Homes of Love

It was the mid 1970′s. The Vietnam War was coming to an end. Debbie was a junior in High school she watched the process unfold as her youth leader adopted a little Vietnamese baby, airlifted out of Vietnam during the closing days of the war. At this young age, Debbie  was deeply stirred to adopt a child from Asia. That desire remained in her heart for 20 years. In May of 1995, leaving five children at home, Gary and Debbie Chesney headed to Vietnam to adopt a child and complete their family. The long held desire to adopt had finally become a reality. They adopted the cutest little dark-haired baby you have ever seen – Anne Le!

What they thought was the end of the story was just the beginning. Debbie and Gary saw the many needs of orphans and street children during their adoption trip. Their hearts broke for the children they left behind. They did not know how to help, but had a deep desire to see these children be well loved and cared for.

It was four years later, in 1999, that the Chesneys ate dinner with a dear friend who was visiting the US from Southeast Asia. This friend expressed a dream he had to start small, family-structured homes for at-risk children in his country. This fit Gary and Debbie’s desire perfectly. Three months later, the Chesneys, in partnership with their friend,  established the initial Home of Love. Our first children entered this home in the summer of 2000.