005 Andrea Lucero - A Second Chance
04/28/20 • 51 min
My guest in this episode was a foster child when she was five years old. She grew up in a home where addiction and gang activity was the norm. The only relationships she knew were transactional. So as one might expect, she transitioned from teen years to adult hood as a broken young woman.
Because of her addiction her youngest daughter was placed in the foster care system in the state of Utah, USA. But this is where everything began to change. The foster home where her little girl was placed was that of last week’s guest, Megan and John Wetendorf. If you have not listened to episode 004 with Megan Wetendorf, I encourage you to close out of this episode and listen to that one first, because it gives perspective to the conversation with today’s guest.
The young woman who joins me in this episode is no longer an addict. She is no longer part of the gang culture. She is well on the road to recovery, health and being the kind of mom she needs to be for her children. Like the rest of us, and she is a work in progress. Today's episode is honest, at times a bot raw, but oh-so honest. I want you to get to know my friend, Andrea Lucero.
Recommended Resources for Foster Parents
We have included some resources that we recommend for those considering becoming part of a vast army of foster parents who are dedicated to changing the world one child and one biological mom at a time.
- Dear Birthmother. A great resource to get inside the heads and hearts of one of the victims in the system - birthmoms
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here - Faith to Foster. A wonderful book that follows TJ and Jenn Munn through many placements across many states.
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here - Welcome to the Roller Coaster. My personal favorite. A compilation of diverse stories of foster stories, written by foster moms, dads, and foster kids.
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here
Recommended Resources for the child.
- My Family, My Journey: A Baby Book for Adoptive Families
US purchase - click here
Canada purchase - Click here - Love You From Right Here
US purchase - click here
Canada purchase - click here
My guest in this episode was a foster child when she was five years old. She grew up in a home where addiction and gang activity was the norm. The only relationships she knew were transactional. So as one might expect, she transitioned from teen years to adult hood as a broken young woman.
Because of her addiction her youngest daughter was placed in the foster care system in the state of Utah, USA. But this is where everything began to change. The foster home where her little girl was placed was that of last week’s guest, Megan and John Wetendorf. If you have not listened to episode 004 with Megan Wetendorf, I encourage you to close out of this episode and listen to that one first, because it gives perspective to the conversation with today’s guest.
The young woman who joins me in this episode is no longer an addict. She is no longer part of the gang culture. She is well on the road to recovery, health and being the kind of mom she needs to be for her children. Like the rest of us, and she is a work in progress. Today's episode is honest, at times a bot raw, but oh-so honest. I want you to get to know my friend, Andrea Lucero.
Recommended Resources for Foster Parents
We have included some resources that we recommend for those considering becoming part of a vast army of foster parents who are dedicated to changing the world one child and one biological mom at a time.
- Dear Birthmother. A great resource to get inside the heads and hearts of one of the victims in the system - birthmoms
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here - Faith to Foster. A wonderful book that follows TJ and Jenn Munn through many placements across many states.
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here - Welcome to the Roller Coaster. My personal favorite. A compilation of diverse stories of foster stories, written by foster moms, dads, and foster kids.
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here
Recommended Resources for the child.
- My Family, My Journey: A Baby Book for Adoptive Families
US purchase - click here
Canada purchase - Click here - Love You From Right Here
US purchase - click here
Canada purchase - click here
Previous Episode
004: Opening Your Heart and Your Home with Megan Wetendorf
There are some interviews that just crush your heart, and my (Derek) time with Megan Wetendorf was one of those times. I feel the need to make full disclosure: Megan is our daughter and she and her husband, John, have adopted two children and are into their third foster placement. There is just something about the plight of children who have to be removed from their parents because of neglect or a high likelihood of harm coming to them in the home, that exposes my most raw emotions.
How do you the acknowledge the abuse and horrors that have at times befallen these sweet children and move beyond it to genuinely love the people who may have inflicted the pain? How do you move from wanting to shield and protect these children to whole heartedly supporting reunification? As Megan writes in a blog article on our website, "It is actually pretty simple. Be open and engage them in your reality and pray, pray, pray for them".
With remarkable honesty Megan spoke with us about the challenges of staying on the same page as husband and wife, bonding with foster and adopted children, managing challenging relationships and about being catalytic in encouraging life change in the biological mother and family. In the end, foster parenting is about grace and hope. Megan's heart for these children and their biological families comes across with crystal-like clarity that challenges us to answer God's invitation to care for these children in need of a safe and loving home. Enjoy the episode!
Recommended Resources for Foster Parents
- Dear Birthmother. A great resource to get inside the heads and hearts of one of the victims in the system - birthmoms
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here - Faith to Foster. A wonderful book that follows TJ and Jenn Munn through many placements across many states.
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here - Welcome to the Roller Coaster. My personal favorite. A compilation of diverse stories of foster stories, written by foster moms, dads, and foster kids.
US purchase - click here
CAD purchase - click here
Recommended Resources for the child.
- My Family, My Journey: A Baby Book for Adoptive Families
US purchase - click here
Canada purchase - Click here - Love You From Right Here
US purchase - click here
Canada purchase - click here
Next Episode
006 Scott Wood - Father to the Fatherless
In Psalm 68:5-6 we find these words: :5 Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy. 6 God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. It was these words that made a life-changing impact on today’s guest as he flew back to Canada from a mission trip abroad. Today, Boaz Global, the mission he started, operates locally in the capital region of New Brunswick, Canada - and abroad in three other countries: Haiti, Honduras and Dominican Republic.
Boaz Global focuses on families whose teenaged sons and daughters are a high risk of falling prey to human trafficking. Because food insecurity is the primary risk factor for being trafficked, Boaz Global will provide more than 100,000 meals in 2020. They also work locally with newcomer families to ensure healthy integration into the school system and to provide mathematics tutoring.
To discover more about Boaz Global, click here to go to their website. Boaz Global and their team need your support. To explore ways you can partner, click here.
Recommended Resources
We asked Scott if he would recommend some resources to our listeners. Here they are, with links to purchase from Amazon.
- One Small Step - Matthew Barnett
US purchase - click here
Canadian purchase - click here - Underground Church - Brian Sanders
US purchase - click here
Canadian purchase - click here - Hero Maker - Dave Ferguson
US purchase - click here
Canadian purchase - click here - The Last Arrow - Erwin McManus
US purchase - click here
Canadian purchase - click here
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