We Are Just a Few Steps Away

Just this past Tuesday, Josh and I each received our certificates from Crisis Nursery

stating that we have completed 30 hours of training. 5 1/2 weeks every Tuesday and 

Thursday went by pretty fast and we learned a TON. We are now just a few steps closer to 

becoming foster parents! We still have to do a 2 hour car-seat training class, a 1 hour CPR class, and

have our new home inspected. Oh yeah....that too! We put an offer in on a house on Sunday and the owner accepted it! If everything goes as planned, we will get the keys on October 15th and move in the first week of November. Things are happening fast and God is so incredibly good!!!

What are some things that God is doing in your life right now? I would love to hear from you!

Please comment below!

*** I love these uplifting words/statements on A Blog About Love

-KIMBERLY-

Foster Training: Class #3

Two words to describe how I am feeling this morning. Emotionally drained. After last night's class, I 

went home and cried like a big giant baby. I cried out to God for these kids (all 14,000 of them)

I prayed that a huge majority of them will find good homes. Good homes where people will love, 

nurture and care for them with everything they have got. Good homes where people will teach them,

guide them, protect them, comfort them, and never give up on them. Ever. Good homes where they 

can feel secure, wanted and accepted. I am determined to make sure that our home will offer all of 

those things and so much more for these kids. I am determined to make a difference and impact 

in each of the kids that are placed in our home...little do they know that they will be making an 

impact and difference in our lives too. I feel as if the foster system is this giant bubble. As we peer

 in from the outside upon these kids, we have no clue what is really going on inside the foster system

and most importantly on the inside of these children. They are broken, lost, detached, angry, sad,

depressed, insecure, negative, confused, torn, and feel like there is no place that they can call "home"

I have always felt very grateful for this life that I have been given. After just 3 classes, there are literally

no words to describe how incredibly and immensely grateful I am for my life and the wonderful childhood that I had with parents who gave me comfort, support, guidance, protection, security, hope, and love.....loads and loads of unconditional love. These kids have experienced none of these things. 

In our class last night, we were learning about situational things we all at some point will face in our lives. (death, divorce, infertility, etc...just to name a few) These are all things that some or most of us face. Right?? Well last night I was reflecting on my entire life and was trying to think of the worst thing I have had to face or go through. The very worst. My parents divorced when I was a junior in High School. I was in shock and denial at first, then I went through stages of anger, sadness and depression. I was devastated. How? Why? I didn't see any of it coming. Last night I was trying to take myself back to that time and really trying to remember exactly how I felt. I then imagined all these kids and thought about what they have been through and what the worst situation has been for them. What I have been through doesn't even remotely come close to what these kids have been through and what they are going through mentally, physically and most importantly emotionally. Even if I could remember and take every single bad thing that has happened in my life and compare it alongside theirs....it doesn't compare. Not even close. I would like to share a few stories of some children who are in the foster system currently. Just to warn you.. a lot of it may be hard to read and take in but this is the reality of all of it. This is the reality of what these children have gone through and what they are going through. These are their stories and this is their life in a nutshell. Very heartbreaking, but true.

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

Karen is 16 and has been in foster care several times during her life due to neglect and medical neglect. Her mother has recurrent problems with alcohol. Karen has been in this foster home for three months; this is the second time she has lived there. Karen has Fetal Alcohol Effect. She also has a heart murmur. Karen is about three years behind her grade level in school and has been diagnosed with dyslexia, a reading disorder. Karen has tow friends from her foster parents church, who are two years younger than she is. Karen has a big smile when she is happy ans she loves to dress up. Most of the time Karen is very quiet and wants to stay in her room by herself. She looks forward to Sundays when her mother is invited to dinner with the foster family.

Beau is 8 and has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C. He entered foster care 17 months ago because of neglect. Beau's mother has chronic Hepatitis C and is too ill for a liver transplant operation. She is currently in hospice care. She is not expected to live long. Beau is angry that is mother is ill. Beau is on daily medication. He is in the third grade and goes to public school but misses often due to his medical condition. Beau is placed with his grandmother, who has a poor relationship with Beau's mother. Beau has three close friends and has dreams of flying an airplane some day. He likes animals and wants to have a cat, but caring for cats can be dangerous for people with poor immune systems, so he cannot have one. Beau cries before going to his medical appointments. Sometimes Beau yells at his best friends and says he doesn't want to be friends anymore. 

Jason is 15 and Hope is 9. Their father, who physically abused Jason, is now in prison for drug related charges. Jason and Hope have been in foster care for seven months now. They have not seen their mother since shortly after Hope was born. Jason and Hope are very close because Jason has been responsible for taking care of Hope. Hope is in the 4th grade and is doing well. She loves to read. She is a tomboy and is more comfortable playing soccer or baseball with the boys on the playground, but she does not have any close friends. She gets upset easily and gets into fist fights with kids on the playground. She is resistant toward her foster mother and still looks to Jason for nurturing and guidance. Jason recently disclosed to his foster mother that he is gay. He says that he has known that he is gay for as long as he can remember. He says he is not sexually active and that no one else knows he is gay. Jason gets along well with his classmates, but he has no close friends. Jason does well in school and is affectionate in the family. He becomes very sad at times, but is able to talk about his feelings, especially about his father and mother. 

