I was a happy, middle class Australian man, an optometrist, with a lovely wife and an eight year old daughter.  Life couldn't have been better for us.

We didn't know who this child was, and where he had come from.  What this dark haired, prince like boy was doing to my wife you would never believe.

Simone was a teacher before we had our first child, then devoted her time to being a full time mum and housewife.  We were devoted church going Christians also. I believed that God only brought trials on people who needed to be corrected in the right direction towards His love, not people like us.  We were a faithful, daily bible reading type family.   Simone taught Sunday School and Scripture in schools, and I did my regular church service duties like helping with the offering and a bit of garden maintenance.

But when our daughter yelled out to us early one winter morning that there was a little boy sitting our doorstep, I was terrified.  I knew my very comfortable life was suddenly going to be turned over like a tornado. I was going to be in for something spectacular, one of God's major lessons to strengthen our souls yet again. I thought I was going fine with my relationship with God and then He goes and dumps this little boy into our lives without even a reason why?  Of course, I was terrified.  But i was not going to give in.  "Give him over to the right people," I said. "We havent the skills to deal with a case like this." 

But Simone wouldn't give in. Especially when she discovered the lad was covered in bruises, then, I knew she would fight her hardest for the child.   I had to agree to him.  It would be a waste of time debating her.

But i discovered much more as the lad grew. Much more than I had expected from God.   A lesson in trust, and a lesson in purpose. Wow! It's been a wonderful road to walk on

Dale is my son, the son i would never have had without him.

Dr. Joel Willis.