The Ripple Effect
Walking through an orphanage in India, 5-year-old Cheyenne Stucky witnessed first-hand the vast need for loving, safe, and permanent families for children who had been orphaned.
“I got to go with my parents to get my sister in India, and it really changed my life,” Cheyenne said. “I think it really shaped my worldview from a young age that the world is much bigger than just my comfy home in Kansas. There are so many cultures and beautiful things to see, but there are also so many needs—needs that we can actually, tangibly be a part of.”
Cheyenne’s parents adopted both of her siblings from India, first her sister, then her brother. Her brother was brought home with the help of a Show Hope Adoption Aid grant—one of the very first grants more than 20 years ago.
Today, Cheyenne Stucky is Cheyenne Lowe, and her own family’s story is taking a similar path. In fact, her parents’ obedience in answering God’s call to adopt influenced Cheyenne and her husband, Colton, to welcome home their own daughter through adoption.
“My parents weren’t really in an adoption community, but they just had a call on their heart. … More than 20 years later, that ripple effect is still having an impact,” Cheyenne said. “I don’t think my daughter would have a home if it hadn’t have been for my parents’ obedience. It is all through the grace of God and all glory to him. It’s just amazing to see how if we step out in obedience and follow the Lord, the impact it will have, and it won’t stop impacting.”
Cheyenne said the wait to bring their daughter, Swathi, home from India was long and uncertain due to paperwork issues and Swathi’s declining health. The Lowes weren’t matched with Swathi through traditional means. Cheyenne saw a social media post from a Christian orphanage that showed Swathi’s hands, and she felt God was telling her and Colton to pursue adopting that child.
“We ended up having some connections that led us directly to that organization, and we were able to talk to people,” Cheyenne said. “And within 24 hours, we had found out her story and her medical needs. Her medical needs are very severe, and they are life-long. To be honest, they were way more than what we had ever dreamed of saying yes to.”
After five days of praying and what Cheyenne said was wrestling with God, the Lowes knew, regardless of her medical needs, Swathi would one day be their daughter.
“I couldn’t shake the thought that, Our yes might be the only thing standing in the way of her living and her getting to have a full life,” Cheyenne said. “And at the end of the day, she’s just a little girl. She’s not scary. She’s a whole person. She is worthy of being seen, valued, and loved as more than what her medical profile presents. She is made in the image of God. And if God is calling us to be her family, then we have nothing to worry about because he will equip us with what we need.”
From the time of first seeing Swathi’s hands, it took two years for Swathi’s adoption to be finalized, but the final steps accelerated much quicker than anyone anticipated. The adoption accelerated so quickly, the Lowes didn’t have the funds to cover travel expenses and what was needed to live in India for, at least, one month during the adoption transition. The Lowes booked their tickets anyway trusting God would provide.
“We just felt we knew that God was going to provide the rest,” Cheyenne said. “And it was right at that time when we received our Show Hope Adoption Aid grant that pretty much covered the entire cost of our trip.”
The Lowes said that trip to India was an incredible blessing and time with their daughter who bonded with them almost instantly.
“We feel like [God] had prepared her heart to settle into our family in a way that was not damaging for her but brought her joy,” Cheyenne said. “We were in India for a month, and we got to do a lot of exploring of her first home. I just fell in love with the Indian culture all over again—I felt the same as when I was a child.”
When the Lowes brought Swathi home, they immediately took her to the hospital to continue life-long care for her medical needs. Since that time, she has faced five surgeries and many uphill battles. The financial costs mounted rapidly. That’s when the Lowes applied for and received a Show Hope Medical Care grant.
Cheyenne said both the Adoption Aid and Medical Care grants came when she and her husband were praying for financial miracles, adding Show Hope’s impact in her story has been life-long.
“We’re just so thankful for Show Hope being used by God to equip us with what we need for the mission he asked us to be a part of and being a part of our daughter’s story,” Cheyenne said. “From the time we got my brother to now getting two grants myself, they’ve blessed my whole family and I just cannot thank them enough. We see them acting in obedience from what God has called them to do, and the ripple effect of how it’s blessing generations is just so beautiful.” fight for a child’s life and future.”
This Christmas, we have strategically planned to raise $1,000,000 for the continuing impact of our work, yet we cannot reach that goal without you. Today, will you prayerfully consider a gift to our Gifts of Hope campaign? We need you.
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