Unmistakable

“We always wanted to adopt,” says Jeffrey of himself and his wife, Sasha. “My grandmother was adopted, and if it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t be here.” They started the adoption process before the COVID-19 pandemic but did not find a good partner, and the process fizzled out. But then, God started working in unmistakable ways.

It started by watching the movie Instant Family.

The next day, they saw a billboard about foster care.

The day after that, they studied Ephesians 1:5 at church.

The very next day, they heard a radio commercial about adoption and foster care.

Jeffrey promised Sasha he would make a phone call on the fifth day, but he forgot.

Then, he started seeing information about PCHAS in his Facebook feed. God’s desire for Jeffrey and Sasha to investigate foster care and adoption was unmistakable! They immediately signed up and attended a Foster Care & Adoption Online Info Session.

Within eight months of first connecting with the agency, the couple completed the requirements for verification as a foster and adoptive family. A week later, they became parents.

“We were all set up for a baby,” Jeffrey recalls, “but we got info on a boy who was three and a girl who was four.” Their friends sprang into action. Within hours, they converted the nursery into a bedroom for preschoolers and stocked their home with snacks, pajamas, clothes and toys. It was a whirlwind when the kids arrived, but a feeling of being a family that Jeffrey and Sasha had wanted for a long time. Right away, they were busy with school schedules, activities, and taking the kids to church, and they loved it.

Looking back, they realized they almost missed out. “Our goal was adoption,” shares Jeffrey, “but when we got with PCHAS, we just stuck.” The couple learned about foster care and the needs in their community. They prayed about opening their home to fostering first, and God grew in them a desire to foster before adopting. In turn, they expected to foster several kids before adopting, but God had other plans about that, too.

The couple worked with the children’s team for two years, taking the kids to visits and meeting with caseworkers. When the court decided the children would not be able to return home, Jeffrey and Sasha were unmistakably ecstatic about adoption. “We were 1000% a ‘go’ for adoption,” Jeffrey shared.

The family celebrated their adoption in court but said it only formalized the family they had already become. The key to their success is love. Jeffrey says they make sure the kids hear, “I love you” often and see actions to prove it. He says they decided, even before adoption, to “love kids as if they carry our last name.”

PCHAS Program Director Charlene Jackson says the couple has done a phenomenal job balancing nurture and structure, and the kids have thrived in their family. “They learned and used the skills from Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) we taught them, like giving transitions and communicating clearly, and they are so nurturing,” says Jackson.

Jeffrey and Sasha are proud of their adoption legacy and grateful for how God unmistakably drew them to foster care, adoption and PCHAS. PCHAS is thankful for the love and care they give to their children.

If you have ever considered adopting or fostering, you don’t have to wait for a sign! Connect with a Foster Care & Adoption Guide or sign up for an Online Info Session like Sasha and Jeffrey!