I met this family at church. I was in a bible study with Janel. I didn't know her very well, but at the time she had just adopted her son Justice. She had a biological son and daughter and felt the call to adopt. Over the past 12 years, their family has done some amazing things through adoption. Janel's husband Jake was a former ISU basketball player. Together they started a program called Kingdom Hoops where they had basketball programs for kids in Ghana, Africa. Later they started Royal Promise a ministry caring for orphans and families. Over time, they adopted two more girls and had another biological son. They have a well blended family. I love seeing adoption in that light. Justice was very involved in athletics locally playing basketball and football. He just officially signed to play for the Iowa Hawkeye football team.
This was written by his mom.
National Signing Day! Justice made it official today - signed his scholarship offer to commit himself to play football for the University of Iowa!
I'm constantly keeping big picture perspective. If the Lord would not have intervened into Justice’s life 12 years ago, he would not have even had the opportunity to be educated beyond the junior high level in Ghana...let alone go to high school, college, or by any means be able to develop the athletic talent inside of him and receive a free college education because of it.
I love to look over my shoulder and remember and think about what might have been for Justice, because it causes me to look forward and celebrate all the more what God has done in his life.
This is bringing our family so much excitement today, but I rejoice more over the content of Justice’s heart and character than his football talent. Justice genuinely cares about people and their needs. For the past several months he has worked his tail off to provide food for his birthmother and brother still in Ghana facing suffering due to their poverty, medical care for his birthmother who is diabetic and caught malaria a few months ago, and helped supply electricity to their home. On Sunday he heads to Ghana to spend Christmas with the 32 orphans living at our Royal Promise Mission Center in Cape Coast, Ghana. Our mission center and the relief it is bringing to other orphans in Ghana would not even exist if it wasn’t for Justice’s life. Being an excellent football player is a great thing. But caring about people and the suffering they are going through is a greater thing.
We love you Justice! God is using your life to bring His kingdom in heaven to earth. And I love watching Him work in and through you!
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