Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Unlocking the Divine: Let God's Love Fuel Your Impact
29 Plays1 month ago
Discover how understanding God's deep love can be the catalyst for meaningful action. This isn't just about activism; it's about letting the profound love for you and all God's children come alive, compelling you to make a real difference in the world. Join the conversation as we delve into how knowing our Father more fully can inspire unconditional love and impactful change. Also discover how CAFO empowers foster parents and church leaders, building a support system that inspires and unites communities. Get a behind-the-scenes with President Jedd Medefind to look at their vision to strengthen champions for a brighter future.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to 'Pause and Think' with Jackie Darby
00:00:01
Speaker
We all have a story, and at times we feel we're walking it out alone. Let's pause and think. Join us for honest conversations about adoption and parenting as we lament, encourage, give hope, and explore our true identity and worth in Christ.
Meet Jed Medifin: President of CAFO
00:00:23
Speaker
Hi, I'm Jackie Darby and welcome to our podcast, Pause and Think. And my co-host Aixa is not here with me today, but she's going to jump on in the next episode because we're going to have more to talk about um with our guests that we have today.
00:00:42
Speaker
um We have a really special guest. I know we say this every time that we have a special guest, but we really do. His name is Jed Medifin and Jed is the president of of Christian Alliance for the Orphans, known as CAFO.
00:00:56
Speaker
And this is a global movement that unites more than 290 respected organizations um in the global community, to labor and equip um for effective adoption, foster care, orphans, and vulnerable children and their families worldwide.
Jed's Background and Meeting Jackie in Guatemala
00:01:17
Speaker
Jed also served it as a special assistant to President um George W. Bush, leading the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. But Jed's greatest calling, I know, Jed, that your greatest calling is to be a husband and a father to your five children.
00:01:38
Speaker
And so i just want to welcome Jed to our podcast this morning. Thank you, Jackie. It is a joy to be with you. ah Well, thank you. I met you for the first time, Jed, here in Guatemala.
00:01:54
Speaker
You are connected from Washington, D.C., correct? Yes. That's right. And I'm sitting here in Guatemala. And I met you for the first time in September of
Origins and Growth of CAFO
00:02:05
Speaker
2017. You came here to speak at the ASEACHE conference, um which is basically the same heart, the same just replicated here in Latin America.
00:02:17
Speaker
And you stayed here at our mission base. And that's when I met you and heard your heart and your participation for kids like me, orphans and vulnerable kids. um And just has you have such a heart and passion. So I just am so excited that you're you're here with us today. And I just want to start off by asking you about CAFO.
00:02:42
Speaker
And i want to give you the time just to give a brief history about what CAFO is and how did it begin? Absolutely, yeah. So, you know, the story goes back definitely before my involvement. So I just love looking over my shoulder at the kind of the giants that preceded who have done such great work. And ah and the the essence of the story is that in 2004, there were a number of Christian leaders from across the country. They were in many, many of them directly involved in caring for vulnerable children, whether through adoption or foster care or serving around the world.
00:03:16
Speaker
ah Some had other day jobs, but just cared deeply about these things. And they they looked at Christian history and they said, you know, God's people at their best throughout history have been known for this, for caring for orphans and widows in their distress.
00:03:28
Speaker
And this is something that they desired to call the church to again in a fresh way, in a compelling way. And so they they gathered in 2004 and four and that there was this great phrase that they used. It was, they said, can we leave our logos and egos at the door and join for work that's bigger than any of us could achieve on our own.
00:03:49
Speaker
Because they were each doing good work independently, but they recognized if they could join their strengths and coordinate and work together on the the biggest challenges in the field, they could do far more.
00:04:00
Speaker
And so really that was the seeds of the Christian Alliance for Orphans, these leaders coming together each, again, with their own unique gifts and strengths and areas of service, but joining those gifts in certain shared projects and initiatives coordinated centrally.
00:04:16
Speaker
And CAFO has grown a lot since, since but really the the the the core of the heartbeat is the same. We want to try as best we can, all these different great leaders, organizations, ministries from around the world, local churches that are part of this, each both doing their own independent work individually, but then through CAFO joining their strengths to both inspire God's people to this age-old calling, and then to help God's people to do that effectively and fruitfully ah for for the good of of vulnerable children and families.
