After losing their infant son, God turned Joy and Stephan’s heartbreak into a beautiful story of adoption, as they opened their hearts to welcome eight children, including those with special needs, into their loving home.
When life brings us deep sorrow, God often opens doors we never expected. Through faith and trust in His plan, what starts as heartbreak can grow into something beautiful. Joy and Stephan’s story shows us how God can turn grief into a purpose bigger than we could imagine.
Joy and Stephan married in 1994 with simple dreams. They wanted two children and planned to travel the world, maybe even go backpacking with their kids.
The Loss That Shattered Their World
God blessed them with their daughter Mélika, and two years later, their son Jacob. But when Jacob died at eight and a half months old, their world fell apart. They learned they couldn’t have more children, which added to their pain.
God Unveils His Plan
Through God’s guidance, they adopted a distant family member, giving them two daughters. But Joy still felt a deep longing for another baby, one who would live past the age they lost Jacob.
They tried domestic infant adoption, looking through long lists of what medical needs they felt ready to handle. They thought maybe they could manage a child with hearing loss or a cleft palate.
But several times, either birth mothers chose other families or decided to keep their babies.
Adopting ‘Baby Boy’ from the Philippines
Then they heard about a 12 year old boy in the Philippines who needed a family. His name was literally “Baby Boy” – it was never changed, and he went to school with that name.
They couldn’t host him because you can’t get a visa with “Baby Boy” as a legal name, so they decided to adopt him instead.
A Divine Sign to Adopt Three Brothers
Less than a year later, they learned about three brothers. Joy kept praying for these boys and asked their social worker to tell her when someone adopted them.
Instead, the social worker asked if they would adopt the brothers. There was a rule about waiting two years between adoptions, but the social worker said they might make an exception.
While praying about this decision, something amazing happened. Their pastor preached about the Christmas carol ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’, explaining how the name breaks down into Em, Eman, and Emmanuel – exactly matching the brothers’ names. They knew God was telling them to move forward.
Adopting a Baby Given Days to Live
At an adoption agency picnic, Stephan said they were done adopting. But they learned about a two month old baby girl in hospice care, given just two days to live at birth. They had no money and owed money from previous adoptions.
Joy told Stephan, “We can’t make any of that happen, but God can. All he needs is a yes and a willing heart.” Eight days later, they brought home Asher, weighing just five pounds. Doctors said most of her brain was just fluid, with only a small part of her cerebellum and brain stem.
Doctors said she wouldn’t see, hear, know people, or feel emotions. But Asher proved them wrong. She smiled, laughed, and knew her family well.
After Asher passed away, Joy’s arms felt empty after years of carrying her 45 pound daughter. Some people asked why they would put their children through another loss by adopting again. But they knew these special children brought more healing and joy than pain.
Adopting Baby Boy with Down syndrome
They met Zayden, a baby boy with Down syndrome, a serious heart problem, and missing part of his digestive system. By age four and a half, he had gone through almost 80 surgeries.
Yet Zayden loves everyone he meets. He gives high fives and fist bumps, and would rather talk to people than play with toys. He doesn’t care if someone is a doctor, works at a store, or lives on the street – he sees the person inside and wants to give them a hug.
Saying Yes to Another Child with Down Syndrome
While Stephan was on a mission trip to Africa, Joy told him she would say yes if they got a call about a girl with Down syndrome. It happened, and they brought Mila home when she was just 24 hours old.
Unlike her brother Zayden, Mila is feisty and strong-willed. She thinks deeply about things and loves figuring out how stuff works.
Stephan About our True Purpose
Stephan speaks to other fathers, saying, “We need to stop just thinking about retiring to play golf and go fishing. These are fun things, but what’s your purpose in life? What kind of legacy will you leave behind?”
Stephan admits that at first, he resisted adoption completely. But now he can’t imagine life without these children.
Joy and Stephan’s story reminds us that God can use us to change lives when we listen to His voice and act. When we reach out to love and care for others, we live out the Gospel that Jesus taught us by His own example.
Let us pray for more families to welcome children through adoption, especially those with special needs who wait for someone to say yes to loving them.
WATCH: Joy and Stephan Share Inspiring Story of Adoption
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