Kevin and Ansley Gwyn’s obedience to the Lord’s leading has allowed God’s hand to truly guide them on their adoption journey. As the family pursued the idea of adoption, they engaged in a series of conversations that led them to know with clarity that God was preparing their hearts to adopt from India. Ansley knew, “God affirmed in our hearts that we were on the path that he had set us on so that we could boldly move forward to the hard places we would have to go to bring this child home.”
As they began the adoption process and time went on, the India court system prolonged their case week after week. They prayed throughout this season of expectantly waiting. Kevin and Ansley prayed the Lord would protect their son Caleb and that his life was already being impacted by believers.
After a time of waiting, the Gwyns were suddenly and unexpectedly rushed to India because their son was seriously ill. Ansley exclaimed, “the miracle that all of the pieces came together to travel cannot be overstated.” The family didn’t know what the outcome of Caleb’s sickness would be, but they knew they already loved their child and had committed their lives to him.
The next few weeks were full of questioning and doubt. The Gwyns wondered why God would lead them to their child, only to see him suffer. They continued in prayer that God would heal Caleb, and they knew that even if he wasn’t healed, God had still clearly orchestrated their paths to meet. Meanwhile, Caleb had spent his entire young life surrounded by believers who prayed for him and cared for him before the Gwyns even knew him. “These are the hands of Jesus who had watched over this child, until the moment when God placed him in ours,” declared Ansley. Kevin and Ansley’s prayers for Caleb’s life to be influenced by believers had already been answered before they even knew to pray.
The Gwyn family finalized Caleb’s adoption in the hospital and decided to bring him home to receive treatment. A family friend who is a nurse volunteered to come assist on the flight home. The potentially tumultuous journey home was thankfully uneventful because multiple other medical professionals happened to be on the flight, and Caleb remained stable. “I cried with relief when we landed on U.S. soil, and Caleb became a U.S. citizen. All I could do was thank God over and over for bringing us home,” said Ansley.
The Gwyn family looks back on their adoption journey and can clearly see how the Lord was faithful to their family. Ansley summarized their experience, “Adoption wrecked our lives and that’s a good thing… Something shifted inside us that can’t be put back. In the process of going to the hard places to make Caleb our son, our hearts became a little more like the Father’s.”
Lifeline is here to support you as you go to hard places just like the Gwyns did. Apply for international adoption today and receive a $1,000 scholarship!