"Adoption looks like the gospel. It has taught us what God has done for us rather than what we have done for the child. It is very humbling as you learn to rely on the Lord in both the great moments and hard moments."Chad (B.A. ’10) and Joni (Miller) Ryder (B.A. ’11)
For Chad (B.A. ’10) and Joni (Miller) Ryder (B.A. ’11), that number became a calling. As founders of 35Kcampaign, a nonprofit organization that helps Christian families fund the adoption of children with special needs, sibling groups, and older children, the Ryders are working to remove financial barriers and bring children into loving, Christ-centered homes. Their mission is “…to help alleviate the stress of fundraising and provide ample support for these children to be placed in Christian homes where they are assured to hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Their passion for adoption was shaped long before the organization began. Growing up, Chad’s family regularly hosted international exchange students in their home, fostering in him a love for multinational family integration. Joni, meanwhile, will tell you she always felt called to adopt — a desire that was amplified during a high school trip to Thailand, where she served in an orphanage rescuing children from trafficking.
That shared calling came into clearer focus when they both enrolled at Colorado Christian University. There, God began weaving together their futures. Both served as student body presidents — Chad in 2009-10, followed by Joni in 2010-11 — and during their time at CCU, their leadership skills, spiritual formation, and love for one another grew in tandem. It was also there that God continued to point their hearts toward a future that would include international missions and adoption.
After marrying in May 2012, the Ryders quickly began preparing for a move to China, where they would serve in a children’s home for kids with special needs. They arrived in January 2013 and stepped into a deeply challenging environment. While there, Joni also launched the first pro-life counseling center in China to support women during pregnancy.
Reflecting on that time, Joni explained, “The one-child policy was in effect, and women were not allowed to give up kids for adoption, as it was considered child abandonment and a crime. Because of this, 80% of Chinese women had to choose abortion with great shame and pain.”
Witnessing both the devastation of abortion and the overwhelming need to care for orphans profoundly shaped their next steps. After returning to the United States, Chad and Joni founded 35Kcampaign in 2014, named for the dollar amount surrounding adoption costs. Their goal was clear: to assist more Christian families through the financial and emotional challenges of adoption and, ultimately, to help more children find hope in Jesus.
At the heart of their work is a deeply biblical understanding of adoption. As they explain, “All adoption starts with trauma, and you are called to help them — birth families, kids, and adoptive families — through it with love and family bonds. We see this in our relationship with God — how He loves us as His children. Adoption looks like the gospel. It has taught us what God has done for us rather than what we have done for the child. It is very humbling as you learn to rely on the Lord in both the great moments and hard moments.”
The Ryders are living out these principles through the formation of their own family, as well. They have two biological children, Leland (8) and Millie (1), and two adopted children — Desmond (13) and Mina (3).
Mina’s adoption story shows how God prepares hearts to welcome a child they haven’t met. Born in India, the Ryders knew Mina only through photos and orphanage communication. “Your commitment to a child comes before your love for them,” Joni said. “Feelings come after we act out our love.”
To bring Mina home, Chad and Joni traveled to India with Desmond and Leland for two months. They experienced the culture, food, and places surrounding Mina’s home. “This family time overseas really bonded us together with Mina,” Chad shared. “She is fully blind, and we wanted her brothers to be able to describe her homeland to her as she grows up.”
That experience shaped the family’s understanding of identity and belonging. “We have made India a part of us, just as Mina will make being American part of her story,” Joni said. “We are the Ryder family — each with our own personality, history, and life before we became a family. Our children belong to us because we share life with them — each day we share their joys and troubles, and that makes us a family.”
The Ryders have seen that each person is made in God’s image and worthy of love. Children enter the adoption system for many reasons — genetics, abandonment, poverty — but each life carries dignity and purpose. As Chad reflects, “Mina’s blindness will allow her to fulfill God’s plan for her life.”
Their faith anchors them in difficult seasons, as Scripture reminds that as we abide in the Lord, He meets our every need. They often return to Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Joni added, “It’s not always financial support, but sometimes His provision is people walking with us, counseling us, and helping us.”
That sense of community, they note, is critical. The Ryders know too well the pain of loneliness and isolation adoptive families can experience, even in churches. “We tell churches to welcome families who look different or who have kids with challenging behaviors,” Chad said. “Staff and volunteers should do trauma training. Universities can also talk about it early and often, so students can think about the future and how they might consider taking care of orphans.”
Looking ahead, there are signs of progress in the support and encouragement for adoptive families. The landscape has more awareness of the global problem of kids who need families, and many countries are working to streamline adoption processes while implementing ethical safeguards to protect children from trafficking. More people are also recognizing the full spectrum of adoption, including walking with and supporting biological families in the difficult decision to place a child for adoption.
“The good news is that for those families who want to adopt, there is funding available.”
Even so, significant challenges remain. According to Pew Research Center, adoption rates are declining. Between 2019 and 2023, international adoptions fell by 57%, and adoptions through foster care decreased by 26%. “The good news,” Chad noted, “is that for those families who want to adopt, there is funding available. To date, 35Kcampaign has helped 50 families in their adoption journeys as they continue to obey God’s calling.”
At home, the Ryders continually remind all four of their children of a simple but powerful truth that has become a family motto: “my whole life for your whole life forever.”
It’s a phrase that captures not only the Ryders’ commitment to one another, but also their response to God’s call. Their family is a beautiful testament of what can happen when we go where God leads us and put our faith into action.
In a remarkable and deeply meaningful milestone, the first child supported by the 35Kcampaign, Zy Iwasaki, will begin his journey at CCU as a freshman in the fall of 2026. What began as an act of generosity — faithfully giving so that a child might be placed in a Christ-centered home — has come full circle in a way few could have imagined.
This is the heart of the 35Kcampaign. And this is only the beginning. To learn more about the 35Kcampaign and the families it serves, visit: www.35kcampaign.org
