This story was so inspiring for me. We are at the end of our process of adopting children and so many time I get discouraged because after jumping through so many hoops it seems like its taking a while so this encouraged me.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20617579,00.html
Led by the Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna, the congregation at Bennett Chapel Baptist Church have collectively adopted 76 foster children from across the state, many of whom had been abandoned or abused.
"I never dreamed there were so many children in the system,"
says Martin. "We're just a little church. But this problem is all of
ours."
So how did Possum Trot (population: roughly 700) take on such a big, worthy cause? More than a decade ago,
Donna, who was grieving after her mother's death, says she heard a
voice telling her to adopt. The Martins, who had two biological
children, took in four more.
Twenty other parishioners followed their example.
It wasn't an easy road at first. When the Martins brought home
Mercedes, then 5, and Tyler, then 2, "they did everything but set the
house on fire," says Martin. "Actually Tyler lit up the garbage can."
The couple went on to adopt Terri – a 9-year-old left behind
when her foster family went on vacation – and 6-year-old Joshua, and
decided to combine affection with discipline.
The Martins used "just a lot of old country remedies," Martin
says. "Make them go to their rooms, take away stuff." Today, Mercedes
studies criminal justice in college, Tyler is an honors student, Terri
is in cosmetology school and Joshua hopes to join the FBI.
"I don't know where I'd be [without them], probably the street," Joshua says. "My parents are nice, loving and kind."
The same can be said for parishioners Jesus and Brindy Carillo.
The Carillos were well into their 50s and enjoying their empty nest
after raising children from previous marriages when Martin told them
about eight-year-old Michael.
Given up by his mother and abused in foster care, "he was so hopeless," says Jesus of their first meeting.
In his first six months living with the Carillos, Michael grew
nine inches. Still, reminders of his past would surface. One night, the
family ordered in pizza and he refused to go to the bathroom to wash his
hands.
"He wouldn't budge. He said 'please don't eat all of it. Save me some,' " says Jesus. "It broke my heart."
These days, Michael is a baseball-loving kid who gets As and Bs
in school and wants to become an architect. His life with his family, he
says, "is good. It's not mean anymore."
More Heroes Among Us:
IM A SINGLE BLACK MOM....NOTHING IS GOING RIGHT FOR ME!
Do you still relax?
- misssy2000
on Feb. 15, 2013 at 8:56 PM