Luther and Rebecca Elliss feel the stares and hear the comments when they take their herd of children to public places — "She needs to take birth control." "Those can't be all their kids." "Excuse me, I've been counting — are all of these your kids?"
They have eight children between the ages of 1-9 — half of them are their biological children, half are adopted, although they would blanch at the distinction. They are all the same, they say.
They are talking of adopting more children. "I would do two more," says Rebecca. "I'm totally open to what the Lord is calling us to do."
Elliss, a defensive lineman for the Denver Broncos and a former University of Utah star, has become a poster boy for adoption because of his celebrity. He and his family arrived in Salt Lake City last week — in two vehicles — to visit Rebecca's parents and participate in "An Evening With Angels" at the Salt Lake Marriott City Center on Saturday, March 12.
Elliss will serve as co-MC, along with another pro football player, Jeff Harting, who has two adopted children. The purpose of the black-tie affair is to raise awareness of adoption and to raise money to help offset adoption costs.
"It has been great," Elliss says of adoption. "We're living it daily. Any time you're in the position I'm in, you should speak about it."
Elliss' belief in adoptions is tied to his deep commitment to his Christian faith. His answering machine greets callers with Elliss' voice quoting the Bible. While playing for the Detroit Lions, he started a nondenominational church in Detroit that eventually attracted 5,000 people. Then he asked the pastor to start another church in Salt Lake City. Fifteen families quit their jobs and moved to Salt Lake to start the K12 Church.
Even before they married, Luther and Rebecca discussed adoption. Five years ago, while visiting Salt Lake City, a friend told Rebecca about a week-old biracial child who needed a family. She called Luther and he agreed: Adopt him.
That was the first of four adoptions. "Our 6-year-old thought babies came from the airport," says Rebecca. "It was a God thing. We just felt a calling to adoptions since then."
The Ellisses' philosophy is this: They don't want to be placed on an adoption waiting list. That means they are competing with other families who want children, and they don't want to deprive them of opportunities.
"We will take a baby they don't have a home for," says Rebecca. "Our first question is always, 'Do you have a home for them?' "
They have adopted a mix of children — a Samoan, two black/Caucasians and a Hispanic/Caucasian.
"Our passion is to make people aware of adoption," says Rebecca. "It's not just for people who can't have children. There's a huge need for people to step up and take children, especially children of color."
Luther, whose football schedule allows him to be home much of the time, serves as a teacher's aid, shuttles the kids to and from dance and karate lessons, takes them out for pizza and wrestles with them at home.
"He's a great dad; otherwise, I couldn't do it," says Rebecca. "He's not intimidated by taking eight kids out by himself. I am."
To make it all work, the Ellisses have a chalkboard on the wall of their four-bedroom house with everyone's schedules recorded on it. They have assigned numbers to their children for public outings to make sure no one is lost. They own two washers and two dryers to handle the five loads of daily laundry.
"I feel like we have a calling to give back," says Luther. "We've been so blessed."
Doug Robinson's column runs on Tuesday. Please send e-mail to drob@desnews.com.