Christ's Hope for Orphans: Supporting, Embracing, Nurturing
ABOUT US
CHOSEN Ministry meets regularly at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. CHOSEN stands for: Christ’s Hope for Orphans: Supporting, Embracing, Nurturing.
It is CHOSEN'S collective mission to raise awareness of the need for permanent families for orphan and foster children in the USA and abroad, while supporting families considering or who have already adopted, as an outreach ministry to engage people in the life and love of Jesus Christ through Prestonwood Church.
Our mission as an orphan ministry is to bring together a diverse group of people with the common desire to serve the orphan, foster and waiting children in our community and worldwide.
We want to attend to the fatherless by raising awareness of their current needs, provide support to families with children at risk, families of adopted and foster children. CHOSEN commits to pray for them, and connect these children and families to the life and love of Christ.
CHOSEN advocates for the Orphan and is a resource for training, speaking, information, and support for families.
CHOSEN Board of Directors
David and Cara Von Tress have been married for 15 years, and they have five children: Jacob, 17; Joel, 15; Anna, 13; Braylen, 9; and Caleb, 7. In 2010, the Von Tress family (with three biological children at the time) followed God's leading into foster care. Shortly after receiving their foster license, they welcomed 8-day-old Braylen home. After the ups and downs of his CPS case, the Von Tresses joyfully adopted him in 2011. They were surprised by the news in summer 2012 that Braylen had a brand-new half brother! After much prayer and discussion, the Von Tress family brought one-month Caleb home, finalizing his adoption the next year. In their "spare" time, David and Cara enjoy cooking (and eating), gardening, family vacations, DIY projects, and serving at Prestonwood.
Teresa & David Garrison have been blessed to build their family through adoption. Beckett was a domestic adoption on July 5, 2011 when he was 8 days old. Piper was adopted from Jiangxi province in China on March 23, 2015 when she was 16 months old. This picture was taken in China two days after they adopted her. The Garrisons helped start the CHOSEN ministry and have been on the Board of Directors since its inception.
Chris and Sarah Thomas are proud parents to Aria Grace – now 8, adopted at 16 months of age from Lang Son province of Vietnam, and Caroline – now 6, born by gestational surrogate. The Thomases have been serving on the Board of Chosen since its inception (BK – before kids, when in the “approved and waiting” stage of adoption). In their free time, the Thomas family enjoys hiking, skiing, rockclimbing, and anything that induces an adrenaline surge.