When I was 16, my family moved to Guatemala. Before that, I had lived a typical American life. But when we moved, everything changed. I suddenly saw the world in a new way.
My life looked very different from most American teens. I was not learning to drive, playing volleyball, going to prom, or hanging out with friends. Instead, I was roasting marshmallows on an active volcano, watching surgeries in local hospitals, holding an 11-year-old’s hand as she gave birth, translating papers, standing against abusers in court, and taking home abandoned babies.
At times, I missed the easy, comfortable life I used to know. But I learned that stepping outside your comfort zone shows what life can truly offer.
Before we moved, my parents had adopted five children. We saw how children thrived in a family instead of in orphanage care. That experience inspired us to create the Village of Hope in Guatemala.
Village of Hope is a home that cares for the children with special needs and teenager mothers. It is set up like a family to give support and love. We care for 55 kids and employ 54 local Guatemalans. This work gives hope to children who might otherwise end up in institutions.
As a missionary kid, I did not fully belong to Guatemala or to the U.S. I was in-between. Then I found my purpose. When a social worker called about a ten-day-old baby girl with a disease, I did not hesitate. A few hours later, she arrived, wrapped in an orange blanket, abandoned and unnamed.
She received a diagnosis of hydranencephaly and possessed only around 3% of her brain.
After MRIs and hospital visits, I asked a judge to let me adopt her. The judge said her family did not want her and that she probably would not live long or have a normal life. She wondered why I cared so much.
I told her that her life mattered, and our worth is not measured by how many days we live. I named her Emma Leigh. Emma means whole, Leigh being a name I shared with my mom. On April 16, 2015, Emma Leigh died in my arms. She was born into hopelessness but died surrounded by love.
After she died, I started in his arms, a home where very sick kids can get love and cared for until the end of their lives. Ronald, who had helped me with Emma, stood by me through it all. I had never pictured him as more than a friend, but we both cared deeply for these children. We fell in love and married on April 22, 2017, in Antigua, Guatemala, surrounded by the children we care for.
Months later, in court, a judge gave me files for a little girl no one would take. Most places said no—they did not have staff or space or could not handle her needs. But I said yes, and soon Zailee Grace joined us at Into His Arms.
Then, one night at 3 a.m., police brought a newborn boy to a hospital. We invited them in for a warm meal and welcomed Ezra Justice into our home.
Since 2015, we have nurtured many children with special needs. We also welcomed our biological son, Atlas Jude, whose name means “to carry God’s praise.” On June 3, 2020, after navigating Guatemalan adoption laws, Ezra, Bailee, and Atlas officially became our forever family.
Ezra Justice is now two and facing more surgeries, but she is strong and joyful. Bailee Grace lives with joy despite her health challenges. Atlas Jude is a loving little brother.
Our journey has not been easy, we have held babies as they died and faced real danger. But we have also seen astonishing good: villages fed, surgeries done, orphans loved, and families joined.I think that while darkness exists in the world, there is more kindness, and it is our duty to spread that kindness.
