Arizona dad reunited at rescue mission with daughter he gave up for adoption 24 years ago (W/Pics)

By ASHLEY COLLMAN

24-year-old Amy Roberson was put up for adoption at birth, and didn't know who her biological father was until this year. When she found out in July that Will Russell was her biological father, she tracked him down and the two found out they had more in common than shared genes. They both had been volunteering for months at the same rescue mission in Phoenix.

Roberson found her father after relatives referred her to one of her nine siblings. 'I called just to tell him that I was his daughter and hoping to meet him and any siblings I had,' Roberson told Fox 10 Phoenix. Little did she know, her father was just as excited to meet her. 'Unbeknownst to anyone else for the past six months it's been a constant prayer that ? would lead me to her life,' Russell said. They met the following morning for breakfast, when Russell explained why he couldn't take care of her when she was born. His 20s were a 'train wreck' because of alcohol addiction. But things changed in 2004 when he got sober, and found a new meaning in life through his faith. He has been a pastor for the past six years.

At the end of their conversation, Russell said he had to leave because he was scheduled to volunteer at the Phoenix Rescue Mission. 'Oh, that's where I volunteer,' Roberson said. Turns out the two had been working at the same mission, in different capacities for months. Russell teaches discipleship classes full time, and Roberson helps out in the kitchen once a week. 'When I first began volunteering at the mission, I instantly felt like I needed to be there,' Roberson told The Arizona Republic. Russell felt the same way: 'The mission became a home away from home.' Today, Amy plans to celebrate her first Father's Day in 24 years with Russell.