Nov 2, 2021
Welcome to the second episode in our fatherhood series. You are going to be so blessed by today's guests, Cecil Stokes and his son Boone. November is National Adoption Month and Cecil's story is unique because he adopted Boone out of foster care as a single dad. Only .03% of kids are adopted by single dads. When Cecil was in his late thirties and had just ended a serious relationship that he thought would lead to marriage, he decided to ask God if it would be okay for him to adopt a son out of foster care. He felt God say not now and so he persisted in that prayer. When Cecil was 42 God finally showed him it was time.
Boone had been in foster care for three years and was in ten foster homes when he came to Cecil. His behavioral problems that stemmed from the mental and emotional abuse he endured from his biological parents made it difficult for him to be fostered. When Cecil and Boone tell the story of the day they met it will amaze you. Usually social workers stay for several hours to help make the transition before they leave, but theirs left in fifteen minutes!
Cecil says they were created to be a family and that Boone had to go through ten foster placements and he had to go through decades of not being married so that they were ready at that exact moment to be matched as a family through foster care. Now Cecil and Boone have created a ministry called Boone and Me where they travel the country and share their story educating churches and the congregation about foster care and adoption. They've had the privilege of being interviewed on the Focus on the Family broadcast and love telling anyone who will listen how God created beauty from the ashes of their lives.