Chris majored in Christian studies, minored in psychology and graduated in 2006. He felt called to student ministry during his senior year of high school while participating in World Changers, and he wanted to choose a major that could best prepare him to disciple students during his career.
“God made it very clear that Union was the place for me,” he said. “Eight years later, I still feel like that was the best decision I could have made.”
During his time as a student, Chris was a Life Group leader, member of Lambda Chi Alpha and a cross country runner. He also traveled on GO Trips and volunteered at Fellowship Bible Church.
“I loved the community aspect of being on campus,” he said.
Lindsay majored in chemistry, minored in biology and Spanish and graduated in 2010. “I knew early on in my freshman year that I wanted to go to medical school and eventually become a physician,” she said.
During her time as a student, Lindsay was a J-Crib leader and member of Chi Omega, played for the 2009 women’s basketball National Championship team and was a summer research assistant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for two summers through a chemistry research class.
The couple met through mutual friends at a Super Bowl party during Lindsay’s freshman year. About a month later, Chris moved to Lebanon, Tennessee for a full-time student ministry position at a church plant. They dated for the next four years and were married in May of 2011 after Lindsay’s first year of medical school.
Once they were married, the two lived in the First Baptist Church parsonage in Marion, Arkansas. Chris served as the high school student minister there while Lindsay attended the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis.
Since graduating, Chris has received his master’s degree in Christian studies from Union, and Lindsay has graduated from medical school. The couple has also spent time traveling and taking camping and hiking trips together.
In June, the Arnolds moved to Louisville, Kentucky, purchased their first home and adopted their 2-year-old daughter Maria.
“Both Chris and I felt strongly about adoption before we even got married,” Lindsay said. “Between traveling overseas for mission trips with children to seeing the tough living and social situations of several students in the student ministry here, we realized the very real need all around us for children and students needing love, support and stability. We believe God has adopted us into his family, and we hope to show a small piece of that love through our adoption story.”
After discussing conditions such as age, gender, race, mental and physical health of the child and the child’s family, the couple decided that they wanted to adopt domestically instead of internationally or through foster care. Then they chose the Gladney Center for Adoption as their agency.
“From there, we snuck away for an orientation weekend in Texas without telling any of our family and friends,” Lindsay said. “We had a big ‘adoption reveal’ with our families in the midst of three months of paperwork, interviews, home studies and background checks.”
The Arnolds were approved for adoption in November of 2013, and the waiting began. They created a “Life Book” that introduced them to potential birthmothers.
“Finally, in April we received a call about Maria, a little girl living in the Southeastern U.S.,” Lindsay said. “The most painful part was waiting the almost two months from when we found out about Maria until we were able to bring her home.”
The Arnolds had expected the adoption to finalize after one or two years, so when it took only five months, they had not quite raised enough money to pay off adoption fees.
After hosting a pancake breakfast and puzzle piece fundraiser in Marion, almost $10,000 had been donated.
They spent four days in Maria’s hometown to transition her from being with her biological family and finally were able to come home as a family of three.
In recent months, the family has adjusted well.
“Maria has blossomed and is becoming quite the social toddler. She is learning, talking and dancing a lot,” Lindsay said. “She is calling us mommy and daddy now and loves spending time with our parents. Our life is really busy right now, but we have learned to be intentional with the time we spend together.
Chris is currently the minister to high school students at Valley View Church in Louisville. Lindsay recently began her first year in the General Surgery Residency Program through the University of Louisville. Maria is potty training and learning her ABCs.
Lindsay will have completed her General Surgery training in four years and nine months and then decide if she wants to do a fellowship to further specialize or get a job in general surgery.
Chris plans to continue doing student ministry for the next several years. The two would like to expand their family again in the future but have not decided whether that will be by adoption or biologically.
