International Adoption
Unite with Agape to help even more children…
from around the world.
Greg and Rayla Black ‘s adoption story
began like many families. It started with a desire for a child. They yearned for a large family and for siblings for their son, Tucker. But months of trying to get pregnant turned into years.
When they led the 4th graders at their church in a study on the book of James, one particular verse kept speaking to the Blacks…”Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27) And then when their church participated in an Orphan Sunday event, the Blacks felt convicted that God was speaking to their hearts. That’s when they took the first step to adopt.
After lots of prayer and research, the Blacks chose to adopt 2 children from Russia through Children of the World, an agency in Mobile. The process took 21 months to complete. But Olivia Ann and John Mark are now officially part of the Black family!
“The waiting is when you need God the most, and He was there through every delay and document. We really believe that if you step out of your comfort zone, God will help you survive it all and bless you in the process,” says Rayla.
For so many families, God has laid out His adoption plan. Whether the catalyst is infertility or answering His call (or both!), families are rising up to “vindicate the weak and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and destitute; rescue the weak and needy.” (Psalm 82:3-4) God is taking center stage in the need to defend the orphan…and He’s asked us to join Him.
Unite with Agape to help create more families like the Blacks. There are many ways you can join this ministry. Your financial support is vital to our efforts. Click here to donate today! And, as always, we are here to serve. Please contact me if I can be of assistance in any way.
Thank you,
Jimmy Dobbs, Director