Jeannie Norris - Methodist Home for Children

Kaydin

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When I look at you, I see I have a family to go to whenever.
When I hold you, I feel that I am safe and I don’t have to worry if I can eat or sleep that day.
When I smell you, I smell the cupcakes we were eating that day at the celebration of our adoption.
When I first saw you I knew that it was finally true.

When I think about you, I think of all the years that I felt sad but now that I have you I’m happier.
When I imagine my life without you, I picture a place I would feel unsafe.
When I hear others say you are a ring*, I say you are way more to me.
When others see you they think of you as jewelry, I think [of] you as new mom.

When I feel cold on my skin you remind me that I don’t have to worry.
When others say I’m the girl that was in foster care and then adopted, you say I’m that girl that is safe now.

*On the day of her adoption, Kayden was gifted a ring by her new mother, Tina

Trent

we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found —Luke 15:3

Every child deserves a chance – we believe that to our core. But sometimes a chance isn’t enough.

Sometimes a child has been neglected or abused to the point he needs more than just a chance.

He needs multiple chances. He needs grace.

Meet Trent.

Trent was just 11 when he entered the juvenile justice system, and nobody was surprised. His parents were in and out of jail. His older brother is the one who taught him to break into houses and steal cars. There was no hope for him at home.

By the time he was 13, Trent was in youth prison.

That’s a lot of trouble for someone so young. And while it might be tempting to see Trent in those terms only – we see something else.

We train our eyes to see with compassion, as Christ teaches us in the parable of the prodigal son, and we ask this –

If God’s grace for us is infinite, what is the limit of ours for children who are lost?

You know the answer.

You made a place for Trent when he had nowhere else to go. Because you care, Trent came to us.

Trent is in one of our transitional living homes, learning how to be a responsible adult. When we look at him we see a teenager who’s playful, gangly, and a little goofy. He wants what other teens want – to learn to drive, to have a phone. He wants to have friends and good influences in his life.

Trent knows God has a better plan for his life, and he is trying to figure it out. He is taking classes at a local community college, working his first job at KFC. He volunteers at the animal shelter and Meals on Wheels. He has opened a bank account.

And for this, we celebrate. Trent is not a lost cause. He’s more alive now than he’s ever been.

All that is gold does not glitter;
Not all who wander are lost.
The old that is strong does not wither.
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.— J.R.R. Tolkien

She was a full-time mom; he was a youth director. They were married, had two girls, and were happy and content. Then an idea got into their heads and would not go away. For 10 years they prayed. At last a door opened and their prayer – to
start a summer camp in eastern North Carolina – became a reality.

Starting a camp led Desta and Sammy to the heretofore unimaginable idea of becoming foster parents. Foster parenting
led them to Maria. And Maria is the spirited, big-hearted, animal-loving daughter at the center of their lives today.

For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans to prosper you
and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.— Jeremiah 29:11

You probably know this beloved verse by heart. It was originally spoken by Jeremiah to offer hope to God’s people in exile; today we read it at baby baptisms. It is also appropriate for this story about Desta and Sammy. Becoming adoptive parents by way of starting a camp may seem a bit circuitous, but wandering down this path prepared them for a higher calling, one they had never imagined.

Desta and Sammy wandered, but they were never lost. Instead, deeply rooted in faith, they were open and receptive to God’s plan, a plan that fills us all with great hope for the future.

— Rev. Bruce E. Stanley, President / CEO

A family stays together

Foster care can be traumatic. Carla knows from experience – she was placed into foster care at age 10, and she remembers how frightening it was to be pulled apart from her family.

So she does not want this for her three children. And she especially doesn’t want it for her youngest, who has autism.

When we met Carla, the department of social services was working already with her family, and she was prepared to do whatever it took to keep her kids under her roof.

83% of families in our family preservation programs stay together. Thanks to you.

Your gifts give Carla and her husband, Alex, the tools they need to parent better and to advocate for their kids – and keep everyone together. Thank you for all you do to help children and their families.