Restore The Wonder was founded by Chad and Monica Fisher and built from its earliest days alongside Phil and Sharon Wellin, who serve as co-founders.
For all four of us, this mission is deeply personal. Our stories are different, but God brought them together around one shared desire: to show up for children who have experienced foster care and help restore some of the wonder that difficult circumstances may have taken from their childhood.
Letters from the Founders
Chad & Monica Fisher | Founders
For Chad and Monica, Restore The Wonder began long before it had a name.
Chad is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Through his own journey of healing, God began placing a dream in his heart—to one day become for hurting children the kind of safe, consistent adult he needed when he was young. That dream stayed with Chad and Monica for years.
In 2019, they began taking steps toward what would eventually become Restore The Wonder. What started as a dream to create one unforgettable week for children who had experienced foster care has become something far greater than they could have imagined.
Chad and Monica have spent their lives serving in the local church and believe deeply in the power of the Church to step into hard places with the hope and love of Jesus.
For them, Restore The Wonder isn’t simply an organization they lead. It’s deeply personal.
It’s an opportunity to take some of the hardest parts of their own story and allow God to use them to bring hope into someone else’s.
Chad and Monica live in the Kansas City area with their three daughters, where Chad serves as Lead Pastor of Blue Springs Assembly.- Chad Fisher
Phil & Sharon Wellin | Co-Founders
When Phil and Sharon joined the dream of Restore The Wonder, they weren’t simply joining a cause. They were stepping into something that connected deeply with their own story. Phil experienced foster care firsthand as a child. He knows what it feels like for life to change through circumstances outside of your control. He also knows the difference caring adults can make in the life of a child who needs someone to show up.That experience has shaped the heart Phil and Sharon bring to Restore The Wonder.
From the earliest days of the organization, they have helped turn a dream into something tangible—building relationships, solving problems, recruiting volunteers, serving families, and doing countless things behind the scenes to make camp possible. Their leadership and investment have been instrumental in establishing Restore The Wonder in Southeast Missouri and helping shape the culture of excellence, generosity, and genuine love for kids that continues to define the organization today.
For Phil and Sharon, these aren’t simply campers. They’re kids worth showing up for.
Phil and Sharon live in Southeast Missouri and continue to provide leadership and invest deeply in the mission of Restore The Wonder. One Team. Two Regions. One Mission.
What began around one table with a shared dream has grown beyond any one person or community. Today, Restore The Wonder is supported by an incredible network of leaders, volunteers, churches, foster families, donors, businesses, and community partners across Southeast Missouri and Kansas City.
Our founders may help lead the way, but Restore The Wonder has never been about four people. It’s about hundreds of people choosing to show up so that a child knows someone believes they are worth showing up for.
And as Restore The Wonder continues to grow, our commitment remains simple:
Keep showing up.
Keep serving kids well.
Keep making room for God to do what only He can do.