Lifeprints - Summer Edition 2015

Lifeprints SUMMER 2015

Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries

FOSTERING HOPE Pointing children to the Author of Hope

by Rod Marshall President/CEO

n the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica, he states (in verse 4:13) that we “grieve not as those who have no hope.” In recent studies and theories of psychology, there has been much emphasis placed on the instillation of hope. In fact, it has been shown to be one of the strongest predictors of positive outcome for personal counseling. Hope is the antidote to despair, and it is hope that we turn to, to find healing from suffering. But, where

does hope come from?

...................

1

Lifeprints LifePrints

*...................

For privacy reasons, the cover photo is not an actual photo of a child in our care.

Fostering Hope

Paul Claudel, a famous French author, is quoted saying, “Jesus did not come to take away our suffering from the world. He did not even come to explain it. He came to fill suffering with his nearness.” Daily, our house parents and foster parents face suffering children and teens. They know the children in their care have many needs. These children need structure, food, affection, laughter, play, shelter, and instruction. But, they know that what the children need most is something they cannot give them. The children are in desperate need of hope. Not some kind of feel-good version of hope that will ultimately disappoint. Not a new therapeutic strategy to engender positive emotion. Not even a boost in their self-esteem (important though that might be.) What they need is authentic HOPE— Hope that can come only from the very Author of Hope.

We cannot provide for them that which is their greatest need. However, we know the Author of Hope, who can turn tears of mourning into dancing and laughter.

We who serve at your Children’s Homes (both employees and volunteers) strive to introduce the children to the only One capable of filling their suffering with His healing nearness. Tonight, it is likely that a child will cry himself to sleep because

he misses his mom. But a house parent, foster parent, social worker, or counselor may be there, not to give that child hope in their suffering, but to introduce them to the only One who can give them Hope.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that, “these three remain; Faith, Hope, and Love.”

May children from hard places be given generous doses of all three!

By utilizing the Church Promotional Materials*, many churches will take up an annual offering for the Children’s Homes during this season. When you give to the missionaries who serve through your Children’s Homes, you are allowing us to be vessels of hope to children who need it the most. Sometimes, those children will go back to once broken homes and will be missionaries to their parents as they take Hope (and the Author of Hope) back home with them.

May God richly bless you for supporting this vital ministry. Lives are being changed daily with hope and wholeness for children and families through knowing God.

Rod is pictured here on an Arizona vacation a few years ago with his wife, Leslie and children, Will and Anna Leigh

* This year, we are mailing promotional materials to all of our Alabama SBC churches: (1) promotional DVD with two videos for adults and kids, (25) colorful bulletin inserts, and (1) professionally printed 11x17 poster. If you would like additional resources, visit alabamachild.org/resources, or email Kay Taylor at ktaylor@alabamachild.org.

Summer 2015

2

~ Ricky Thacker ~ ( ABCH House Parent )

3

Lifeprints LifePrints

“

“

These children are wanting something to trust that is sound and secure. We can point them to the One who is, and can be, sound and secure for them — Jesus Christ.

Fostering Hope

Treasuring the Small

{

Fro m P asto ri n g To P arent ing

In honor of Father’s Day in June, we’re highlighting one of our ABCH House Parents, Ricky Thacker. Ricky has worked with us for nearly 6 years and his wife, Debbie, has been with us for 15 years. The Thackers have filled various roles at the Children’s Homes, from relief House Parents, to being involved with our Family Care program, to now being full-time House Parents at the Friendship House, our emergency shelter in Oxford.

Ricky Thacker and his wife, Debbie, are some of the first faces seen by children taken out of crisis situations. Most of the time children taken to the Friendship House, our emergency shelter in Oxford, stay up to two or three weeks. Although that may not seem like a long time to most of us, to a child uncertain of their future, this seems like an eternity. That is why Ricky and Debbie try to create as much stability as possible for these children in such a short time span.

