Adoption: Walking in Faith Toward a Bigger Story

Choosing to adopt

isn’t a casual decision. It isn’t just adding a child to the family—it’s joining a story so much bigger than your own. It’s stepping into a journey that reshapes your identity and calls you to grow in ways you never imagined.

Andy and Laura know this well. After having two biological children—Kate and Jack—they felt an unmistakable tug on their hearts—a calling they couldn’t ignore. They sensed God inviting them to open their home and lives to adoption.

In Laura’s words, “The Lord kept giving us little confirmations that this was the right path to be on.”

But even with these clear confirmations,

the doubts and questions lingered. They wondered how they would be able to pay for an adoption, especially since they worked in ministry and didn’t have a lot of extra income.

But Andy and Laura knew that if God was leading them to adopt, He would provide a way.

In March 2011, they decided to adopt.

They began exploring grants, fundraisers, and financial aid options specifically available for adoptive families. Friends, family, and even people they’d never met began to rally around them—supporting their journey through donations, prayers, and encouragement. In Andy’s words—

“God answered my concerns in pretty incredible ways. We had amazing friends that came alongside us, and members of our church supported us in profound ways. And then Lifesong was a huge part of that provision, too.”

Since 2002, Lifesong has helped support

the adoptions of 10,914 children.

By providing adoption financial assistance—through matching grants, interest-free loans, and adoption crowdfunding pages—we help families overcome financial barriers that might otherwise keep them from saying “yes” to adoption.

And because we believe—together—we can make a lasting impact that no organization can achieve alone, we have the privilege of partnering with over 500 local churches and organizations around the country in a program we call Outside the Walls. By connecting families with generous partners, we help connect churches and communities in this important mission to bring children home.

Why is this so important? Because 93% of the families Lifesong serves would be unable to complete their adoptions without support. And we believe money should never be the reason a child grows up without the love of a family.

Through our Outside the Walls program, Andy and Laura received adoption financial assistance from Houston’s First Baptist Church, enabling them to move forward on their journey to bring a child into their family.

One year after deciding to adopt,

Andy and Laura received their referral for a precious two-and-a-half-year-old boy who needed a family. And in June 2012, they left for Uganda to bring him home.

The trip was beautiful and hard.

“There was something bittersweet about being there with Eli and trusting that God was working on behalf of all the children who needed family, while we were there for only one.”

On August 3, Andy, Laura, and their kids came home as a family of five.

But God was still writing a story better than they could imagine.

Their journey didn’t end

when their plane touched down at home—it was only beginning. Laura shares—

“So much of the adoption journey is just coming home and actually parenting a child who has been through a trauma and through immense loss.”

But there was so much good, too.

Jack and Eli—now brothers—were close in age and quickly formed a bond that has only grown deeper with time. They became inseparable—a beautiful reminder that family can be built on far more than just biology.

In Andy’s words, “I think one of our family mantras is we want to do things together. We want to spend time together. We want to have experiences together. Both the exciting things and also the regular life things—we want to do it together.”

So Bros Ride Bikes was born.

Even prior to adopting, Andy loved riding his bike with friends. And—once his sons were old enough—he would often have them join him on his recovery rides.

Then 2020 happened, and the world slowed down. And for families like Andy’s, this meant extra time together.

What had started as a casual activity grew into a tradition.

Every bike ride became an opportunity to build a stronger connection, to explore new places, and to create a bank of shared memories on two wheels. It wasn’t just about exercise anymore—it was the bigger story of family.

So Jack and Eli decided to create a YouTube channel—documenting two brothers riding bikes in Southern California. They call it: Bros Ride Bikes.

Today, the brothers are 16 and 14.

And when they aren’t busy winning awards at bike races around the world, they’re working on their bikes and dreaming up future adventures together.

Their relationship has been compared to David and Jonathan—an unlikely story of love and brotherhood. God has truly knit their hearts.

Laura shares, “I will forever be grateful that God chose to give us the gift of adoption. We just love Eli so much, and we’re so thankful that we get to be his parents.”

Adoption isn’t just part of their family’s story—it’s the bigger story—woven into every race, every adventure, and every quiet moment they share together.

Jack and Eli are a living testament to the beauty of God’s good design for family. In their bond, we see a picture of the Gospel: love that transcends bloodlines, unity that’s stronger than words, and grace that brings together what the world might call unlikely.

For this beautiful family, adoption was only the beginning of an extraordinary journey filled with purpose, joy, and the hope of what’s yet to come.

---