What If She Needs It? A Story of Reconciliation, Forgiveness and Divine Timing

What happens when a casual DNA test given as a Christmas gift unlocks a lifetime of questions and reveals a miraculous story of survival? Jorge Avila never imagined the journey that would unfold when his daughters gave him that Christmas gift.

At 57, George looks back on a life marked by divine intervention and perfect timing. The revelation of his adoption at age eight created what he calls "a big void," but it was only the beginning of an extraordinary story. Decades later, through painstaking research and eventual DNA matching, Jorge discovered something that shook him to his core – his biological mother had attempted to end her pregnancy through an abortion in Jamaica. Yet somehow, against overwhelming odds, Jorge survived.

"I was in the enemy's hands, in the grip of death, and now I'm in the hands of grace," Jorge reflects. This discovery transformed his understanding of God's purpose for his life. But perhaps the most profound wisdom came from his adoptive father, who encouraged Jorge to search for his birth mother with this simple question: "What if she needs it?" Those words would prove prophetic when Jorge eventually connected with his birth mother months before her passing, providing healing and closure for both of them.

Today, Jorge serves as a police officer with the City of Miami and volunteer chaplain, his life a testament to God's redemptive power. His message for anyone considering fostering or adoption is simple yet profound: "Don't wait to be perfect." And for those facing unplanned pregnancies: "Put the child into God's hands, like Moses' mom. Put them in the basket in faith."

Whether you're considering adoption, processing your own family story, or simply need evidence that God redeems our most broken beginnings, this conversation will remind you that sometimes our most painful chapters are being written into a larger, more beautiful story than we could imagine.

Episode Transcript

Host (00:02):
You're tuned in to Friends and Family, a God's Way Radio
exclusive where we introduce youto some amazing people.
In John, chapter 15, verse 15,jesus says I have called you
friends for all things that Iheard from my Father I have made
known to you.
That's our aim that God wouldbe made known to you.
Stay with us until the end ofour conversation for more

(00:22):
information on this program andother unique offerings from
God's Way Radio.

Joey (00:27):
I'm joined today in the studio by a very special guest
and you know, george, I have aninitial plan for this interview,
but the more I think about it,the more we've prepared.
I'm going, man.

Host (00:40):
I got to get this everywhere.

Joey (00:41):
I got, you know, people got to hear this on all the
platforms you know.
So you know, I don't want tosay, well, this is the this
podcast or this podcast, becauseI think it's going to end up in
a lot of different places.
Point is, we have a guest withus, we're recording a
conversation together, we'regoing to share it with you guys.
George, thank you for beinghere.

Jorge (00:58):
It is my joy.
Thank you for having me.

Joey (01:02):
And George, before we get into the story of and again I'm
kind of like anticipation, I'mkind of like not wanting to say
too much the story of so manythings about what God has done,
if you want to tell folks alittle bit about yourself, what
you're doing these days church,whatever, Just introducing

(01:22):
yourself, your, family.

Jorge (01:24):
Hey, my name is George Avila.
I'm about to turn 57.
57 years young, I can't findthe E-break on age.
I used to want to be older.
Now I want to freeze it.
But 57, married for 39 years,amen.
Yeah it's a CC.

Joey (01:40):
What month is the 40th year?

Jorge (01:43):
March, wow, march 29th.
That's amazing yeah, that'll be39 oh, okay okay, so, um, three
kids, alex and natalie andtatiana awesome, awesome,
awesome.
I'm blessed.
Two grandkids, liam and logan,seven and five.
Um, I have the joy of being apolice officer with the city of

(02:04):
Miami and volunteer chaplain onthe department as well.
And I have the joy of servingat Calvary Miami, teaching the
second to fifth year olds.
Kiddos love it pouring intothem.
I won't be here when the fruitis happening, but I'll see it
from heaven, so good stuff andyou've been around Calvary

(02:27):
Chapel Miami a long time, butI'll see it from heaven.
So good stuff, yeah, and you'vebeen around.

Joey (02:32):
Calvary Chapel, miami a long time, yeah, as we're going
to get into I think A big partof the 57.

Jorge (02:36):
Day one Right, technically right, since day one
.

Joey (02:39):
George, I want to ask you, you know, just to cut to the
chase, we invited you here tothe studio today.
And again, my brother, you knowthere's so much we could talk
about, truly.
I mean I don't mean to get youto buy me lunch, because I don't
think we're going to be hereuntil that time, you know.
But in all seriousness, man, Imean there's so much I could ask

(03:00):
you about marriage and ministryand life, but we, specifically,
want to talk about well,adoption, foster care, adoption,
and I'm excited and I'm humbledand I'm with fear and reverence
, because I think there's folksthat know you, that don't know a
lot of these stories, and sothere's going to be a blessing.
But before getting to some ofthose particular details, I
wanted to ask you what's?
Some of your earliest childhoodmemories really set the scene

(03:21):
for us new york right, yes, newyork.

Jorge (03:24):
Uh lived the apartment life over there.
I remember, uh in the summer,uh, with some older cousins
catching bumblebees.
They put them in a bottle,these huge bumblebees, imagine.
Yeah, I remember playing withhot wheels.
I was big into hot wheel cars.
Um, I remember one of myfavorite toys or play sets was
like an electric-type track withthese dragsters and we put

(03:48):
drops of oil on the tires andburned the rubber you know Wow.
And if I looked at it today, Igo.
I was so excited about that.
You know how life is Everythinglooks so big and it's really
not.
But I remember that.
I remember walking to school asa young boy, maybe five years
old in the snow being so cold.
My back would hurt.
My ears are on fire with thecold.

Joey (04:08):
So when you told those stories to your kids you weren't
exaggerating?
No, In the snow through school,that's funny.

Jorge (04:14):
A little bit of sledding.
I remember that, I remember.
You know, what I remember isplaying at a park near the
apartment building and there wasno grass.
Uh, the parks there were allasphalt and concrete.

Joey (04:29):
I remember that.
Yeah, yeah, interesting yeah sowho was at?
Home.
Uh, what was the?

Jorge (04:34):
family, like, uh, my dad pedro, my mom ruby for a while.
Uh then, when I was five, uh,we, my parents, adopted my
little sister.

Joey (04:46):
And I remember that day.

Jorge (04:47):
I remember that specific day.

Joey (04:49):
So we're going to hear that story in a moment, but
that's kind of like your firstexposure to adoption, any of
this is your family adopts asister right and at that time in
your mind, again.

Host (05:00):
We're kind of like holding off on some details here.

Joey (05:02):
Right but right.
So you said you were seven, Ifive.

Jorge (05:06):
Yeah, I did not.
Uh, I didn't understandadoption or realize adoption.
When she was brought she wasjust my sister and she's new and
I didn't know how she got there, but she got there, so that's
interesting.

Joey (05:17):
So did they try to explain it to you?
At that time not yet, no okayno okay, so your sister's
brought home.
Tell us about that day a littlebit.

