SPRINGS STORIES

Rachel
“When Brad and I began dating in 2014, foster care and adoption were part of the first conversations we had about our future. The biblical mandate to care for orphans strongly motivated Brad, whereas family experiences prompted my passion. Over the next few years, we married and had two sons of our own. We watched and supported others in the foster care sphere as we waited for a home with enough space to start our own journey.

“In September 2020, we moved from Aurora, CO, to buy our first home in New Braunfels, TX. This move was filled with evidence of God's faithfulness, and despite being in a new place with no community in the middle of a pandemic, our fixer-upper home that reeked of past residents became a sort of Ebenezer stone. This home would become the space we had prayed for.
Our church hunt quickly led us to the Springs. Here, we quickly learned about their partnership with 1HOPE for Kids - an agency we'd already been aware of as we researched faith-based foster agencies that would support us in our call to love on families and kids in crisis.”

Brad
“‘Reunification’ is the initial goal for every child who has to spend any length of time in foster care in Texas. Reunification ideally takes place after a child (or children) has been in a temporary, safe, and loving home while their biological parents or caregivers identify and work through court-appointed services. Providing a safe home until one of these two goals can be met has been our role throughout our time as foster parents for these past 2.5 years. It has been a beautiful and emotional privilege to love the kiddos in our care while also standing beside and advocating for the rights of their immediate and extended family members.

“Often, these families are experiencing the most challenging thing they've ever faced and are left with little to no support. We are continually reminded of the privilege of having support from our extended families and our church family here at the Springs.
Sometimes, foster care can also lead to the termination of parental rights, opening the door to non-relative adoption. While that hasn't been part of our story or goals so far, there are currently 214 kids in our region waiting for an adoptive home and forever family, and we'd encourage you to pray if this might be part of yours.”

Ours
“As we neared the end of our licensing process in early 2022, the Springs asked if we needed anything. We shared our Amazon wishlist and specifically highlighted a few safety items that were required to pass our inspection. Instead of stopping at a few items, the Springs bought out the whole list, sharing that finances should never be an obstacle for those stepping up to love vulnerable children in our own community.

“Over the last 2.5 years, we've continued to take in placements, and the Springs has continued to care for us well. Two couples from our community group and several other Springs members have stepped up as respite babysitters, a process that requires certification itself. The first 30 days with new placements are filled with appointments and last-minute home visits from case workers, case managers, lawyers, CASA, and more - a meal train has been sent out to support us, and anonymous donations and gift cards have been sent our way. When extremely tough weeks have come, the Springs community has stepped in with more meals, volunteered to pay for car repairs, and even sent a house cleaner once. Throughout it all, this church family has kept their word that finances would never be an issue as we seek to keep our eyes locked on loving families who desperately need someone in their corner.
James 1:27 NLT: ‘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.’”

Rachel
“While some children in foster care are true orphans, many are functioning orphans due to substance abuse, neglect, poverty, and generational hang-ups; others have had their lives flipped upside down due to their parent's anger management problems, mental health struggles, inabilities to handle a crisis, or simply unjust situations. For these families - community could have been the difference between these children ending up in the homes of strangers. So, as I consider all the ways that the Springs has offered support as we love those impacted by foster care, I can't help but think about how the Springs has simply helped us. Through community group we gain wisdom from others as we make difficult decisions, discover pathways to financial freedom, and work through conflict resolution. ReGeneration has offered real-life tools to fight my natural tendency toward depression, while Re:Engage has breathed life into our marriage as we've sought to prioritize one another and stay unified as we "co-parent" the vulnerable with a government agency. Serving on the worship team has provided us with forever friends.”

Brad
“The beautiful and harsh truth that I've realized more than anything as a foster parent is "there but for the grace of God go I." In modern-day language, that means I can see myself in their exact shoes without the grace of God to provide a way out through a relationship with Him, time in His word, and with His people. These parents who don’t have a loving, challenging community around them wear my same sins; they’re just left unchecked and unrefined without a church family to hear (and correct) them. I am forever grateful for a community that not only supports us as we help others but also keeps us level-headed as we navigate our own challenges and triumphs.”