In this episode, we hear from Aixa de López, who shares how her family’s journey into adoption has encouraged fellow Guatemalans to consider adoption and other counter-cultural expressions of Christian service. Aixa also shares glimpses of the “really good” and “really hard” that come with following Jesus into broken situations, and what it takes to keep a light heart in the long journey.
In this episode, we'll explore:
- Why grace is a more powerful fuel than self-improvement.
- Simple choices to refresh our physical bodies.
- How Scripture sustains us in our lowest moments.
- The choice to reject the idols of public perception and platform.
Key Quotes
“My failure to be good was actually the biggest gift in my life.”
“I started getting closer to orphans in my community and it stopped being a cause or a number, and it started being a personal thing.”
“For so much of society, the project is self-improvement or self-actualization, and that can creep into the church as well and shape us. As opposed to casting ourselves upon grace, dwelling in that, and all of our life being a response to grace rather than a quest for self-perfection.”
“God does not intend for us to walk this road alone.”
Resources and Guests
Aixa de López was born in Guatemala, where she has lived all her life. She is married to pastor Alex López and is a mom to four. Since their 2 adoptions, the Lopez’s have become a voice for the vulnerable children of their country and region.
Aixa is a board member of the Christian Alliance for Orphans as well as the Alianza para los Huerfanos Cristiana in Guatemala, as well as a respected voice and guide as a speaker, blogger, and Lifeway author.
Jedd has seen (and experienced!) that lives are turned upside-down when Christians begin to reflect God’s heart through adoption, foster care and service to orphans worldwide. This kind of love transforms not only vulnerable children, but also those who open hearts and homes to them. Churches begin to look different, too, as the entire community pulls together for children who’ve known great hurt. Finally, the change touches even onlookers, who encounter the Gospel not only in words, but made visible before their eyes.
Desiring to spur this kind of transformation through the Church, Jedd serves as President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.
Through CAFO, more than 225 respected organizations unite in shared initiatives, along with a wide network of churches. CAFO’s membership works in tandem to inspire and equip families, churches and organizations for effective service to vulnerable children and families — from adoption and US foster care, to aid and empowerment programs worldwide.
Prior to his this role, Jedd served in the White House as a Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, leading the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. In this post, he oversaw reform efforts across the government to make community- and faith-based groups central partners in all Federal efforts to aid the needy, from prisoner reentry to global AIDS. As described by the Harvard Political Review, these reforms “fundamentally changed the government’s strategy for improving the lives of the downtrodden…”
Previously, Jedd held a range of posts in the California State Legislature. He also helped establish the California Community Renewal Project, which strengthens nonprofits in some of the state’s most challenged communities. He has worked, studied and served in more than thirty countries, with organizations ranging from Price-Waterhouse in Moscow to Christian Life Bangladesh.
Books written by Jedd include Upended and Four Souls. He also writes articles and op-eds for publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post to Comment Magazine, and engages radio interviews with both faith-based and mainstream outlets, from NPR and Al Jazeera to Moody Radio. Jedd’s most recent book, Becoming Home, offers a brief-yet-rich exploration of how families and communities can embrace vulnerable children with wisdom and love through adoption, foster care, mentoring and more.
