Sound of Hope: joining a story that shares God’s hope
Last July 4th, watching the movie Sound of Freedom, many of us were stirred & touched by the story. I personally wept in the theater & thanked God that it shone a light on the tragedy of human trafficking throughout the world. Many people were talking about the movie- and like me they were heart-broken by the suffering portrayed & inspired by the action of the hero.
But I was left wanting more- left wishing for a story that represented the needs of the children in our own communities- the ones we could love & help every single day if only we would try.
Little did I know that Sound of Hope: the Story of Possum Trot was already on the way!
Garden 58 ’s More than Enough branch is dedicated to supporting children & families involved with the foster care system or adoption. When our MTE director Cindy Bradshaw heard about the possibility of arranging a pre-screening of Sound of Hope, she started contacting local theaters. Donald Lingerfelt from the Blairsville theater responded & said they would host the pre-screening if we could secure 100 tickets for the event. Thanks to some of our supporters donating to pay-it-forward tickets we were able to secure the showing & 264 tickets were sold for the Sunday 3:30 p.m. showing- not bad for our small community!
Members of our foster care community, adoptive parents, Care Team members, and supporters from many different churches sat together, laughing & crying through one of the most accurate representations of the trauma, difficulty, & hope of foster care that I have ever seen on screen. A local foster & adoptive mom messaged me after the movie saying she & her husband have been through all the same difficulties shown in the movie, including a scene where the family’s septic system was broken!
If you haven’t yet seen Sound of Hope: the Story of Possum Trot, prepare yourself for an emotional journey!
A difficult emotional journey is the lived reality of over 400,000 children in the US foster system. Being neglected or abused causes confusion in a child’s brain that perceives trauma as love and love as trauma- so they often grow up to give or receive trauma. It is a painful & tragic story for everyone involved- unless these children & the families they live with receive the support they need!
How committed love changes a child’s life is depicted so well in this true story of 22 families in East Texas who adopted 77 children out of foster care.
Sound of Hope shows the typical foster or adoptive family’s initial elation of feeling called to help children, followed by dealing with difficult trauma behaviors & serious overwhelm. You can feel the discouragement, sense of isolation, & disillusionment that seems to be leading to yet another disruption & trauma in the life of a child. If you’re thinking this sounds bleak rather than hopeful - you would be right.
But the story doesn’t end there!
As the adoptive parents in the film are at their lowest & questioning if they can even help their struggling children, C.W., the pastor of the church in the movie, does something radically rare- he admits they are struggling… in front of his whole church. Others join him in humbly acknowledging their need for God & prayer & support. They gather in the front of the church to cry out as a community for God’s help to love their children as only He can.
The film doesn’t spell out solutions to the difficulties faced by foster & adoptive children & families, but it does show the realities many face & the importance of supporting children who have endured trauma however we can.
Some people are called to foster & adopt, but we need 10 times as many people to surround these brave families with prayer & support! Anyone can pray, deliver a meal, or have a child over for dinner so their parents can have a much-needed date night.
Did you know that the national average of families who continue fostering after their first year is about 50%, but when supported by a Promise686 Family Advocacy Ministry and a Care Community, 90% continue fostering into a second year?
That’s why we partner with Promise686 in the mission to mobilize churches to create this much-needed support for foster families. The network is made up of over 2,000 churches & FAMs nationwide.
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We were so encouraged by Sound of Hope’s realistic yet hopeful story & encourage you to go see it & be inspired to do what you can to help the children in your community! Supporting a family in your area with prayer, a weekly meal, some extra rest or practical help could be all they need to preserve a safe & nurturing home for children at risk of continued & compounded trauma.
A local pastor’s wife said this movie was “a beautiful example of what a town or city can accomplish when God’s people say, “No more!” and bring the children home—teaching them God’s ways. These children are the next generation!”
To close, let me share what a dear friend, Hannah Wheeler, said,
“This movie gives a small glimpse into the tragedy, neglect, and abuse that so many children are facing on a daily basis. Their need for love, safety, and the healing that Jesus can bring is immense. As Christians we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Which part is ours? To quote Colton Burpo, ‘Jesus really loves the little children.’ How should we? I pray that God’s people will keep their eyes and hearts open to be led by His Spirit to do their part in changing things. He is able!”