04/30/2026
The Lord brings families together in different ways. The Hardy family was blessed to grow through foster care and adoption. Ben and Lauren Hardy of the Orlando Florida South Stake fostered three children which led to their later adoption. In 2018, the Hardys had the opportunity to be sealed in the Temple to their first three children. That same year, the Hardys had twins, and two years later another baby. But someone was still missing from their family.
At age 11, sweet Rosmeri, born in Guatemala, was living in an unstable environment. Through the missionaries who found Rosmeri, loving members of the Windy Ridge Spanish congregation of the Church including the Bishop’s family took turns hosting her, but none could provide her with a permanent home. The Hardys met her and learned of her circumstances. They prayed as a family and decided to offer Rosmeri a permanent place to live. After she moved in, they asked her whether she would like to be adopted and become a member of their family if it were legally possible. Rosmeri agreed.
The Hardys learned that an adoption from Guatemala would be difficult. They needed a Guatemalan lawyer, signatures from Rosmeri's biological mother in Guatemala whom she had not seen in years, and they learned that Rosmeri could not become a citizen of the United States unless the adoption was finalized before her upcoming 16th birthday. Despite hurdles, the Hardys felt peace throughout the process because they saw the hand of the Lord.
The Hardys felt impressed to reach out to President Haring’s wife, who is from Guatemala. She miraculously referred them to her brother, who is a member of the Church in Guatemala and who is also an attorney. He worked tirelessly on the adoption, drove 8 hours away to the village where the birth mother lived, and he was able to obtain all the necessary paperwork. Rosmeri’s adoption was finalized just two weeks before her 16th birthday.
Knowing that the Orlando Florida Temple would soon be closing indefinitely for maintenance, the Hardys felt strongly that they needed to expedite the sealing to invite all the loving members of the congregation who had fostered and supported Rosmeri. Rosmeri was sealed to the Hardy family just days before the Orlando Florida Temple closed. The entire sealing room was full of members of the Spanish congregation who loved Rosmeri. Even the attorney from Guatemala flew in to attend. There were very few dry eyes in the room because people were so happy that Rosmeri was sealed to her family.
