Together by AGCI (Melissa Rush & Marisa Butterworth)

As a child-centered orphan care ministry, we are deeply dedicated to ensuring that everything we do is in the best interest of the children we serve—even when it’s not the easiest. We’ll be the first to say it—adoption should never be our first choice for children. At AGCI, it never is. While adoption is beautiful, it’s also inherently traumatic. It’s the result of deep loss—the adopted child will not grow up in their first family. 

We chatted with AGCI’s Director of Adoption, Sam Moore, about the complexities and ethics of adoption.

Have you ever wondered why adoption can be so expensive? We chatted with AGCI’s Director of Adoption, Sam Moore, to break down the cost of adoption. In this episode, we dive into why adoption costs what it does and all of the important pieces that go into ensuring that children receive the care they need and families are prepared to parent them.

AGCI President Hollen Frazier shares a bit about how AGCI was founded by herfamilyand shares her own personal calling. Join us in taking an inspiring look at the Spiritual Calling of AGCI and how our team navigates where we serve and what God has for us next

Today, we're talking about all things mom. This Mother’s Day episode is a celebration of moms everywhere. Whether you’re an adoptive mom, bio mom, mom-to-be, or praying that motherhood is part of your journey, this episode is a celebration of you! In this episode, we chatted with Brook, AGCI's adoptive mother 6 about her motherhood journey.

There are so many ways to bless an adoptive family, no matter where they are at in the process. Listen in as parents from all over the country share how God used everyday people to help in big ways. 

Do you have children struggling with challenging behaviors? Are you a foster or adoptive parent and feel at your wits end? There is so much hope in our conversation with David Randall, AGCI’s Director of Social Services. In this episode, we’re talking about all things TBRI—what it is, how to begin implementing it, and why it’s an incredibly powerful tool for caregivers. If this is your first introduction to TBRI, I know you’re going to want to know more! families are Forever, an incredible online learning platform for parents has classes specifically on TBRI.

Today Together by AGCI co-hosts Marisa Butterworth and Melissa Rush are talking about our recent travels to Colombia. After several years away it was such a gift to be back with our Colombia team and see the kids and life-changing work firsthand. It was also at times, really really hard. 

We hope you enjoy our open, honest conversation. Spoiler: we both cry a little bit so thank you in advance for your grace. 

If you’d like to get involved in AGCI’s life-changing work, please reach out to us! There are so many ways that you can make a difference for kids. 

Do you have children struggling with challenging behaviors? Are you a foster or adoptive parent and feel at your wits end? There is so much hope in our conversation with David Randall, AGCI’s Director of Social Services. In this episode, we’re talking about all things TBRI—what it is, how to begin implementing it, and why it’s an incredibly powerful tool for caregivers. 

If this is your first introduction to TBRI, I know you’re going to want to know more! Families Are Forever, an incredible online learning platform for parents, has classes specifically on TBRI. 

Description: In honor of Father’s Day, adoptive dad David Maibach shares with us about the joys of becoming a father through adoption. He shares some of his family’s journey, what he’s most proud of, and his best advice for any new or future adoptive dads. You don’t want to miss this inspirational episode. 

Today we’re chatting with AGCI’s Director of Adoption: Latin America and the Caribbean, SamMoore. We are so excited to share our conversation about waiting children. We dove into every aspect of this important topic, including what it means for a child to be classified as waiting, and the incredible hope that we have for these amazing kids.

There is a definite art to traveling to the developing world and who better to hear from than locals! Whether you’re in the adoption process or planning a trip to another part of the world, AGCI’s Stefania Montaña and HectorChacon have you covered with everything from how to prepare, what questions to ask, and what food to try if you ever find yourself in their native countries of Colombia andEcuador. They are a wealth of important information, and you don’t want to miss this fun episode!

Adoption is beautiful. It’s also really, really hard. For many families, the first year home is particularly challenging. Our very own Marisa Butterworth welcomed her third child home through adoption just over 10 years ago. In today’s episode, Marisa shares her tips for surviving the first year home. If you’re IN IT right now, take a deep breath—the first step to surviving a trying time is to give yourself some grace!

An estimated 2 million children in Colombia are victims of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect each year but our AGCI Colombia team and family preservation partners are working every day to provide life-saving therapy for children who have survived sexual violence. We are joined today by AGCI’s Latin America Executive Director, Andrea Leon. She shares about what they are currently seeing in Colombia, how this impacts kids and families and tells stories of lives changed. Because of the generosity and support of so many, children are finding hope, healing, and joy after surviving sexual violence.

