Parenthood
Homeless couple with 2 kids covered in bug bites from head to toe ask pastor & wife to take their boys
Pastor Ronnie and his wife Krystal never expected to find themselves in this situation but knew exactly what to do when it happened.
Cherie Gozon
12.15.22

Sometimes, life drops a surprise in front of us.

Unsplash - Brooke Cagle
Source:
Unsplash - Brooke Cagle

Something that we did not expect would change the course of our lives forever.

If you haven’t experienced this yet, believe me when I say it will come to you sooner or later.

Whether it is a good or bad thing is a matter of perspective – how you see and deal with it.

A couple in Pasco County, Florida, made one big decision that changed their family.

YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

It started with an unfortunate incident in the ministry where Pastor Ronnie Stewart serves.

He and his wife Krystal knew what they had to do.

The story of how their lives changed started in Pasco County’s Metropolitan Ministries.

November evening, the ministry’s executive chef noticed something curious outside.

Unsplash - Sven Brandsma
Source:
Unsplash - Sven Brandsma

Mark Purcell saw what he thought were heaps and bags of trash outside their office, and he went closer and found out they were nowhere close to garbage.

There were bags, a baby inside a car seat placed on top of it, and a toddler sitting nearby.

He also saw a woman crouched in the corner – the kids’ mother.

YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

The kids had no clothes on, only diapers, and they also had shoes but without any socks.

Both kids were dirty and had bug bites from head to toe.

Pastor Ronnie said they often saw their family eat in their partner church’s nearby soup kitchen.

One night, the pastor and his wife asked if they could take the kids home.

YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Krystal said they wanted to clean them up and keep them warm from the cold November weather.

The kids were so dirty at that point that they had to clean them up multiple times.

They were happy to provide what the kids needed temporarily.

But they didn’t expect that one night would turn into five months.

YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

One day after service, just as Ronnie and his family walked to their car, the kids’ parents and a social worker asked them if they were willing to take care of the children while they were weighing their options on what to do.

They needed the decision right then and there, and while most of us would be taken aback by this kind of request, the couple knew exactly what to do.

There was no discussion, and all it took was a look at each other.

YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Ronnie and Krystal agreed to take them in, and the kids’ parents gave the Stewarts custody of their children.

After giving it much thought, they decided to adopt the brothers turning their family of five into seven.

They never saw it coming, but they knew this was all part of a bigger plan.

YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Source:
YouTube Screenshot - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

“We don’t look at it as we are somebody special. We look at it as they are special, and we’re just excited to be a part of their journey,” Krystal told FOX 13 Tampa Bay.

Years later, the boys grew into a loving family providing for their needs.

Instagram - Ronnie Stewart
Source:
Instagram - Ronnie Stewart

The GoFundMe page that the couple set up to save for adoption is ongoing to further provide for their needs.

Seeing that the boys grew up healthy and happy says a lot about how Ronnie and Krystal took good care of the kids.

Watch their full adoption story in the video below.

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