02/19/09 - Update from board meeting

 

I wanted to share with you this week some of the things that I shared with our board at yesterday's board meeting. Much of the day's discussion was framed by the life and words of J. Hudson Taylor, an English missionary to China whose life work included 105 mission stations with over 800 missionaries and 125,000 Chinese Christians. Toward the end of his life, Hudson was quoted to say:

"I have found that there are three stages in very great work of God; first it is impossible, then it is difficult, and then it is done."

As 2009 gets into full swing, we are reminded that our ministry is only 19 months old. There were days in the first half of 2008 that the vision seemed impossible. The board, our churches, our foster parents, our consultants, our friends and families stepped up and reminded us of our calling to ministry. They reminded us that foster children and foster parents were counting on us to persevere when things appeared to be impossible.

The children who need us for just a few days, weeks or months, or those who need us to find them their forever home through adoption, are counting on us to stay the course that God has set before us. With our Communities of Care, those children are finding their first placement to be the best placement and the last placement they need until a permanent family is located.

We have aggressive growth goals for 2009 amidst a deep recessionary cycle. However, we believe that we'll reach them. We are on a path to roll a Christian ministry in 2010 that is so robust, scalable and sustainable that it will begin to spread across the country in 2013 - county by county, zip code by zip code, community by community.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support. With God's continued provision and favor, with our ongoing commitment and hard work, one day we will change the way America does foster care.