Jesse's Gift: From the ashes of unimaginable loss, God is bringing beauty.

Watch this video with Jason and Kacie Adkins to learn how you can be a part of their son Jesse's legacy!

Jason and Kacie Adkins have been faithfully following Christ since long before they were married.

Even in their dating years, their story was already intertwined with RippleFX. Jason had been attending RippleFX experiences as a student leader, and one summer he brought Kacie along to share in one of these experiences she had heard so much about. “I had the opportunity to serve and to lead and to be led by men of faith,” Jason told us. “Somebody like John being able to speak into my life was very influential, and so I knew that I needed to seek that out.”

A couple of years later, in 2016, Jason and Kacie were married. “We knew pretty quickly that we were meant for each other,” they shared with us.

On Easter Sunday of 2021, they headed to the hospital to welcome their long-awaited son into this world. They chose the name Jesse to honor Jason’s father.

While the pregnancy had gone smoothly, the delivery did not. Kacie was in labor for three days, over 50+ hours, during which time Jesse's heart rate dropped on multiple occasions. Finally, the doctors decided to do a C-Section because Jesse's little heart was growing weaker.

Their sweet baby boy was born, but they did not yet know just how weak he had become over the course of Kacie's labor.

Tragically, Jesse passed away about seven hours later.

As one can only begin to imagine, this loss was devastating. They entered the hospital full of anticipation, hopes, and dreams, and left without their beautiful Baby Boy and trying to grasp everything that had just happened.

Yet in the midst of their grief, Jason and Kacie turned toward God with open hands. At every step, they asked Him how they should walk through this suffering and what it might mean for their lives. For one, God made it clear to them that they needed to forgive those at the hospital who had been negligent.

“God knew exactly our pain, and He chose to give up His Son,” Kacie offered. “Here I am — my son was taken from me… This wasn't my choice. My son was taken, but God chose to offer His son for me and die in my place. . So then how can I not forgive when He’s done that for me?”

What they could not have known then was that, although Jesse’s life was heartbreakingly short, his impact was only beginning.

In the year that followed Jesse’s passing, the hospital acknowledged fault and settled the Adkinses case. As longtime followers of Jesus, Jason and Kacie wanted to seek the Lord’s leading in how to steward the settlement and how to begin healing as a family. “The question then was, ‘How do we use this money?’”, Kacie told us.

As part of their discerning process, they decided to give a first fruits offering to RippleFX.

About 18 months after Jesse's passing, John and Sandy received a card in the mail with a generous and unexpected donation from the Adkins family.

In response, John and Sandy reached out simply to thank them and got to hear even more of their story.

As the conversation unfolded, it became clear that this gift carried deep meaning.

“It just felt like it was a sacred gift,” Sandy explained. “We just didn't want it to go into general expenses. So we just kinda sat on it until the Lord gave us further direction.”

John shared how the idea for the fund began to take shape. "I had a growing, God-given restlessness in my heart for all the students who did not have access to life-changing experiences. I believe every kid should have a chance at life - to get away, have fun, and meet Jesus. I felt like we could do something about this by creating a fund that will remove barriers and give students access to the experiences we offer."

With this new direction from the Holy Spirit John and Sandy began to have discussions with Jason and Kacie about naming the fund ‘Jesse's Gift.'

Jason and Kacie would have loved for Jesse to grow up and experience those moments himself, but now, through his legacy, they’re making it possible for others. It’s a gift Jesse is giving to them and one that God is using to bring about good and to redeem some of the pain the Adkins have carried,”

Jesse's Gift has already helped to send 8 students to Wildside, RippleFX's summer middle school experience. What makes this a little extra special is that Kacie and her mom gave their lives to Christ at Round Lake Christian Camp where Wildside is held.

This fund will allow RippleFX to offer financial help to under-resourced ministries so that students who may not have been able to participate in one of these experiences will now have the opportunity!

We are humbled by this gift and amazed by a God who takes the pain and brokenness of the world and brings purpose and beauty out of it!

Because of that, we know we can’t keep Jesse’s story, or this fund, to ourselves! Just as God led Jason and Kacie to include us in Jesse’s legacy, we want to invite you to be part of it too.

Your contribution to Jesse’s Gift will extend his impact even further, helping students participate in the life-changing encounters with Christ that Jesse didn’t have the chance to experience here on earth.

“Jesse lost his life here on earth, and God will take that to create eternal life for somebody else,” John said.

When asked what they hope these funds will accomplish, Jason shared this: "The simple answer is that we want as many students as possible to be brought to life in Christ. And beyond that, we want to shed hope wherever we can." Jason explained that when kids go to camp, it impacts them spiritually, and that change often inspires their families to grow as well. This is how they desire to see hope spread.

This is what we like to call a Ripple Effect!

Please join us in creating Ripple Effects in the lives of students and those they impact by donating to Jesse's Gift!

What inspired Jesse's Gift? Watch our video to learn more!