Melanie’s journey began with a life changing visit to an orphanage, where she was swarmed by kids craving love. Over ten years, she fostered around forty children, but everything changed when she took in a baby. That little one was then returned to her birth mum, but the experience planted a seed. She wondered if she would have a child of her own and how she would navigate pregnancy in her late thirties. Letting go was heartbreaking, but somehow she found the strength to foster again. She always says it is the hardest thing she has ever done but also the best.  [0:00] I remember visiting an orphanage, and it changed everything for me. The kids were starved for love and attention, and it broke my heart. [2:30] I came back to Melbourne, and I asked God what to do with this. Over 10 years, I fostered 40 kids. The idea of taking in a baby came to me, and I felt this deep calling. [5:00] When I finally got a baby, I was like, "I didn’t expect this." The authorities asked if I’d keep her permanently. I wasn’t planning on it, but I thought, "Why not?" [7:30] Then they told me she’d go back to her birth mum. That moment made me realize, I wanted to adopt. I thought, "I can’t let this little girl go." [10:00] I spent two years recovering from the fear of losing her, and then I knew I was called to foster again. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but it was also the most rewarding. [12:30] Hi, I’m Melanie McGrice. I became a Christian at 29, and I thought I was going to go into missionary work. But I think God had a different plan for me. [15:00] So I went to the orphanage, thinking I was going to stay long-term. But when I saw how the kids were so desperate for love, it broke my heart. [17:30] When I came back to Melbourne, I started my business. I was doing things with faith, leadership, and mission. I also trained dietitians in fertility and pregnancy, all while supporting Compassion’s mother-baby centers and fostering kids. [20:00] And then I heard a story on the radio about fostering. I looked it up, and that’s how it all began. I started with emergency cases, and eventually, I fostered 40 kids.