When Alex Lyons entered foster care at 8-years-old he was placed with a Presbyterian choir director named Helen who was in her late 50s or early 60s. Alex loved it there. Helen was everything you’d ever want a foster parent to be.
Alex was only in Helen’s home for about 18 months. But her impact on him during that time was profound. Alex is now married, has kids and is on staff at a church. He shared, “Though I was only with her for about 18 months, she made an impact on me. I view motherhood really through her lens. She sung songs to me that I now sing to my daughter and my unborn child.”
Many people have the desire to help kids and families in foster care in various ways but wonder if they really have enough to offer to make a significant difference. So many of us feel limited by time and space and resources. This episode explores the impact that each of us can make even amidst these limitations.
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
“Look, you may have a kid in your house for a short amount of time and then they may be gone, and that may break your heart, but at least your heart is broken because you chose to love that child, and that impact of the time that you spent with that child will be able to carry on for who knows how long, heaven knows how long. Maybe you don’t, and maybe that’s not the point, but know that you will be making an impact on that kid.” -Alex Lyons
Learn More
Here are the resources and/or organizations mentioned in this episode:
Learn more about Alex Lyons and his family: alexjameslyons.com
Learn more about Chelsea Geyer’s Work at DC127: http://dc127.org
Free Download: Seven Insights about Foster Care from Those Who’ve Been There
Meet Our Guests
ALEX LYONS
Alex is a lot of things. He is a follower of Jesus, husband, father, native Chicagoan, Telly-award winning documentary filmmaker, church communications staff member, international missionary, speaker, entrepreneur, soft pretzel connoisseur, old school 8-bit gamer, foster care alumnus, and orphan care advocate. Currently, Alex is the Video Production Director of Brentwood Baptist Church overseeing all video content produced across their six campuses.
CHELSEA GEYER
Chelsea grew up in Aurora, Colorado (and she’s pretty proud of that). She learned about foster care at an early age when she gained three siblings from foster care and adoption. Throughout college, she worked with a center for vulnerable children in Swaziland, and saw how important a family and support network is in the life of a child. She graduated from Nyack College in New York with a degree in English, and then moved to Washington, DC to continue her work with The Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative on their LRA Crisis Tracker, a map and database that tracked and analyzed the movements and child abductions of a rebel army in Central Africa. She then moved on to launch DC127 in 2013 where she serves as Executive Director.
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.
