Moments That Matter
- Roselands
- Mar 23
- 8 min read
Our year ended with a visit from Inti for Christmas and it was so nice to have the 5 of us together again. The beginning of 2026 was busy, but thankfully has slowed down after a very full season of ministry for our family.
Start of 2026
We started the New Year out the way we have been for the past few years…at the
Texas Marathon Kingwood! Yes, waking up super early on New Year's Day is a challenge, especially after late night fireworks with the family, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! We are so grateful for our Uncle Mark and cousin Matthew who put on this marathon every year to benefit our ministry, and all the work year-round to get sponsors and recruit runners. We are also so appreciative to all our family and extended family who come out to run/walk the marathon or help with the set up and tear down.
It was a beautiful way to welcome 2026!
A Little "Turtle" at the Isaiah House
We continue to partner with Isaiah 117 House, and I was able to be there early one Tuesday morning, when we received two little guys, ages 11 months and 3 years old. They had just experienced a welfare check that led to the discovery of a devastating loss and the Department of Children’s Services getting involved. They were so young and had no clue what was going on…other than that everything in their lives had changed. I helped get them out of the caseworkers’ car and got them settled at the house. The 11-month-old boy was a chunk, and I was able to rock him to sleep. The 3-year-old little boy immediately showed that he was having sensory issues and wanted to take off his shirt that was bothering him.
Thankfully, the Isaiah 117 House is a home and not a government office. I found a super soft blanket and had him try it out…he LOVED it! The rest of the day, he was wrapped up in the blanket, lying on the rug. I called him my little turtle. I would go by and tickle him and he would look up at me and laugh to himself. The boys were at the house for 2 days and thankfully had a relative who was granted custody the 2nd day. Through a grant that I had written last year, we were able to get car seats and a pack’n’play to the new “mom” who didn’t have anything to start with. They also had bags packed with clothing, diapers, and everything that they needed for this fresh start. I love getting to have a small part in changing the way that foster care begins for these little ones!
Squeals of Joy
As we partner with CarePortal, we get the honor to be in the homes of families who are trying to get their kids back who are in foster care or who have just been reunified with their children. One single mom with three kids had reached out with a need. She is truly a super star! She had worked to be reunited with her children, had gone through a training program to get a great job, and got an apartment for them. Sadly, there was a rodent infestation at the apartment and she had to leave everything behind. She reached out to a close friend (Anna…who is over a foster clothing closet called Threads of Hope) and we were able to meet a few of her needs through our church:
three beds, mattresses, and bedding for her babies.
The day we went to set up the beds was rainy and gloomy. There were a few people who helped bring the beds/mattresses in (Thank God! Richard had injured his back earlier in the week!). Richard and the young mom’s brother started putting together the beds, while Anna started making the beds, each with a comforter of the kid’s favorite colors. As we were on the last bed in the boy’s bedroom, we could hear squeals from the other room! The kids had just arrived home from school and were so excited. A few jumps on the beds later, just to test them out, and running from room to room,
we were able to love on this small family and this sweet mama
who is doing her best to care for her kids.
Trip to Knoxville
We try to visit Julian in Knoxville every few months if possible. We were able to pick him up for dinner and spend a few hours with him. He decided to venture out beyond his usual chicken nuggets and actually asked for a pizza! It was fun to be able to talk with him and hear about his friends at school and activities. It was also great to connect with Serenity and Robbie to hear how well he has transitioned into their family. It is such a huge answer to prayer! He is doing really well in their home and at school. We are so blessed by their willingness to love on him and accept him into their family!
Santiago is in his junior year of high school, which means that college tours are upon us. We planned a visit to the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Tennessee Tech when we were in Knoxville to visit Julian, and then opened it up to his friends to join. Three of them came along, so the car was packed! As we toured the universities, it is still surreal that we are at this point in our youngest kids' lives. It is exciting to see them grow up and mature, while also knowing that leads to them beginning their lives outside of our home.
Connecting at a Skating Rink
Richard had been mentoring B* for the past year and a half. And sadly, many good things come to an end. The group home let us know that he was going to be transitioning to a different group home to be closer to his family in North Carolina. This was something that we had been praying for, but it was a bittersweet move. Thankfully, it came right after a scheduled off-campus visit, so we were able to play at a mini-golf course
and go to his favorite restaurant (Texas Roadhouse!).