00:04:46
Speaker
And last year was your anniversary. How many years did you guys celebrate last year? That's right. So it had been 20 years since that first gathering in 2004. And, you know, it was it was wonderful, Jackie. Of course, you you were you experienced it firsthand. But just to to be in that room, look around, see, you know, 2,500 people from all over the world who did deeply love Jesus, who care deeply about vulnerable children who are living it.
00:05:12
Speaker
It's not just language and rhetoric. you know These people are living it very personally as foster parents, as mentors, as adoptive parents, working with struggling families, helping families to reunite whenever that's possible.
00:05:25
Speaker
And to be in a fellowship of people like that who are who are living those things out, and but also they're encouraging one another, right? they're cheering each other on. They're teaching each other how to to do the this or that better, strengthening one another. it is It is really, to me, just a beautiful glimpse of the body of Christ as God intends it to be.
Jackie's Experience at CAFO Conference
00:05:44
Speaker
Yes, it was. i can so i can attest to that. My first time attending CAFO conference um was in 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
00:05:58
Speaker
ah september two thousand ah and twenty two in atlanta georgia And i don't know I don't know, Jed, why it took me so long ah to attend one ah one of those ah conferences, one of those gatherings, but I can tell you it was eye-opening for me.
00:06:18
Speaker
It was mind-boggling um just to be... amongst so many people who had such a kindred spirit for vulnerable children, for foster care, for families, for ministries. It's just, it's so broad, broad the spectrum so broad ah to have been in that that um gathering. I call it a huge gathering and just to have people from all over the world, worldwide And the Lord really opened my eyes to to so many things. And you know as missionaries, we had a home for orphaned and abandoned teenagers for the first eight years.
00:06:57
Speaker
So we we Randall and i have had a heart. for vulnerable kids, um especially teenagers, you know, the older kids. But I can tell you ah that that CAFO gathering so opened my eyes to so many things. But as a leader, i want you, um can you share like as as a leader personally, what is your heart and passion for, you know, that that just you're pouring into CAFO and this movement?
Understanding God's Heart in Caring for Children
00:07:31
Speaker
Yeah. Thanks for asking, Jackie. I mean, well, just first to echo what you said about the the beauty of gathering together. You know, it's just what one of the things I feel keenly in that time is every one of us, every last one of us has needs that need filling. You know, whether it's for a particular answer to a particular problem or question or how do I do this more effectively?
00:07:54
Speaker
And we we need one another. We need the help of that. But every person also has gifts to share. Right. And and what a wonderful thing when God's people there. It's like we we call it a giant gift exchange. Right. When we gather and I love participating. I every year, you know, I'm at this conference and I part of the team that's organizing it. But I have needs that need filling. But.
00:08:14
Speaker
These wonderful believers, brothers and sisters from all over the world, you know, i feel life flowing into me from them. And then vice versa, I have gifts to share as well. So, you know, it's just such a joy to be a part of that, like like you just said.
00:08:27
Speaker
um In terms of my deepest heart for this, Jackie, ah it is it is first and foremost that God's people would know their father more deeply and then reflect his heart in the world.
00:08:41
Speaker
it's So so in us in ah in a sense, it's not a vision just to try to get more people to do more things, right? More activity, more ah people feeling a certain duty or guilt, um or you know and then be be motivated into activism.
00:08:57
Speaker
Now, I do, of course, want to see action, but what I believe is that that the right root The true root of that is when we know our Father's heart, His deep love, His love for orphans and vulnerable children, but also His love for each of us.
00:09:15
Speaker
And as we experience that more deeply, ah then then that is what fills the heart to go out and spill that same kind of deep, unconditional love in the world.
00:09:26
Speaker
that So that's what I long to see. That's what I pray first and foremost before anything else. that CAFO is helping that to happen. And I'm confident that when that is happening, then people will be going out and they will be running effective organizations and they'll be measuring their outcomes and they'll be doing things well and fruitfully.
00:09:44
Speaker
But it but it to me, it always has to start from that deep root. I love that. i love what you're saying. And i really believe that's why i feel like I just have such a kindred spirit with you and Rachel. I know ah Rachel shares the same heart and passion as you do.
00:10:05
Speaker
And ah with CAFO, because you're right. It's not just about making more busy work or, you know, of course, we're we're we're trying to ah get the church more engaged to be to being full of action for these vulnerable kids.
00:10:23
Speaker
But it's it really goes back to knowing the heart of our father. And to knowing our identity and our worth in him, because when we do, when we when we come to know the heart of our heavenly father, we're automatically going to be want to do his work, you know, to do what what is deep, what is in his heart.
