I know it's been a very long time since I've updated the blog. Due to the nature of L's case and the way things were going, I didn't feel comfortable blogging/advertising everything that was going on. I WILL blog about her/our story and share how amazingly faithful God has been through it all.
Our fostering journey was a roller-coaster ride of emotions, to put it lightly. We went from a family of 3 to a family of 6 in less than a year! Three of our four children were under the age of 2 for the first 6 months of fostering "DS" (Joshua) and "L". The amount of court dates, staffings, phone conferences, and counseling sessions (not professional - yet…ha!) we've dealt with is staggering. And our experience is mild compared to many.
We recently decided, through much prayer and wrestling with our own emotions/feelings, that we needed to "close" our home for now. We HATED doing it, but right now there is lack of space at home and in our vehicles, and we need to be able to properly raise and train the children God already has entrusted into our care. We know full well that in a few years we will return to fostering, and I look forward to the day I get to make that phone call to Florida Baptist Children's Homes to relicense us!
However, we did not feel like God is done with us in this area of ministry quite yet. There's a reason we got into it, there's a reason we only had two placements, and there's a reason why "going on hold" was so difficult for us - we recognize the absolute, desperate need for foster homes and absolutely feel we have an obligation to contribute and make a difference.
And so…."Fostering Grace: Called to Care" was born.
This is a brand-new ministry we are heading up at our church, First Baptist Church Naples. We are so excited to see where the Lord will take this. For right now, we are hosting support group meetings for adoptive and foster families in our area. We are providing childcare and are looking forward to being able to provide basic essentials (like clothing, diapers, beds, toys, etc) soon to families adopting or fostering.
Please consider joining us in prayer for this "baby" ministry - that it would grow and mature into a support system far greater than any of us can imagine right now. If you'd like to be part of our prayer "team" - please comment here, on either of our Facebook pages, or email us directly at santanafosteradopt@gmail.com
The best part is - you don't have to be local to pray for this endeavor! We welcome prayer partners from all over - maybe the Lord will lead someone in another city or state, or even country, to consider starting something similar. The need is not just in our city - it's nation-wide and growing constantly.
Some of our current prayer requests would include:
-Our local foster families - strength, wisdom, endurance, patience, love and grace; feel the Lord surrounding them & their families; to reach out for support
-Our local adoptive families - regardless of where they are at in their adoption journey, to feel God's arms around them and recognize the benefit of a like-minded support group (us! :D)
-Our local churches to come alongside foster and adoptive families like never before; to lift them up in prayer and support them however possible.
-We are in need of a space for a "Closet" (storage unit, empty room, etc…needs to have A/C) - we want to have a "store"/"closet" which could provide foster/adoptive families with some basic essentials (gently used/donated from other families) such as toys, clothes, (unused, unopened packs of) diapers/wipes, beds, cribs, swings, etc.
Free would be best, but we are willing to pay/rent a space if need be. We need this ASAP - not urgent, but the sooner the better.
-Upcoming meetings to be well attended and we get extra childcare helpers
Thanks for reading, everyone. And I promise - L's story coming soon! :)