Melissa and Marisa are joined by a very special guest—Jep Robertson! You might know Jep from Duck Dynasty fame but we know him for his incredible heart for vulnerable children and families. In today’s episode, Jep shares why AGCI’s work matters to him on a personal level, and how the people he’s met and the stories he’s watched unfold have changed the trajectory of his life.

We feel so incredibly blessed to be celebrating the one-year anniversary of the official opening of the AGCI & Tim Tebow FoundationHouse of Hope in Ethiopia! In the last year, the House of Hope has served 34girls and successfully reunified 14 girls with their families. On today’s episode, we get to talk to AGCI’sEthiopia Program Director, Angelyn Salyer, and hear stories about the difference the House of Hope is making in the lives of the girls it serves, local communities, and the country as a whole. Here’s to another year of God doing big things!

We have the opportunity to meet AGCI Ethiopia adoptive moms Kerri Dawson and Camille Bendick. They have recently returned from visiting the Tim Tebow Foundation &AGCI House of Hope in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Today we get to hear stories about what they experienced, all they learned, and why they believe this home will make a positive difference in the beautiful country of Ethiopia.

Age is nothing but a number...particularly when it comes to understanding chronological age vs. developmental age. AGCI’s Director of US Child Advocacy Services, Jill Crewes, MSW, explains the difference between these two often conflated subjects and dives into how this can manifest for children. Jill is an adoptive mom and has decades of experience. Working within the child welfare system and foster/adoption community.

We’re back with another enlightening conversation with Jill Crewes, MSW, AGCI’s Director of US Child Advocacy Services! Jill is an adoptive mom and has decades of experience working within the child welfare system and foster/adoption community. This might be our favorite episode to date. Jill and Melissa dove into Abandonment History and its Impact on Future Behavioral Needs and how this affects children. This is a must-listen for anyone who cares for kids from hard places.  

Today we're chatting with AGCI adoptive parents Lisa and Nick. Nick and Lisa adopted their adorable son William from Colombia earlier this year and their beautiful story is inspiring. If this story tugs on your heart, this is the perfect time to begin your adoption journey. This November we’re celebrating Adoption Month with a $500 adoption grant. These grants are available for families who complete an application for one of AGCI’s international adoption programs by 11/30 and go under contract by 12/31. 

We’re back with another mind-blowing episode with Jill Crewes, MSW, AGCI’s Director of US Child Advocacy Services. Jill is an adoptive mom and has decades of experiences working within the child welfare system and foster/adoption community. This episode literally blew my mind. You don’t want to miss Jill explain sensory needs and how it impacts kids and adults. She also offers a ton of practical tools for caregivers of children with sensory processing needs. Don’t miss this! 

Of all the gifts to receive, we can’t think of anything better than your child coming home. Adoption is a journey full of ups and downs, but today, we get to celebrate kids coming home, the absolute BEST GIFTS EVER! 

Ethical adoption is a huge part of who we are as an organization and this year we have seen so much change and growth. Join us as we take a look at what adoption looked like in 2022, celebrate all of the miracles, and find out how we can be praying for 2023.   

Today, we’re celebrating all of the AGCI miracles of 2022! I can’t think of anyone more equipped to speak to this than AGCI President, Hollen Frazier. We’re chatting about all that God provided, answered prayers, and what’s next for 2023. 

Today, we’re chatting with Dr. Jana Hunsley about how to create connected foster and adoptive families. Dr. Hunsley is an Assistant Professor of instruction at University of Texas Dallas and studies family trauma, adoptive sibling support, and adoption therapeutic interventions. She is also the Executive Director of Project 1025, which offers effective resources to create connected foster and adoptive families. Dr. Hunsley has a unique perspective—she studies family systems and experienced the effects of adoption first hand when her parents adopted her 7 youngest siblings. 

Today, we’re chatting with Special Education Coach Jessica Monteverde. Jessica has a master’s degree in education and in-classroom experience as well as experience working with parents and professionals navigating IEPs for the children in their care.  

