As president of the Foster Care Association in Cherokee County, Edward Freeman prayed for many years for the opportunity to spread the word about the need for foster families. Little did he know that the 4-year-old foster child living in his own home would be the one to open those doors — 12 years later.

“We wanted to put up posters and flyers in churches and businesses. It was so disheartening,” he said. “The whole time we were praying, we didn’t know we had the one inside our house who was going to open doors. It has been a whirlwind. The doors have just fallen down.”

Freeman and his wife eventually adopted that foster child, Stephanie. Now, as a 16-year-old, she has launched a ministry called Healing Hearts as a way to help a group of kids with whom she shares a special affinity. Her ministry provides foster children in Cherokee County with a personalized pillowcase and a pillow.

Stephanie said foster children often are moved around and not allowed to take any possessions with then. As a former foster child herself, she recalls a hunger to have something to call her own. “I was looking for that one thing that was mine and no one could take away from me,” she said.

A pillow is something foster children are allowed to take with them, so she set out to make sure as many children as possible could have an extra-special pillow. The pillowcases have the children’s names printed on them, as well as a portion of a Bible verse: “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

“It can be a reminder, and maybe it will lead someone to Christ,” she said.

Stephanie was able to send out the first pillowcases in August. She has them screen-printed with the Scripture, and her dad helps her personalize them with the names. For now the pillowcases are going to Cherokee County DSS, but she hopes to expand to other counties.

“A few weeks ago I was able to see a few kids get them and see the excitement on their face. It was pretty awesome,” she said. “Honestly, we didn’t think we’d be up on our feet like we are. We went from backroad to interstate really fast. God can do some great things.”

South Carolina Baptist Convention evangelism director Lee Clamp was so impressed with Stephanie and her vision that he helped her secure a grant from the North American Mission Board to pay for the first 100 pillowcases. “I don’t speak to many teens who have the foresight to think outside themselves,” Clamp said. “She had a vision and a plan. She seemed to be a perfect candidate for the grant.”

Stephanie attends Grassy Pond Baptist Church in Gaffney. Her student pastor, Martin Hogg, said she is a special person. “I think it’s great, especially for a teenager, to have this passion,” he said. “She knows the things those children have gone through. She has a passion to minister to children.”

Churches are asking Stephanie to speak and spread her message. “There are three churches now that have opened their doors to her,” Freeman said. “It is amazing how God has used that. His ways are greater than ours. It’s wonderful to see it unfold.”