Some may assume you have to be middle-age with a well-established family unit to foster, but today’s guest reminds us God can use any age, stage and season of life to impact kids who are hurting. Join Lynette Ezell and Tera Melber as they interview Jess Freeman about her family’s experience fostering—in their 20s— a five-year old girl. She unpacks how to discover the meaning being your foster child’s behavior, continuing to date your spouse in a chaotic season and the village it takes to foster well.

Focusing on What Matters

Whether your family has been on this journey for years, or you’re just getting started, The Adopting and Fostering Home is here to support and encourage you along the way.

Christianity

Religion & Spirituality

As millions of children are housed in orphanages around the world, it’s imperative that we ask ourselves, is there a better way? Kristen Lowry, Send Relief’s Consultant for International Orphan Care says, “We cannot adopt our way out of this.” Kristen shares with Lynette Ezell the surprising lessons she and her team at Shelter Yetu in Kenya learned that have now helped them see more than 600 kids reunified with family.

November 12th is Orphans and Widows Sunday. To learn more about how you and your church can meet needs and share Christ with children all over the world, go to SendRelief.org/orphan.

A Better Way for Orphan Care

For this Foster Care Awareness Month episode, Michelle Chitwood joins Lynette Ezell in hosting Fostering Champions Founder Bobby Canipe. After Canipe lost his mother to a heart attack and his father to alcoholism, he and his sister were placed in Virginia’s foster care system. Canipe used this childhood experience to inform his work at Fostering Champions, where staff provide housing, resources and a much-needed steppingstone to children who are aging out of the system and entering the real world. 

Learn more about Fostering Champions here.  

Find more resources for your foster care and adoption journey at SendRelief.org.

Fostering Champions for Christ

Kelley and Randall Nichols from We Are the ECHO join Lynette this week to unpack the familiar statement, “I could never do what you do.” The Nichols emphasize the vital role of community support and candidly share the enemy's resistance to caring for vulnerable people.

Find resources for your adoption and foster care journey at SendRelief.org.

Removing the Barriers

The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) is a life-affirming, Christian non-profit dedicated to treating surplus frozen IVF embryos with dignity and finding forever homes for their young lives. NEDC’s Marketing and Development Director Mark Mellinger joins the podcast this week, along with adoptive parents, Josh and Jenn Schouten, to discuss the journey of embryo adoption. 

For further information on the ethics of embryo adoption:
https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/what-you-should-know-about-frozen-embryo-adoption/
https://www.russellmoore.com/2012/09/20/should-christians-adopt-embryos/

Find more resources for your adoption and foster care journey at SendRelief.org.

Precious Snowflakes: Adopting Frozen Embryos

Although abuse and childhood adversity filled the early chapters of Kristen Thomas’ life, her trust in Christ and the investment of a caring community has enabled her to write a new story. Be encouraged as Kristen shares with Lynette how God is directing her path and redefining her journey.
 
Find resources for your adoption and foster care journey at SendRelief.org.

Focusing on What Matters

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