00:10:46
Speaker
And that's to care for the orphans and the vulnerable kids. Yeah.
Jackie and Aisha's Mission for Orphans
00:10:50
Speaker
And, you know, our heart, Aisha and my heart ah for this podcast is that all would come to know their Heavenly Father.
00:11:00
Speaker
For sure, our heartbeat is for the orphaned, the foster care children, um those vulnerable kids. But I think nowadays it's safe to say the world, ah so many of us, even church people, we walk around with such an orphan spirit.
00:11:19
Speaker
You know, we don't know who our Heavenly Father is. We don't understand to the depth our our value and our worth in Christ. And so that is that's our heart. I know that's your heartbeat, as you just shared, um that that every person, no matter what the age, and especially those those vulnerable kids, that they would come to know that, you know, God did know us before were ever formed in our mother's womb.
00:11:47
Speaker
And that before we were born, he did set us apart. And that that he has such a deep love and he wants to be our heavenly father. and And i know um there's so many things about CAFO. There's so many...
00:12:02
Speaker
passions and desires. And, you know, so many, you have such a, um, amazing team that stands behind you and walks with you in this, um, this movement, but i know the the deep rooted,
00:12:19
Speaker
passion and heart's desires that we would come to know the Father's heart. And i I think that's one thing that I, you know, one of the many things that I so appreciate.
00:12:30
Speaker
And i heard that I heard that passion when you came and shared, um at the Cumbre here, the ASEACHE ACH gathering here in in Guatemala.
00:12:42
Speaker
And I remember when we sat at the table and we shared our stories um for foster care. I never considered myself a foster mom, but caring for 17 teenagers during our first eight years in Guatemala and then My brother adopted a baby here in Guatemala.
00:13:01
Speaker
ah Randall and I, ah I never called it foster care, but we brought her home when she was five hours old and then gave her to my brother and sister-in-law um when she was nine months old. And I remember sharing with you, I felt like I cut off my my right arm when I handed her over And and you shared ah stories that you had, you and your wife had walked through. And we just shared such a passion and a kindred spirit in in that regard. And that's why I, I know the Lord connected us as the body of Christ.
00:13:36
Speaker
um And that's what it's all about. Just being the body of Christ working together. But that brings me another question I have for you.
CAFO's Support for Champions in Adoption
00:13:45
Speaker
and you know i was I am a ministry leader, a missionary here in Guatemala, but I didn't know about CAFO. You didn't sit and talk a lot about CAFO and try to sell me on anything, any organization or anything, but you just transmitted the the love of Christ and your passion for
00:14:07
Speaker
for vulnerable kids. But as the president of CAFO, what could you share with a pastor or ministry leader that might not understand or never even have heard of CAFO? What is something that you would like to share about CAFO that something that maybe they don't know or have never heard about?
00:14:29
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. Well, you know, I would say internally, this isn't necessarily website language, but what we often will say internally with the team, both the staff as well as the many volunteers that serve with and and through CAFO is that we exist as CAFO.
00:14:44
Speaker
to strengthen champions. that's That's our vision. And the champions, of course, are the foster parents, the adoptive parents, the mentors, the nonprofit leaders, the pastors, the the volunteer leaders at churches who are trying to to build support for families within the church, right?
00:15:00
Speaker
Those are the champions. And of course, the the truth is many on the staff are doing those things in their you know, in their their private life or at their church or in their home too. but But as CAFA, we exist to strengthen those champions in their work. And so there are many different initiatives that are really geared toward that. So as you know, we there's the Pure Religion Project, and that exists to strengthen local churches. As churches are saying, we want to be a place of wonderful support for foster families and adoptive families and biological families.
00:15:32
Speaker
How can we as a church do that? Well, the The Pure Religion Project exists to come alongside and strengthen and support those churches and everything from kind of the underlying a theological vision for why to the very practical you know vision for how you wrap around families.
00:15:47
Speaker
And there's another initiative that's out of the Center on Applied Research. And this is helping organizations that are serving kids and families around the world to apply the best research and models in their frontline work. So, you know, if you're a leader of a nonprofit organization and really want to say, hey, what what is the latest research showing? What are the best models out there?
00:16:07
Speaker
the The Center on Applied Research exists to serve you. You're the champion, but they exist to serve you. And likewise, in the U.S., if there's um you know people who are trying to engage the foster system at the local level and they're saying, how can I do this more effectively and how can I build a local network for that? Well, the ah the more than enough initiative exists to serve them.
