Johanna & Bryan

We understand that this is a big decision for you and it may seem scary to know the uncertainty of what the future will bring. We promise you that adoption is something we are serious about undertaking and we will be fully committed to caring for your child. We are excited to provide a faith filled, nourishing, safe and loving household for your baby.

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HELLO
Thank you for considering us to be parents for your child. Not knowing the future can be very frightening. We cannot imagine how difficult this decision is for you, however, take comfort in knowing that we want to love your child as our own and welcome you into our lives.

Growing up in loving, supportive homes has shown us the importance of family in the development of a child.  We both cherish our childhoods and wish to create joy filled memories for our children.

We have always planned on having a family, however, due to infertility; we have not been able to conceive a child ourselves.  We hope our adoption profile book reveals the safe and loving home that your child will be a part of.

OUR STORY
We met at the University of the Fraser Valley, in Chilliwack, BC, in January 2008 when we were placed in the same chemistry and math classes. That September, Bryan moved to Vancouver to complete his studies in engineering at the University of British Columbia, while Johanna stayed back and studied nursing. In 2012 Bryan finished university and moved to Kamloops, BC, for work. In 2013 Johanna finished her nursing degree and in July of that year we got married. Johanna then moved to Kamloops too, and started her nursing career.

After two years, a job opportunity arose for Bryan in Australia! Although we were sad to move so far away from our family and friends, we knew this would be a great experience, so in May of 2015, we packed up and moved across the world. We will never forget the two years we spent in Australia. We met so many amazing people, travelled to beautiful places, and progressed our careers. Living so far away from our family and friends taught us how to rely more on one another and strengthened our marriage more than we could have ever imagined.

In May of 2017 Bryan was offered a job in Ontario. We were sad to say goodbye to our friends in Australia, but excited to be back in Canada, closer to our family again.

After returning from living overseas, we knew we wanted to buy a house and raise a family.  We purchased our home in August 2017 and immediately did renovations to open the space up, update the appliances, freshen up the paint and floors, and build a fence around our back yard.  We both have taken up the hobby of gardening and enjoy spending time outside, preparing meals, playing cards, socializing, or playing horseshoes.  We have made some improvements to ensure that our home will be a safe place for your child to live.

We enjoy living in the area we do.  We live close enough to the hospital that Johanna can walk to work.  We are also within walking distance to schools, grocery stores, the church, and library.  There are lots of programs at the gym for children including swimming lessons, skating, dance and gymnastics. We have made some great friends here and love being a part of our community through our church, sports, and careers

JOHANNA
My wife Johanna is the most caring and strong woman I know.  Her background and upbringing have a lot to do with the wonderful person she is today.  Being the oldest of three, she has grown up to be a leader in sports, our faith life, at work, and among our peers.

Raised in a small town, with her extended family nearby, she has always cherished spending time with her immediate and extended family.  Some of her favourite memories are going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house on Sunday after church with the rest of the extended family for soup and socializing.   Johanna grew up camping, and to this day enjoys the outdoors and water-skiing.  She has many fond recollections of camping with her cousins, riding their bicycles and playing cards. Johanna is passionate about faith, nutrition, and living a healthy lifestyle.

Not being able to conceive a child for ourselves has been a very difficult and stressful challenge for both of us.  It has tested our faith and our relationship, as we both want to build a family. We are praying that you will want to be part of it.

A leader in sports such as basketball, field hockey, net ball, triathlons, half-marathons, tennis and squash.  She is a leader in our faith by being a member of the Catholic Women’s League executive, volunteering as a youth leader at the church and leading a women's faith study group which meets virtually every two weeks.

​(READ MORE BELOW)

About Us

​Email: johanna.strahl1@gmail.com
​Phone/Text: 807-271-5491
We live in: Fort Frances, ON
Our ages: Johanna - 31, Bryan - 32
Years together: 13 years together, married for 7
Hoping to Adopt: Newborn
Occupations: Johanna - Registered Nurse, Bryan - Engineer

Our Photo Album

Adoption Profile Book (click photo)

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BRYAN
My husband Bryan is such a wonderful man. He is one of three boys and grew up close to lots of family and friends. Because of this, he cares deeply about family and values spending time with them. He is loving, funny, generous, smart, and faithful. At the age of 29, Bryan showed how faithful he is by being baptized and joining me in the Catholic Church. He loves to joke around and have fun, but does not hesitate to stand up for what is right.

