- 19
- Episodes
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2025
- First episode
About Eternal Family Adoptions
Eternal Family Adoptions explores the sacred journey of building forever families through faith-centered adoption. Host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart To Heart Adoptions, brings 25+ years of experience to every conversation, alongside co-host Nathan Gwilliam, founder and former CEO of Adoption.com. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share their stories of divine guidance, spiritual preparation, and eternal connections formed through adoption. Birth parents discuss how faith supported them through difficult decisions. Adoptive families reveal how prayer and spiritual discernment shaped their journey. Adoptees share both the challenges and joys of their unique stories. Faith leaders explore how congregations can better support adoption. Each episode honors the sacred nature of family creation while providing practical guidance for those called to grow their families through adoption. This podcast creates a space where spiritual principles meet real-world adoption experiences, helping listeners understand how faith can guide every step of the adoption process.
- Publisher
- Donna Pope
- Category
- kids & family · kids & family
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- Yes
- First episode
- 7 Aug 2025
- Latest episode
- 24 Jan 2026
Latest episodes
19 episodes in the feed.
24 Jan 2026
How Failed Adoption Plans Became Faith Builders on the Path to Their Son (Part 2)
Jennifer and Alexander faced infertility with less than 5% chance of IVF success. After difficult experiences with foster care where they felt judged for their religious beliefs, they found Heart to Heart Adoptions.
23 Dec 2025
How Failed Adoption Plans Became Faith Builders on the Path to Their Son
Jennifer and Alexander faced infertility with less than 5% chance of IVF success. After difficult experiences with foster care where they felt judged for their religious beliefs, they found Heart to Heart Adoptions. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope sits down with Jennifer and Alexander to explore how two devastating failed matches prepared them for the adoption that was always meant to be.
26 Nov 2025
Because We Loved Him — We Chose the Life That Gave Him More
In this episode of Choosing Adoption with host Donna Pope, birth parents Kaylee and Elijah sit alongside adoptive parents Paul and Cassie with baby Seth to share their adoption story together. This rare conversation reveals what happens when both families commit to building an open adoption relationship from day one.
20 Nov 2025
Multi-Generational Adoption: Finding Birth Family Through DNA and Faith
Erin Thomas grew up with a unique perspective on adoption. Her mother was the oldest of five adopted children, and as a child, Erin would look around at school wondering if any of her classmates were her biological cousins.
7 Nov 2025
Finding Healing Through The Six Attachment Wounds
In this episode, Troy shares his journey through a closed adoption, growing up LDS in a home marked by domestic violence, and the complex feelings that came with wanting to search for his birth parents while fearing it would hurt his adoptive family. His story takes us through his work in drug rehabilitation where he first recognized his own trauma, and the therapy that helped him accept his identity as a gay man in a conservative faith community.
29 Oct 2025
Finding Family Through Faith and Grace — The Hilton's on Faith, Loss, and Adoption
Brett and Bonnie Hilton have been married for 34 years and are parents to nine children. Four quadruplets born at 24 weeks through surrogacy passed away shortly after birth.
22 Oct 2025
To Choose Adoption Is to Choose Love and God
Emily was 16 when she discovered she was pregnant. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and said they would get through it together. After praying and seeking guidance, Emily felt adoption was the right path for her daughter. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope explores Emily's journey from placement at 16 through an unexpected reunion 17 years later that led to singing a duet at her daughter Beth's wedding.
15 Oct 2025
Dysfunction Junction: When Faith Turns Foster Chaos Into a Forever Family
Shawn Rapier and his wife, Vanessa, never planned to adopt but changed their minds when two siblings needed a home. After Shawn asked God a crucial question, they began a journey that led to adopting six children through foster care and having two biological kids.
8 Oct 2025
A Story of Love and Faith Through Open Adoption
Kaylee Anglesey was 19 years old and attending BYU-Idaho when she discovered her pregnancy. Her parents' immediate response of love and support without pressure became the foundation for her birth mothers' decision-making journey. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope sits down with Kaylee to explore her experience speaking with 12 different adoptive families, including conversations with their birth mothers, before finding her perfect match.
