“Every since I was a little girl, I wanted to adopt. The thought of kids not being loved caused sleepless nights even as a child. After being married 12 years and giving birth to three children, I started thinking about adoption again. I journaled my prayers and one morning I wrote, ‘God, should I adopt from overseas or should I do foster care in my town?’

That same week, as I was preparing for bed, I received a call from the police station. The lady on the other end of the phone told me my ‘god-children needed a home and had come into care through DCFS. I remember asking, ‘Who are my god-children?’ It turns out they were from a lady who, 7 months prior, had attended our church where my husband was the pastor!!

Thirty minutes later, I had three little faces at my door. They had no clothes other than what was on their back, no toothbrush, no blanket or favorite pillow. I remember looking at their scared little faces: three boys ages 6,8, and 10. The next day, two of the three were able to go live with a bio father, but I had the 6-year-old for over a year. Oh, how I loved him. I knew he had a dad who had just been released from prison and he loved his son. I helped him get his son back.

I know that might seem strange for some, but the best gift you can give a child is a healthy bio parent who loves them and wants them. If anyone deserved a second chance,

it was this father, who was holding a job down and willing to drive 10 hours for his visits. The bio-dad lived in another state, which makes it very hard for a bio parent to get them back. State-to-state foster care may as well be an out-of-country adoption. It’s just a very long, hard process.