Six years ago, though, Ricky had no idea he would have such a pivotal role in caring for children in crisis situations.“Debbie and I always talked about becoming missionaries when we retired,” Ricky mentioned. They talked about going somewhere out of the country, especially focusing on Central America, possibly Honduras.

God had a different plan in store, though.

Their steps to becoming full-time House Parents started when Dr. Louise Green, our Senior Regional Vice President of Central Alabama, asked Debbie and Ricky if they would help relieve the current House Parents in one of our group homes. Debbie was already working with ABCH in a different role at the time, and Ricky was pastoring.

Ricky said, “I thought, and I actually said out loud, ‘who would want to take care of and help raise someone else’s kid as a job?’” The idea of being a House

}

Parent full-time seemed mind boggling to him, but he was more than willing to help fill-in for the House Parents at the time.

To Ricky’s surprise, he ended up falling in love with taking care of those children.

Not a month later, those House Parents they were giving relief to resigned their positions. Ricky and Debbie initially helped out on a temporary basis, but the Lord continued to burden their heart for these children. Before he knew it, Ricky had taken an early retirement from pastoring to become a full-time House Parent in order to care for these children going through extremely difficult times.

“One of the most rewarding things about being a House Parent at the Friendship House is celebrating the small things,” Ricky shared. “Because the children are here for a short time, it’s all about today. I’ve learned to treasure the small moments in life. If you miss those small moments, you’ve missed a lot in life.

And we want to celebrate and take in the individual moments with these kids.”

The children who come through the Friendship House may barely remember Ricky and Debbie’s names down the road, but Ricky has faith they will remember the love shown to them while in their care.

“These children are wanting something to trust that is sound and secure,” Ricky shared. “We can point them to the one who is, and can be, sound and secure for them—Jesus Christ.” ~ by Nicole Walker Summer 2015

4

Alan

Samuel

Olivia

Dina

Emma Sophia

Samuel Isabella Olivia Alex

Joshua

Emma Sophia

Olivia

Isabella

Samuel

Dina

Emma Sophia

Luke Joshua

Alex

Alexis

Alex Alexis

Dina Alan

Samuel Luke Isabella Joshua

Dina Olivia Alex

Lifeprints LifePrints

Olivia

Isabella

Emma Sophia

Luke

Samuel

Alex

Dina

Alan

Joshua

Isabella

Luke

Emma Sophia Alexis

by Nicole Walker

6

Alan

Dina Alex

Emma Sophia

Alan

Joshua

Alexis

Olivia Alan

Luke

Luke

Fostering Hope

“Having eight kids, people often ask us if we planned on having a large family. To be honest, I never thought I would have such a large family!” says Dina Long, ABCH foster mom. She was quick to add, though, that she would have it no other way. “The Lord is so good, and His plans are so much better than what I would have ever dreamed for myself!”

Even before Dina met her husband, Alan, the Lord had placed on her heart, the calling to care for the fatherless. It wasn’t until after they were married that this calling came into fruition when their pastor shared about the Biblical mandate to care for the orphan. When they heard their church was hosting classes to become certified foster parents, Dina and Alan immediately signed up.

After making the decision to become foster parents, they took a different approach on sharing the news. “This may sound strange, but the Lord laid on our hearts that we didn’t have to tell everyone our plans for becoming foster parents quite yet,” Dina shared. “We didn’t even tell our family!” Even though this seemed unusual to Dina and Alan, they trusted the Lord had a bigger plan through it.

While in the process of becoming certified foster parents, the Longs were also going through the process of international adoption. The process to become foster parents ran rather quickly compared to adopting internationally, so before they knew it, they were caring for their first foster child. “I remember it being on a Friday that our first foster baby, Alexis, came into our home,” Dina recalled. “Our family still didn’t know that we became foster parents, so on the following Monday we shared with them that, not only had we become foster parents, but we had a child in our home . . . They were all so confused!”