1 Oct 2025
Adoption After Stillbirth — Couple Finds Hope Through Faith | Part 2
Continuing from Part 1 of the Hamilton family's adoption journey... In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam conclude Brett and Emily Hamilton adoption story as they navigate life with daughter Leilani and build an open relationship with her birth family. The Hamiltons share how Leilani fits perfectly into their family like a puzzle piece that was always meant to be there, bringing sass, joy, and healing after years of pregnancy loss. Emily opens up about the realities of interracial adoption, emphasizing the importance of learning about Black hair care and cultural heritage while staying humble and teachable. Two Families Blending The episode reveals a beautiful development when the Hamiltons visit Leilani's birth mother Chris and discover she has married Marcus, bringing together two complete families in love and support. Brett discusses how their experience with stillbirth prepared them to handle the legal uncertainties of adoption, trusting God through the unknown just as they did through pregnancy complications. Emily shares her honest perspective that loving an adopted child feels identical to loving biological children, proving that love transcends DNA and connects through hearts and souls. Perseverance and Faith The Hamilton children share their perspectives on welcoming Leilani, with their teenage daughter admitting initial fear that transformed into joy and the realization that life is better because of adoption. The family offers advice to others considering adoption, particularly addressing concerns about not seeing yourself reflected in your child's appearance. Their testimony demonstrates how God works in the waiting periods, blending families together in ways that exceed human understanding and creating bonds that feel eternal from the moment they begin. This concludes the Hamilton family's two-part adoption journey. Visit eternalfamilyadoptions.org to discover how faith can guide your adoption path. Follow or Subscribe to Eternal Family Adoptions on your favorite platform: Website: http://www.EternalFamilyAdoptions.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EternalFamilyAdoptions Twitter/X: https://x.com/ef_adoptions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternalfamily_adoptions/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EternalFamilyAdoptions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Eternal-Family-Adoptions/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam Follow Donna Pope: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba Follow Brett Hamilton: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brett.hamilton.1291 Follow Emily Hamilton: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emzhamilton
24 Sept 2025
Adoption After Stillbirth — Couple Finds Hope Through Faith | Part 1
In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, host Donna Pope sits down with Brett and Emily Hamilton whose adoption journey began after experiencing three heartbreaking stillbirths, including their son Jason. Emily shares how God placed adoption on her heart long before their losses, leading them through international adoption attempts and eventually to domestic adoption with Heart to Heart Adoptions. Divine Orchestration When birth mother Chris struggled for eight months to decide whether to place her daughter Leilani, divine timing connected two families walking through grief and uncertainty. The Hamiltons reveal how their experience with pregnancy loss prepared them to meet Chris in her pain with understanding and compassion rather than frustration. Brett discusses the scripture "be still and know that I am God" and how the adoption process taught them to surrender control and trust God's perfect timing. 18-Hour Miracle This emotional episode demonstrates how God works during waiting periods and weaves together separate stories of heartbreak into a beautiful tapestry of hope and healing. The family's rapid journey from phone call to meeting in New York shows how staying ready rather than getting ready enables families to respond when God opens doors unexpectedly. Their story proves that the deepest grief can become the foundation for the greatest joy when families trust divine orchestration over human understanding. This is Part 1 of a two-part series with the Hamilton family. Visit eternalfamilyadoptions.org to discover how faith can guide your adoption journey. Follow or Subscribe to Eternal Family Adoptions on your favorite platform: Website: http://www.EternalFamilyAdoptions.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EternalFamilyAdoptions Twitter/X: https://x.com/ef_adoptions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternalfamily_adoptions/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EternalFamilyAdoptions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Eternal-Family-Adoptions/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam Follow Donna Pope: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba Follow Brett Hamilton: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brett.hamilton.1291 Follow Emily Hamilton: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emzhamilton
17 Sept 2025
LDS Missionary Family Faces 4 Years of Failed Adoption Attempts | Part 2