Jorge (05:27):
So, um, my parents were, uh, went and picked her up.
It was the day and, uh, Iforgot who was babysitting.
I, I can't remember that.
But uh, we went down to the uh,I think we lived on the second
or third floor.
We went down to the foyer ofthe main entrance of the
building and we received herthere.
I remember a little blue basket, you know, with a handle, and

(05:48):
here she is with a little redhair.
You know she was redhead.

Joey (05:51):
Yeah, uh were you excited?

Jorge (05:54):
yes, yes, absolutely you weren't going.
I don't want not that I recallokay, good, good, oh, man,
that's sweet.

Joey (06:05):
So you're five years old, you got a new baby sister.
Life is great, everything'sgood.

Jorge (06:09):
You guys moved to miami when uh, 1975 I, I think my uh,
my dad, came in 75.
Uh bought the house, got a joband months later, so I don't
know if it was still 75 or early76.

Joey (06:24):
But you were what Seven or eight years old I was seven
years old.
Seven years old, seven yearsold, so you moved to Miami.
You know beautiful family.
Kind of like American dream.

Host (06:33):
You know, two.

Jorge (06:34):
You know, mom dad two kids you know, picket fence
Playing baseball, everything'sgood, and then you go for a
family vacation to New York, newYork yes, I don't know if it
was the following year or theyear after that, so I must have

(06:54):
been eight, possibly nine, andso I'm hanging out with my
cousins family reunion, and youwant me to go ahead and share
how I found out the big news.
So we're sitting at a park inthe bleachers, one of my cousins
is playing a baseball game andI'm sitting with, I think, three
or four more cousins enjoyingthe game and bleachers are

(07:15):
outdoors, of course and one ofmy cousins turns to me and says
George, you're not really ourfamily and you're adopted.
You're not really an Avila, andthat's how I found out.
Yeah, Wow.

Joey (07:27):
That is tremendous.
Yeah, can you remember what'sthe first thing that came to
your brain?

Jorge (07:35):
I don't know, but I can tell you how I felt, yeah yeah,
yeah.
I felt a big void hit me.
It's like I think what I wasthinking is what does that mean
Then?
Who am I?
Where did I come from?
What does this all mean?
I just had a void and a bigquestion.

Joey (07:53):
And there was not like a hesitation, like oh you're lying
or oh, you're just trying to bemean.

Jorge (07:59):
It just hit you?
No, it hit me.
I don't think I was able torespond, I just pondered it.
Yeah, wow, wow.

Joey (08:06):
And let me ask you this kind of backing up or getting
some more context your dad,right, so we're going to have,
for the sake of folks listeningyou know I might over-clarify or
interchangeable terms yourbirth dad or your adoptive dad,
your dad and mom at the time,right, the only dad and mom you
know birth dad, or your adoptivedad, your dad and mom at the

(08:26):
time, right, the only dad andmom you know.
Um, uh, I know a little bit ofhis background you've told me
before.
I want to catch up here.
Where's he at as far as uh, his, his, uh he left cuba.

Host (08:36):
Yes, went to new york.

Joey (08:37):
Yes, you're about eight years old.
You're living in miami.
I know he had a connection.
I think we're going to sharesome of these details.
Bay of pigs yes, that, yes, didthat happen already.
Where are we at?

Jorge (08:46):
in that story.
Okay, that happened in 61, Ithink it was.

Joey (08:49):
Okay.

Jorge (08:49):
And I was born and adopted in 68.

Joey (08:52):
Okay, and so you're born in 68.
Okay, so that's even to you.
That's history, in a sense.
As a kid, that happened with mydad.
A had a while ago, right, I, Ididn't live it, right, right,
okay, it's just information, Iknow, okay.
And then, okay, cool, so we'recatching up and that, okay, I
remember why I brought it up,because he came to the lord, yes

(09:15):
, at that time.
So I do, so we are rewindingnow.
Okay, I wanted to hear aboutthat part of your dad's life, if
you, yes, would share so my dadwas uh eventually captured uh
the bay of pigs.

Jorge (09:26):
It was uh unsuccessful right in the eyes of man and um
he ended up being caught 30 daysuh later and uh in prison.
He started reading the bible.
He has just this, this urge toread the bible, and he met the
lord through his word and uhbecame a solid believer yeah,

(09:46):
never turned back.

Joey (09:47):
You know again, I I hope that one of the things that
people hear as we listen to somuch of your life, your story,
your testimony, is god redeemsbad stuff.
I mean, over and over again.
I think that's part of yourtestimony, your life, your
family, he, he allows us to gothrough things like that so we

(10:08):
can get a greater blessing in asense.
So so I wanted to to to go backto that.
I don't want to miss thatbecause you're growing up with a
christian dad.
Yes, christian dad.
Um, this may be skipping aheadin the story, but your mom did
she ever know the Lord?

Jorge (10:27):
Yes, she did?
She went to church.
She had a distant relationship,I would call it, with the Lord.
The issue with her was life hadbeen harsh and hard.
For example, when my dad went tothe Bay of Pigs, she was
pregnant, she lost a baby.
She, in her heart, blamed, Ithink, my dad for not being

(10:52):
there and possibly the cause ofit.
She couldn't get to thehospital in time and so there
was a series of events that shewas not able to overcome.
Bitterness Awesome lady lovedme provided, but she had
emotional, deep-rooted emotionaland mental health issues
because of the way she had dealtthe deck of cards that she had

(11:14):
to face.
So let me just say, at the lastthree years of her life were
amazing.
My dad would read her the Bible.
She was a joy to be around.
She's with the lord now, so itended up really well.
However, the years before thatwere very difficult.
It was, uh, you didn't know, uh, if it was gonna be a nice day
or a very terrible day at home.

Joey (11:35):
uh, yeah, she had emotional issues excuse me and
um, thank god for the ending ofthat that story, that life, um.
But again to point out thedetail, that that's why you were
adopted.
Yes, because she couldn't havemore children.
Exactly, they couldn't havechildren after that, and so they
were looking to adopt and theyfound you.

(11:57):
That's right, pretty amazing.
So you get this news.
We're going back to where wewere adding the story.
You get this news.
We're going back to where wewere at in the story.
You get this news from yourcousins and you said you kept it
to yourself.
I did.
How long were you able to keepthat to yourself?

Jorge (12:15):
So I'm thinking a year or two, if I'm remembering right.

Joey (12:22):
What was that?

Jorge (12:23):
like.

Host (12:26):
From what you can remember , it was an experience.

Jorge (12:30):
I had a void.
I had a void, which was a goodthing now looking back, but it's
something I walked through so Ipondered it.
But I remember going tobaseball practice.
I loved baseball.

Joey (12:41):
We're here in Miami.
Yeah, we're here in Miami.

Jorge (12:44):
Back after that trip, a year or two later, and, uh,
we're my mom's driving me tobaseball practice.
And I just built the courage tofinally ask her hey, this is
what my cousins say, is it true?
And I just flat out asked heryeah, that day, and what she
said she confirmed it.
She said, yes, you know.
She said, hey, uh, just so youknow, a mom is not just a person

(13:05):
that has a child, but a ladythat, uh, raises a child.
Yeah, that's a mom.

