International Adoption Q&A

This week, I am excited to share with you a conversation I had with Samantha Ausbrooks. Samantha and her husband, Rocky, have three children; Tesfaye (13) who was adopted from Ethiopia, Kaleb, (5) who is their biological child and Addisyn (4), who was also adopted from Ethiopia. I have enjoyed watching them build their family over the years, and thought that their knowledge, perspective and wisdom in regards to international adoption is something that needed to be shared. Without further delay, let’s get started!

Jennifer: What led you to adoption? More specifically, how did you decide to go the international route?

Samantha: In 2012 while on a medical mission trip to Honduras, the Lord revealed the orphan crisis to us first hand and I came home from that trip knowing that He was calling us to defend a child that had been orphaned. We support both domestic and international adoptions. We chose international adoption for our family, from Ethiopia, because every time we would pray about it, the Lord would specifically lay that country on our hearts. So, we walked in obedience by pursuing adoption from that country.

Jennifer: I get the question all the time, “Where do I begin?” What would you say to someone is asking this question about international adoption?

Samantha: I think the best way to begin is by researching adoption agencies and finding one that you feel comfortable partnering with. Each agency has different country programs and all programs have different requirements and processes. I would also highly suggest finding a fellow adoptive family to connect with, especially if you have a specific country on your heart and you know of a family that has adopted from that country. Building those friendships and having someone to lean on that has been there and walked that journey is such a gift.

Jennifer: What are some things you think people should know about international adoption?

Samantha: International adoption is not for the faint of heart, but the child is so incredibly worth the yes and every hard day that comes along with it. The processes can be long and brutal to walk through. The emotional roller coaster is real! The communication across countries with translating documents and working with other embassy’s can cause extra waiting times and frustration. In Ethiopia alone, it’s estimated that there are 4.5 million children without parents. That’s a hard statistic to fathom, but it’s real. Helping two children have a family seems so small in the grand scheme of things, but we’re so humbled the Lord has entrusted them to us. Despite the hard stuff, there’s a child without a family that’s destined to be yours and when it’s all said and done, no matter how hard it was, you’d do it a million times over for a chance to love them.

Thank you, Samantha, for taking the time to answer these questions. If any of our readers would like assistance in finding families who have adopted from specific countries, or if you have any questions about adoption that you would like assistance in answering, send them our way! We would love to help. Additionally, I would like to remind everyone that the Rowan Fund offers grants for Okmulgee County families who are adopting domestically or internationally.

NOTE: Jennifer Avery is the Director of the non profit agency, “The Rowan Fund,” which seeks to support adoptive and foster families in Okmulgee County. She resides in Morris with her husband and two children. Questions or comments? Send them to: RowanFamilyTree@gmail.co

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