Continuing from Part 1 of the Cole family's adoption journey. In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam conclude the Cole family's adoption story as they face 14 more rejections before experiencing a miraculous turnaround. Picking up from Part 1's heartbreaks, Brandon and Bethany share how they endured months of waiting with Heart to Heart Adoptions, getting their hopes up every two weeks only to hear another family was chosen instead. Just when they thought their journey might never end, a phone call changed everything in a matter of days. Within 48 hours, they went from disappointment in Arkansas to meeting their son's birth mother in Utah and bringing home baby Ezekiel. The family discusses their ongoing relationship with his birth mother, the financial provision that covered their fees to the dollar, and how their children's faith grew stronger through adversity. Brandon and Bethany offer encouragement for families in the waiting phase, emphasizing that God's timing proved perfect despite years of uncertainty. Their story demonstrates how perseverance through multiple rejections can lead to the exact child meant for your family. #AdoptionFaith #AdoptionJourney #TrustTheProcess #AdoptionEncouragement #DivineTimimg #AdoptionWait #FaithInAdoption #AdoptionWisdom #GodsGoodness #AdoptionStruggles #AdoptionHope #EternalFamilyAdoptions #BrandonCole #AdoptionTestimony #AdoptionPerspective Follow or Subscribe to Eternal Family Adoptions on your favorite platform: Website: http://www.EternalFamilyAdoptions.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EternalFamilyAdoptions Twitter/X: https://x.com/ef_adoptions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternalfamily_adoptions/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EternalFamilyAdoptions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Eternal-Family-Adoptions/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam Follow Donna Pope: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba Follow Brandon Cole: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.cole.758/ Follow Bethany Cole: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethany.cole.73/
10 Sept 2025
LDS Missionary Family Faces 4 Years of Failed Adoption Attempts l Part 1
In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam meet Brandon and Bethany Cole, missionaries serving in West Africa whose adoption dreams turned into a four-year nightmare of setbacks and heartbreak. After a discouraging lawyer told them no birth mother would choose a family living in dangerous Mali, they pursued international adoption only to face corruption, medical revelations, and a judge who claimed their matched child for herself. When they finally connected with a birth mother in New York and spent days bonding with her two daughters, she made the difficult decision to parent, leaving the family devastated yet again. Rather than responding with anger, the Cole family chose to bless her with groceries and support, showing extraordinary grace in disappointment. Their three children share how they processed each loss while maintaining hope for their future sibling. This emotional first part reveals how faith, family prayer, and perspective gained from working with impoverished communities prepared them to handle repeated rejection with resilience and compassion. Continue following their journey in Part 2 as the Coles finally welcome baby Ezekiel home. Follow or Subscribe to Eternal Family Adoptions on your favorite platform: Website: http://www.EternalFamilyAdoptions.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EternalFamily_Adoptions Twitter/X: https://x.com/eternal_adoptions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternalfamily_adoptions/ Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577208399818 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eternal_family_adoptions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eternal-family-adoptions/ Follow Nathan Gwilliam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam Follow Donna Pope: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba Follow Brandon Cole: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.cole.758/ Follow Bethany Cole: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethany.cole.73/
3 Sept 2025
The Attorney Who Adopted While Taking the Bar Exam | Part 2
In this continuation of our conversation with Derek Williams on Eternal Family Adoptions, hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam dive deeper into the complex legal and financial realities of modern adoption. Derek reveals the shocking truth about adoption costs, including his first $100,000 adoption case, and explains how families can still adopt for under $10,000 through direct connections. You'll learn about Utah's unique legal framework that balances the rights of birth mothers, adoptive families, birth fathers, and children, and why Utah sometimes faces criticism for being "too helpful" to birth mothers. Derek addresses the controversial topic of birth parent expenses, the rise of adoption fraud, and the delicate balance between supporting genuine needs and preventing exploitation. The conversation explores the dramatic demographic shift in birth mothers (now averaging 27 years old with existing children) and how this impacts adoption costs and services. Derek also shares his perspective on faith and adoption, including his hope to attend temple sealings for the families he serves. This episode offers practical guidance for navigating the modern adoption landscape while maintaining ethical standards and protecting all parties involved.
27 Aug 2025
The Attorney Who Adopted While Taking the Bar Exam | Part 1
On this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions with hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam, Derek Williams was studying 18 hours a day for the bar exam when he got the call - his future daughter would be born in just three weeks. As an adoption attorney who has helped hundreds of families, Derek shares his own journey of building a family through two open adoptions with LDS Family Services. His daughter grew up calling her birth mother "hair mommy" because that's where her red hair came from, and both his children have maintained close relationships with their birth mothers throughout their lives. Derek addresses the fears many adoptive parents have about open adoption - will the children feel torn between families, will there be jealousy, and what happens when birth fathers enter the picture later? You'll hear about the time his family called on a birth mother for help during a difficult teenage moment, showing how these relationships can become a source of strength rather than competition. Derek also explains what happened to Utah's adoption landscape after LDS Family Services closed in 2014, shifting his practice from 90% agency adoptions to mostly private placements almost overnight. This episode offers both professional insight and personal wisdom about modern adoption, addressing real concerns while showing how open adoption relationships can work beautifully when built on mutual respect and clear boundaries.