Joey (13:10):
So and, and I want to, I, this is one of those things that
I pray.
If anyone's listening, you know, because, george, you never
know who's listening right, itcould be somebody that has never
thought about foster andadoption.
It could be someone that cannothave children right, you know
they're dealing with that.
It could be someone that cannothave children right, you know
they're dealing with that.
It could be someone who knowsI'm again.
When we do these recordings,it's like it's almost scarier

(13:32):
than sharing in front of peopleto me.
Why?
Because how, who knows whereand how far this is gonna go,
right, you know.
But anyways, um, I, truly, Ibelieve somebody's going to be
listening to this and man, a momis someone that raises a child.
That's so powerful, that's soimportant.

(13:53):
I hope ladies listening willreally that the Lord will really
use that.
Anything you want to comment onthat, I mean, you lived it.

Jorge (14:01):
Yeah.

Joey (14:01):
I mean that was mom, I mean she.

Jorge (14:03):
That was my it.
Yeah, I mean that was mom.
I mean she that was my mom.
Yeah, I, you know.
I just you know, I'm trying tothink I didn't know anything
different, or else, you know,when she answered me I
reconciled with it and I justwent on with life, you know.
I was very passionate aboutsome things and I just pursued

(14:25):
those things and I don'tremember it being a big issue
after that.

Joey (14:27):
That was enough to answer as far as I can tell, right, as
far as I can tell.

Jorge (14:32):
I'm sure it's there.

Joey (14:33):
Did you ever talk to your dad about it?
Or that conversation where yourmom wasn't enough?

Jorge (14:40):
No, my dad was a soldier.

Host (14:41):
Old school.

Jorge (14:42):
Yeah, I mean awesome guy, awesome guy.
I mean awesome guy, awesome guy.
I couldn't ask for better.
However, he wasn't theaffectionate type of
conversation, but that'sinteresting, you know.

Host (14:50):
Godly man, christian man, but still old school.
Yeah, you know, yeah.

Joey (14:54):
Okay, okay, and so you go on.
And now, when did you realizeor find out that your sister was
adopted?
Because you said you didn'treally understand it at five
years old, right?

Jorge (15:07):
so when did that click, or do you remember?
So no, I, I, I, I don't know ifin my mind I just reconciled.
If I am, she is, I don't know,uh, but I don't remember ever
being specific but eventually,as an adult, you just kind of
knew that yes, yes okay yes anduh, and I remember, uh, she
didn't know, she my experienceat seven years old.
She never had it.
She had it at 15 years of agewhere we met with a pastor and

(15:31):
she was told hey, just so youknow, uh, you're adopted, you
know, and so I have a feelingshe took it much harder, uh,
very much.
So.
Yeah, I wish she would haveknown it from the beginning,
that it would have been builtinto yeah who she is, and you
know you know we have thesetitles.

Joey (15:47):
We give people advocates and ambassadors.
You know, you, you, you don'tnecessarily, uh, call yourself
an advocate, ambassador.
You know you got other thingsyou're doing.
But what a treasure of wisdomthat you just gave us.
You know that you could go andyou could talk to people and say
, man, if you're going to adoptkids, tell them early.

(16:10):
Yes, share that with them.
Can you elaborate?

Jorge (16:13):
on that.
Yes, you know, I was thinkingabout knowing we would talk
about this topic in my life.
I was thinking of some areas ofscripture and Ephesians 1 says
we're adopted in Christ Jesus.
Thinking of some areas ofScripture and Ephesians 1 says
we're adopted in Christ Jesus.
And so, as a believer, godreally made an adoption through
the cross.
He grafted us in.

(16:33):
And so I was thinking a childshould, from the beginning, know
.
Hey, if they're adopted, theyshould know, of course,
according to age and what theinformation they can handle and
digest.
It should be built into theirgrowing up and confirmed and
reaffirmed.
And it's a great thing I'mgrateful.

(16:56):
God put me into the hands ofPedro and Ruby.
I'm grateful for that.

Joey (17:00):
Amen, amen.
I'm grateful for that.
Amen, amen.
So who was the?
You don't necessarily have tosay the name if you want to, if
you don't want to, but I'm justwondering how much all this
connects.
It's amazing.
Who was the pastor that you metwith?
Was it one of the pastors?

(17:21):
I know His dad, wow.

Jorge (17:23):
Graciel, graciel, sr.
Yes of the pastors, I know, uh,his dad wow yes, yes, he was
the pastoral care pastoroverseeing my adoption in 68 and
uh, so uh oh, wait, wait, hangon, hang on, hang on.

Joey (17:34):
So in new york, yes, he oversaw.

Jorge (17:37):
My parents went to raz's dad's church right methodist
church, uh-huh and so he wastheir pastor.

Host (17:44):
Uh-huh, and so when?

Jorge (17:45):
they went to do the adoption.
He was the pastoral pastor overit of the adoption, wow.

Joey (17:51):
Yeah, because it was a Christian organization that they
hooked up with.

Jorge (17:54):
Yes, it was, it was.
I just think he did it as beinga pastor in a special moment in
a couple's life.

Host (18:01):
You know, I don't know that it was a like, a
requirement, like, through theorganization it was out of his
heart of ministry, you know sookay, so all right hang on
everybody listening.

Joey (18:10):
We got to connect some dots here.
So if you've ever heard thename pastor raz pastor raz
vasquez that we know here inmiami he's the son of of another
pastor raz vasquez, so his dadis in New York.

Jorge (18:25):
He's a senior pastor of the Methodist Church in Queens,
New York, Queens New.

Joey (18:28):
York.
So he eventually is pastoringin Miami.
Yes, pastor Raz, senior.
Yes, okay, and he meets withyour family specifically for
that meeting with your sister,with my sister, when she was 15.
Because your family's attendinghis church?

Jorge (18:41):
No, no, not at the time but he was very special to the
family, part of our life backthen.
Okay.

Joey (18:49):
Just, you know, and so it was just special, yeah, which
again is another amazing, justinsight into ministry, you know,
into the way that I thinkchurch and ministry should
operate in the sense of its, itsits connections, its family.
Yes, you know.
So, oh, this church, thatchurch, or you don't go here,

(19:10):
don't go here, did, did you?
You know?
Are you a current member?
You know, I really think that'sall a distraction, you know?
Uh, so what another interestingum insight.
So let's, let's catch up towhere we are here
chronologically, george, soyou're, you would be.
If she's 15, how old are you atthis time?

Jorge (19:28):
I'm five years older, so I am 20.

Joey (19:30):
Oh man, you're an adult at this point and, but you're
still part of the family meeting.
Yes, okay, yes, okay, and um,you're a police officer at this
point 20.
Yes, uh yes, okay, brand new,pretty much I'm brand green very
okay, and you know, again,we're gonna kind of um, get to

(19:57):
points that maybe we've wehaven't talked about before.
So, as the lord leads, you knowand, and, and, as you're
comfortable, but what's yourexperience at this time, during
and after the meeting?
You see your sister have a hardtime.

