Affholter Adoption Fund

Hi!  We are the Affholters!  Thank you so much for taking a moment to read our story.  God has set us on a journey and we are so excited to share it!  My name is Darcy and I am married to an amazing husband and father, Brad.  We have 4 wonderful kids, Ben, Nick, Zac, and Abby whom we thank God for every day.  Adoption is not something that we always dreamed about or even saw ourselves doing.  Honestly, we did not have a heart for adoption until this year! It is amazing how God works!  We were always so impressed by those who opened their home up to children in need and thought they were such great examples in the faith.  However, with four kids of our own, we never thought that this would be something we would do.  It wasn’t’ until this past year that we began to see God’s plans as so much more than anything we could ever ask or imagine!  After a significant event in our family, Brad and I were driven to the Lord and his Word in a way that we never had been before.  We were seeking guidance and direction as we went through this difficult time.  We had to dig in and figure out if we were going to surrender every aspect of our lives to the Lord despite the circumstances we were experiencing.  Could we really trust him to make all things work for good and continue to honor him without knowing how things would turn out?  We found ourselves in several bible studies and accountable to some very wise people in the faith.  Because of this, we developed a stronger and secure faith in the Lord.  We were firmly planted in the desire to trust completely in our amazing and powerful God, to give generously, and to allow God to work in our lives without being limited by fear or worry.  It was such a turning point for us.  In the midst of this some friends of ours, (who have adopted two boys and are in the process of adopting two more), came to us and said they felt there was an “Affholter” at  the center for boys in Ethiopia.  They encouraged us to pray about it and consider what God might have us do.  At first, we were shocked and just really did not see this as “the plan” for our lives.  However, Brad and I could not shake the feeling that God was stirring something in us both.  We committed to really pray about it.  Our kids were full of faith and on board with the idea immediately.  During that time, God bombarded us with the idea of adoption.  We could not open our bible, listen to a sermon, turn on the radio, or talk to a friend without adoption being mentioned.  It was almost comical as God just layed out His plan before us.  He literally changed our heart from having no concept or desire to adopt, to a longing and a love that we never knew we had. He has opened our eyes and our hearts to a “crazy love” that inspires us to faith and action! It now seems unfathomable that we hadn’t considered this sooner.  It is so very clear to us that this young man is part of our family and that we want to do anything and everything it takes to get him home… to provide the family he never had, to love him, to hug him, guide him, and tuck him in at night, to teach him, to equip him, to affirm him, and most importantly to point him to the Lord.  We are extremely humbled and amazed that God chose us!  Thank you for partnering with us in this journey.  We cannot do it alone and are so overwhelmed and blessed by all those who have given and prayed and supported us thus far. The financial part can be overwhelming at times as we need to raise close to $30,000.  But we believe that if God can move mountains and raise the dead, he can easily raise the funds we need.  Thank you for being part of this adventure!!!  If you have any questions or want to know more, don’t hesitate to ask! We so appreciate your willingness to invest in a life for eternity!  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Darcy and Brad

Ben, Nick, Zac and Abby