LDS Missionary Family Faces 4 Years of Failed Adoption Attempts l Part 1

In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam meet Brandon and Bethany Cole, missionaries serving in West Africa whose adoption dreams turned into a four-year nightmare of setbacks and heartbreak. After a discouraging lawyer told them no birth mother would choose a family living in dangerous Mali, they pursued international adoption only to face corruption, medical revelations, and a judge who claimed their matched child for herself. When they finally connected with a birth mother in New York and spent days bonding with her two daughters, she made the difficult decision to parent, leaving the family devastated yet again. Rather than responding with anger, the Cole family chose to bless her with groceries and support, showing extraordinary grace in disappointment. Their three children share how they processed each loss while maintaining hope for their future sibling. This emotional first part reveals how faith, family prayer, and perspective gained from working with impoverished communities prepared them to handle repeated rejection with resilience and compassion.

Continue following their journey in Part 2 as the Coles finally welcome baby Ezekiel home.

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