Loving the least of these.....

David and I have decided to open our home and foster children that are in the foster care system here in WV. There are over 5k children in the foster care system in WV. That's more than KY and OH combined. That number is staggering, and most of us can't fathom how anyone could harm these kids. Well honestly its not the parents. Why you ask? Well it is, but its the drugs. The drugs have taken over and are the driving force for all bad decisions made by these parents. The drugs have lied to these parents by making them 'feel good' but in reality are tearing their families apart right in front of them all the while they are passed out or looking where to get their next fix. It is so easy to pass judgement on these parents, but we need to remember they are people and are addicts. Are they blameless? NO, absolutely not but these drugs have a hold on these individuals, a strong grasp that will not let go. This is by far the top reason why kids are put into foster care, the others well.. Satan. In the bible Matthew chapter 7 brings this home.

 How did we come to the decision to foster? Honestly God put it on our hearts as a true calling. We had talked about it for awhile. I knew I wanted my own kids first so I could learn how to love like a mom. Then I started seeing it everywhere. I remember seeing a snippet on the news in 2014 about a sibling group in need of a foster/adoptive family and to reach out to Mission WV. They sent me information and told me to contact West Virginia Deptartment of Health and Human Services (DHHR). I did that (2015) and the woman that answered me was very short tempered and I felt put off and sortof tabled the idea of fostering. God however was not about to let us off that easy. Then there was a sign placed at the end of our rd (all of 2016) it said, "Foster families needed, contact (and a number was provided)" I saw it day in and day out and it kept nagging at me. I ignored it. Again, God was not going to let us off. I had a MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) meeting in November 2016. The original speaker had backed out and they quickly found a replacement and it happened to be Necco. Needless to say I was stunned. God had called me out and I felt like she was speaking directly to me. I came home that evening and told David, found the little movie she shared at the talk that morning 'Removed.' If your interested 'Removed II.' The rest is history!

We just finished our WV PRIDE mandatory classes and have our final walk thru and safety audit of our house on February 8, 2016. All I have to say when its God putting something on your heart you know and it will not go away and will always find you.

 Reminds me of the story of Jonah, and how he ran away and God found him and eventually he did what God asked of him.

 Till next time- Caryn