20 Aug 2025
An Adoption Story that Traversed 8 Countries | Part 2
In this continuing episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, Hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam, Dr. Holly Richardson continues to share her extraordinary journey of adopting 20 children from seven countries spanning two decades. Dr Holly reveals the unvarnished truth about international adoption, special needs children, and long-term realities that adoption agencies rarely discuss. Talking about her journey that took her from Kazakhstan orphanages to Ethiopia, Holly guides listeners through failed adoptions, children born with severe medical conditions, and the ongoing challenges of parenting adult adopted children. She discusses reactive attachment disorder affecting multiple children, adult kids struggling with addiction and mental health issues, and the spiritual guidance that sustained her family through decades of crisis. Holly addresses the trauma inherent in all adoptions, offers practical wisdom for adoptive families currently in the trenches, and shares how some adult children still blame her for removing them from their birth countries. This unfiltered conversation covers managing her current family of 39 at get-togethers, burying her children, and accepting that not all adoption stories have fairy tale endings while maintaining faith in the long game of parenting. Follow or Subscribe to Eternal Family Adoptions on your favorite platform: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternal_family_adoptions/ Website: http://EternalFamilyAdoptions.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578155720963 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eternal-family-adoptions/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EternalFamilyAdoptions Twitter/X: https://x.com/ef_adoptions Follow the Hosts on LinkedIn: Donna Pope: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-pope-41652ba Nathan Gwilliam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam
7 Aug 2025
An Adoption Story that Traversed 8 Countries | Part 1
In this episode of Eternal Family Adoptions, Hosts Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam meet Dr. Holly Richardson, who alongside her husband created one of the largest international adoption families in history - 24 children total, with 20 adopted from eight different countries including Romania, Kazakhstan, Russia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and more. Holly shares the spiritual experiences that guided each adoption decision, from her first transformative moment watching a 1990 Barbara Walters special about Romanian orphanages to navigating complex international laws across decades. You'll discover the financial strategies that made raising 24 children possible, the heartbreak of losing three special-needs daughters, and the unexpected joy of earning a PhD at age 57 while still parenting. Holly discusses the devastating political changes that have nearly eliminated international adoption opportunities and advocates for policy reforms. This conversation reveals the faith, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment required to build families across cultural boundaries. Holly's journey demonstrates that love truly knows no borders when families are meant to be together forever. Follow or Subscribe to Eternal Family Adoptions on your favorite platform: Instagram: Eternal_Family_Adoptions Website: EternalFamilyAdoptions.org Facebook: Eternal Family Adoptions LinkedIn: Eternal-Family-Adoptions YouTube: @EternalFamilyAdoptions Twitter/X: EF_Adoptions Follow the Hosts: LinkedIn: Donna-Pope LinkedIn: NathanGwilliam
7 Aug 2025
Why LDS Families Stopped Adopting (And How We're Fixing It)
When LDS Family Services stopped providing adoption services in 2014, something unexpected happened - the number of Latter-day Saint adoptions plummeted by two-thirds. In this inaugural episode, Donna Pope and Nathan Gwilliam tackle the three main barriers preventing LDS families from adopting: not knowing how to start, financial concerns, and fears about loving a non-biological child. Donna shares her decades of experience helping over 2,000 families through adoption, while Nathan reveals how they're using AI technology to revolutionize the matching process. You'll hear the heartbreaking story of an 80-year-old church member searching for her biological family and discover why birth mothers specifically seek out LDS families. This episode launches a mission to reconnect faithful families with children who need them, creating eternal bonds that extend far beyond this life. If you've ever wondered about adoption or know someone who has, this conversation will change how you think about building families through faith.
7 Aug 2025
Eternal Family Adoptions - Trailer
Eternal Family Adoptions explores the sacred journey of building forever families through faith-centered adoption. Host Donna Pope, Executive Director of Heart To Heart Adoptions, brings 25+ years of experience to every conversation, alongside co-host Nathan Gwilliam, founder and former CEO of Adoption.com. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share their stories of divine guidance, spiritual preparation, and eternal connections formed through adoption. Birth parents discuss how faith supported them through difficult decisions. Adoptive families reveal how prayer and spiritual discernment shaped their journey. Adoptees share both the challenges and joys of their unique stories. Faith leaders explore how congregations can better support adoption. Each episode honors the sacred nature of family creation while providing practical guidance for those called to grow their families through adoption. This podcast creates a space where spiritual principles meet real-world adoption experiences, helping listeners understand how faith can guide every step of the adoption process.
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