When Diego Fuller arrived at the home of Bishop Aaron Blake and his wife Mary, he heard a message that he hadn’t heard before. They told him when he arrived that he was engrafted and that nothing could separate their love from him. He didn’t fully understand what that meant. In fact, the words “I love you” meant something completely different to him because of all the abuse and neglect he had experienced at the hands of those who told him “I love you.” In this episode you will learn about the devastating event that helped Diego to understand the true meaning of love for the first time. You will hear him describe how that discovery changed his life.

Download the free companion PDF to this series—“Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There”–and share these types of insights with others in your community!

Key Quote

“Keep in mind, anybody that ever said that they love me I always thought that was the enemy because the only thing that love … Love to me was neglect, it was abuse, it was being molested, it was being neglected, it was … That’s what love was. If anybody ever said, “Diego, I love you,” I thought of you as the enemy to me because that’s what I have always seen. Then when he said that’s the reason we really act it out in this house. Not just me, all the boys. When he said, “I love you,” we thought, “That’s just … Everybody says that. ” – Diego Fuller

Learn More

Here are the resources and/or organizations mentioned in this episode:

Watch the Engrafted Video of Diego and Bishop Blake
Engrafted by Diego Fuller: Listen Here
Farmer Herman and the Flooding Barn: A story about 344 people working together to solve a big, big, big problem

Free Download: Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There

Meet Our Guests

DIEGO FULLER
Most teenagers remember the day they got their license, or their sweet 16, or even prom night. For Diego, the most prominent day he remembers is In 2002, when he showed up on Bishop Aaron Blake’s steps. Blake stopped Diego at the door and told him to lose any foster care mentality that he has. “You are not a foster child; you are ‘Engrafted’ into my family.” Diego, now a national recording artist, released his second studio album titled “ENGRAFTED” in 2014! Diego is the founder & president of B.I.G Records & Foundation. He and his “Pops,” Bishop Aaron Blake have joined forces and travel the country empowering the local church to create a culture of families prepared to accept the calling of orphan care. Diego is also a co-host on the Foster Movement Podcast and lives with his family in the Dallas area.

Meet Our Hosts

JASON WEBER
Jason and his wife, Trisha, have been caring for children from U.S. foster care since 2001 and have had the privilege of adopting their five children from foster care. Jason has helped to produce and write several books, bible studies, and other tools all created to serve churches as they care for hurting kids including the newly released children’s book, Farmer Herman and the Flooding Barn (BroadStreet Publishing). Jason writes a regular column for Fostering Families Today magazine and is the host of the Foster Movement Podcast, which highlights the stories of former foster youth and national foster care advocates. Jason serves as the National Director of More Than Enough for the Christian Alliance for Orphans and currently lives in Plano, Texas.

DIEGO FULLER
Most teenagers remember the day they got their license, or their sweet 16, or even prom night. For Diego the most prominent day he remembers is In 2002, when he showed up on Bishop Aaron Blake’s steps. Blake stopped Diego at the door and told him to lose any foster care mentality that he has. “You are not a foster child; you are ‘Engrafted’ into my family.” Diego, now a national recording artist, released his second studio album titled “ENGRAFTED” in 2014! Diego is the founder & president of B.I.G Records & Foundation. He and his “Pops,” Bishop Aaron Blake have joined forces and travel the country empowering the local church to create a culture of families prepared to accept the calling of orphan care. Diego lives with his family in the Dallas area.