God taught us through adoption that His heart is for the fatherless; He will move mountains to place the lonely in families.

My wife Julie saw Ellis’s picture while I was in Rwanda with Compassion, and she instantly felt like he was our son. She tried to push the feelings away; after all, this boy was already 3 years old and had a special need that would require daily care. Try as she might, she couldn’t get this precious face out of her head. She pictured him with our family everywhere—on walks, at the park, etc.

Meanwhile, over in Africa (before Julie told me about Ellis), I was talking to my team about adopting again. But, surely this wasn’t the right time. We had just moved, taken a substantial pay cut, were figuring out some new medical issues with Katee, and I was still learning my new job.

Yet, we could not ignore the ways God was revealing His plan for our next adoption. Scripture references that ministered to Julie’s heart during our previous adoption were popping up. Over the next several weeks, God continued working on my heart and mind as I prayed and subtly assessed our family to determine if it was healthy to adopt again. A rest slowly came over me, and during worship at church. I knew that it was time.

We put our “yes” on the table and asked God to provide.

One significant way He provided was through our matching grant with Lifesong.

Update on Ellis

Ellis is an amazing addition to our family and brings us much joy as we parent him. Every night when we tuck him in, he smothers us with kisses and says, “I love you so, so, so, so much! You best ever.” Hearing these precious words every night from a sweet little boy who, in the beginning, rejected his mother so strongly is incredible.

It was also such a gift to see him sing and perform with his preschool class this week. He stole the show with his big smile and dance moves. He is passionate about worshiping through music and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for our sweet boy!

During the adoption process, we placed ourselves in a place of total dependence, expectant of seeing God’s mighty hand move. The way God showed up for this adoption was so affirming, and you were a significant piece in removing the financial barrier that stood between us and our son in China. The matching grant allowed us to have the money we needed for the next steps of our adoption so we could get our son home as soon as possible.

Thank you for sharing your story! What a gift to see the way God worked in your hearts–independently and then together–to bring Ellis home. We look forward to hearing how God continues to work in your family as you seek wholeheartedly to follow Him! 

Be God’s answer to a family’s prayer.