Sheila Chery

After many years in Haiti serving at Children of the Promise as the nurse and then the special needs house mom, God brought me and Lucas (4 years old) to South Carolina in a whirlwind of unexpected events. Most recently, we had been fostering Joshua (15), KK (14), and Jerry (11), and were heartbroken to be leaving them. I prayed and wept about whether I might be able to adopt KK, waiting to be legally eligible and knowing I couldn’t care for all three on my own. And then in August my sweet KK passed away, just a few weeks before I was legally able to begin the adoption process.

But God has not allowed me to be paralyzed by grief or regret. Instead, he has tenderly but persistently pressed Joshua and Jerry into my heart and mind. They need a forever family. God has already poured his love for them into and through me. It seemed so complicated, though. How could I care for two boys with profound special needs as a single mom? What if the process is too slow and Joshua ages out? Or dies? How will I afford the international adoption fees? Would it be fair to Lucas? I’d need a fully accessible home and a wheelchair van. I’d need an army of support. It would be so much easier if only…

But he finally helped me realize: it’s actually not complicated at all, is it?

I play piano on the worship team at my church and we’re introducing a new song by Bryan and Katie Torwalt called Simple Kingdom:

“Your kingdom is simple
As simple as love
You welcomed the children
You stopped for the one
We want to see people
The way Jesus does
Your kingdom is simple
Lord, teach it to us

Your kingdom is backwards
It flows in reverse
What You call a treasure
This world calls a curse
The small become great and
The last become first
Your kingdom is backwards
Lord, teach us to serve
As it is with Your kingdom
Let it be with Your church”

God has given me the incredible gift of seeing Joshua and Jerry the way he does, their great worth and their great need. And his kingdom is simple, so I’m stepping forward in great faith.

Updated 1/30/2025 to add: This has been a long process and things on both the Haiti and the US side have been slow. During that time, our sweet Joshua also passed away :( I had just enough notice to do a FaceTime call with him, tell him how much we love him, and pray with him. We know that his mind and body are free in a way they never could be here on earth, and we look forward to a heavenly reunion when he can actually walk to me and return my embrace. There is joy in the anticipation, but also so much sadness that another piece of our family has been taken away. Jerry’s adoption is still in progress, and we have reached the last few steps!! The biggest hurdle now is that once we receive notice of his final embassy appointment in Port Au Prince, we need to find a way to get him there safely as in-country flights are indefinitely suspended. Please join us in praying for these details to get worked out!

Updated 4/15/2025 to add: Jerry made it safely to and from Port Au Prince and we now have his Visa! I am in the process of arranging travel details for the pick-up trip and will be able to bring him home in May! I’ve also reduced the fundraising goal on this page because of grants received. Praise God!