Links to resources:

http://understood.org

http://pacer.org

http://readingrockets.org

https://schoolchoiceweek.com/how-to-continue-your-iep-if-you-start-homeschooling/

Spedhomeschool.com

https://www.wrightslaw.com/

We are up to some really exciting stuff these days and wanted to share with you about a new way for YOU to be involved in breaking the cycle for vulnerable children around the world! AGCI’s Jep Robertson (you may also know him from Duck Dynasty and Duck Family Treasure) and Campbell Haug share about why they do this work and how you and your family can be involved in seeing real lasting healing in the world around you. 

Co-host Melissa Rush was recently in Ethiopia and had the opportunity to visit an Ethiopian Institution for the first time. Due to rules, we cannot photograph or video anything that we see but listen in as Melissa does a beautiful job explaining what she saw, experienced, and how it impacted her. 

Today, we have the honor of talking to Pastor Doug Frazier. In addition to being the pastor at Living Hope Church, Doug is also married to AGCI President, Hollen Frazier and has had a front row seat to this work for decades.  

We’re talking about God’s heart for children in need, suffering, and how to get quiet and discern where the Lord is calling you. 

I really enjoyed our conversation and hope it challenges you to step up and care for those in need. 

Hear more about the incredible work that our team in Ethiopia is doing at the All God’s Children International and Tim Tebow Foundation House of Hope. We are joined by a very special guest, one of our Child & Family Social workers, Hosseana Solomon, to share about her experiences at our reunification home and what she hopes for the future of Ethiopia and Africa.

Pastor Neely McQueen is the Co-Lead Pastor of Overlake Church in Redmond, WA and has led for over 25 years in the church and parachurch organizations. She is a wife and mom to three young adults and today, she is going to share about what she’s learned about parenting after years of Biblical study. 

Today we’re chatting with the incredible Genet Roba. In this episode Genet shares her adoption story and what it was like to be adopted from Ethiopia as an older child. This episode is a must listen for anyone in the adoption community or thinking about becoming an adoptive parent. Genet’s story is filled with miracles and she has so much wisdom to share!

Today, our co-host Marisa Butterworth has an honest, funny, and vulnerable chat with her husband Jesse Butterworth about his journey being a biological and adoptive dad to their three kids and all that he has been working on as a father. Listen in to find out all that he has learned over the years.

Today, we had the honor of chatting with some of our favorite people all the way from Bogota, Colombia! Angie and Taty are residents at AGCI’s Independence Program Home and are incredible young women who are working towards their college degree while enrolled in AGCI’s Independence Program. We are also joined by Wendy, who is part of AGCI’s team and providing some support in the translation department—Angie and Taty are both native Spanish speakers so we extra impressed that they were willing to join us today—in English!

This is a fun episode and gives you a little bit of an inside look of life at the Independence Program Home and the amazing work made possible through the support of people like you.

We are so excited to be chatting today with Sarah, our Philippines Programs Officer, and Taylor, our Asia and Europe Program Director. Taylor and Sarah are hard at work building AGCI’s programs in the Philippines that will impact children and families for generations to come.

We are so inspired by their heart and dedication for this lifechanging work and we know you will be too. 

Today we’re talking about all things sponsorship! I was lucky enough to chat with Amanuel Roba, AGCI’s Associate Director of Sponsorship about this important program and the truly life-changing impact it can have on children and families. AGCI’s one to one sponsorship in Ethiopia is truly unique and is a simple way for people to have a direct impact on children in need. 

If you would like to sponsor a child, it’s easy to get started! Just head to our website and make a difference in a child’s life for just $40 a month! 

https://www.allgodschildren.org

We are so excited about our conversation with Amanda Purvis, consultant with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University and AGCI Board member. At KPICD, her main focus is instructing systems, organizations, and professionals working with children who have experienced trauma, in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®). In addition to her incredible work with TBRI at KPICD, Amanda is the mother of five children, three of whom joined their family through adoption.

This is a heartwarming episode filled with hope and the life-changing impacts of TBRI that Amanda has witnessed firsthand.

No matter where you are at in your parenting or grandparenting journey, this episode is a must listen. We are joined by educator and Certified Life Specialist, Keeley Machen, talking through how we can best support and empower our children as they overcome medical encounters.

Today we’re chatting with AGCI adoptive parents Jake and Kaitlyn Hoermann. Jake and Kaitlyn adopted their sweet son, Martin, from Bulgaria earlier this year. You don’t want to miss their inspiring story of following God’s call to bring their son home.

