When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you. – Proverbs 6:22

If we apply this verse to parenting, Michelle and Mark would probably suggest adding “when you fall, they will catch you,” because “Trust Fall” is their youngest daughter’s favorite game.

“Out of nowhere, she’ll just dive out of your arms,” Mark says. “And when you catch her, even if it’s upside down inches from the floor, she giggles and says, ‘That was awesome!’ ”

Pretty remarkable considering Anna and her sister, Mary, have many reasons not to trust.

This family came together a year ago when the girls were ages 3 and 4. Living with their biological parents was no longer an option – that home had become violent – and the girls had been in foster care for over a year.

They needed a long-term plan and Michelle and Mark were ready to adopt. The four met, the girls moved in; no one looked back. Eleven months later, their adoption was finalized.

Anna and Mary have a home today – and you had a part in making that happen.

Because of your gifts, Michelle and Mark had already gone through our rigorous training, and they knew how to love children through grief and trust issues. Because of your gifts, we already knew they would be the awesome parents these two girls needed.

Every day, we care for over 400 children who have sweeping and complex needs. Some, like Anna and Mary, are foster children in search of a home. Some have mental health diagnoses and developmental disabilities and need specialized classrooms and care. Others come through the juvenile court system and need a place to change their behaviors, catch up in school, and set new goals for themselves.

We receive every one of these children with God’s grace and we use all of our resources to guide, watch, and catch them. When you make a gift to Methodist Home for Children, you give children a home, a reason to trust, and the healing power of love.