Adoption

For many years, Heather and I have been passionate advocates for adoption. We have supported adoptive families, invested in nonprofit organizations, and partnered with ministries that serve and advocate for orphans around the world. During my time as lead pastor at Decatur First Church of the Nazarene, our congregation was home to more than seventy adopted children—apart from the hundreds of additional families the church encouraged and assisted throughout the adoption process.

Globally, the need remains overwhelming. Nearly 18 million children have lost both parents, and more than 153 million have lost one or both. While countless parachurch organizations, denominations, and local churches are working faithfully to help children find safe, permanent homes, the need continues to far exceed the response.

Scripture is clear about God’s heart for the vulnerable. We are commanded to “defend the cause of the fatherless” (Isaiah 1:17), and Psalm 68:5 reminds us that God is a “Father to the fatherless and a defender of widows.” The heart of our Heavenly Father beats deeply for the orphans of the world, and He invites His people to reflect that heart through action. My prayer is that you will be moved to consider how you might respond—through adoption, foster care, advocacy, or support—and become part of God’s redemptive work in a child’s life.

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Kacey Xing-Yu Powell

In January 2014, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across a post from a friend that stopped me cold: “Friends, this is Kacey. Kacey is a beautiful 13-year-old girl waiting for her forever family to find her. She has Beta Thalassemia Major. She will age out of the adoption program in October 2014. If she does not find a family, her transfusions will likely stop—and without transfusions, her life will end. Please pray that a family will step forward so she can live life to the fullest.”

Tears filled my eyes as I read those words. Almost immediately, I sensed the Lord whisper, “Rescue her.” I texted Heather and asked her to read the post. Within minutes, she replied with just three words: “Let’s get her.” From that moment on, Kacey was our daughter. We moved forward without hesitation, fully trusting God with what lay ahead.

Several months before traveling to China to finalize the adoption, we received difficult news. Kacey had undergone a major surgery—a splenectomy—due to severe swelling caused by iron overload. Because of Beta Thalassemia Major, her body was unable to produce healthy red blood cells, requiring frequent blood transfusions to survive. While those transfusions provided life-sustaining oxygen, they also caused excess iron to build up in vital organs, including her spleen and liver.

We had hoped to bring her home before she faced any major surgeries, but the medical team believed the splenectomy was critical. Many people joined us in prayer during that season, and by God’s grace, Kacey’s treatments helped normalize her hemoglobin and iron levels. We were deeply grateful—and still uncertain of what the future might hold.

The night before we left for China, excitement doesn’t begin to describe what we felt. Surreal is a better word. As Heather and I boarded a plane bound for Guangzhou to bring home our daughter, Kacey Xing-Yu Powell, we were overwhelmed by the goodness of God. A year earlier, we never would have imagined that our family would be growing again so quickly. Yet God had done a profound work in our hearts, preparing us to welcome this precious girl into our lives.

What we could not have imagined then—and something we once believed impossible—is that years later, Kacey would be cured of Beta Thalassemia through a stem cell transplant. Today, she no longer requires transfusions. Her healing stands as a testament to God’s faithfulness, the advances of medical science, and the power of hope. We remain humbled and deeply grateful for a miracle we never expected to witness.

You can read Kacey’s full adoption story here: “Gotcha Day”  

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Lilah Shu-Nu Powell

In 2015, Heather and I began praying about the possibility of adopting another child. We reviewed dozens of adoption files without sensing clarity—until the summer of 2016. If you have ever walked the road of adoption, you understand what it means to find “the one.” After months of prayer and honest conversation about welcoming another child into our family, we knew Lilah was our daughter. Together with our children, we committed ourselves to becoming her forever family.

Lilah was found abandoned in a small village when she was just eleven months old and was later placed at the Children’s Welfare Institute of Chengcheng County, where she spent her entire life in institutional care. She also has severe scoliosis and has already undergone two corrective surgeries. While she is doing much better today, her back will require continued medical attention.

Over the years, some have questioned our decision to adopt again. We’ve been told we are too busy, too old, and already carrying enough responsibility—that we should be focused on saving for retirement and preparing for an empty nest. While we appreciate the concern, we have chosen a different path. We would rather live with less and rescue a child than accumulate more and retire early. For us, there is no reward greater than investing our lives in what truly matters.

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Additional Thoughts

Through the journey of adoption, we came to recognize—often without realizing it at first—how deeply cultural expectations shape the way we think about family, success, and security. Society subtly teaches us that life should follow a prescribed order and that families should function within carefully defined boundaries. Yet in the months leading up to each adoption, God gently reminded us of a deeper truth: when we say yes to what He calls us to do, He faithfully provides what we need along the way. We have witnessed this truth lived out repeatedly through the lives of generous, selfless, and mission-minded people who embody the heart of Christ.

Being missional is not primarily about what we do; it is about who we are. When our identity is rightly rooted in Christ, our actions naturally follow. To every person who prayed, gave, or offered encouragement throughout our adoption journey, we say a heartfelt thank you. Whether you realized it or not, you played a meaningful role in changing—and quite literally saving—a life.

Imagine growing up without anyone to call family—no parents, no siblings, no extended relatives. No shared holidays, no family vacations, no gatherings around a table. For those of us who have known love and belonging, that reality is difficult to comprehend. Yet it is a reality we can change, one child at a time.

The joy that comes from rescuing a child surpasses anything we could have imagined. It has shaped and fulfilled our lives in ways words cannot fully express. We are born into families by circumstance, without choice. Adoption, however, is an intentional act of love—choosing another human being from the world and committing to love them unconditionally. In many ways, it reflects the very heart of God toward us. To rescue, to choose, and to love in this way is nothing short of miraculous.