"My husband, August, and I started attending Gospel the summer of 2019 when we moved to the area. We looked at a few churches in the area and while there are many things that drew us to Gospel, the final affirmation came when we found out Gospel is actively supporting foster families. We had been talking and praying about becoming foster parents for a few years and knew we would need a church to come around us if we ever said “yes.” Fast forward to this winter, we wrapped up our licensing and accepted our first foster placement on February 26, 2020! Man. What a whirlwind. We do not have any biological children of our own, and there was really no way to prepare for the two active, sweet kids who now run through our hallways! And that’s where Gospel comes in.
The night we said “yes” to these two [foster] kids, I emailed Olivia, the ministry resident, a quick email saying we needed some help. Just a few hours later, Amy and Julia [from Village434] were calling. They dropped off a stroller, baby carrier and high chair. They installed a crib and made the bed. Meals were in the works. Prayers were being said. I felt so enveloped and loved by these people that, frankly, I did not know! What an amazing picture of the body of Christ and unity we find in Him!
For the next week, I received daily texts and facebook messages from Amy and Julia, as well as other members at Gospel, sharing scripture, prayers, and telling me that “No, I wasn’t crazy,” [providing foster care] is super hard, but God will continue to give us what we need for each day. There is so much more detail I could share about the ways they bridged the gaps for us and helped us carry this cross, but it would be too much to read!
I wanted to send this email to extend my worship for the ways God meets us where we are. It’s hard to express how it feels and how much help we need/needed. The Village434 team is changing lives. It changed ours! It changed the two kiddos in our home. So thank you for following God’s call to this kind of community support. We couldn’t do this without it."
In Christ,
Alison and August
Spring 2020