Focus on the Family

As a child, Renae had been removed from her home and placed with an aunt. Her experience with the foster care system led her to have a heart for children in need of a forever home. She always thought the role she and her husband, Brett, would play would be one of support and volunteering. But then God began to stir their hearts for something more.
They began exploring what it would take to actually foster or adopt a child. They contacted a local agency, but their reception left them discouraged. The process seemed so convoluted and confusing, and every step was bogged down in bureaucracy. It seemed to take forever. Then they heard about Focus on the Family’s Wait No More events and one was occurring in their community.
The event breathed new life into that vision God planted into their hearts. They met other couples who held the same vision, spoke with local caseworkers who could help clarify the process, and found new motivation to keep moving forward no matter how long the wait. “What before had felt like busy work, now felt like it had a purpose,” Renae recalls.
Many ups and downs filled the weeks and months that followed. News of progress brought weeks filled with exhilaration and excitement, followed by other weeks of setbacks steeped in discouragement. But what they learned at the Wait No More event motivated them to become more proactive with the agency. Finally, they received the call they had long waited for. They had a placement. A little boy named Aiden was coming into their home.
But Aiden was a child who had come through more hardships than any child should. He struggled to find his place in the family, and their two older sons weren’t sure how to respond to him. “Thankfully, the Wait No More event made us aware that transitions can often be hard for kids who have come from hard places,” Renae explains.
Many difficult days followed. Renae and Brett learned how to lean on God through the process. Months later, Aiden began to feel like a true member of the family.
“It’s incredible to see God write the story of your life,” Renae says. “We really didn’t anticipate how God would build our family, but we’ve seen our faith grow as we trust in Him.”