Our Forever Family From India to Oregon: A family joined by God Background drawing of branch from http://www.tattva.com/vladi/india.html ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› Telugu lettering for “My beautiful daughter Kinnera from the Telangana” Dedicated to Kinnera, the best daughter a daddy coould every have. Thank you for being my little girl. by John Inman [email protected] September, 2003 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Our forever family A loving family in India was blessed with two beautiful little girls. The mommy and daddy worked hard to take care of their little family. Mr. Koliah was 25 and his wife Mrs. Soni was 23 when a new little girl was born into their family. Both the mommy and daddy were daily laborers in their village. They loved each other and their girls very much. 4 5 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Their new little girl came to the family on January 17, 2000. The mommy and the daddy and the sister’s said, “She is so beautiful it is as though she is a spiritual being sent by God.” They named her Kinnera, a very special spiritual being in their country. 4 5 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ The mommy and daddy were very worried though. “What are we to do? Kinnera has eye infections and we can not afford to give her the medical care she needs.” The family was very poor. They consulted wise elders in their tribal village for advice. They asked, “How can we give our little Kinnera a beautiful life?” The wise elders told them of Sister Theresa, a woman far away in a big city that cared for babies and helped them find new homes. 6 7 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ The mommy and daddy prayed for guidance and soon decided to take little Kinnera to Sister Theresa. It was a difficult trip for the mommy and daddy. They loved little Kinnera so much that it broke their hearts to take her to Sister Theresa. But since they loved Kinnera so much, they wanted her to have a new loving family that could take care of her. 6 7 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ At the same time that little Kinnera was born to the loving family in India, another loving family half way around the world was looking for a little girl of their own. This was our family. We had been trying to have a little girl for seven years but were unable to have a baby, so we started looking for our own little girl. We looked and looked until finially our friends Barbara and Jeff Leisman introduced us to Plan Adoption. 8 9 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ We talked to Ann Scott and Judy Elkins of Plan Adoption who had a team of people close to our home in Oregon that helped loving families like ours find little children who needed a family of their own. They helped us with the decision to adopt a little girl. 8 9 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ There was so much work. Papers to fill out, letters to be written. Both Sister Theresa and Ann Scott, one in India and one in Oregon, wanted to make sure our family would love and cherish a little girl forever. 10 11 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ So it was that Kinnera started her long journey. At one month old, she was welcomed by Sister Theresa in India. Kinnera was now on the way to a new life, one that her birth parents had dreamed of for her. 10 11 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ One day when Kinnera was just four months old, Sister Theresa in India and Ann Scott in Oregon talked and a picture of Kinnera was sent to Oregon to see if a loving family was available for her. 12 13 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Right after Ann Scott at Plan received the picture of Kinnera, our family came to talk to her about our new little girl. When we walked in the door at Plan, Ann Scott said “I have a picture of your little girl. Would you like her?” 12 13 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ When we saw the picture, we fell in love with Kinnera. We knew at once that God had brought us together. “Kinnera, you needed a mommy and daddy of your own. We needed a little girl of our own. God brought us together.” 14 15 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Eight very long months later, Barbara Waletzko, a lady who worked for the airlines and loved children, picked up Kinnera in India and traveled with her one whole night and one whole day until they arrived in Oregon. 14 15 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Barbara stopped in her hometown in Minnesota on the way to Oregon and bought Kinnera new clothes and gave her a bath. She and her husband then came with Kinnera to Oregon. 16 17 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Many friends and family joined our family at the airport to greet Kinnera and Barbara who had traveled so far to help Kinnera find her new family. When Barbara and Kinnera came off of the plane in Portland, our hearts melted. We had waited so long for Kinnera. Our family was finally going to be whole. 16 17 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ David, Kinnera’s new brother had been asking for a little sister for over seven years. When he held her for the first time he wept saying, “I love you so much.” 18 19 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Mommy held Kinnera close and almost would not let anyone else hold her. This was their first hug, the first of many in a lifetime of love. 18 19 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ Daddy held Kinnera and had a hard time letting mommy have her back. He had been waiting for this moment for years. 20 21 ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï› ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ ¥Ë £ÆêýâÁô¨÷ ™Âý§÷ ÃþÉä§Á ¢ÁëÏ œÉ¨Ï›ÂÁ So many of our friends came to the airport with us to greet Kinnera.