was initially alarmed by how natural it seemed to both of us to further consider pursuing adoption. I spent a couple of weeks asking God to show me his will for us in this huge decision. It became increasingly clear and at the start of the new year we began the journey. We’ll share our story here and the lessons we learn along the way, we ask that you raise us up in prayer as we walk the path.