By Faith Maddock
When our family first encountered Safe Families, we were living in Illinois and brand‑new to a church where opening your home was simply part of living out the gospel. I had no background in outreach, but the way that church served the community left a deep mark on us. It felt like, “This is what Jesus did, so this is what we do.”
When we moved to Kalamazoo, Safe Families wasn’t active yet. But when the chapter relaunched and began recruiting volunteers, for my husband Gunther and I, saying yes was easy. With a one‑year‑old at home, we planned to serve as Family Friends and hosting wasn’t even on our radar. We simply wanted to help however we could.
Then came a call from Jenny: a newborn needed a safe place to stay.
We had been praying every night for a baby, so the timing was unmistakably from God. Without hesitation, we said yes. We heard about the need on Tuesday; by Friday, we were picking up three‑week‑old Justice.
Justice’s mom, Cadrea, was facing postpartum mental health struggles and homelessness. Visits were inconsistent, and plans changed constantly. At one point, she asked if we would adopt him.
For months, we cared for Justice as our own son. It stretched our faith more than anything we had ever experienced as we poured out time, energy, and resources every day, even while I was pregnant with our second child and caring for two kids under two. Through every unknown, God carried us through.
Our church, Radiant, stepped in with support, providing formula, diapers, prayer, and a network of family and friends who surrounded us with practical help and encouragement.
Just when adoption seemed near and we were ready to make Justice legally part of our family, everything changed. On a Zoom call, Justice’s dad, Mason, appeared, found by a social worker through nothing more than a name and a city. He hadn’t known his son existed.
Meeting Mason and his fiancée was eye‑opening. We saw an excited father discovering a lost son and working hard to build a safe home. Slowly, reunification became the clear path forward, and God gave us overwhelming peace that this was right for Justice.
Today, Justice is thriving with his dad and family, including his half-brother. We remain part of their lives, invited to birthdays and exchanging pictures.
The events of our hosting could have left us devastated. Instead, our faith grew stronger. Justice wasn’t taken from us; he was released to be where God intended him to be. Nothing was wasted. He received the best first year of life we could give him, and we had the privilege of standing in the gap.
If you’re on the fence about volunteering, hear this from us: Whatever you give, the Lord will use. Nothing is too small. And you cannot imagine the impact your “yes” might have.
Safe Families is a radical way of life, one that reflects the heart of the church and the goodness of God. We are grateful the Lord allowed us to play a role in Justice’s story and for the ways He chose to provide for this child through the love of His people.
