23 Years Later …

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. — Colossians 2:6–7  

Did someone say, Happy 23rd Birthday, Show Hope!? Wow! That sure went fast. 

It’s actually been nearly 26 years since we first held our Shaohannah in our arms—and everything changed. God had tapped us in an unbelievably kind way, and what began with Shaoey would eventually lead us to welcome home Stevey Joy and Maria. I am so grateful that God chose us to be the parents to our beautiful daughters from China. Had it stopped there, I would be so blown away by the Lord’s kindness, but in a plan only He could orchestrate, He had so much more for us to be a part of. 

Show Hope began all those years ago to bring hope to those who longed to build their families through adoption. And so with a dream to help 100 children come home to loving families, Show Hope was born. Fast forward to today, and the Lord has seen fit to allow nearly 10,000 Adoption Aid grants to be given to families—what a work the Lord has invited Steven and me into! 

Yet little did we know, Adoption Aid was only the beginning. With the roots of Show Hope growing deep and strong, branches began to sprout, and more work began to flourish … through the Care Centers in China to Medical Care grants today and resources for families through Pre+Post Adoption Support and education through Student Initiatives. Show Hope is even a leading, equipping, and trusted voice in Washington, D.C., and around the globe. Never would we have dreamt any of this! 

And now, 23 years later, both Steven and I stand in awe. Those roots and those branches have produced a bounty of fruit. We SEE it in the faces and hear it in the stories. Children have come home. Families have been strengthened. Systems of care and adoption have grown healthier, more stable, and more compassionate. 

Yes, what a work the Lord has invited Steven and me—and you—to be a part of! So as we celebrate 23 years of Show Hope, we do so with gratitude for what has been … and with great hope for the fruit this magnificent tree will continue to bear in the years to come.