You’re listening to Together by AGCI, a brand new podcast from the creative team at All God’s Children International.

All God’s Children International is an orphan care ministry answering God’s call to provide the love and care that every child deserves. AGCI began with a focus on international adoption, and over the last thirty years has expanded its vision and reach by working to empower local leaders to create paths to faith, family and independence for the 8 million children living in institutions.

Stories connect us to people, allowing us to see the value of the most vulnerable children and families. On Together by AGCI we will explore what it means to be from a hard place and what we can all do to literally change the world.

Whether we tell the stories of families empowered to stay together, the stories of adoptive families coming together, or the stories of all of us working together for the sake of children and families in need, we hope you will join us as we march toward a brighter future… together.

We’ll talk to you soon.

For more information on AGCI, visit our website at www.allgodschildren.org. Thanks for listening!

We can all agree that we're living in unusual times. With heightened concerns about health, new phrases like social distancing, and many of us working from home, this is a huge adjustment. For many of us, working from home with kids out of school is a new balance, and one that we could use some help with. So we reached out to our friend Briana Currey to see if she had some insight for all of us in the age of social distancing.

Here are some of the resources Briana mentioned:

• All Trails - www.alltrails.com
• American Psychiatric Association - www.apa.org
• Child Mind - www.childmind.org
• YMCA Online Exercise Videos - www.ymca360.org

And as always, AGCI's website is www.allgodschildren.org. Thanks for listening!

We wanted you to hear some words of wisdom in light of what is happening in our world now, so we reached out to a friend of AGCI, Jesse Butterworth. Jesse is a pastor and musician and AGCI adoptive parent who lives in Kirkland, Washington, in the heart of one of our nation’s biggest Coronavirus outbreaks. Our prayer is that Jesse’s words sink deeply into your heart as he shares about a topic on all of our minds: fear.

For more information on AGCI, visit our website at www.allgodschildren.org. Thanks for listening!

Today we're going to talk with ACGI's Vice President of International Programs, Kiersten Luginbill, about how the Coronavirus pandemic is affecting three vulnerable groups that AGCI serves and what we can do together to make a difference. Stay tuned!

To get involved in the international work of All God's Children International, check out our website: allgodschildren.org.

Today we are so excited to introduce a very special guest. We have Hollen Frazier, the president of All God's Children International. She is sharing the story of her experience growing up along with AGCI and stepping into a role only God could put her in.

Visit our website for more information: www.allgodschildren.org

You can email Dayn and Madi at together [at] allgodschildren.org

And for more stories of hope and faith, subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/agcipdx

Adoption is complex, beautiful, and life-changing, not only for the child, but also for their family. We hear many stories from families adopting through All God's Children International, and some of the most memorable ones are about God's creative financial provision. If he's called you to adopt, he will provide exactly what you need when you need it.

At AGCI, many of our team members have adopted, and earlier this year we took the time to listen to their stories. Listen in as our West Coast Advancement Officer, Marisa Butterworth, shares with us about how God provided an entire year's salary when they were at risk of losing their adoption.

Get to know Tati, AGCI’s Associate Program Director of Colombia, and learn more about AGCI’s life-changing work with TBRI® in Colombia.

This week, Madi and Dayn tackle the subject of change and how to find hope in the unexpected.

Please share with us your thoughts about how your life has changed! Give us a call and leave a voicemail so we can share your thoughts on current life, and maybe even the benefits of this strange time. (503) 395-4595

Also, we will be slowing our episode release a little to be able to stay consistent for you all. For now we will be releasing a new episode every other week.

If you have any thoughts for us, send them our way at together@allgodschildren.org, or leave us a voicemail. We'd love to hear from you.

In this episode, AGCI’s Associate Program Director of Ethiopia, Angelyn Salyer, shares the impact of COVID-19 in Ethiopia. 

Madi talks with author of the best-selling book Raising an Original: Parenting Each Child According to their Unique God-Given Temperament, the host of The Modern Motherhood Podcast, speaker, broadcast extrodinare, and mom of eight, Julie Lyles Carr. They talk about how their roles throughout life are always changing, how to adjust when things get messy, how to pivot and pivot well, and how to never undercut what you have to offer the world in your current season of life.

Keep up with Julie here:

julielylescarr.com

Instagram:
@julielylescarr

Listen to Julie on The Modern Motherhood Podcast here.

