The Monfils Family - by Shanley Knox

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” - Psalm 127:3

God is in the process of giving two such gifts to Colleen and Dr. Michael Monfils. As parents of three wonderful children already, the pair was not pursuing adoption. But God had different plans for them. When the youngest of their children started school, Colleen began to feel emptiness she chose to fill through volunteer work. As a former teacher, she thought she might be able to use her experience to help in some way. Colleen soon found out about Three Angels Children’s Relief through several families in her area and Colleen and Michael began to serve at Halos Medical Mission.

Michael Monfils is a the Chief of Surgery at Rochelle Community Hospital in Rochelle, Illinois, and a board certified general surgeon in Sycamore, Illinois at Kishwaukee Community Hospital. As the Monfils began to be involved with Three Angels, Jennifer Jordahl, director of Halos, asked Mike if he would be willing to consult with the clinic. Colleen’s plans to fill her empty hours became God’s plan to provide a surgeon for Halos. After their first venture off of the plane into Haiti in November '07, the Monfils fell in love with the organization. As Mike began consulting with Halos regarding surgical needs for the clinic, the couple began to feel led by God to look into adoption. Colleen smiled as she shared with me that not long after their trip, “out of the blue,” her son commented that he “just wished he had a brother” because, “it would make things so much easier with my sisters.”

The Monfils originally thought they wanted an older son. But Three Angels president Gretchen Huijskens kept reminding them about Jonathon, a malnourished toddler who came to Three Angels in July. When Jonathan was dropped off at the medical clinic, he was unresponsive and could barely cry. He improved quickly, first fussing almost constantly and then gobbling down food and beginning to grow into his oversized head. Jonathon’s malnourishment has affected his legs, feet and arms. Over six months later, the 1-2 year old (his exact age is not known) is still learning to walk with support.

As Colleen and Mike prayed about Jonathan, his name kept popping up under odd circumstances. Dropping her kids off at school, Colleen found that the secretary of their school has a niece that had volunteered at Angel house, and had fallen in love with Jonathan. When the Monfils shared that they were praying about him, they learned another missionary had also been praying for their part in his life, without knowing that they were considering adopting him. His name, itself, moved them. Jonathan means “gift of God.”

But Jonathon was only the first gift of God that would be given to the Monfils in November. Daniel, a little boy brought in by Haitian Social Services in October, tugged at Colleen’s heart while Mike examined him in the clinic. Colleen writes “Mike was examining him in the clinic while I assisted. To see the sweetness, innocence and tenderness in his eyes drew me to Daniel. My heart ached for him as we learned of his sad and frightening story living on the streets of Haiti.  After lots of prayer during our two last days in Haiti, we knew we had to leave with the decision that Daniel would be our son!  It was funny, after returning home, I realized I had more photos of him than any other child – these were all taken even before we had realized he was ours.” She had realized she didn’t want to let him go and told Mike, “He’s ours too.”

How appropriate Jonathon’s name is in the Monfils story. Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb a reward, regardless of whether one is looking for such a heritage or not, and not considering whose womb they have come from: American or Haitian, white or black, yours – or someone else’s.