SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio couple married for more than 36 years has opened their home to children in need, adopting six kids over the years — most recently two sisters whose long road through the foster care system tested the entire family.
Michael and Connie Hendon said fostering and adopting wasn’t a spontaneous decision, but something rooted deeply in their faith.
“In the Bible, James says that the truest form of religion is to care for the widows and the orphans,” Connie Hendon said. “And we have really been called to do that.”
For the two younger girls, the journey into their new family began after years of instability.
“It was hard,” Ariana Hendond said. “It was really hard to keep up with having no family with us and moving from house to house.”
Everything changed one Christmas when the girls opened a small gift in the family car.
“It had a note that said, ‘Do you want to be our forever daughters?’”Amberly Hendon recalled. “That was the best present ever.”
But the family soon learned that the emotional commitment was only one part of the process. The legal journey stretched far longer than they expected.
“That was three years ago this coming Christmas,” Connie Hendon said. “We thought the process was handled. It turned out to be almost three more years to go through the legal system — the caseworkers, the appointments — everyone telling you what to do.”
Frequent staff turnover and a rotating list of caseworkers added to the uncertainty.
The girls felt those disruptions, too.
Still, the family stayed committed.
“When we made that pledge to them, that was really a change for all of us,” Michael Hendon said.
They said the process required patience, honesty and ongoing support — not just at home, but through their church and extended community.
“I don’t know that you can do it without a community,” Connie Hendon said. “It truly takes a village.”
The couple admits fostering isn’t easy. There were moments of doubt.
“There would be times where I’m like, ‘I’m done,’” Connie Hendon said. “And he’d say, ‘No, we’re not… here’s the perspective.’ And I’d think, OK, one more day.”
But they say the rewards outweigh the challenges.
“We need to really invest in these kids,” Michael Hendon said. “Sometimes it’s really hard… but the work we do together and individually has really impacted our lives.”
The couple hopes their story encourages others to consider fostering — but to do so with a full understanding of the responsibility.
“I would say the need is real,” Connie Hendon said. “But if you jump in, make sure you understand that need. The last thing a child needs is another transition. A placement that fails is a broken part they carry to the next home.”
Now, with the adoption complete, the family says the girls finally have something they waited years to hear: certainty.
“They’re not your kids until they’re your kids,” Michael said. “They’re the state’s kids — and that breaks your heart. But now they’re our kids, and they have a home forever.”
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