It’s fair to say that, in our society, we spend a fair amount of time focusing on the triumphs and tragedies associated with biological parents and children, which is why we do our best to shine a spotlight on adoption stories. Sure, these tales might not start out being joyful, but when a child is adopted into a loving family, we feel that the stories are well worth sharing.

Today, we have one for you that involves the topic of adoption–but it’s unlike any that we have ever heard before. It features a father and daughter pair who, believe it or not, ended up reuniting after a whopping 24 years apart. What makes this story even more incredible is the fact that, unbeknownst to them, they had been volunteering at the very same mission, just in different departments.

Back in 2013, the daughter, Amy Roberson, decided to do some research into her adoption story. Luckily, she was able to pin down the name of her father, a man by the name of Will Russell who just so happened to be living in the very same city–Phoenix, Arizona.

In an interview with KSAZ, Roberson revealed what it was like to contact her biological father, out of the blue, 24 years after her birth. “It took a lot for me to make that phone call. I was really nervous, but it was definitely something I felt like I needed to do,” the adoptee said. 

When Roberson initially reached out, she asked to speak with “Andrew,” which took her father, Will Russell, by surprise. “That’s my middle name, and no one has called me that for a very long time,” Pastor Russell told the Phoenix Rescue Mission. “I had been praying that she would come into my life, and receiving that phone call was as if God said, ‘I heard you.'”

Soon after, the pair met and it was then they learned that they had much more in common than genes–they also shared a passion for helping those in need at the Phoenix Rescue Mission, an organization that serves the greater Phoenix community.

“I found myself just kind of drawn here. So I started serving here,” Roberson told KSAZ about volunteering at the Phoenix Rescue Mission.

Russell also serves at the mission, but as a teacher of discipleship classes, “I felt the same way. The Mission became home away from home.”

Unsurprisingly, this story automatically went viral after being shared by the Phoenix Rescue Mission and a handful of local news stations. It’s a tale that, we think, is a particularly inspiring one. It just goes to show you that nature is sometimes stronger than nurture–and it’s much kinder, too!

Now that you know about Roberson and Russell’s incredible reunion, it’s time for you to meet the father-daughter pair for yourself. To see the two tell their story, be sure to watch the video below.

We’d love to hear your take on this incredible reunion! Are you surprised that these two found each other? Have you ever heard of a similar story? Do you have an adoption story of your own that you would like to share?