All of us are surrounded by miracles and angels, as Patty Funes says—we just don’t always see them. Last month, she caught a glimpse of the divine in a volunteer group from River Rock Bible Church in Georgetown who were on a mission to help a struggling widow as well as orphans in need of a forever home.
It began when Patty’s world was turned upside down by the deaths of her husband, father, and sister, her brother’s cancer diagnosis, and her own back injury, which left her unable to take care of her deteriorating home and 87-year-old mom.
One day, neighbor and River Rock member Lucy Olson showed up on Patty’s doorstep and asked if she needed any help. It led to an outpouring of support from Lucy’s church, with about 40 volunteers descending on Patty’s home to clean, do yard work, fix the plumbing, install a new front door, and give the walls a fresh coat of paint. River Rock is still hoping to find a roofer to help with needed roof repairs.
Patty couldn’t believe the overwhelming display of love. “Every day I feel like miracles are here, and they are the miracles. All of them are angels,” she says in Spanish. “I never, ever imagined this would happen. I feel very blessed.”
She wasn’t the only one. Thanks to the service project that also served as an adoption fundraiser, River Rock Pastor Charlie Turner and his wife Amanda are one step closer to their dream of adopting two children.
THE ROAD TO ADOPTION
The Turners’ road to adoption has been paved by many challenges, including fertility issues, unsuccessful treatments, and a stillborn birth. With a lifelong heart for the fatherless child, Amanda suggested they look into adoption. Charlie wasn’t open to the idea at first, having seen adoptions that didn’t go well for some families. Amanda committed the matter to prayer and asked God to change her husband’s heart if adoption was part of His plan for them.
Over the next few years, Charlie kept seeing signs pointing to orphan care. He and Amanda went on mission trips to Mexico and Russia, where they had the opportunity to minister to orphans. During his study of the Bible, Charlie read about his own adoption into Jesus’ family and God’s heart for orphans. Finally, after hearing a report in 2017 about the overrun foster care system in Texas, he said, “Amanda, I think God is calling us to foster or adopt.”
Today, they hope to give two Texas infants a forever home, with one obstacle in their path—a $45,000 adoption cost. Thankfully, they found Both Hands, a nonprofit organization that helps families raise money for adoption by coaching them to coordinate service projects for widows. Both Hands’ mission is inspired by James 1:27, which encourages Christians to care for widows and orphans, with one hand of the organization reaching out to the widow and the other to the orphan. Each family and their team of volunteers raise sponsorship for their day of service, similar to raising sponsorship for a 5K race, but instead of running, the team serves a widow.
When fellow church member Lucy Olson told the Turners of a widow who needed home repairs, the couple saw it as an answer to both their prayers and Patty’s. Others jumped in to help—HEB donated gift cards for supplies, Sherwin-Williams donated the paint, Freebirds provided lunch, and Amanda’s dad donated the new front door. “It’s been amazing to see the community come together and different companies supporting this,” Charlie says. “It’s been overwhelming to have so many be involved—our church family and community partners—to help bring a child home, hopefully two children, and to help this widow and her mom.”
Click here to learn more about the Turners’ adoption journey or to make a donation.