Bryan is well educated and works as a Mining Engineer. He is hard working and cares deeply about his friends and co-workers. In his spare time, Bryan enjoys playing sports, working in our garden, reading, cooking, and camping. He is always there for others and willing to lend a helping hand. I am so blessed and thankful to have Bryan as my husband and best friend. His caring, compassionate, thoughtful nature encourages me to be the best version of myself. I know that Bryan is going to be a great dad one day and will love and support a child with his whole heart.

OUR FAMILY
We do not yet have children of our own, however we have been assisting in supporting an eight-year-old child named Innocent, from Zambia, for the last four years through the Chalice program. The Chalice program works with impoverished communities around the world to help struggling families overcome the cycle of poverty.

We are both blessed to have incredible, supporting families! Our parents still live in the houses we grew up in, in British Columbia, and we visit frequently for weddings, reunions and going back during the Christmas season. Bryan’s parents are both retired while Johanna’s mom works at a post office, and her dad works on a dairy farm.

Bryan’s older brother Michael was adopted shortly before his parents received news that they were pregnant…. with twins! Michael is father to our niece and nephew, Mackenzie (10) and Parker (8). Michael and his children, and his girlfriend Marlissa, and her daughter, Jessalyn, live in BC, close to our parents. Bryan’s twin brother Steven, and his wife Beth, live in northern Alberta with our nephew and niece, Oliver (4) and Rosie (2). We stay in touch regularly via Skype or phone calls and usually get together at least once per year for a visit and snuggles.

Johanna’s younger sister Adriana is also a Registered Nurse and lives in their hometown in BC with her husband, Jack. Her and Johanna are very close, sharing many of the same passions, and regularly have lengthy phone call conversations catching up. Johanna’s brother Walter is an Electrician and lives very close to their hometown, in BC, with his wife, Ali. We have lots of great memories spending time with them and always look forward to seeing them again.

We have large extended families and our Strahl Christmas gatherings have become so large that we have had to rent a hall to fit everyone in! In Bryan’s extended family he has 6 aunts and uncles and 12 cousins, most of who have children of their own. Bryan’s grandmother just celebrated her 90th birthday and we still chat occasionally on the phone and receive letters with updates. Likewise, Johanna has a large extended family, with many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Johanna grew up spending lots of time with her family and is still close with many of them. Catching up with them when we visit BC is always something she looks forward to.

OUR LIFESTYLE
Our faith is very important to us and we enjoy daily prayer with each other and with God. We are a very active couple, but enjoy Sundays as a rest day.  Every week we attend Mass, and often plan our weekends away around being able to go to church.

Minimizing our impact on the environment and recycling are also passions of ours.  Whenever possible, we try to limit our carbon footprint by having reusable bags and buying organic bulk foods.  We don’t tend to eat out much but prefer to experiment and try new recipes at home.

During the summer, you can find us playing tennis, running, relaxing on our patio, or in the garden after work.  On the weekends we enjoy camping, kayaking, boating, cycling and hiking. During the winter, we enjoy staying active by snowshoeing, going to the gym, and playing squash.

We often enjoy hosting friends and family at our house when they come to visit. Easter dinners, Canada Day, and pumpkin carving have become annual events at our house!

TRAVEL
Aside from living in different cities in Canada and in Australia, we have travelled quite a bit to see new places. We especially enjoy learning about other cultures and experiencing how other people live.  We like trying new foods and are open to experimenting with new ingredients in our daily cooking.

Some of the places we have travelled with school, work and for holidays include the United States of America, Malaysia, France, Belize, Turkey, Mexico, China, Greece, New Zealand, Netherlands, and Belgium.

Although we have enjoyed travelling, we have come to appreciate our own outdoors.  The area we live in is beautiful and we have appreciated camping at provincial campsites and boating on nearby lakes.

OUR PROMISE
We understand that this is a big decision for you and it may seem scary to know the uncertainty of what the future will bring. We promise you that adoption is something we are serious about undertaking and we will be fully committed to caring for your child. We are excited to provide a faith filled, nourishing, safe and loving household for your baby.

Please be assured that we will welcome you as part of our family and will stay connected with you. Trust that we will be open and honest with you and truthfully answer any questions you may have.

Adoption Worker: Deanna Ward
807-621-8966
deannaward@tbaytel.net

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