GPS Finale

The GPS finale was really good. We had a "panel" discussion which really just consisted of foster parents and this amazing 40 year old lady that was raised in one of the Alabama Baptist Children's Home group homes. While listening to her testimony I was fighting back the tears BIG TIME. I've attached links to her story below, one is a short video, the other is a short article.

 

Basically when she was 5 her father was shot in front of her and her 9 year old brother. Her mother didn't take care of her and her brother and they were moved to a group home in Troy, AL. Back then they didn't have foster homes and adoption wasn't as "popular" so they basically just lived in the home until college and ABCH paid for her college. She tried to maintain a relationship with her mother while in the group home but her mother didn't always show up for their meetings and sometimes she would spend the weekend with her and her mom would be on drugs, partying, etc. She was teased a lot at school for "not having parents" and living in a group home, etc. She struggled a lot growing up.

 

After college she married, got divorced, and re-married and her husband committed suicide a few years ago. Their son was 2. She is now taking care of her mother who has dementia and her 6 year old son. She is a school bus driver and has a lot of compassion for the children she drives to school.

 

Can you imagine your mother abandoning you your whole life and then humbling yourself to care for her in her old age? Susan was so positive and upbeat about everything. She said, "no matter what, everyone wants attention and love from their parents." Her mother and her have a better relationship now and she is getting a lot of healing having her around now. Her mother appears to be very apologetic for not taking care of her.  

Susan's Story:

http://www.alabamachild.org/videos/ 

http://www.alabamachild.org/article/susans-homecoming/?r=/news/008/Features/

 

After our panel discussion ended I talked to the Social Worker regarding the next step. In about 3 weeks she will come to my house for my "interview" and she will give me tips on where I might need to make some adjustments for my "home check" (child proof stuff). From there it will just be a matter of waiting for the background checks to come in.

 

We talked some about what the needs are and there are apparently quite a few "siblings" in foster care and she wanted to know if I would be open to taking in siblings for respite and I said yes. Another need is at the holidays. I guess sometimes foster parents don't want the foster children with them at the holidays or maybe they are traveling and it's too complicated to take them, etc. so if I'm in town I can help with that or get the courts approval to take the child with me to Florida if I'm planning on traveling at the holidays. There's just no telling how God wants to use me as a foster parent but I really do want to be completely open to whatever needs arise.

When Beauty and Brokenness Converge

This breaks my heart because the THREE times I went to Mexico on vacation I never cared about the brokenness that surrounded me while I relaxed by the pool at my all-inclusive resort. I was annoyed when little children tried to sell necklaces and blankets to me while I basked in the sun. Never once did I think that those children might not eat that day if they didn't sell those necklaces. Praise God He has broken my heart for what breaks His now, though!


Repost from Lifeline:

WHEN BEAUTY AND BROKENNESS CONVERGEfrom
Lifeline Children's Services, Inc. by Krisha Yanko


Turquoise ocean waters rolling in perfect synchronization up to sunny, pristine looking beaches from 12,000 feet. I’m on final approach to Porta Plata, flying across the Dominican Republic, a majestic tropical island that could easily be mistaken for one belonging in the Hawaiians. I have had opportunities to travel all over the globe, but I am thinking to myself that I have perhaps never taken in so much beauty for such an extended period of time, literally in every direction I am awed by what my eyes are taking in.. WOW!

In twenty minutes we are on the ground at a really cool looking semi-outdoor airport. What an interesting place. Neat and exotic designs, people, and stuff.. yeah, I’m absolutely falling in love with this place! For safety and a good night’s sleep the team is staying at an all inclusive resort just minutes from airport(my first such experience and only $43 a night). Our little piece of heaven for the next three days is down a beautifully landscaped boulevard. As we pull up I am immediately taken by how everything is so open, maximizing the pure delight of perfect temperatures in this Caribbean paradise. The outdoor restaurant is my favorite place on the complex.. continual coastal breezes dancing lightly on me, enjoying delicious tasting foods and juices, perfectly manicured golf course and pool in the background, and like minded teammates conversing at our table.. don’t pinch me I might wake up.. WOW!

The next morning less than two miles from my comfortable all-inclusive resort beauty converged with brokenness. Trash and despair everywhere I looked and moved.. repulsive smells, crying, disease, and hopelessness.. death is viewed as relief. The team tours a village stepping in ankle high trash and open sewage. I bend down and tie a few more knots in my shoestrings to lessen the likelihood they will be exposed to this filth. A few steps latter it doesn’t matter as one of my feet sink six inches into a combination of things not fit to describe here. An entire town of dilapidated dwellings and not one of the homes is the size of my son’s bedroom. We hear the villagers stories, pray over a man dying of cancer and a lady whose 12 month old child has been taken to the hospital (a place where you go to die).. its not the first child she’s had that has taken this sad journey. We meet four girls 13 and 14 years old. All but one of them have been sold into prostitution by their parents. The other girl is parentless.. an orphan prostitute and in her arms is an 18 month old child.. who will no doubt grow up as an orphan as well. I have an ache inside of me that is hard to describe. It’s physical, emotional, and spiritual. How can these things be.. as the days quickly click by this feeling only grows as town after town we are confronted with the same unforgettable reality.. total brokenness! And for almost everyone in these towns over the age of eight or nine hope has already died.. WOW!

