Multiplied Grace

The story below comes from Allison N. and is a testimony of God’s answers to many prayers after waiting for years “in the meanwhile.” It is also a testimony to the blessings of living on mission.

As a Christian and wife of 26 years and mother of 20 years I feel in my heart it’s time to share my story how God has worked in ways I couldn’t ever imagine. He has blessed my family and He gets all the glory! I pray this will touch your heart like He has touched ours and He may be calling you to do the same or something similar.

It was a regular Sunday and we went to church and had our family lunch afterward as usual. My husband had just been back from being on a mission trip and after lunch he took me aside and shared that he felt God calling us to the Northwest. It would mean moving our family away from our friends and our church. I was completely in shock but said that if God was calling us we should do it. We prayed together, took the steps in training, asked our friends to pray as well as our church staff. We even traveled together to the area we thought, which was my hometown. We drove around, prayed some more and just didn’t have any peace about it. We kept praying and knew we should keep trusting.

A year later, I was praying and wanted to know what I could do to live on mission in “the meanwhile.” Then I was invited on a mission trip to Ecuador! Little did I know my husband was praying I would go sometime and see how God works through His Spirit and how we are to share His Word with others. Well, I went and it was amazing! I loved every minute! I did see how His Spirit moved and a peaceful presence was there. We shared the Gospel and met a lot of people that came to know Him!

When it was time to go home,  I prayed, asking God what I could do to live on mission at home. I kept praying that. We ended up moving into town and I started being a missions leader in our Sunday School class at a new church. We did some mission work through our city and sent packages overseas.

We still didn’t have peace where we were at our church, but in that time I was still praying and asking Him what more I could do to live on mission here and foster/adoption came to mind as well as the thought to”trust Him and follow.”

I went to my husband and told him I felt God was calling us to foster/adopt. He laughed and said no. I then asked him if he would pray about it.

Two years went by and he took our family out to dinner and there he said “You know what you asked me to pray about?” The answer is yes! I was in complete shock again!” When we told our kids they initially thought that we shouldn’t and that it might be strange. But after they had sorted through their emotions and prayed, they soon opened their heart to the idea.

We took the next steps and went through the 10-week training through our county and state. As time went by, we continued to pray, going through the process and waiting and praying. Doors kept closing on the possibilities of children we were inquiring about.

A year passed and as soon as I was going to give up, we received a call. Although we had a girl in mind, a 12 year old boy was the perfect  match for our family. He didn’t match anything we thought would be a good fit for us, but the Lord had someone else in mind. When he first visited our home, we instantly knew he was the one and three months later he moved in with us as a foster child. Two years later, we adopted him as our son! Later, we were also able to take his older sister in as our foster child and we have hopes of adopting her, too.

We are so proud of these two and how far they have come from being moved so much and all they needed was someone to show God’s love to them! Our other kids have have come to love them, too,  as their siblings!

So with all this said, if God has been tugging at your heart, determine to live on mission. You will be glad you did. We are blessed beyond measure! We trusted in God,  did a lot of praying and being still but we wouldn’t change a thing.

Follow and trust Him! He has a plan and purpose for your life. There are so many children in the system that need a forever family. Please pray and ask God where He needs you. Trust in Him!