Jorge (20:10):
Yeah, she was very quiet, very reserved.
So I knew it was not easy forher.
You know, I guess, what Iexperienced at seven.
She experienced it maybe evendeeper.
You know at seven there's aeven deeper.
You know at seven there'sthings you, a lot of things you
don't know.
But at 15 you've experiencedlife, you, you're able to have
more context and uh.

(20:31):
So I think the what does thismean was uh bigger to her right
yeah, and, and I mean any, didyou?

Joey (20:41):
did you try to talk to her ?
Did she try to talk to her?
Did she try to talk to you?
What was that like betweenbrother and sister at that
moment I don't remember a lot ofthat.

Jorge (20:49):
Love my sister Always.
I remember trying to be therethe most possible for her.
I just had a deep care and lovefor her.
The good news is she recentlyconnected with her mom.
Wow, yeah, so I think thatthat's been helpful for her.

Joey (21:06):
Good, yeah, Good, good.
So you carried out your adultlife 20, 30, 40 plus.
Carried out your adult life 20,30, 40 plus.
And then was it your dad's ideato research your biological
parents.

Jorge (21:22):
Yes, yes, he at some point years ago.
I'm a young man, I'm probably20 years old.
Okay, so young, young, okay hesaid hey, why don't you reach
out and try to find your birthmom?
You know, and I told him I Idon't really have a desire or a

(21:42):
need for it why?
yeah, so, um, I that's notsomething that I was looking to
do or I really had no desire todo it, but he told me something
that I couldn't shake off.
I wrestled with it, but he sayswell, you might not have an E,
but what if she does?
And so that was like a gooddagger in my heart.

Host (22:07):
I just couldn't take that dagger out.

Jorge (22:09):
So it just stayed there, and so after a while I did some
research.

Joey (22:14):
This is like progressive.
It's not that you waited 20years.
It's like every once in a whileI did some research.
This is like progressive.
It's not that you waited 20years.
It's like everyone's know whyyou would look into it.

Jorge (22:20):
The first step was to, and he helped me with it because
he could tell I wasn'tmotivated, so he helped me with
it.
We wrote to the courts in NewYork to release the Department
of Children and Family paperworkrelated to my adoption.
So that was a long process.
New York's pretty strict withthat.
They redact everything,everything.

Host (22:43):
So it takes time, uh, because it's, uh, it's sealed
yeah, the identity, like they'llrelease records but the names
you not identifying right.

Jorge (22:46):
So it took time but we finally got the paperwork and I
read the story and it was, uh,uh, incredible.
You know, I I was alreadywalking with the lord, but
reading, uh, those papers reallydeepened my understanding.
And God's grace is the same forall of us, but for me, reading
those papers deepened myunderstanding of God's grace

(23:06):
towards me you know and his planfor me, and so I remember,
taking it deep to heart.

Joey (23:11):
you know that I'm still breathing you know, and alive
because of his grace.
Well, let's really dive intothat.
What?
Did you find out.
What did the Lord show you?

Jorge (23:20):
One of the things that ministered to me the most there
was that when my biological momdiscovered she was pregnant, it
was a big issue for her.
She was a young lady I thinkshe was 17, if I remember right,
16 or 17.
And she had a rough upbringingherself she was also part of.

Host (23:43):
Yes, the can I say foster care, yes, she was she was.

Joey (23:47):
So again we're.

Jorge (23:48):
We're seeing so much, so many layers here at four years
of age she she was removed, herand her siblings, from her mom.
Her mom had mental healthissues, bipolar and extreme to
the point where the state of NewYork took the kids away,
displaced them into differentfoster care.
So she grew up in foster careand here she is.

(24:09):
A young lady finds out she'spregnant and she couldn't deal
with it, so she flew to Jamaicaand had an abortion.

Joey (24:17):
Jamaica, the island, the country, yeah.

Jorge (24:19):
And she had an abortion and that I learned through that
paperwork.
But you're still here, I'mstill here, and so that hit me
like a ton of bricks.

Joey (24:28):
But so I mean, what's the deal?

Jorge (24:30):
Yeah, how is that possible?
Well, she, of course, in 2018,I did meet her.
We'll probably get to that.
But you know, I had my doubts.
This paperwork like is thisreal?
It's like a novel.
It's like should I even believethis stuff?
You know, like could this be?
Because you're saying I'm here?
What do you mean?

(24:50):
She had an abortion, you know.
So she confirmed it, she flewto Jamaica, jamaica, and she
believed that it went through.
So the idea is I'm eithersurviving twin or it was a
botched abortion.
But she didn't think it wasbecause she felt it went through
completely really what it is.

Joey (25:08):
It's a miracle it is one way or the other, and, and I
just wanna I don't want to, Iwant to.
I just want to say this itcould be an even greater miracle
than we can comprehend.
You know what I'm saying.
I think you, you know what I'malluding to.
I mean, yes, hey, you seesomeone dead and then they're

(25:29):
not dead.
Yeah, I mean, who knows whatgod did?
Who knows what kind of miraclewe're looking?

Jorge (25:34):
yeah, and that's what hit me the most reading that,
because I realized I was in theenemy's hands, in the grip of
death, and now I'm in the handsof grace.
It was like, you know, itshocked me.
You know that it messed me upin a good way, because it helped
me lean more on God's grace andit helped me surrender more to

(25:56):
the Lord.
It's like I'm not even supposedto be here.
You know God has to have a planfor my life.
You know what does this mean?

Joey (26:01):
How old were you said when you read this?
I think I was 20.
When you first read the paper.

Jorge (26:05):
Let me think here Uh, early twenties Okay.

Joey (26:10):
Yeah, and I don't want to go too far on this topic.
Like I said, there's so manytopics that you've learned
through and lived through.
Did that have to do with yourcalling into ministry eventually
?
That kind of grace, that kindof information.

Jorge (26:24):
So my calling into ministry was a love for Jesus, a
love for the body, a love forthe things he loves.
But I think that that was partof the epotaje you know what
they call the stew?
Yeah, it was definitely amixture, and there's purpose for
my life, you know.

Joey (26:40):
Okay, okay.
And it's an ingredient withinit.

Jorge (26:43):
I got to believe that yes .

Joey (26:45):
Okay, so you start on this journey 20 plus.
You know you gave us thespoiler.
You do meet your mothereventually, but between that
time, any other significantthings that you learned?
Or yeah, you know your dadhelping you get paperwork.

Jorge (27:06):
So you know, I learned that was Jewish descent.
A little bit of the story ofnon-identifying information
about my biological father andthat he was of Jewish descent
also.

Joey (27:20):
Mom and dad were both Jewish.
When did you find out thatoriginal birth name?

Jorge (27:27):
was that early on in the paperwork?
My birth name is Richard Tylersounds like a rock band guy, or?