00:16:28
Speaker
And so really, you know all of these different initiatives of CAFO, they're trying to tap all the the strength that exists among believers across this entire field. and then channel those strengths, make them useful to the local champion, whatever sphere they're serving in.
00:16:46
Speaker
Yes, that's so good. And um I'm so glad you're explaining this because the church, the local church, I'm confident to say the local church has several families who are foster parents or who have adopted kids.
00:17:04
Speaker
And those are areas that that they can help minister to those families and just be the hands and feet of Jesus just within their own local church. And there's some churches that might not you know know or understand how they could truly help these families.
00:17:23
Speaker
And I believe CAFO really opens the eyes. um As you attend, you call it the summit. As you attend the summit, um it really opens your eyes to just practical ways too.
00:17:37
Speaker
um As you mentioned, all the different branches of ministry within CAFO. it really opens your eyes as the local church, the local leaders, pastors, to be able to minister, you know, just like how you have a Sunday school program or a youth program or, you know, the choir. Well, you know, this could be a very valuable area of ministry within your local church as well. And that's where it has to happen.
Churches Supporting Foster Families
00:18:00
Speaker
um it It really needs to, this vision for ministry, it it does need to happen at the local church. You know, there are certain ministries that but in in many ways don't need ministry.
00:18:11
Speaker
You know, there's you could talk about the theology and the philosophy, but you don't necessarily need the local church. Like you can build water wells, a perfectly good water well in, you know, in an area that needs that. And that's a wonderful expression of God's mercy and love to do that. But you you don't technically need a local church to do that.
00:18:28
Speaker
But if you're talking about the highly relational element of first of all, wrapping around vulnerable children and families, whether that it is through adoption or foster care, mentoring or other ways.
00:18:39
Speaker
If you're talking about that type of ministry that is rich in love and and personal involvement, you first of all need the people you know who are willing to do that, who are willing to upend their lives to get personally involved with these things.
00:18:52
Speaker
And then you you need more than just those frontline families. You need a whole community of faith, a whole church supporting those families, walking alongside them, bringing meals, helping with babysitting, you know praying with them, rejoicing when they rejoice, mourning when they mourn. That's the vision. This has to happen at the local church. And so you know it's it's that that's that's the heartbeat of it all.
00:19:16
Speaker
Yes, and you just named very simple, tangible ways the local church can minister to these families, especially especially I remember one of the biggest areas that I believe God used CAFO to open my eyes was the whole foster care area.
00:19:34
Speaker
And just these kids who are aging out of foster care, oh my goodness, that so broke my heart. I've always said now since then, If I lived in the United States, I would want to be a foster care mom and open my heart up to these kids who are aging out or the older kids, you know, who might not be as is cute, you know, you want to bring into your home. But these kids who who just need a family, who want who need somebody to walk through them, who want to pursue further education, um but also those families who are just bringing in these babies and, oh, oh my goodness, in one hour time, they have to have everything ready and diapers and food and, you know, we're...
00:20:13
Speaker
ah just meals. You can just tangibly do something simple, but something simple means so much to these families. And so again, ah the Lord used CAFO to really open my eyes up to this whole area of foster care as well.
00:20:28
Speaker
and And I am just so grateful how CAFO just... teaches you know um teaches through all the areas, like I said, your branches of ministry throughout CAFO to enlighten us as the church.
Upcoming CAFO Summit in Houston
00:20:46
Speaker
And so when is do you want to say when your big CAFO summit is this fall? That's right. Yeah. So it's the first week in October and we are in um we are in Houston, Texas.
00:21:01
Speaker
And so it's in, you know great local church host there. So we every year hosted at a local church, you know, but people also coming from all around the world. So it is both global and local.
00:21:13
Speaker
and And we, man, for anyone who shares a heart for these things, we would love for you to be part of the gift exchange, right? Both coming with the gifts you have to bring and also with your hands open to receive from God's people from all over the world.
00:21:28
Speaker
Yes, and I know that Randall and i we both so look forward to that summit every year.
Jackie's Adoption Story and Gratitude
00:21:35
Speaker
um We feel like... Wow, ah we wanna come and help serve in any way we can, but also we leave feeling so richly blessed by what CAFO represents um worldwide and how you represent the church so well.
