About Us

History of Families Like Us - by Ami Roybal (January 2009)

Families Like Us was born in January 2008, and much like a child’s birth, its conception was a quiet dream for some time.

The Martin family became first-time parents to their son in September 2002, while my husband and I adopted our first son in April 2003. We all experienced the joy and wonder of first-time parenting, including the first coos, the first smiles, and many sleepless nights. Although we had these experiences in common with all new parents, there was something missing.

I could never quite put my finger on that missing link until I met Jena Martin in March 2006 at Chick-fil-A. It was then that I immediately knew what was absent from my life . . . it was being connected to families like us.

Our families are transracial adoptive families. Between our two families, we now have five sons, all of whom are adopted and full African-American or biracial while all four parents are Caucasian.

As I went through the first three years of parenting our transracial family, I worked hard to make certain we had plenty of friends and play dates. And even though some of our circle of friends included other adoptive families with whom we share much in common, none were transracial families . . . like us.

As soon as Jena approached me that day and we exchanged names and email addresses, I knew I had found what my family needed. We needed the common bond of transracial adoption. Since then, our families have become fast friends, and I am certain that the Lord brought us together to provide understanding, support and encouragement to one another. We have been able to share much laughter, pleasure, prayer, and, yes, frustration.

As our friendship was birthed, so too was another idea. Jena and I quietly desired to start a ministry in our church for families like us. A group where our families could support one another. A group where our children could make friends with other kids whose families look just like their own. After all, it’s not the average family that deals with the awkward questions and stares on a daily basis. So after our friendship had flourished for well more than a year, Jena finally said one day, “Wouldn’t it be neat to have a group of families like us? We could be a support group for each other.”

Within a matter of weeks, we were pulling together our first family event. What started out as a mental list of only a handful of families turned out to be 65 people in attendance for the launch of Families Like Us. As we introduced ourselves and shared our adoption stories, we heard the same thing again and again. “We are so glad to have this group! Our family has needed this.”

We have chosen Ephesians 1:5 as our key verse: “[H]e predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will”. (NIV)  As the scripture says, we are chosen by our God to be His children. And the children that we’ve adopted were also chosen by Him. We do not deserve His salvation, nor do we deserve the joy our beautiful children bring us. But what is most important to us is that we please the Lord, and we pray that He is pleased with Families Like Us.

As one of our families remarked while standing back and watching other families in our group: “It’s like a little slice of heaven.” - Ami Roybal

Brian and Jena Martin have three boys – Cab, Caden and Solomon.  They serve as leaders of Families Like Us at The Hills Church of Christ, and enjoy fostering community, providing encouragement and information for adoptive and foster families who have adopted transracially as well as those considering or in the process of adopting or fostering across racial lines.

Brian and Jena are both CPA's but often find in family life that the debits don't equal the credits.  Jena stays at home now and holds the reigns of three wild horses.  She is a homeschooling mom who loves her job.  Brian is merely the homeschool principal.  Brian and Jena love serving others through Families Like Us.