Host (27:36):
something Richard.

Jorge (27:37):
Tyler.

Joey (27:39):
So this is the other thing that I in case I forget to say
it, and again, it's humorous,but it's beautiful.
It's how and I don't know howto really phrase this, maybe you
can, because it's your life,it's your experience but, man,
truly, how?
Now I'm thinking of any parentslistening foster, adopted,

(27:59):
biological, whatever, how ourpouring into our children, how
we love and raise and ministerour children.
It's, it's, it's the mostimportant thing, in a sense
here's, here's the connectionI'm trying to make, george, that
I hope you can elaborate on.
Man, your blood right is jewish, european, you know,

(28:19):
anglo-white, whatever thecorrect term is you, you, mr
jorge?

Host (28:24):
avila is the cuban, is cuban right, but but that's.

Joey (28:29):
That was the love and culture that you, I mean, that's
my, that was my life.
I embraced that could youelaborate on that?
The is the point I'm trying tomake sense.
No, I understand it theresponsibility as parents.

Jorge (28:40):
I'm Cuban in heart.
I'm Cuban in culture.
I'm Cuban in upbringing.
I just happen to have Jewishdescent blood you know,
biologically.
But I don't fully identify withthe Jewish part of it because I
didn't live it.
But yeah, it's crazy.

Host (28:59):
It's like a novella.

Joey (29:01):
It is.
But the point I'm trying tomake is, just like the
responsibility, the power Idon't know if that's the right
word to shape your kids, toraise your kids, to pour into
them.
I mean, you've got kids, yougot grandkids I just wanted to
try to elaborate on that alittle bit right, I'm not sure
I'm connecting the dots like so.

(29:23):
So you know your.
Your dad was a godly guy.
Yes, you know, he introducedyou to the lord um.
You know um man.
Your parents were cuban.
You know miami, the culture andjust and just.
You know, you know.
I guess another phrase that wecould throw out here to try to
see what the lord puts in yourheart is man, don't let the
culture raise your kids, don'tlet the tv raise your kids, you

(29:44):
know you got.
You can form them, yes, pourinto them what you want them to
be.
I got it now, yeah yeah.

Jorge (29:50):
so, uh, I, you know, built my relate or I'm still
building my relationship withthe, or I'm still building my
relationship with the Lord.
But I started building myrelationship with the Lord and
following him in my 20s, and sothat's been my mission, my goal
to live for Jesus, be an examplefor the family and for all
those around me, and that's beenmy drive you know, and my

(30:14):
passion you know, to to love thelord, please the lord, serve
the lord.
And uh, definitely haven't doneit perfectly, but I've done it,
you know me either but I've doneit.
No one on this, by god's graceyou know, and uh and continue to
do it and uh desire to finishwell amen and uh, by his grace

(30:34):
and mercy, we will and uh, soyeah, I want uh my family to
love the lord and know the lord,and he's good he's good amen.

Joey (30:44):
Um.
You reminded me of anotherdetail.
The details are amazing.
You, when you prayed thatprayer, it was with a certain
pastor we know.

Jorge (30:53):
Yes.
So my dad, he did his job.
As a kid going to bed he'd openup a Bible story, read me the
Bible, and to my shame, and soyou see how the sinful nature is
.
Out of respect I would listento the story, but inside I was
like I hope he finishes fast.

(31:13):
I had my own dreams, my ownpassions.
I was going to be a MajorLeague Baseball player.
I had my dreams and that wasn'tpart of it.
He did his part.
He loved me, he was faithful,he was steadfast.
He didn't waver in the thingsof the Lord.
He served the Lord, amen.
And what was your originalquestion?

Joey (31:34):
When you prayed to receive the Lord and finally
surrendered to the Lord.
So he did his part.

Jorge (31:38):
He did his job and I become a young man.
I achieved most of my goals.
Okay, you know, I became apolice officer.

Joey (31:47):
Did you ever play ball, minor league or anything?

Jorge (31:50):
No, I got distracted with a girlfriend.
Okay, and that became moreimportant than baseball.

Host (31:54):
Okay.

Jorge (31:55):
Bad decision, you know wrong timing, but and I that
became more important thanbaseball.
Okay, no good bad decision.
You know wrong timing, but I'mnot saying I would have made it.
Yeah, I did, definitely didlove it and I did see myself
internally as a major leagueplayer.
Reggie Jackson was my hero.
You know the Yankees, yeah, ofthose of that era Thurman,
munson and all those guys but Ithat's what I thought I wouldn't
achieve.
I did it.
I got distracted with agirlfriend, but I did achieve a

(32:17):
lot of other goals.
I got the bug for lawenforcement I got that.
I wanted a Mustang GT I gotthat.

Host (32:23):
I wanted a wife.

Jorge (32:24):
I got that.
So I achieved a lot of goals,but there was a void.
There was a void.
And I knew where the answer waseventually.
And I was thirsty in life,although I had achieved a lot.
I was content because of thethings and the ambitions that I
did arrive at, but I was notsatisfied.
I was not fully satisfied.

(32:46):
And then Raz makes a home visitright after I got married
sometime.

Joey (32:51):
So now this is Pastor Raz of Calvary, miami, yes, whose
dad is also Pastor Raz.
We're talking about our PastorRaz from Miami, so he visits, so
he's known us for years.

Jorge (33:00):
He's part of the family, he's the pastoral family over
our family and he visits us.
He had a heart for us.
Really, the Lord is trying toreach us.
That's what's really happeninghere.
But he's the vessel and he doesa home visit.
He presents a tract to me, alittle booklet with some
pictures, and it shows like aGrand Canyon.
I'm not sure if it was a GrandCanyon, but it was a big

(33:22):
separation of your canyon andthen you got God on one side and
you got man on the other andthe only way to cross that
canyon which is, you know, go toheaven is through the cross,
Jesus Christ.
So he presents the gospel to methrough that and that's the day
that I personally pray, becausemy dad had instilled I don't
know how to describe this he hadinstilled the fear of God, in a

(33:45):
sense the respect for God, theknowledge of a God, and I did
have a general concept of a.
God and my dad was faithful andhe did his job.
But that moment and I did havea general concept of a guy and
my dad was faithful, he did hisjob.
But that moment, that's when Iprayed personally to receive, I
understood that I had topersonally establish not just

(34:07):
build, but establish myrelationship with God.
And it was a very tough momentactually, because I specifically
remember wrestling inside,knowing that if I prayed to
allow christ in, that mean thatI would have to get off the
throne, because, you know, thesinful nature is very
independent yeah and so I.
That was an eternal struggle,but by god's grace I pushed

(34:27):
through it.
Yeah, I prayed, you know, anduh, and god honored the prayer,
and that's where I establishedmy relationship with the lord
you know?

Joey (34:35):
another interesting point for anyone listening it's almost
like an evidence that it wasthe real deal because of the
struggle Struggle.
You know somebody.
Oh sure I'll pray, whatever.
It's like, wait, wait.
Do you really understand whatyou're doing?