The confusion soon subsided though, once their family members met little

Alexis. “All of the questions, concerns, or issues they had with the process of adoption and our sudden announcement of becoming foster parents ended the moment they held her. They just melted when they saw her face, especially when in their very arms, they saw the reality that this baby needed to be cared for.”

Dina believes the Lord used little Alexis to soften the hearts of their friends and family towards adoption and foster care.

After settling into their foster parent roles, they adopted two children from Pakistan. Their heart for Pakistan did not end with adoption, though. They saw that the plight of the orphan there began with systemic issues, so they formed a nonprofit called Developing Hope. Through this organization, they’ve been able to help combat human trafficking, empower women through job training, and create an orphanage for young girls.

With six kids in the home already, Dina and Alan had not given a second thought to adopting more. However, when they learned their first foster child, Alexis, and her twin brother, Alex, were available for adoption, their thoughts changed. “We had no idea the Lord would lead us to adopt again, especially locally,” Dina shared. “That had been off our radar since we had already adopted, but the Lord truly laid Alex and Alexis on our hearts.” The Longs said yes, so their family of eight grew to a family of ten.

Walking through foster parenting and adopting, Dina shares, “Adoption and foster care are wonderful, whether you are actually the ones doing it or the ones supporting families who are called to.

I often tell people if you wait for the perfect time, you’ll end up never doing anything in life, because there is no perfect time to adopt or foster a child in your home. Don’t let the difficulties or the hard times turn you away.”

Summer 2015

6

BIRMINGHAM

PAID

at Camp of Champions this Summer!

PERMIT 2036

Sponsor A Child

NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE

21629 ABCH final 10/29/14 4:24 PM Page 8

Camp of Champions is a 3-day, 2-night summer camp experience at Shocco Springs in Talladega, Alabama, and it’s designed to serve our foster families and their children.

House Events 2014 While Christmas our foster and Open house parents receive excellent training, their kids get the opportunity to just be kids . . . They laugh and his sing.Christmas They play and swim. They eat too much and season, the children in our stay up too late.

They do the same things all kids do when care want to open up their home to you they go to camp . . . They have FUN!

the DATE

T

at our Christmas Open House events.

Camp of Champions happens at no charge to our families Make sure you to a Christmas Open because of churches andcome individuals like YOU, who give so House event near you! generously to our ministry. One of the ways people enjoy supporting Camp is by sponsoring a child to attend.

Dothan Friday, December 5, 6–8 PM With368 a gift of $170 you, your family, or your County Line ,Road, Dothan, AL 36305 church group can sponsor a child this summer!

334-677-7856 / dothan@abchome.org Decatur Sunday, December 7, 2–5 PM2015 1404 16th Avenue SE, Decatur, AL 35601 256-355-6893 / decatur@abchome.org amach ild

.org

alab Mobile Sunday, December 7, 2–5 PM 6512 Grelot Road, Mobile, AL 36695 251-639-1022 / mobile@abchome.org

Oxford Sunday, December 7, 2–5 PM 1931 Donna Drive, Oxford, AL 36203 256-831-4081 / oxford@abchome.org

Follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/alabamachild oncamp, Twitter: By sponsoring Follow a childus for you’re providing more than @AlabamaChildOrg just a 3-day, 2-night experience at Shocco Springs.

You’re helping to provide happy memories that last a lifetime.

LifePrints

Sponsor today at alabamachild.org/give.

P.O. Box 361767 Birmingham, AL 35236-1767

All Open House events are FREE. If you’d like to help provide for a child at Christmas or help support children in foster care throughout the coming year, gifts will be accepted at each site and receipts can be provided for gifts received by check.

Alabama Baptist Children's Homes & Family Ministries P.O. BoxAlabama 361767 Baptist Children’s Birmingham, AL&35236-1767 Homes Family Ministries

More details are available at www.alabamachild.org/openhouse.