****Tonight we have our family evaluation interview with our licensing specialist. Wish us luck****

-KIMBERLY-

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring 

for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

James 1:27

FOSTER CARE TRAINING CLASS #2

Last night we attended our second class to become licensed foster parents. During class, we watched a 20 minute video featuring a few of the foster children that are in the system.They expressed their feelings, what they have been through and what they are looking for in foster parents. My heart aches. I feel like all I want to do is buy a house with 50+ bedrooms just so I can fill the rooms with all these amazing kids.

Fact: there are 14,608 children in care as of June 30th, including 95 babies and small children living in group home and crisis shelters. In March 2010, there were 10,207 foster children in Arizona. That's 40% in 3 years. You can read more about the foster care crisis HERE

After class last night and this morning I am flooded with so many different emotions. I am overwhelmed, sad, upset, excited, curious, anxious, determined, and confused. I am overwhelmed with all the information that we have been learning. All of the information is so in depth and very helpful, but there is so much. I feel a lot of sadness. Sadness for the parents who have mistreated their children and have had them physically removed from them and sadness and heartache towards these children. These children who have been abused sexually, physically, and emotionally day after day after day. These children who are broken, confused, angry, and feel like there is no hope for them. I am upset. Upset that these parents would even think for one second of hurting or mistreating their own child or children. I am completely and utterly baffled by it. It makes my stomach turn. I am excited. Excited that this great opportunity was presented to us. Excited for all of the helpful information, tips and tricks that we are learning. Excited for all of these wonderful children that will come into our home. Excited to love, nurture and care for these little ones. Excited to make a difference in their lives and show them that there are people good people out there that do love and care, that they are more than enough and that they have a divine purpose and they can shine. I am curious. Curious how many children will come through our home. Curious what age we will get (we requested ages 2-6). Curious what they will look like. Curious how they will act and adapt in our home and towards us. I am anxious. Anxious for us to be done with our classes. Anxious about waiting for that first call when they say they have a child for us. Anxious to offer everything and more that Josh and I can to these children. I am determined. Determined to make a difference in these children's lives. Determined to show them that even though their parents have mistreated them, that there are still so many other amazing people in this world. Determined to offer everything we can for them. Determined to not ever ever give up. We won't give up. We are in this for the long run and want to do this now and want to continue this work even after we have our own children. I am confused. Confused as to how someone could every mistreat a child. Confused as to why they would have children if they can't take care of them and mistreat them and then continue to have more children. It doesn't make any sense to me. 

I know that all of these feelings are normal and most parents who are looking to become foster parents probably go through the exact same thing. We are so excited for this wonderful opportunity that God has given us and we are so excited to see and experience all of it. Yes..there will be many ups & downs, but we will get through all of them together. We are going to remove any of our fear with faith and trust in the power of God to guide us every single step of the way.

I hope that you will stick around as we continue our journey to becoming foster parents!

-KIMBERLY-

OUR FIRST FOSTER TRAINING CLASS

It literally just seems like yesterday that I was counting down the days until our first class of foster
 training. Well its here! Last night was our very first class. Yahoo! The state of Arizona requires all foster parents to go through 30 hours of training before becoming licensed to foster or adopt. This usually happens over the course of 10 weeks but we are cramming it into 5 1/2 weeks! I have heard

from many people and I agree (just after 1 class) that every parent or soon to become parents should take these classes. All of the curriculum is very in depth and can apply to any normal child or parent.

Our classes will run for 3 hours (6-9pm) every Tuesday and Thursday from now through September 10th. The trainer last night informed us that 5 1/2 weeks seems like it might take awhile to get through, but before we know it we will be coming to our very last class. Our class has 35 people total right now but apparently by the end of our 5 1/2 weeks, a couple of people will be missing. Some might decide that fostering is just not for them, some might miss more than two classes and then have to start all over again, and some might take one or two classes and then just give up. They told us it happens with every single class they have. 

When we first arrived, we were greeted by our trainer and a few of the staff members that work at Crisis Nursery. In front of where we sat, our learning stations had play-doh, coloring books, markers, and all different shapes to mold the play-doh. When we started, we were told that we were encouraged to play with the items in front of us. They call it "fidget to focus". It has been proven that when children and even adults are fidgeting with something and listening or doing a primary task, they are more easily focused and can gain more knowledge and information about what they are learning or listening too. As you can see from the picture above, my Husband was all for the "fidget to focus" concept. I think I need to buy my man some fondant! He's kind of an overachiever.

Well....one class down. 10 more to go. It's seems so strange that all of this is happening, but we are loving every single minute of it and are excited for whats to come and just how much we will learn. 

-KIMBERLY-