“You will be a mother of nations”: She said ‘yes’ to adopting three babies of different ethnicities

When Wini Heron (née Lam) and Tim Heron wed in 2003, their plan for their future family was set: Three biological children and one adopted child.

But after three years of trying to no avail, and some fertility tests, they faced a hard truth. “Our dream would not materialise,” said Wini.

The couple had met in 1999 on board a missions ship, MV Doulos, when it docked in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Tim, an Australian, was a crew member while Wini was a port volunteer.

“In the 23 years we’ve been married, I’ve gotten pregnant twice and miscarried both times. Accepting that fact was devastating for me. I loved babies and always wanted to be a mother,” said Wini, now 46.

Turning to the option of adopting, the couple asked God if this was the path to building their family.

For Tim, the answer was a brief and clear “yes”.

But Wini received a more profound response from God: “You will be a mother of nations.”

Taking the leap

Aligned and convinced, the couple began exploring the adoption process in Malaysia, where they were living then.

They quickly discovered that while it appeared straightforward, adoption was intricate, complex and time-consuming. Their enquiries also exposed them to the dark reality of human trafficking.

“Out of the blue, we received a message: There is a baby boy available for RM30,000 (about S$10,000). We can falsify the documents so that on paper, the baby is biologically yours,” Wini said, aghast.

After realising it was suspicious, they reported the incident to the authorities.

“It’s a snare, because once the child turns 12, they will need to apply for their Malaysian identity card (MyKad) and officers can request a maternity test. When the truth is revealed, the child will be stateless,” she said.

Shortly after, they learned of a Malaysian Chinese woman who was five months pregnant and looking for someone to adopt her baby.

In 2007, the Herons adopted their first son, Matthew. He arrived at their home at just three days old, and was officially adopted four months later.

In November 2007, Tim and Wini became parents as they held their first child, Matthew.

A promise fulfilled

Two years after adopting Matthew, the Herons moved to Tasmania, Australia, to serve in a local church for five years.

The couple desired to grow their family, but could not see a way to do so as the process of adoption in Australia is much more complex.

In 2014, God called the couple back to Malaysia to help establish the Alpha Hub in Kuala Lumpur. Seizing the window of opportunity, they adopted two baby girls.

Sandra, whose biological mother was a Nigerian student in Malaysia, was three days old when the Herons took her home in May 2016.

“When we adopted Sandra, I was like, ‘Oh, I am now a mother of two nations. But Lord, could we have one more?’” recalled Wini.

Wini and Tim first met in 1999 when the MV Doulos, once the world’s largest floating library run by GBA Ships, docked in Kota Kinabalu. They have been married for 23 years.

Months after adopting Sandra, they received news of a Filipino domestic worker looking for someone to adopt her baby.

“That was Angel, who came to us in 2017 when she was nine months old. The Lord fulfilled all of His promises to our family and girls. Psalm 126 was my life. We were grateful,” Wini said.

Tim holding Sandra and Angel, both nine months old at the time.

Sandra was legally adopted in November 2017, more than a year after the Herons brought her home. For Angel, the wait for legal adoption was 11 months.

The hardest part, however, was yet to come.

Trusting God step by step

Though the girls had been legally adopted, they held no citizenship as Malaysia does not grant automatic citizenship by birth.

Around that time, the Herons felt led to move back to Australia and were able to obtain a one-way visa from the Australian government for their daughters.

“So they had a visa, but no passports! There was nowhere for the visa to go. We made many trips to immigration authorities, but no one knew what to do. In the end, our babies were labelled as having entered Malaysia illegally, overstayed and then deported to Australia,” Wini said.

The Lord’s timing was perfect. The Herons landed in Tasmania just before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020. After 10 months of them being there, Australia granted Sandra and Angel citizenship.

“They were finally people, recognised and real. So many nights, I lay in bed and cried,” remembered Wini. “I didn’t know if my girls could have a life – open a bank account, drive a car, get married. It was a journey of trusting God step by step.”

The Lord uses children mightily

As an interracial couple with three children of different ethnicities, the Herons turn heads wherever they go.

“Many people have had their hearts confronted by stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes. There have been incredible moments where God was able to move (through our atypical family),” Wini said.

The Herons enjoying a celebratory dinner after the children received Australian citizenship in 2020.

“It has been heartwarming how the Lord changes hearts. For example, there was an elderly Chinese couple whose mouths fell open when we first brought this tiny dark-skinned baby (Sandra) to church,” shared Wini.

At first, the couple was wary of the girl. But, driven by curiosity, they would seek Sandra out every Sunday. Soon, they came bearing gifts. After a month, their hearts were completely won over by her.

“They would take Sandra out of our hands and carry her around the church, just loving her,” Wini said with a laugh. “There’s something about how the Lord uses children.”

The power of love and redemption

Today, Wini and Tim serve on the pastoral team of a local church in Tasmania. Tim sits on the Eldership Board and Wini oversees Young Adults and Pastoral Care, along with Connect Groups.

Their lives are full as they raise three growing children – Matthew is 18, while Sandra and Angel are both 10 – who know they are adopted.

“They have a ‘tummy mummy’ and a ‘forever mummy’. They also each go through their own grief journey. We meet them where they’re at, and they know that when they’re 18, they have the option to seek out their biological mothers,” Wini said.

A beautiful expression of God’s family: The Herons with their children Matthew, then 12, Angel and Sandra, then 3. Matthew is now 18, while the girls are 10.

Wini is now an adoption advocate who raises awareness and supports couples looking to adopt.

“Sometimes, we hear adoption requests with clear criteria: This age, that gender, this ethnicity. But we’re not buying curtains. This is a child,” she said. “And if in the end, the birth mother decides to keep the baby, that is the better solution.”

She shared a powerful story of a single woman who, looking to adopt, spent two weeks with a baby. Upon meeting the baby’s birth mother, she realised how much the young woman loved her baby but could not afford to keep the child.

“This amazing woman, who desperately wanted to be a mother, offered to financially support the birth mother so she could raise her own child without fear,” Wini said.

A broken vessel for His glory

For Wini, adoption reflects God’s love for all mankind and the ultimate sacrifice He made to restore us to His family.

“God knows and loves each person so intimately. He is a Father who cares for every baby, every person, more than we could ever imagine,” she said.

“If all children are equal and do not have a choice to exist, what should our response be as Christians? How can we open our eyes to see them as children of God?”

For couples hoping to adopt, Wini knows the path can be rocky and the wait, excruciating.

“When I see my children, I think of how God marked each of their lives. God knew them and loved them, protected them and paved their way for us to fight for them,” she said.

“If He has called you to adoption, He will bring the right baby to you, for you to fight for. Do it the right way. Keep trusting Him in the waiting.”

Though her call is firmly rooted in Tasmania, Wini has recently been carrying a burden for undocumented communities, especially stateless children in Sabah.

“My heart bleeds and breaks for these children, whom God made and loves. He so loved me that He met my desire to be a mother, fulfilling His promise to me across a decade. I truly want to do whatever He says with my life,” she said.

“How can we grow if we’re not broken? If we are willing, God will use us. Culture changes one person, one conversation at a time.”

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