<\/p>\n
A TikTok showing a family adopting two soldiers for the day quickly went viral<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The two soldiers joined the family of 10 for their day of bowling, shopping and Popeyes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The family still keeps in touch, calling the bond lifelong<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Two soldiers joined a family\u2019s ordinary day and, by the time it ended, felt like they had always belonged there. The moment, later shared in a viral TikTok, showed a family of 12 bowling, walking through Walmart for snacks and laughing together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t take this lightly at all. I took my role serious,\u201d Tara Jean Baptiste said in the viral clip<\/a> shared on TikTok. \u201cBeing their adopted family for the day wasn\u2019t just something nice to do \u2014 it was a responsibility I carried with my whole heart.\u201d<\/p>\n That sense of responsibility, Jean Baptiste explains now, had been forming long before the moment ever unfolded on camera. Jean Baptiste tells PEOPLE this was the first time her family had adopted soldiers for the day, but they fit in with her already-large family.<\/p>\n \u201cLong before we even rented the Sprinter, I told my husband that I wanted two more children,\u201d she says. \u201cHe laughed, because we already have 10.\u201d<\/p>\n She recalls telling him that she wanted to adopt two soldiers despite not knowing how it would happen. When the family arrived, she says there was no guarantee there would be anyone to adopt at all.<\/p>\n \u201cYet God placed exactly two in our arms,\u201d Jean Baptiste says. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes this so powerful to me.\u201d<\/p>\n The family made an outing of the day, taking the two soldiers on excursions<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my boys had never had Popeyes before, so we treated everyone and turned it into a moment we still talk about,\u201d she says. What stayed with her most was how naturally the soldiers blended into the family dynamic.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was nothing forced about it; they fit right in with my children, like they had always belonged,\u201d Jean Baptiste says.<\/p>\n One exchange, in particular, has stayed with her long after the day ended. She recalls speaking with one soldier\u2019s mother when his son proudly introduced her as his adopted mom. \u201cThat moment will never leave my heart,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The connection didn\u2019t end when the outing was over. Jean Baptiste says her family and the soldiers remain in touch, bonded by something she believes was divinely orchestrated. \u201cWhen God connects hearts, distance doesn\u2019t erase that bond,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you open your heart to spread love that wide, the connection doesn\u2019t end when the day does.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n As the video circulated, messages poured in from people moved by what they saw. Jean Baptiste says the response has been an overwhelming outpouring of kindness toward her family.<\/p>\n She hopes the moment encourages others to act when they feel called. \u201cI would tell them to trust the nudge,\u201d Jean Baptiste says. \u201cGod never intended for anyone, especially those who serve, to feel alone.\u201d<\/p>\n “Yes we are a Huge family of 12, but we have a huge heart and lots of love to share,\u201d Jean Baptiste adds.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n