Inspiring people to take a step to change the world is an incredible task, one that SBVC is honored to be a part of. In 2013, Experience Life Church began a campaign to encourage its members to become involved in foster and orphan care. The main focus was that while “we are not all called to do the same thing, we are all called to do something.” The outcome of this sermon series was that many children found their forever homes, and a new ministry for the church was born. The video for Foster Life showcases two families who answered the call to adopt as well as touching on ways others can support foster and adoptive families, ensuring that there is one less orphan
So in November of 2013 experience life started a series called One last orphan. We learned of the crisis that is affecting our community and region one which is.
Panhandle basically in Texas this is Lubbock and Amarillo in the surrounding towns. We said it. Sixteen hundred twenty two kids were in foster care just in our region. Sixteen hundred twenty two and 330 eight of those are waiting for adoption.
338. Waiting for a family to say I choose you.
This series made a large impact on those who heard the message and many hearts were stirred. All were challenged to action.
We're not all called to do the same thing but we're all called to do something. Well since then a lot has happened.
Many families accepted the challenge and as a result even more lives were forever changed. Here are a few of these stories. It was not really something that we had ever.
Really considered. We actually felt that some friends of ours were doing it and not long before we were in I said tequila. That sounds like a horrible idea. Why would anyone want to do that. That just sounds really hard. Why would you put yourself through that. And then not long after that I remember just feeling a stirring in my heart and felt like something. Like I was asking something of me but I didn't know what it was. So came to the place where I just kind of surrendered to whatever it was that God. Was asking. And
then in November you started the one last orphaned series and waterworks came on for Hayley and my car was broken for sure. And so we decided that's definitely our next step. That that's what can fill this void that we're feeling. We got play Dan with an agency and started going through the classes and I are things going gray. We finish up get certified and then there is this. Time where they start sending you kids and they start sending you profiles. There is this one little girl. We submitted it on and became a finalist and.
Got the chance to go down to meet her.
And so we met her in September and got to spend a weekend with her and it was just just amazing. I mean just this precious little girl with. A huge smile. And.
It had to leave her there in Houston.
And a month later they brought her to us. We finalized her adoption in June of 2000 15. And if you're interested in. Being involved in the lives of kids in foster care but not really ready to take the jump into being a foster family there's a lot of ways that you can support foster families you live host some events for foster and adoptive families that you could volunteer for. We always love going to those events because we see other families that look like ours and that might not seem like a big deal but. It is. So we have we've enjoyed that too. I've always felt so supported. By life. There's. Been times that we've just opened our mailbox and had a gift card and a card just saying like we appreciate you and. Cry. About. That.
One thing we appreciate you. And.
We see you. And that was. We felt really. Loved.
You know. I think before Greg and I even met we adoption has always been on our hearts. We always wanted to either adopt internationally. Locally you know whatever. And we knew that. You know our plan was we would have a couple of biological kids and then we would pursue adoption. But. The Lord had different plans for us back in. I think it was 20 13 2014. I did the one last orphan series and probably the most important thing that they were able to do for us is give us. Tangible things that we could do. You know there's a piece of paper that said Here's your next step. Here's the number to call. There were a lot of different organizations that. Were able to meet at the church and we were able to go to meeting and talk with people who worked for these organizations and get some information. Know I think the thing that our provid adoption experience had in common with a lot of foster adoptive experiences.
Was just that we didn't get to have a lot of expectations. I think when we would have our hearts set on one thing something would come up and we would get moved in a totally different direction. So I think that it. Helped us. I guess just be OK not knowing what was going to happen. It was really important for us think just to have a group of people around us who understood what we were going through and who are supportive you know a. Family and everybody and friends and coworkers were all very supportive when we decided that we wanted to go through this process. But it was a big deal. Having people in our lives who had actually gone through it before.
If anybody's afraid to take the next step in orphan care I would just say find out what your next step is. Because a lot of times the scariest part is that you don't know what to do. You can just get some information about the process and. Maybe find out that some of the things you're afraid of aren't really that scary then. It it'll make the process that much easier because not everybody is called to do the same thing that we're all called to do something and we truly believe that.
So take just a second and think wow this is just a few of hundreds of stories that could be told. Now
it's time for us to support those stories foster life is a new life ministry for those who are on their journey of fostering or adopting. We would like to invite you to be involved. For more information visit the foster live table in your campus lobby.