If you have any thoughts for us, send them our way at together@allgodschildren.org, or leave us a voicemail at (503) 395-4595. We'd love to hear from you.

We’re going to have a conversation about race and adoption and how white parents can prepare their Black and Brown children, and themselves, with the foundation they need to feel safe and a sense of belonging. 

Our guest is Amanda Purvis. Amanda is a training specialist with the Karen Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University, where her main focus is instructing professionals. Working with children who have experienced trauma in trust based relational intervention or TBRI. She is an adoptive mother and very recently joined the board of directors at All God’s Children International.

Check out the notes for Part 2 for some book recommendations from Amanda.

This is the continuation of part 1 of this episode.

Here are some book recommendations from Amanda Purvis to help expand your understanding of race in our world: 

• For younger children:
  • The Undefeated
  • Princess Hair
  • Hair Love
  • We’re Different We’re the Same
  • Sulwe
  • Little Leaders (Dreamers/Legends)
• Young Adult:
  • Ghost Boys
  • The Hate U Give
  • Black Brother Black Brother
  • Piecing Me Together
  • Stars Beneath Our Feet
  • Tristan Strong (series)
• For Adults:
  • Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria
  • White Fragility
  • Be The Bridge
  • The Color of Compromise
  • In Their Voices

Gotcha-days, financial miracles, and families united for the first time ever are significant milestones within the adoption process. But most don't consider the heaviness and the excitement behind “the wait” --- or the time period of waiting to be matched with a child. It’s a massive part of the adoption process that makes room for God to be invited into that space of waiting so that He might work and help families fully recognize His wonder and power in their lives. Today, I’m so excited to have our Director of Adoption, Julie Salwasser, our Executive Vice President Nate Dawson, and International Adoption Specialist, Connie Cummings talk about their own adoption experiences with waiting.

Today we get to listen to Jacqui Gustafson — adoptive mother, university dean, and founder of the ABEBA Collection — talk with us about her experience adopting from Ethiopia, and how listening to people there inspired her to help provide a platform to empower Ethiopian social entrepreneurs and maintain a connection to the birthplace of her sons.
For more on the ABEBA Collection, head on over to www.abebacollection.com.

On this episode of Together by AGCI, we hear from Gina Fimbel and Tiffany Henness from Be the Bridge, to help us have a conversation about adoption, race, and faith, and how we can start moving forward. Be the Bridge is a community of experts on the issues of racial brokenness and systemic injustice in our world. Founded in 2016, by speaker, author, reconciler, and bridge-builder, Latasha Morrison, Be the Bridge is committed to educating people on cultural intelligence and racial literacy. It is an education platform and resource to encourage racial reconciliation among all ethnicities, to promote racial unity in America, and to equip others to do the same.

Tiffany is a biracial Asian/white, transracial adoptee. She has experienced and learned how to articulate what it’s like to be the child that adoption is meant to help. She works as a consultant and writer for Be the Bridge. Gina is the Transracial Adoption Educator and Operations Assistant at Be the Bridge, as well as an adoptive mom.

I should mention that Tiffany is not an AGCI adoptee and Gina is not an AGCI adoptive mom, but we want to keep reaching outside of ourselves as a ministry to gain more perspective and understanding. We want to believe at AGCI that there’s greater understanding of the transracial adoption experience, the healing process involved in that.

For resources mentioned in this episode you can visit the following:

Be the Bridge Transracial Adoption: Foundational Principles for Healthy Cross-Race Parenting (PDF Download)

Tiffany's Blog + Website

What does it mean to be a waiting child? As international adoption numbers have declined significantly in the last decade, we have been asking ourselves at AGCI the true meaning of what it means to “wait” for a family, as well as examine every avenue of hope for these amazing kids in the process. After taking a closer look at the stories of the children we advocate for at AGCI, we launched a new initiative in 2020 to place more children with families. We recognize the true importance of finding families for kids, NOT kids for families. It’s our greatest joy  to put a child’s needs at the forefront of our efforts in advocating for them, and a true privilege to learn about and honor their stories, their needs, and what they will need to thrive in the long-term. While paying close attention to what these children need to thrive, we recognize that adoption might not always be the answer, nor is everyone in a place to adopt a waiting child. The fact is though, everyone can help a waiting child thrive. AGCI Waiting Child Coordinator, Soojin Manzano, is a beautiful example of exactly that. I am so honored to have her on the show today to tell me more about her role in AGCI’s waiting child program and how she has seen it grow, change, and evolve --- this year’s initiative being a big part of the evolution. We’re here to redefine the stories of waiting children, so that they would no longer be marked by years of trauma, waiting in an institution, but rather marked by a story of healing, love, and hope. 

