The TFI Story
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An Unexpected Journey
We never planned to adopt, and foster care wasn’t on our radar, but God made us aware, and ultimately, awareness led to action. After having two daughters by birth and adopting our son from Guatemala, my husband Clint and I began our second adoption journey. Little did we know that God had something very different in store for us. Several times we hoped to adopt, and each time our hopes were dashed. I couldn’t understand why, but through our waiting journey, I learned God was doing something more significant than we expected or dreamed.
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A Change in (My) Perspective
After multiple rejections, we found ourselves waiting again. But our hope would soon fade after hearing another “No.” I begged God to give me His perspective, and that’s when I felt Him say, “It’s not about bringing a child into your family, it’s about bringing your family to a child.” This new perspective opened the door to a whole new world for us called foster care. Once again, we became aware, and awareness led to action.
With my kids in tow, I walked into our local foster care agency to find out more. I saw the rooms where children waited to be placed with a foster family, but the rooms didn’t look friendly or welcoming, and I was compelled to do something. With permission from the agency, I called out to my family and friends to help create a space that would make these kids feel special, and they jumped into action. Through this, I learned a valuable lesson: God’s people care about the foster care community, but they don’t always know where to begin or how to help. When I made them aware of the need and gave them specific ways to serve, they got involved.
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New Beginnings and Growth
The Forgotten Initiative (TFI) was born, and it wasn’t long before other people reached out, looking to do the same in their areas. This was bigger than me. What started as a way to help my community support our foster care community, soon grew across the country. Our family has grown since that time too. Three siblings joined our family through foster care, and then adoption, and finally, we adopted our youngest son from Uganda.
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Moving Forward
God has done immeasurably more than I could have asked or thought and I can’t wait to see what He will continue to do! I look expectantly towards the future where people everywhere are supporting the foster care community and experiencing Jesus together!