Spew

Though my ultimate blogging goal is to put up a post every day, I've barely been online this past week because I've been either too tired to blog, or had no access to a computer. So, instead of giving up, I'm compiling some mini-updates, of which I may (or may not) elaborate on in subsequent posts... no promises!

Community: Adjusting to the Bay Area way of life (busy, busy, busy!) continues to weigh on me, as the building of relationships seems to be such a slooooooow process. I've got some really great people in my life, but it feels so laborious to do the "phone-tag-compare-calendars-reschedule-for-three-weeks-later" dance, that the fear of that kind of hassle keeps me from being the spontaneous intiative-taking friend I could be! Anyways, I am encouraged because this week actually went very well - not only did I have several fun dinners out with various friends from church, but I also got down with my domestic self and baked fresh bread to share with the neighbors!

Burnout: I wasn't quite there, but I could smell the smoke and have been doing what it takes to get off the fiery path of ministry-workaholism I'd found myself on... It's hard for me: I love God, and I love the church, and I love the kids in our ministry. I don't want to waste a minute of my life! I'm trying to teach myself though, to accept the reality that resting & restoring is not wasting time, but a necessary part of a godly life (ooh, it feels so unspiritual though!).

Conflict: Ah yes, I am continuing to learn about myself. Though I am willing and desirous to acknowledge disagreements and broach topics that need to be addressed in a healthy way, I can't say that those interactions don't still keep me up at night. Interesting, because our Retool Kit group is studying conflict management right now... and wouldn't you know that this month has brought some very clear examples my way. I pray that my responses have been appropriate and will bear good fruit.

Oscar Movie Tradition: Saw the movie Atonement. Regretted it. 'Nuff said.

Foster Care License: We've officially submitted our application and will be attending a three-Saturday training series for potential foster / adoptive parents. Coincidentally, (mm-hmm!) I'm in a bible study group that includes a great-grandma who had six kids, adopted three, and fostered over thirty! You ever get the feeling that God has something up His sleeve?

Guatemala Mission Trip: God continues to confirm our plans to return to Pastor Antonio's church in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala this coming summer. G-Dub and I had a sweet prayer time for the trip with some of our HS students last week, and were particularly blessed to hear that our Guatemalan brothers and sisters were joining us in prayer that same day. I am humbled and blessed by the way God is directing us at this time.

Well, that should do it for now. That's what's going on in my life... how bout you?

The Second Step

A while back, I blogged about an idea that Gary and I were tossing around - basically, we were wondering if we could get a foster care license, just in case any of our students were ever removed from their home. The idea is that in the midst of a traumatic situation, our student would not have to be thrust into a house of strangers, but could legally come stay in a familiar, trusted environment until the situation was resolved.

Well, Gary and I have taken the next step in that direction. Last week we attended a meeting with Contra Costa County Children & Family Services, to find out more about the process. For one of three monthly meetings, I was surprised to see how many were in attendance - probably about thirty (though most were interested in adoption as opposed to foster care).

Some of the things I learned:

-In Contra Costa county alone, there are about 1600-1700 children in the foster care system at any given time. About half will stay with extended family, and the other half need placements.
-The county highly values permanency for the child, and the time frame is fairly short (6 months for a child under three years of age, 12 months for a child over three) before they seek to adopt a child out into a permanent family situation.
-There are a number of ways to do foster care: emergency placement, long-term, concurrent (moving towards adoption), or respite care for other families.
-The main requirements to be a foster parent are: over 18 years of age, and a spare bedroom available to the child, and completion of a 21-hour training course.

So, Gary and I now begin the next phase: filling out the application, and going through the training. Once these things are in motion, it should be about 4-6 months before we are fully licensed.

While this enterprise may seem a little unusual, especially for a couple who aren't in a hurry to have kids of their own, I really feel like it's a good way to honor God. This is really the modern-day, American version of 'looking after the orphans in their distress'.

As a long-time foster parent shared her experiences at the meeting, it really hit me what a great ministry it is to be there for a child in possibly the worst moment of their life. To show them love, a healthy family situation, and a vibrant relationship with God, there is such opportunity for significant life impact, even in a short period of time.

So, that's where we are for now.

In the works...

Here's a little piece of news I'm pretty excited about... Gary and I are looking into getting a foster care license. Our consideration is that, in case one of our students is ever removed from their home, they will have the option of coming to a familiar place with people they know and trust.

The hope is, of course, that we would never need to resort to such an action. But, history has shown us that reality doesn't always align with our hopes. And so we want to be prepared to support our youth in their times of trouble and need.

Several years ago, we had a student in our junior high youth group who was raped by her mom's boyfriend. She was taken from her home, placed into foster care, and we never saw her again. God forbid that an experience of trauma and tragedy also separate a student from their spiritual supports.

So, I'll be filling out an application, attending meetings, getting my CPR certification, a TB test, and have my home inspected. All to get a license I hope I'll never need to use.