I can’t wait for you to hear Soojin’s passion and fire these kiddos. It’s 100% contagious, so be ready.

Waiting Child program interest: smanzano@allgodschildren.org

https://allgodschildren.org/waiting/ 

Dayn and Madi are live for episode 17 to celebrate all of the milestones, stories, and upcoming projects for Together by AGCI. You'll hear about what's next for the podcast, as well as some reflections on how far this podcast has come! This will also conclude season one of the show! Tune back in September 24th to kick off season two with a new episode. 

Join us for a conversation with AGCI's National Advancement Officer, Jep Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame. Jep will share about how he became connected to AGCI and has developed a passion for helping children and families in need.

We also want to let you all know that we have a very special free online concert coming up. Jep will be hosting a very special benefit concert featuring Grammy and Dove Award nominee Rhett Walker, whose single, Good to Me, is playing on Christian radio across the country. Please join us for a time of music, stories, and an opportunity to change lives. You won’t want to miss it. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 30 at 9:00pm Eastern, 6:00pm Pacific. Head on over to www.allgodschildren.org/rhett for more information.

Here today, to help us find more solid ground in the ongoing conversation about race in our culture today is Dr. Charlene Williams. She is an award-winning educator, leader, and the assistant superintendent to the Camas, Washington school district. In June of 2019 she presented a TED talk called, What to Stop and Start Doing in America‘s Race Conversation. We have been honored at AGCI to have her help in these last few months in leading discussions about race with our staff, and we wanted to bring you all in on the conversation.

Links mentioned in the podcast:

• Articles from The Child Mind Institute 
• Doll test - The effects of racism on children (ENG)
• Dr. Williams' TED talk: What to Stop and Start Doing in America's Race Conversation

We have some amazing teammates in Ethiopia, and right now they are working extra hard to be there for our more than 600 families in a difficult season. Listen in as Dayn speaks with Mathewos, Haile, Azeb & Wass about the work in Ethiopia, and what you can do to be a part.

For more information on education sponsorship in Ethiopia, click here.

In celebration of National Adoption Month, we thought we’d revisit a story we shared a couple years ago. In 2018, we created a video series called Adoption is ________. One of these videos, Adoption is Amazing, tells the story of the Gehring family whose son Quinton joined their family back in December of 2015 when he was 17 months old. After the Gehring family shares about their first adoption, we’ll hop on a call with them to talk about their second adoption from China, Quinton’s little brother Gabe who came home in August of 2019.

Adoption is Amazing video: https://vimeo.com/301710811

In celebration of National Adoption Month, a generous donor will provide adoption grants of $500 to all families applying this November! With the exception of Oregon Foster Care adoptions or transfers, these grants are available for AGCI's adoption programs worldwide, for families completing contracts by December 31st.

If you’re ready to begin your adoption journey, click this link: https://allgodschildren.org/national-adoption-month/

Today we are telling five stories from across the globe. They come straight out of AGCI's giving guide which provides an opportunity for you to practice generosity in five different ways. If you've received the print version of the giving guide, you can follow along with this episode, and if you feel a nudge to give, you can do so here: www.allgodschildren.org/merry

We mentioned two other podcast episodes in this episode. You can listen to them here:

AGCI’s Frontline Work in Ethiopia

Let’s Talk About Race and Adoption

Well, we’re here—2020 is coming to a close. While 2020 was definitely a very hard year, there is still so much to celebrate. Give this episode a listen and hear from AGCI staff about all that God is doing around the world for children and families.

We're back in 2021 with new stories, new music, and a new co-host! Take a listen to hear from Dayn's new co-host as they share behind the scenes stories from their work with AGCI.

In this episode, we spend a good amount of time talking about what it was like to shoot our series The Path to Hope. You can view the entire series here: https://allgodschildren.org/thepathtohope/

On this week’s episode, Dayn and Melissa chat with Trudy Landis, TBRI Practitioner and Director of the adoptive parent education platform, Families Are Forever. Trudy has over 30 years of experience supporting children and families through transition and trauma and studied with Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross, authors of The Connected Child.

