The Time that Was Meant for Us: Deepa’s Journey to Launching a New FAM

It was eleven years ago that Deepa Matthew Henriquez and her family left New York. She was thankful for her career as a public health nutritionist, but the palm trees and little green lizards, among other things, were a shock to the system for her and her family.

So much was unfamiliar. Upon arriving in Orlando, this family was especially eager to find a church family. 

One of the hardest parts of moving had been saying goodbye to their beloved church, Calvary Chapel. Trusting God proved challenging when it came to their community. With all of the meaningful memories they had made, they could hardly imagine joining a completely new church. It came as quite a surprise when they heard that there was another branch of their home church right here in Orlando. Although it was still new to them, the connection to their church in New York was reassuring. After their first Sunday, Deepa and her family knew they had found their home.

Things at work were going well for Deepa; she was getting used to her new workplace and finding meaning in her work as a public health nutritionist. She began to notice that she was meeting quite a few foster families through her work, and an old passion was being reignited within her. Deepa and her husband had always felt drawn to adoption, and constantly meeting adoptive and foster families was stirring something in her. She began to become more curious, asking these foster parents how they were being supported in their foster care journeys. Eventually, she heard about Commission 127.

Deepa moved quickly from there. She realized that “What I was doing with my work wasn't enough; I felt like I needed to do more." Even though her work as a nutritionist was benefitting foster and adoptive families, Deepa wanted to help in an even more direct way. She found C127’s website and quickly filled out a “Contact Us” form. It didn’t take long for her to be connected with the nearby Harvest Community Church since her own church did not yet have a Family Advocacy Ministry. Deepa began serving faithfully there with Bethany Hutchison in the fall of 2023, impacting many foster and adoptive families.

The more she served on the FAM at Harvest while continuing to attend Calvary Chapel with her family, the more she became convinced that her church should have a FAM. When Harvest Church hosted an awareness event, she attended and learned more about the process of launching a new FAM.

Deepa and her friend then attended an Advocate training seminar, and they returned ready to launch and lead a new FAM! Deepa explained that her pastor, Will, was influential in mobilizing the church to serve. He frequently shared about his own family’s adoption journey and challenged his congregants to support other foster and adoptive families. For Deepa and many others at Calvary Church who had felt God’s calling to love these families but didn’t know how, "this is a way that is obedient to their calling.” 

Calvary Chapel Orlando just launched their first FAM at the end of 2024! Deepa is grateful to be serving alongside her fellow advocate, Erin. Seeing the Lord’s hand in every step that led her here, she believes that “this is the time that was meant for our church.”