Get To Know The Hedspeths
In 2008, Matt and Misty Hedspeth traveled to Panamá for what they thought would be a two-part trip: first to turn in paperwork to adopt, then a getaway vacation. Misty was using her law degree to help out an adoption agency focused on connecting orphans to loving and willing families. What the Hedspeths saw and experienced during the first half of their trip affected them so much that not only did the second half of the trip never happen, but the couple decided to sell their house, quit their jobs, and move to Panamá to follow God’s call to help the orphan children of Panamá.
More About Heart's Cry
Heart’s Cry Children’s Ministry was birthed out of this decision and has been increasing the scope of its reach, child by child, since 2008. Currently, Heart’s Cry has three strategically and prayerfully focused arms:
1. Family Services encourages, supports, educates, and connects families in Panama who provide a home to an orphan through a foster care program. Family Services also helps connect orphans to permanent, loving, national families through the preferred yet logistically challenging adoption process.
2. Casa Providencia is the special needs orphanage mentioned above. This first-class facility, currently in the construction phase, will provide physical, mental, speech, and occupational therapy to the neediest of orphans. Once running, the facility will serve as a conduit to connect these children with forever families, meanwhile addressing and alleviating one of the greatest challenges to the orphanages in Panamá.
3. Orphan Cares encourages, supports, and connects with the children in orphanages, showing them God’s love and his paternal coverage over them. Orphan Cares does this specifically through visits and by meeting specific needs. For example, Heart’s Cry was able to source and provide, on short notice, life-sustaining necessities such as baby formula and HIV medication when an orphanage was experiencing a temporary shortage.