Be Strong and Very Courageous

Kevin and I have some exciting news that we would like to share with you. We have decided to become foster parents! This decision has been a long time coming. A few years ago, I (Anna) started to truly discover my passion in life, helping children who have no one to care for them. I am avoiding using the term “orphan” because that implies that a child has no parents at all. That is simply not the truth in many situations.  Let me tell you our story and how God called us to make this decision.

Spring break of this year, I was about to fly back home from my brother in-law’s wedding when I decided I needed a book to keep me occupied on my flight and during my lay over. My sister and I went to Barnes and Noble, and she pointed out the book “Kisses from Katie.” I had wanted to read the book for a year and decided this was a good time. Let me just tell you that if you do not want to be challenged ….do not read this book. I sat on the plane, and in the airport with tears running down my face as I read about all the beautiful things this young woman is doing, and the hurt, pain, and brokeness that is running rampant in our world. 

I knew that I had to do something, but what? How could I make that kind of difference while I was here in the States. I asked God “what can we do?” and the answer was almost immediate. I don't have to go to the third world to love abandoned children. There are thousands of children right here in my own backyard who are facing similar problems to the children in the third world. Becoming a foster parent was no doubt a direct call from the Lord. When Kevin picked me up from the airport it was a matter of minutes before the idea came bursting out. To my surprise, he was very open to the idea. He had been having similar conversations with Jesus about wanting to do something more, wanting to trust, wanting to be willing to obey.

Now I can tell you that we are through the first few steps. We are taking the required foster care classes and currently waiting on a home study to be done. We are setting up an adorable little nursery/bedroom for the children that will become a part of our lives, even if only for a little while. We will be taking in 1 child (2 at most) at a time between the ages of 0 and 6 hopefully starting this September. It will pretty much become my full time job while Kevin continues on through his 3rd year of school. We are so excited to open our home and our hearts to the children of Kansas City.

So, what is with the title?! I sound so excited, why do we need to “be strong and very courageous?” Well, let me tell you a little bit about that. When you become a foster parent, you are agreeing to take in children that have been taken away from their parents through no fault of their own (most of the time). What does that mean? Sometimes it means that a child is placed into the system while their parents get back on their feet. Maybe they lost their job, or their home, or are going through a divorce and just need a chance to pull their life together. Sadly though, in most cases these children have been neglected, abused, abandoned, molested, raped, or a slew of other very sad traumatic things. When a child suffers these things, there are going to be behavioral and emotional responses. 

Over the next few years we may be dealing with a lot of hard things. Not simply the difficulties of helping a child cope, grow, develop good habits, trust, make good choices, and accept love, but also the pain that will likely come with having a child living with us for months at a time and loving them deeply while knowing that in almost all cases that child will eventually go home. I want you to know, that we are doing foster care KNOWING that we are preparing children to reunite with their parents. That is the goal of foster care. While we are open to adopting in the right situations, that is not our primary reason or focus.

There will no doubt be a lot of difficulty, as well as a lot of beauty from this decision. The Lord often speaks to me through the songs, movies, and stories that the students at my school hear and see. This year one of the songs that we sing in chapel is based off of the passage Joshua 1:9. This has become my favorite song and the theme song of my year. “Be strong, be strong, be strong and very courageous, be strong, be strong, for I am always by your side” the chorus says.

Please, pray that verse, and those words over us as we begin this adventure. Pray this song and verse over the broken and scared children that we are privileged enough to love. The Lord calls us to do hard things, to love the orphans and widows in their distress. Pray for courage, pray for strength, pray for wisdom and patience. 

 For those of you who may tell me “you have no idea what you are getting into”, “you know these kids have issues right?!” “why don't you just have your own kids first”, “I had a friend who took in a foster kid and……” thank you for attempting to enlighten us, but those are not the words we need to hear. If you yourself have taken in a foster child and have some advice, please tell me all you know! But, if you are simply “warning us” we do not want to hear it, we already know. We also know that those who follow Christ are often given tasks that are huge, giant, scary, and seem impossible. If you do not believe me…go read the story of Joseph, or Job, or Daniel, or Esther.

We are following the call that has been given to us. We are saying “yes” to Jesus. We are allowing Him to use us as His vessels. We are opening ourselves to all the things that come along with foster care, and we are excited. We will be strong. We will be courageous, because we know that God is always by our sides.

Kevin and Anna
Be Strong (The song I referred to)