My guest for this conversation didn’t set out to have fourteen children in her home. But through every step of her journey, she boldly trusted in the Lord and kept stepping out in faith.
Beth van der Wel is not only a biological mom to three, but she is also an adoptive and foster parent to an additional 11 children. Throughout their nearly three decades of marriage, Beth and her husband, Robin, have opened their hearts and their home to however the Lord would lead, which would include welcoming entire sibling groups into their home all at once.
From an unexpected nudge toward adoption to watching God bring life and hope to children the world had given up on, Beth has seen firsthand that you don’t have to have a perfect plan to be used by God. Beth recently joined the TFI Team as an Advocate in Marshall County, Alabama.
In this episode, Beth shares how she is living out her call to serve vulnerable children, the importance of making caseworkers feel seen and supported, how even 24 hours can have a profound impact on a child’s life, and much more.
TAKEAWAYS FROM TODAY’S CONVERSATION:
1. Your lived experience is not wasted.
Beth has walked through several hardships, from grieving the loss of family members to her family losing their primary source of income. While many would want to leave those experiences in the past, she takes ownership of them and feels that what her family lived through empowers her to encourage and support others today. Sometimes, the darkest seasons we’ve walked through are what allow us to speak life into someone else’s circumstances.
“All of those days of trauma began to give us an opportunity to speak life in a different way and to be able to realize it’s ok. I don’t order my steps.”
2. God uses ordinary people.
It can be challenging to feel as though we can make a difference. There is so much going on in our world, and when we feel like our day-to-day lives are packed to the brim, we may feel that we’re not capable of stepping into a new role that God is calling us to. But we need to learn how to quiet the “noise” of the world in order to identify what matters. The Lord may not be calling you to foster or adopt, but there are so many ways we can allow Him to work through us.
“God really does extraordinary things through ordinary people when we are willing.”
3. Support is vital in the foster care community.
As you can imagine, having a household of 14 children is quite the undertaking. But support isn’t just needed for foster and adoptive families. Churches and individuals can help fill the gap at every level of the foster care community. Agency workers need resources and encouragement as they manage numerous cases on a daily basis and walk through trauma with the vulnerable families they’re serving.
“There is a need to walk alongside social workers, foster families, and adoptive families.”
Meet Our Guest
Beth van der Wel is a brand-new TFI Advocate, a biological and adoptive parent, as well as a foster parent. Beth, along with her husband, Robin, currently has 14 children – three biological, five through adoption, and six through foster care that they are in the process of adopting. It is her deepest desire to use her own experience to help others in their journey and to connect the local church to the foster care community.
Get encouragement and updates in your inbox.
Be the first to know about new episodes, posts, resources, and stay in the loop about what’s coming up.
Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:
