We actually got the call for our very first placement 10 years ago yesterday! We took a break from 2013-2019 and began again in December of 2019.
❔ Why did you begin fostering?
At the very beginning, we wanted to foster because we wanted to add to our family. We wanted a girl to go along with our four biological boys. We grew to understand that foster care was so much more.
❔ What has God taught you during your foster care journey?
I jumped into this foster care journey thinking that I was going to save a child and give them a life that they wouldn’t have otherwise; the total savior complex. I also had a poor view of birth parents. God showed me how utterly wrong I was as I am the one who has been changed. God has shown me what unconditional love looks like, love for my family, for the vulnerable children that we have cared for, and for their birth family. This time around, it has been easier (not easy but easier) to engage with the birth family and be supportive of reunification. God has shown me the beauty in restoration!
❔ What hope do you hold onto during the difficult seasons?
My verse: Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” I know that no matter what we face in this journey, God will be with us. He is consistent even when the world around me isn’t and He loves our children more than I ever could.