Please be praying for him as he adjusts to the new group home!
Just two weeks after, I was at an adoption video shoot for children in foster care who have had their parental rights terminated and are either waiting to be adopted or age out of the system (we have around 100 kids here in Memphis who are waiting!). I immediately connected with T* who had been at a previous adoption video shoot that I was at.
He had grown!!! He was a good foot taller than the year before.
The video shoot was at a skating rink, so I asked if he wanted to go skating. “Nope!” he replied…I could tell he was nervous. I asked if he had ever been skating and he shared that he had a pair of skates, but that he could never figure them out. We played a few games, including Guess Who, which he quickly beat me at, and then I followed up again. This time, he asked, “But would you come with me?” “Absolutely!” I answered, even though I knew it would involve wiping out on the rink! We put on our skates and made our way out on the slippery floor. At first, it was a lot of hanging onto the railing, but soon we were making our way around the rink…it was a lot of falling and helping each other up!
T* reached out the following week to ask if I could be his mentor. We are still working out the details, but looking forward to connecting again with him soon! You can see his previous adoption video below!
Belize and NYC
Santiago and Leilani were able to go to Belize again this year on a mission trip with Harvest Church, while also getting to spend time with the grandparents. They were able to connect with old friends and make new ones, while also being able to minister to the kids and families at St. Margarets Village.
While they were gone, Ximena needed to renew her Ecuadorian passport in Atlanta, as we are planning to visit our kids and our grandson in Ecuador in a few months. A quick ChatGPT question of things to do in or around Atlanta led to $60 plane tickets to NYC and Richard’s first time to visit the city. We know many of you always ask if we are taking time off (Sandy! This trip was for you!). We were able to go up to the top floor of the Rockefeller Center, walk through Central Park (even though it was cold!), and even run through the American Museum of Natural History for an hour (pro tip from a friend…
the last hour that the museum is open is free!)
Mission Trip to Memphis
Richard was able to connect with a mission team coming to serve Memphis from a university in Michigan. It was a small team, but they were amazing!!! They were serving ministries in foster care for two of their days in the city and it was great to see them jump in. The first day, they were helping do a deep cleaning of the Isaiah 117 House, including pressure washing and outdoor landscaping after the winter. The second day, they went out into the community to share with local businesses how they could get involved in loving on kids who are in foster care. It was infectious to serve alongside them!
One of the girls is currently studying social work and interested in working with children who are in the foster care system. She immediately started asking questions about what the kids are like when they first come into care and how to love on them. She paused and said, “I’m sorry! I’m asking too many questions!” But then Richard responded, “Not at all! That is the purpose of this time…it is as much about your serving as it is about learning about your relationship with God and serving alongside the work He is doing.” That led to A TON of more questions and excitement on what God could be leading her to do. Please be praying that they would find opportunities in their area to serve and
put their faith into practice!
Needs, Prayer Requests, and Praises
Needs:
We currently need $500 of additional monthly support, specifically for our ministry expenses. At this point, we continue to use our family support bucket to cover those extra costs each month.
Ministry Expenses Support: CLICK HERE!
Family Support: CLICK HERE!
Prayer Requests:
Ximena: Working behind a computer and managing financial numbers for our partners each day can sometimes feel routine and task-driven. Please pray that I remain grounded in my calling and continue to serve each missionary and ministry with care and love through my bookkeeping.
Richard: After a season of intense ministry, it is time to slow it down. Please be praying that he wouldn't fill in the additional space/time because it feels "empty", but would use it to rest, connect with family, and connect with God.
Teenage Kids: Santiago is in the season of ACT tests, scholarship applications, and college applications. Please be praying for him as he manages his school, work, and these extra tasks over the next 6 months. Leilani is driving now that she got her permit. Please pray for patience and safety!
Praises:
Inti: We were able to have Inti come and visit for Christmas! Even though he was sick for most of it, we thoroughly enjoyed having him around for a week.
Erick/Mayumi/Judah: We are going to be able to go visit two our of kids and our grandson in Ecuador in May. Santiago and Leilani haven't been able to see them in almost 4 years, so we are excited to be able to have at least half of our family together in one place!
Julian: We are so blessed to know how well Julian is doing with his family! He was even able to FaceTime over Christmas when Inti was home.
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