You don’t want to miss this episode—Trudy shares the key things she believes are most important for adoptive parents to consider as they prepare to parent a child from a “hard place.”

In celebration of Black History Month, we chatted with Bonita Croyle, a Black transracial adoptee, about how we can show up for our Black and Brown brothers and sisters.

This is such an important episode for transracial adoptive families! Give it a listen and let us know what this conversation brings up for you.


Instagram: @allgodschildreninternational
Email: together@allgodschildren.org

We’re fortunate to work with so many incredible women around the world. In this episode we chatted with three of our in-country partners who are on the ground, changing lives in Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Colombia.

Give it a listen and learn more about Tita, Founder and Director of Vidas Plenas in Guatemala, Azeb, AGCI’s Program Director for the Child Advocacy Center in Ethiopia, and Aleja, a clinical psychologist and therapeutic coordinator for Los Pisingos in Colombia.

Together by AGCI is celebrating its first birthday! If you're new to this podcast, this is the perfect place to start. We will be sharing highlights from our first year. If you want to listen to the full version of any of these episodes, you will find them linked below!

Please share this podcast with your friends, and consider rating and reviewing it on your podcast platform of choice. If you want to get a hold of us, you can find us on Instagram at @allgodschildreninternational or you can email us at together [at] allgodschildren.org.

• 4:38 - How Do We Respond to Fear?
• 5:11 - How to Thrive in Uncertain Times
• 5:23 - Pivot
• 6:09 - Big Vision, Big God
• 8:01 - God Provides - An Adoption Miracle
• 8:56 - We’re All Just Walking Each Other Home
• 11:20 - Change & Hope
• 12:11 - Caring for Our Neighbors in Ethiopia
• 12:34 - The World Needs What You Have To Offer - A Conversation with Julie Lyles Carr
• 13:09 - Let’s Talk About Race and Adoption
• 13:36 - The Wait
• 14:05 - Adoption, Social Entrepreneurship, and the Art of Listening
• 15:15 - The Transracial Adoptee Experience
• 15:57 - The Waiting Child Journey: One Chance to Thrive
• 16:53 - From Ducks to Destiny - A Conversation with Jep Robertson
• 17:27 - How to Start the Conversation on Race with Dr. Charlene Williams
• 19:22 - Adoption is Still Amazing
• 20:02 - Five Stories for Giving
• 20:40 - Empowering, Connecting & Correcting - A TBRI Conversation with Daren Jones
• 22:51 - Amazing Things in an Apocalypse
• 23:15 - Every Story Has a Story
• 23:48 - Three Things Families Should Know Before Bringing Their Child Home
• 24:42 - A Conversation with Transracial Adoptee Bonita Croyle
• 25:16 - Empowering Women Around the World

2021 marks 30 years of AGCI! We thought it was only fitting that we sit down with someone who was there at the very start – AGCI co-founder Heather Radu. Heather helped her parents, Ron and Jan Beazely, adopt Hannah, and with the adoption of Hannah, AGCI was born!

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Happy Mother's Day!

We chatted with first time adoptive mom, Beka Wolfe, about motherhood, adoption, and everything in between. 

We sat down (In-person! For the first time!) with AGCI co-founder Ron Beazely. Ron and Jan and their daughter Heather founded AGCI in 1991. Give this episode a listen and hear Ron’s behind the scenes take on the origins of AGCI!

We sat down in person with Hollen Frazier, the President of All God’s Children International to talk about her journey into a leadership role. Spoiler—if things had initially gone her way, AGCI wouldn’t have been part of her story. Fortunately, God had a different plan. 

If you like what you hear, please rate or review us wherever you listen to podcasts. If you’d like to read or watch even more stories, check out our website allgodschildren.org. 

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With Father's Day right around the corner, we chatted with dad and transracial adoptee, Kevin Hofmann. Kevin is a Diversity and Inclusion educator and the author of "Growing Up Black in White" a book that covers his childhood as a transracial adoptee and serves as a guidebook for white parents raising Black children.

As we gear up to celebrate Independence Day in the U.S., we’ve been thinking a lot about what independence means in a different context. We asked the young women at the Dream Home—what does independence mean to you?