The world takes broken things and broken people and discards them. Few even know these people exist. I had not given these creations of God much thought before I pulled up to their towns a couple of weeks ago.. that’s all changed now.. I am aware that these Haitians and Dominicans are on the island of despair right now. It’s not getting better.. the Weather Channel is highlighting a tropical storm is beating hard on the people.. WOW!

I read in the Holy Scriptures a question from the book of Isaiah, “What more could have been done?” It’s a penetrating question isn’t it.. what more could be done? ..To look back on the measure of our life and truly evaluate our contribution for His Kingdom. I am growing convinced that our greatest fear in life shouldn’t be the fear of failure, but rather of fear of succeeding at the wrong things. To invest our entire lives climbing the ladder of success only to realize at the end that our ladder was leaning on the wrong things.. WOW!

You and I are called to a Great Cause.. to love “the least of these”.. to care for orphans in distress. Well friends, the distressed are in the Dominican tonight existing in unimaginable conditions. Hope is coming.. We can do more! We must do more! We will do more! We are going to plant churches and schools in these communities. We are going to be the hands and feet of Jesus! We are going to let these precious souls taste the richness of God’s love and glory! Do you want to partner with us.. we could really use someone like you. Yep, I already know you are the perfect fit because you are still reading and these children of God are still waiting. Give me a call and let’s get to work. Lets make a difference.. lets replace brokenness with beauty!

Dave Wood
International Director
lifelineadoption.org
(205)967.0811

Body of Christ

Friday night I went to my fourth Secret Church at Brook Hills. Three years ago if you had asked me if I wanted to go to church for 6-7 hours on a FRIDAY night I would have laughed in your face. Now I LOVE it! The topic was "The Body of Christ."

 

Highlights from Secret Church include: knowing there were people from age 7 to age 89 there studying God's word on a Friday night, knowing that people had traveled from Uganda, China, Afghanistan, Canada and several countries throughout the US to study God's word, hearing people during the break talk about how fast David was flying through the material, hearing people laugh at David's jokes and stories that I have heard before and hearing our guest from overseas say that being at Brook Hills is what he envisions heaven will be like (yep, I agree).

 

What I didn't expect at Secret Church, though, was for the material to be a "refresher" for me. I've been going to Brook Hills for two years and have listened to all of David's sermons since he's been at Brook Hills and Secret Church was really just a compilation of a couple of sermon series I've already heard. I still had a great time and it's ALWAYS good to hear things multiple times but I couldn't help but think that maybe I should have given up my seat for someone who has never heard David teach, like the guy in Michigan that bought a plane ticket but wasn't able to get a Secret Church ticket since they sold out too fast.

 

I thought Secret Church was supposed to be an intense time of Bible study for our faith family but now it's turned into a ministry for people outside of our church. I'm not saying I won't go back to Secret Church, but maybe I should make sure I'm bringing a visitor.

 

The biggest thing that hit me was the fact that I'm not reproducing what I've learned and am still learning. If I've already heard everything David taught why am I not teaching others? I think one of the "reasons" (excuses) is because I feel like everyone I'm surrounded by is already getting "fed" the Word from David, too, so what could I teach them that they don't already know?

 

......I'm getting the feeling that God is preparing me for something, though. I'm sensing that I shouldn't be complacent to Birmingham and Brook Hills because He may be filling me up so He can send me out. I love Birmingham and my church but if He wants me to be somewhere else I'll follow Him (preferably somewhere a bit warmer!)

 

GPS 8

Last night was my second to last GPS class. It's hard to believe that I'm almost done! Next week will actually just be a panel discussion with a foster parent, a child raised in a group foster home, a child who was raised in a home that foster children came in and out of, a Social Worker and who knows who else. Should be interesting, I suppose.

 

Last night we talked about how family dynamics change when you add people into a family. We talked about the roles people play in a family and how to incorporate a new member, etc. When a child comes into a home those first 24 hours can be quite scary for them and it's our job to make sure they feel comfortable.

 

It wasn't anything all that profound but definitely a reminder to be mindful of this and to help the child understand and learn the family roles, rules and where he/she fits into the family.

 

I don't know what I'm going to do with all my free time when GPS is over and my Teaching the Bible class ends this month, too. I'm so excited to have a little break!

Excited to see what God has in store for me with foster care!

GPS - Only Two More To Go!!!

Last week's GPS was a bit uneventful BUT Saturday I took care of two very crucial items for applying to foster....CPR certification and finger printing for the DHR and FBI background checks! Should give you a bit of piece of mind knowing that I'm now certified for CPR if you have dinner with me, right? lol.

 

I still have to have a "home study" done. Not sure when that will be. Plus I need to decide if I want to foster infants and if so I will have to do some more things at home before the home study can be completed.

 

The background checks are the longest "hurdle" in the process of being licensed, though, so getting the finger prints done was crucial. I had been putting it off for a long time then finally went one day only to have them say it would be an hour before he could do it. Saturday the guy was super nice and he did it right away. I'm not sure if my background check will go faster since it's a single background check versus married couple, but either way it will be awhile before I'm good to go. Unfortunately that means it will probably have to be AFTER April 15th before I will start fostering. People keep asking me when I will get my first child, and well, it's gonna be awhile people.

 

 

So if you happen to get a call from DHR or the FBI regarding my background please be nice! HA!!