Jorge (34:48):
But, you felt the weight of it, there was a new sheriff
in town if I said yes and I knewit.
I mean, I didn't fullyunderstand it, but it was
internally like, okay, but thelord, yeah, the holy spirit, the
lord just just opened your eyes.
Uh, so that was?
Did you say early 90s?

Host (35:07):
yes, uh, I think late 80s, late 80s when I prayed, yeah
late 80s uh, probably 88somewhere around there right
after I got married in 86, so itcould have been 87, 88.

Jorge (35:14):
I would think 87.

Joey (35:16):
Okay, okay.
So you're now surrendered tothe Lord and you start going to
a Bible study with Pastor Raz atthat time.

Jorge (35:27):
Well, first he was an assistant at his dad's church.

Host (35:30):
Raz Senior.

Jorge (35:31):
Yeah, methodist church here locally in Miami, so we
started going there on Sundaysyou know, and eventually Raz
felt a call to step out and hehad really, he had experienced
Chuck Smith and the style ofministry with Calvary Chapel,
and he just felt that that's whoGod was calling him to be.

Host (35:52):
So he stepped out.

Jorge (35:54):
He started going to Calvary, Fort Lauderdale at that
time still living in Miami andhe opened up a midweek Bible
study on Thursdays at his house.
So we started going to thatThursday Bible study at his
house.

Joey (36:07):
And then eventually Calvary, fort Lauderdale, said
go start a church, man.

Jorge (36:10):
Yeah, so Thursday we do a Bible study at his house, and
Sundays we'd convoy to Calvaryfor Lauderdale.

Host (36:17):
Oh, wow, because he was still actively serving over
there.
Yeah, part of the ministry, soit was like a whole Miami crew,
yeah.

Jorge (36:22):
So it turned from a few cars to like a convoy, wow.
And eventually they took noticeover there and told him hey,
you got a church coming overhere, stay in Miami.

Joey (36:31):
That's amazing.
So you know, when I mentionedearlier, you know, oh man,
you've been around a long time.
You've been around CoverageShop of Miami since day one,
since before day one.
So what a blessing, what ablessing.
I mean I know you've blessed me, my family, I mean that's a
whole other three-hour programto talk about the blessing that

(36:51):
you and your family are.
But getting to this spoilerthat you dropped on us, you
reconnected with your mom andyour dad.
If there's no other kind of likemajor things that we could look
at, man, we can get to thatpoint, because it's really later
on in life.
If you can't think of anythingelse, we'll talk about that

(37:14):
moment.
Yeah.

Jorge (37:16):
Well, just for the listener, part of my desire to
accept the invitation to do thisis not only to bring God some
glory that he's in control ofour life, but that if you're
considering fostering oradoption, god is in it.

(37:38):
He's the God of adoption.
We're adopted through ChristEsther.
If you think about it, estherwas adopted by Mordecai.
Mordecai loved on her and Godused Esther in a very, very
special way.
So if you're consideringadoption or fostering, it's a
God thing.
And if you're consideringabortion, put the child into

(38:00):
God's hands, like Moses' mom.
Put them in the basket in faith.
Put them in the hands ofadoption, because God has a plan
and a purpose, so don't do that.
Don't do that.
I'm grateful that I you knowI'm a adoption, uh, an abortion
survivor yeah, I don't know ifit was a botched abortion.

(38:22):
However, it was uh, or a twin,you know?
Uh, god has a plan and apurpose, uh, so let's go the way
of faith and not fear amen withthat, but uh, yeah, I found I
made connection with my umthrough year and let me just
tell you a little bit uh, yeah,I did.
I was diligent in trying tomake the collection through the
years.

(38:42):
Of course, informationtechnology and all that was not
what it used to be back then, so, uh, like I had mentioned
earlier, information wasredacted, so I didn't the the
only thing the only mistake, uh,they had made was they forgot
to redact in one area of thereport was her first name, helen
.
So that's all I had and I knewit was New York.
So I did diligence in trying tousing all the resources that I

(39:07):
had available to find out whoshe was and try to make that
connection.
I even reached out to peoplethat do that?

Host (39:12):
How long?

Jorge (39:13):
did it take?
Oh, it was years, to the pointwhere I put it away because it
just didn't happen.
I even had people that are intothis, you know, and they
couldn't make it happen.
So years went by I'm nottalking about years and I went
on with life.
You know, I guess I told myself, hey, I tried, you know I tried
.
I guess it's not meant to be.
You know, and you know, I gotplenty going on in life.

(39:36):
I got my passions I'm pursuingand, you know, got my family.
I just put it to the side.
It wasn't a priority anymore,and so I think it was 2017.

Joey (39:52):
Now pause right here.
Your parents that raised youhad passed away already at this
point.

Jorge (39:57):
My mom, just your mom.
My mom passed in 2001.
Okay, my dad's still alive,okay.

Joey (40:02):
And you mentioned already that your mom made peace with
the Lord before she died.

Jorge (40:07):
Very much so Beautiful.

Joey (40:08):
I remember we talked about that already.
Okay, so your dad's alive.

Jorge (40:12):
And then back to the story 2017, I think it was for
Christmas, the girls, since theyknew that we were of Jewish
descent, I guess they wanted toconfirm that and get an idea
about our heritage, just as afun factor.
Hey, we're Jewish.
Really, let's find this out.
So they gave me a DNA ancestrything.

Joey (40:33):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Jorge (40:34):
And I'm like, so I don't know why I agreed to that thing
because, I'm not that kind ofguy.
I'm not putting my saliva andputting it.
You know no way, I'm notsending that nowhere, I just
went with it to please them.

Host (40:44):
I don't know why I did that.

Jorge (40:46):
So I send that thing in Christmas 2017.
Weeks later, I get a report andhere's this report hey, you're
Jewish and heritage and European, and this whole report and I
showed it to the girls.
Ah, so it's true.
The paperwork that you got fromNew York is all true, you know.
So fun factor, you know.

(41:06):
Yeah, it's over, but a coupleweeks after that I get a
notification through the onlinethe site yeah through the site,
which I didn't know they did.
I thought it was just a heritagething.
I didn't know it connected.
Yeah, I didn't look into itenough.
So I get this notification froma guy saying, hey, we have a
strong hit, let's look into this.
And I'm like, oh, this isgetting scary, you know.

(41:28):
So I gave him, uh, two or threepieces of information.

Joey (41:32):
That if because again anything, because again again,
if you missed it listeningfamily, this guy's a police
officer, he's going.
What's going on here?
Yeah, but okay, but okay.

Jorge (41:41):
But you know, looking back, I do have the Holy Spirit
driving a little bit of thisthing, or probably more than I
knew.
But for me to agree to thesethings I'm just not like that.
I'm very reserved and verycautious with a lot of things,
but I just went with it.
So I get this notification.

(42:02):
The guy says hey, we have astrong hit.
You know sibling type of hit.