We are so excited to share that we have a new podcast co-host! Marisa Butterworth is AGCI's West Coast Advancement Officer and an AGCI adoptive mom. We can't wait for you to get to know Marisa!

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is incredibly common—1 in 20 people in the United States is on the spectrum. While it can be a difficult condition to diagnose and to understand, there is so much hope!

HIV can feel like a scary diagnosis. We chatted with Dr. Mary Staat, Infectious Disease Expert, to dispel the myths and dive into what adopting a child that is HIV+ really looks like!

Ethiopia is a country in crisis after being hit with the Covid crisis, locust infestation, and now a war. Tune in now for a special update from AGCI’s Angelyn Salyer, the Ethiopia Program Director, on what is going on in Ethiopia and how AGCI has been able to help vulnerable children and families throughout the country because of our partners and their continued support. Tune in and find out more about our new Child Advocacy Center, the AGCI & Tim Tebow Foundation House of Hope, and how you can be praying and supporting this work.

When should you talk to your kids about race? Spoiler: now! Marisa chatted with educator and transracial adoptive mom Elizabeth Behrens about how and when to dive into this important topic with your adopted and biological children. Take a listen and let us know what this episode brings up for you!

We're back with Season 3 and a deeper dive into how to talk to your children about race! Marisa chatted with educators and transracial adoptees Kevin Hofmann and Tiffany Henness about the importance of having conversations early and often about race with your children. 

October is Disability Awareness Month! To celebrate, we chatted with Washington State 2020 Teacher of the Year, Amy Campbell! Amy's focus is special education, advocacy, and inclusion. Tune in and learn more about how you can better advocate for children living with disabilities.

Adoption requires adoptive parents to hold space for a lot of unknowns and adopting an older child can often add another layer of complexity. Thankfully, we can learn from other parents and Jacqui has so much wisdom to offer to this conversation. We are so excited for you to hear a bit about the Gustafson family’s adoption story and how they have been intentional in championing their children’s unique stories through every stage of their lives. 

After visiting a government run orphanage in Ethiopia, God took Jesse’s personal heartbreak for the kids he met and opened him up to share the need with his immediate community and beyond. This week, learn about how becoming an adoptive father ended up leading to an entire movement. We hope that this story inspires you today. 

November is National Adoption Month! We are celebrating by sharing the stories of AGCI adoptive families. Ashley and Stan Felts followed God’s call to adopt their daughter from the Philippines—even when they didn’t know how all the pieces were going to come together. Adoption has completely transformed the Felts family! Listen to their story of tremendous faith and obedience—we know you’ll be inspired.

The AGCI & Tim Tebow Foundation House of Hope has opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and we get to hear about the home, why AGCI opened it, who it serves, and how we think that this home and model of care will bring hope and healing to vulnerable children and families both in Ethiopia, and all around the world. We hope you will tune in to find out how together, we can create pathways to faith, family, and independence for those in desperate need. 

Bringing a new child into your family—however you do it—is never easy. Often, this transition is particularly difficult for “resident” children. We chatted with Gail Heaton, Founder of Suddenly Siblings about how to make this transition a little easier. Whether you’re preparing to bring a child home, or your adoption was finalized a decade ago, you don’t want to miss this enlightening episode. 

We spoke with Dr. Sarah Yee about how to advocate for your adopted and biological kids within the public school system. Dr. Yee is a former K-8 educator and currently serves on the education team at the Center for Equity and Inclusion in Portland, OR. Tune in and listen today. 

God makes families in such vibrant ways and when a family opens themselves up to adopt, they are often opening their lives up to another culture as well. We spoke with adoptive mom and passionate advocate, Erica Manz to talk about her family’s inspiring journey to adoption and how their entire family has opened the hearts to their children’s culture and country. 

We chatted with AGCI’s VP of International Programs, Kiersten Luginbill, about how AGCI knows where we’re needed next. If you’ve ever wondered how we decide what countries to serve in and what programs to implement, this is the episode for you! 

Post adoption depression is extremely common but rarely discussed. While up to 32% of adoptive parents struggle with this condition, stigma and lack of information and support can make post adoption depression feel incredibly isolating. Our very own Marisa Butterworth struggled with post adoption depression after her daughter, Harper, came home from Ethiopia. In this enlightening episode, Marisa shares her journey and offers resources for parents navigating post adoption depression.