Acres Of Hope by Patty Anglin

This is a very inspiring book about a husband and wife with six children from a blended marriage, who adopt eight special needs children.

Starting off as foster parents, having to let the children go was so hard on the family after learning to love them, that they decided to adopt, too.  Since they already had experience caring for special needs children, they decided to adopt the "ones no one else wanted."

Their first adoption was three year old Pedi (whose name they changed to Brian).  Coming from a terribly abusive family, Pedi was wild and uncontrollable, but the Anglin's loving care tamed him and made him a stable child.

Next, they were asked to take the baby of a 13 year old crack addicted prostitute.  Patty worked with the mother of the baby, hoping to teach her how to care for her sick infant.  In the end, they not only adopted this child, but also her baby sister, also born crack addicted and handcapped.  The hospital personal encouraged Patty to walk away from the sick baby, telling her that even if she lived, she wouldn't have much of a life.  Patty struggled on with the little girl, carrying her in a stomach pack for nearly two years, and the child is bright eyed, although still handicapped, today.
The adoption of these two children was not without struggles, though, as the system, especially one caseworker, fought them because they did not want a white family to adopt these black children.  Patty fought back, and eventually was awarded the children.

Among the other children they adopted was a Nigerian boy without lower arms and legs, who father planned to kill because of the customs of their land; and a five year old quadriplegic from India who only weighed 16 pounds.

The story of how they found their farm in another state and were able to buy it for a very small amount of money is exciting.  The Anglin's homeschool their large family on this farm, and in the last few years, they have established Acres of Hope, a "faith based humanitarian organization called by the heart of God to bring hope to the hopeless through humanitarian assistance .  AOH is dedicated to meeting the needs of people touched by poverty and despair in Africa."



The Anglin's take as their motto Matthew 18:5  "Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me."