Host (42:04):
And so I gave him.

Jorge (42:04):
I forgot what I told him I gave him like three pieces of
information that if he knewanything he would be able to
connect some of that.
So he writes me back and sayshey, well, good luck with your
endeavor.
He like blew me off, but what Ididn't know I knew, because
then we talked later on.
He was doing some math becausehe was saying we are a strong
connection.
I think my dad had an affair Icannot bring this into the open

(42:29):
so he was going to.
But then he did the math.
Something told him hey, let medo the math here.
And he realized that one of thepieces of information was, uh,
the year, month I was born.
He goes wait a minute, myparents didn't even know each
other then.
So that's when he had to uh thepiece enough to pick up the
phone and say, hey, dad, I didthis dna thing because you know
I'm into history and you know,uh, heritage, and I got this

(42:54):
connection.
And that's where he said givehim my number, have him call me.
And so he did.
He wrote me back after he hadblew me off, yeah, and said, hey
, I found your father.
Wow, call.
Uh, his name is harvey, here'shis number so it wasn't what he
was fearing.

Joey (43:10):
It was no okay, it was not good no, that was previous to
him.

Jorge (43:14):
Uh, his mother's got it.
Uh, knowing my father, hisfather, and so he gave me his
name and number, and so, uh I Isaid, what am I getting?

Joey (43:22):
into here.
You know, what did your dad,your dad, that raised you say
when, when he was seeing allthis.
So I was, he excited, he wasencouraging.

Jorge (43:30):
All I know he must have been excited or and um just for
the context of the here, he wasjust old school.
Okay, I I would inform him Iwas very uh, very cautious and
that none of this would uh hurtthem in any way okay hurt him.
yeah, um, you know they're myparents.
I mean, I'm going to honor themabove all things.
So I had the clearance, I hadthe peace and the clearance.

(43:53):
It wasn't going to be an issue.
Matter of fact, he'sencouraging this stuff.
So I called him and it was avery emotional time, I think
more on his side.
It was an event for me and weagreed to meet and so a couple
weeks later we met.
He lives in Lake Worth.
We met halfway at a restaurant.

Joey (44:16):
Which that is also incredible because you were born
in New York.
Wow, we met halfway at arestaurant, which that is also
incredible because you were bornin New York.

Jorge (44:21):
Yes.

Joey (44:21):
So that he even lives remotely near you.

Jorge (44:23):
Yes, yes, it's crazy.
So he left New York.
He had been to North Carolina,he had been to places Ended up
here in Florida.

Host (44:32):
Lake Worth.

Jorge (44:33):
But we made the connection.
I've been building arelationship, and that was in
2018.
And that gave me my mother'sinformation, my biological
mother's information, and so Iwas able to connect with her
because he gave me theinformation that I didn't have
through paperwork or throughseeking through information
technology.

Joey (44:53):
And again the timing that I know about you, meet your
biological dad and then yourfather that raised you.

Jorge (45:02):
He passes.

Joey (45:03):
Just after that.

Jorge (45:04):
Yeah, yeah.
So he got to see, yes, that ina sense they met, they met, they
met my grandson's one year oldbirthday wow, they met and, uh,
it was good wow like I said, mydad's a special man in the lord,
yeah and uh and uh harvey, whois my biological father you know
when I say that that that's thedad that makes me, that's my

(45:25):
dad.
Father is the one I'm buildinga relationship with and it's
going good, going well.
So he gave you your mother'sinformation he did, and so
because I had now the full nameand everything I was able to
pinpoint it.
I had some options to look at.
And then I had CC call.
Oh wow, I had CC call.
Oh wow, I had CC call.

(45:46):
And why did you do that?
Well, I learned that, first ofall, it's very emotional.
It's pretty blunt to go head-on, you know so.
You want a third party that'sthat's capable to do it you know
involved.

Host (45:59):
It's a soft in the moment, you know okay and so that.

Jorge (46:03):
So that's what we did, and CeCe called her, left her a
couple messages.
Later I found out she wasn'tgoing to call back.
It was Too much, yeah, too much, and it would open up a new
chapter in her family side aswell, and that wasn't going to
be possibly well received by allparties some yes, but some no

(46:27):
and so it was just a big deal.
Yeah so.
But cc called her I think itwas a third time and left a
sweet message and just say hey,listen, we don't need anything,
we, we're not, uh, being pushy,this is just if you want to.
And she just couldn't shakethat off, and so she called Cece
.
Wow, yeah.

(46:48):
And eventually you meet her inperson?
Yes, I did so.
We started building arelationship on the phone for a
while and then I was going to goover there.
She goes.
No, I'm coming to you and youknow, partially because part of
the family would not be readyfor that something like that.

Host (47:04):
It's a big thing, you know .

Jorge (47:05):
And so she flew in and I hosted her for three days and it
was a wonderful time.

Joey (47:11):
She stayed at your home.

Jorge (47:13):
No, okay, okay, no, she didn't want to.
Okay, okay, she was very sick.
She didn't want to say it, itwas just a lot of factors
involved.

Joey (47:20):
Gotcha, gotcha.

Jorge (47:31):
Yeah, yeah, I just misunderstood when you said I
mean I, I hosted her at thehouse, but eventually nearby
hotel, she just wanted her space, you know, and uh, you know she
had a difficult life.
Uh, she had emotional issuesvery difficult and I I think she
wanted some space.
It was a lot.
It's a lot at the stage and itwas probably best.
I was probably yes, yeah yes,but loved on her and she needed
closure.
She needed to know that she wasaccepted, that thing that your
dad said, yes, she needed it.

Joey (47:50):
It was beneficial for me, but it was a requirement for her
before, but just I want torepeat it and ask you to repeat
it, because that was when youwere 20 years old when your dad
first said that yes.
What was it that he said?

Jorge (48:04):
He said what if she needs it?
You may not need it, but whatif she needs it?
Compassion drove his heart andyou found out she did she very
much more than I thought, morethan I thought she felt she was
going to go to hell because ofthe abortion part.
She just never had closure.
She would celebrate my birthdayevery year.
Oh, it's just crazy stuff.

(48:25):
Yeah, it's.
It's a lot to it and what?

Joey (48:28):
did you tell her?

Jorge (48:29):
well, because of, uh, how much of a mess she was she
tried to sabotage.
She said you have to hate me.
How can you not hate me?
I go.
You don't understand.
God's been preparing my heartfor this so for months before
that, through my devotional time, god was showing me that I was

(48:54):
going to.
He was just preparing my heartfor this sinful world, that I
was going to be going toexperience the gutter of sin,
and just preparing my heart tobe able to love and accept.
And so by the time we connected, I was like I want to love you.
What do you mean, you know?
But she felt she needed to behated and she tried to sabotage

(49:16):
the relationship.
You know, she got a littleweird, but it was so much the
Lord that she couldn't fightlove.
She couldn't fight love.
She realized no, this is real,and so she got her closure.
I sent her some Bible studieson healing the heart Kay Arthur

(49:39):
does a study on allowing God toheal your broken heart and it
was just before she passed.
We had like a year ofrelationship on the phone and it
was just a special time.
You know, I just saw God'sgrace cover her.

