Saving Susan Ministry

According to UNICEF data, there are more than 150 million orphaned children around the world. Adam and Courtney Reiley are working to change the lives of a few of them.

For about five years, Adam has worked as Director of Operations for Saving Susan Ministry. They partner with Christian children’s homes overseas to bring relational sponsorships to orphaned children who have little to no hope of being adopted. The organization is active in Cambodia and Guatemala where intercountry adoptions to the United States are nearly impossible. Without sponsorship, they live in dismal circumstances—some are swept into trafficking due to government corruption in those countries. Sponsors, whom they call “parent partners,” make a commitment to specific kids to provide care and education at the children’s home and to give the kids a mentor and advocate through regular video calls.

The organization leads a couple visits to the countries each year so parent partners have an opportunity to meet their child. Parent partners are committed to their kids through college to equip them to make a life for themselves and live out God’s call for their life in countries not well reached with Christianity.

“We have a vision for kids to become that generation of leaders.” To begin working with Saving Susan Ministry, Adam left his job as operations manager for a corporation and moved his family from California to Georgia. Adam and Courtney have three biological kids and sponsor three more Cambodian children through Saving Susan. Unable to have kids of their own for years, their longing to be parents gave them a softer heart for kids who long for parents.

Adam and Courtney are focused on their first mission to their family and include their kids in their ministry.

“The most meaningful thing I do on a daily basis,” Courtney said, “is bring the gospel to light in the mundane things and see how God wants us to redeem everything. He wants His kingdom to come in every situation, whether it’s laundry that needs to be cleaned and put in order, or kids that need to be shepherded and pointed toward the gospel. Every day I come face to face with the fact that I am not God, and I need God. In all the little things you do, it all matters. Parenting has been really good for my prayer life, because you realize so much of it is outside of your control.”

Courtney's weakness in parenting has made her honest about her dependence on God and allows her to understand His plan to conform her into His image. “He wants us to be in a place where we depend on Him—to be in the deep end where it’s obvious that we need Him. ... Something that we pray a lot together is that with whatever we do, God would make a kingdom impact, that it would have eternal ripple effects.”

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2023 edition of Founders magazine.

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