Today, nearly 400,000 children are in the foster care system in the United States. These vulnerable children have been removed from dangerous living situations, with many experiencing neglect or abuse, and placed in foster care for their safety and well-being.
While foster care is aimed to be a temporary solution to aid families in crisis, many children cannot return to their homes. Across the nation, there are about 100,000 children who are waiting to be adopted.
Angel Studios’ latest film, “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot,” sheds light on the challenges these brave children face and the courage of foster families who work to provide them with safe and loving homes.
Released in theaters nationwide this summer, “Sound of Hope” is inspired by the powerful true story of 22 families who adopted 77 hard-to-place children in the East Texas foster care system.
The film takes place in the small town of Possum Trot, Texas, where Rev. W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna, lived with their two biological children and led the 100-member Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in the heart of the community.
After her mother’s death in 1996, Donna Martin felt a strong calling to help children in need.
She recalled, “The Holy Spirit said, ‘Think about those other children out there that do not have what you had with your mother.’”
It was then that she called an adoption agency, where she met Susan Ramsey, a Texas social worker whom Donna Martin referred to as “one of the angels in this movement.”
With Ramsey’s help, the Martins adopted four children from the overwhelmed local foster care system. Through their example, the Martins encouraged, motivated, and inspired other families in their Bennett Chapel congregation to adopt dozens of children in need of a home.
Donna Martin said in a recent interview with USA Today: “Our message to the world is ‘Don’t give up on these kids.’ Give them more than second chances. Jesus gives us all chance after chance.”
With steadfast faith, a vibrant community, and an abundance of love, the families of Possum Trot embraced these vulnerable children and welcomed them into their homes.
“We all became one extended family,” W.C. Martin said. “Adoption is not an easy thing, but it’s a rewarding thing.”
The film features the challenges and joys that come with being an adoptive parent, which the film’s producer and director have personally experienced. Rebekah and Joshua Weigel, who wrote, directed, and produced the film, adopted two children of their own. For the couple, telling the story of Possum Trot was what Joshua Weigel called “a heart project” that brings attention to an “issue that’s very dear“ to their family and has changed their lives ”for the better.”
In an interview with Catholic News Agency (CNA), Rebekah Weigel said that we “have a foster crisis in America right now,” but “that shouldn’t be the case.”
She told CNA: “We have all the resources, we have people, we have social workers. We have so many churches on every corner we could easily turn this around if the church steps forward and really takes this call.”
At the film’s end, W.C. and Donna Martin and actress Elizabeth Mitchell (who plays Ramsey) call on audiences to take action to ensure that every child has a loving home.
“Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” is an inspiring film that shows how the power of faith, love, and family can transform the lives of children in need of a place to call home.