Joey (49:55):
Yes, and then again the timing of it.
You find her and she stays onthis earth.
How much Months, months.

Jorge (50:04):
She passed away Mother's day 2018 18.
Yeah, so, uh, my wife loved onher.
She, she just she had she wasdouble teamed.
She was double teamed.
She and my wife would send hercare pack once we found out, uh,
that she had cancer yeah, Imean, we met, she was a like a
pencil she.
We knew something was up.

(50:25):
She wouldn't say it but and shedidn't fully know, she knew she
was really really sick.
But um, she, you know, doctorsconfirmed hey, you're not well.
So she started gettingtreatment.
Cc would love on her and sendher stuff.
I mean, she it just uh, the endwas really really really good,
amazing her departure.
Her departure was grace.
Yes, yep.

Joey (50:43):
So you now are continuing to build a relationship with
your birth dad?
Yes, and that's where God hasyou.

Jorge (50:55):
Yeah, we meet about every four months average.
Yeah, you know, I've gone overthere.
He's come to my house.
Usually we go halfway.

Joey (51:03):
Man, amazing.
I mean.
You know, George, I mentionedhow fast the time goes.
The last thing, a couple oflast things I would want to
touch upon, and they could bebrief.
Man, you're a dad, You're agrandpa.
How has this story impactedyour family?
Have you talked to thegrandkids yet?
Are they not old enough?
How's this?
No, I haven't talked to thegrandkids yet.

Jorge (51:25):
Are they not old enough?
How is this?
No, I haven't talked to thegrandkids.
I don't think they're there yet, but I do have that in the
lineup and your kids.

Joey (51:34):
how did your kids receive the?

Jorge (51:35):
news.

Joey (51:37):
I think If you want to share whatever you can share
yeah they can't deny that we'rein God's hands.

Jorge (51:43):
When you look at the reality of the story is we're in
God's hands.
It's, you know, when you lookat the reality of the story is
we're in God's hands?
You know he's a graceful God.

Joey (51:51):
Yeah.

Jorge (51:52):
And he's in control and they can't deny that.
Amen, amen.
They look at that as like man.
He almost wasn't here.

Host (51:58):
Yeah, that means we weren't almost here, you know.

Jorge (52:00):
Yeah, and then the experiences of life that we've
journeyed through, the good andthe bad and the ugly.
You know, in all of that, uh,they see the weaving of god's
grace and mercy and promises andcare and concern.
You know they, they just uh,it's it's a living testimony.

Joey (52:18):
Yeah, it's a living testimony and you know you, you
alluded to it many times, youknow I, I would guess that your
wife cc, you know she's justbeen a strong partner, an
incredible pillar, and all this.
But anything else you wouldwant to add how it affected her,
how she, how the Lord used it.
I mean anything else you wantto add on her part.

Jorge (52:38):
No, she's been blessed being part of it.
You know, again, it's aprivilege, really blessed being
part of it.
Again, it's a privilege really.
I see it as a privilege that we, because we all have God's
grace through Christ I, justthrough this life story, I've
been able to personally grasp ina deeper way His grace for my

(52:59):
life and for my wife and my kidsand for our family.
It's given me dimension andcontrast.
So it's a privilege really, andhe's used it.
I pray in a fruitful way in mylife as I've surrendered to it.
He's used it and that's whatgives me the joy to be here

(53:22):
talking to you so that thelistener I want this to glorify
God.
I want people to say, wow, godis in control.
That's what gives me the joy tobe here talking to you so that
the listener I guess I want thisto glorify god.
I want people to say, wow, godis in control.
That's what I want from this.
Wow, god is gracious.
Wow, god can use broken things,you know, and so that's the joy
that I have, standing herespeaking with you about it and
for the listeners and, uh, so tobring god glory through it that
people would know he loves them.
He's got a plan.

(53:43):
Uh, no matter your situation,no matter what your novella
looks like, yes, god is the godof novellas.
He redeems things.
He uses broken things, thingsthat are dismissed, things that
are trying to be canceled.

Joey (53:56):
Uh, he uses them and uh, yeah george thank you so much
and you know, I didn't even haveto ask.
Oh, closing thoughts, I meanthe Lord just put it on your
heart, just really wrapped it upand pointed to the Lord.
The last thing I would say is,if anybody's listening, or
whoever's listening, that God'sreally speaking in your heart
about whatever it is.
I mean, we talked about so manythings that have to do with man

(54:19):
.
Just, yeah, you know, foster,adoption, you know, adoption,
you know.
But point is, don't want tobelabor the point, reach out to
us here at god's way radio andyou know, if you have a question
for george we'll try to fieldthat, connect you guys as the
lord leads.
But, um, please, you know, ifgod's spoken to your heart,
don't resist the lord.
You know, don't resist the lord.

(54:40):
Um, again, this is a whole otherconversation topic.
Yeah, adoption's a big deal,foster is a big deal.
It's scary, it's, it's, it's,it's, it's uh, could be nervous,
you know.
But but man, just one step at atime, you know, seek the lord,
obey the lord.
And then, especially, theexhortation that george gave
about man, choose life.

(55:01):
You know, huge, huge joy.

Jorge (55:03):
Just a thought on that.

Joey (55:03):
Please.

Jorge (55:04):
As you're speaking, if you're considering fostering or
adopting, don't wait to beperfect.
Amen.
You know you've got the Lord,you've got that compassion in
your heart for it.
Just go for it.
You know, just go for it.
There is no perfect time,there's no becoming perfect or
ready for it in a sense.
I mean there are seasons, ofcourse you pray that through,

(55:28):
but God wants to use you in thatlife, even with your flaws,
even with the things you feelyou're not ready for, as long as
you're doing it with God'sheart.
So I'm glad my parents did it.
They were by far perfect, notperfect, but I'm glad.
I'm glad god put me in in thosehands, yes, and that I had the

(55:49):
experiences that I've had, uh,the good, the bad and the ugly,
uh, because god's all over amenfamily uh, we are so thankful,
george.

Joey (55:58):
Again, thank you for stopping by the studio, man, I
know this is gonna bless a lotof folks.
Amen, thank you.
We hope you enjoyed friends andfamily, unique conversations
recorded and produced in ourstudios, where you get a chance,
man.

Host (56:03):
I know this is going to bless a lot of folks.
Amen, Thank you.
We hope you enjoyed Friends andFamily, unique conversations
recorded and produced in ourstudios, where you get a chance
to hear what God is doing inpeople's lives.
Jesus tells us in John 15,verse 15, I have called you
friends For all things that Iheard from my Father I have made
known to you.
So that's why we love to sharethese exclusive interviews with
you.
Our hope is that through theirstories God will be made known

(56:26):
to you.
But you can only find them hereon God's Way Radio.
Just check GodsWayRadiocom forour full program schedule.