00:21:55
Speaker
So that brings me to the last question that I have for you, Jed. And i i am a life. I was, as you know, i was an abandoned baby left to die.
00:22:07
Speaker
And i am a life that i know that I know was deeply changed because of the Lord, but because of organizations like CAFO and all the people who make up CAFO.
00:22:20
Speaker
And so um i want to know, is there, you know, through the process of adoption, my life was changed, but what encouraging words can you give um to the parents or caregivers that might not fully be connected to a church body or an organization CAFO?
Encouragement for Adoptive Parents
00:22:42
Speaker
what is What are some encouraging words that you can leave leave with adoptive parents or caretakers?
00:22:50
Speaker
yeah Well, you know, I think first of all, I would just want to say the words, God sees you. you know, there are so many people serving so faithfully and they made choices, and many of them years ago, to um to to to welcome in ah children through through foster care, through adoption, to mentor, to get involved with maybe a struggling family, help working to help that family get back together.
00:23:17
Speaker
And now maybe several years and maybe many years in, those families bear hurts from that. you know they they They have followed Jesus near to the world's hurt and they are sharing in that hurt.
00:23:31
Speaker
And the reality is that we we will always share in the world's hurt when we follow Jesus near to that hurt. We cannot just, ah the the the the Christian, the Christ-centered vision for bringing good to the world is not something that you do from a distance, like just mailing something, right?
00:23:50
Speaker
It is the way Jesus did it. The incarnation was a coming near, coming into um And that is, i believe, the real Christian vision for transformation. And so these people have come near to the world's hurt.
00:24:05
Speaker
And they are sharing some of that. Maybe right now they feel like it is that is the most defining thing in their lives, in their home. and um and i And first and foremost, I'm confident that that God sees that. I mean, it says in scripture that he sees even a glass of water given to a child, right? Just giving the glass of water is something that has an eternal reward.
00:24:25
Speaker
So how much more so when people have upended their lives and chosen to really welcome ah hurt and complexity into their home and family life And so God sees that and that he also intends to bring good through that over time and probably already has in ways they haven't seen if they're in the thick of it, right? Sometimes we can be just miss some of that good and fail to recognize what likely would have been the case ah for that child or that family that you're serving had you not stepped into that. So you can be a long, it's a long journey, um but but you can be confident that he who began this good work
00:25:02
Speaker
He began this good work in you. He began it through you in other lives, that he will bring that to a completion. And this side of heaven, it may or may not look like all we had hoped.
00:25:13
Speaker
um Hopefully it will include some of that. And I'll tell you, Jackie, i I've been with a number of families recently who have been through the fires, but they are seeing real change that they thought would never happen.
00:25:25
Speaker
And so yeah my heart is freshly encouraged to keep praying for all that you hope. But even those things that will not be fully healed, fully restored until God sets all things right, um those things, even there, we can have great hope and anticipation, right? That God is at work and he will bring to fullness to bring to completion the work he has begun.
00:25:49
Speaker
That's right.
Faith and Community in Healing Journey
00:25:50
Speaker
That's so good. Thank you, Jed, for your words. um That leads me to remember the conference a couple years ago that um you gave me the great privilege to share it. And the title was Unhurried.
00:26:04
Speaker
And we all know that healing is a process and sometimes a really long, grueling process. And it you know things just don't happen overnight.
00:26:15
Speaker
But you gave hope to You just gave hope through your words to parents, um caretakers, people who are in the thick of things um with these children, adult kids, even um even adults who are still walking this journey out. and But we know that we just have to keep focused on Jesus, um the author and finisher of our faith,
00:26:43
Speaker
and walk together as the body of Christ and just lift up each other's arms during these times. But um thank you so much for joining us today.
Conclusion and Jed's Return
00:26:54
Speaker
And I just want to encourage the listeners and the viewers. to come back again because we are going to have Jed um again on another episode because not only is Jed the president of CAFO, um but Jed is also and adopted father.
00:27:15
Speaker
And so we want to have another episode and hear from his heart as adopted father as well. And so i know he can share things that you're going to be able to identify with and just, again, have such a kindred spirit with.
00:27:30
Speaker
So thank you, Jed. Thank you to all of our viewers who joined us for our podcast, Pause and Think. We pray that you're blessed by our words, and we look forward to you coming back next time.
00:27:42
Speaker
Thanks for joining us for this episode of Pause and Think. For more resources and information, go to whosami.org.