Loving our Neighbors

Loving our neighbors.

I have heard it said, your neighbor is not simply the person next door but the next person you meet. Yet, many of you have never met the neighbors you have helped through the ministry of Fostering Family and your local church. Let me share with you how foster care ministry is loving your neighbors.

A women's group at a local church blessed a long time foster family with a complete Thanksgiving meal.
All of the foster and kinship families we have addresses for received a $10 bakery gift card to add a pie or baked good to their Thanksgiving table as a "Thanks for Giving" to each of these families who sacrifices so much on a daily basis
Gift cards are given in the name of Jesus to help foster and kinship families with the needs of their children in care.
Care teams continue to form around foster and kinship families bringing a meal or a caring mentor to the children. One creative volunteer gives her time to do laundry for her busy foster family.
A care team is forming in Loudonville and is excited to support foster youth and share God's love. This team spans 3 churches. What a picture of heaven!
Foster and Kinship families have been offered scholarships to Unite the Night, Jan 25 at the Kroc Center and free tickets (must be reserved through FFM) to the AU Faith Day basketball games on Feb. 2..
God is at work in our midst. Will you join Him? He has worked through our local community to fund the growth necessary for Fostering Family to equip churches to meet the needs of foster and kinship families. (I will share the exciting news of how God is providing in my next email!) Now is the time for you to offer a few hours each month to loving a neighbor in your community.

Let me leave you with this special answer to prayer. It is true when you love on your neighbor it takes a part of your heart. I missed the youth I served this past year who were involved in our church. Two weeks ago I was praying for one of them. During the week I resolved to talk with our youth pastor about working together to reconnect with this youth. Instead of calling him then I felt I should wait until Sunday and continue to pray for the youth.

Sunday morning as I walked out of Sunday School I was met with the most joyous surprise. There standing before me, much taller than when I last saw him, was the youth I had been praying for that week! God was at work even when I had no idea. The foster family was there together for the service. What a special reunion that was! The local church should be a haven for our children from hard places to be welcomed home.

For Hope and a Future,

Sherry M. Bouquet
Executive Director
www.fosteringfamilyministries.org