Waiting on a child is hard, and I’m sure waiting on a child during the holidays will have its high and low moments.   I think back to Mary, the mother of Jesus. I’m not Mary, not even close, but I think there might have been times when she anticipated what was coming.   Imagine with me: Mary (a very pregnant

On the October 23rd edition of The Defender Podcast, Herbie Newell invited Sheryl Turner and Allison Sinclair to discuss how homeschooling has impacted their families, specifically regarding children who have come into their families through adoption. Sheryl is a mother to five children, three of whom became part of their family through international adoption. She

God is continually opening doors for His ministry through Lifeline to grow, and we are excited to share that we have been licensed to assist families in Louisiana with international adoption services! Later this fall, Lifeline will begin to serve Louisiana churches and families by providing International adoption services across the state. We are pleased

Jason Paredes joined Herbie Newell for the October 2, 2019 episode of The Defender Podcast. Jason is the lead pastor at Fielder Church in Arlington, Texas. He and his wife, Virginia, have six children—five daughters and one son—both biological and adopted. Jason explained that adoption has taught him more about the gospel than anything else.

This past August, Lifeline had the privilege of celebrating our second annual Orphan Care Conference in Colombia. The Lord has been gracious and shown our in-country team much favor and response over the last several years, as we have been building relationships with various local churches. Oscar Perez, our Latin America (un)adopted coordinator, has been

On the September 25th edition of The Defender Podcast, Drew Raynor, Pastor of Harvest Church in Cary, North Carolina joined host Herbie Newell to discuss church planting, adoption, and discipleship. Drew is married to his wife, Taylor, and has three children, two biological and one through domestic adoption. Drew was part of a church planting

  In September, we had the honor of hosting an official delegation from NingXia, China at the Lifeline offices in Birmingham, Alabama. The six-member delegation was made up of government and orphanage officials from this beautiful, autonomous region in north-central China. While the group was in the United States they experienced true southern culture, heard

Nicolas Osorio, one of the pastors at Iglesia Bautista Renacer in Bogota, Colombia, joined Herbie Newell on the September 18, 2019 edition of The Defender Podcast. Nicolas is married to Juanita, and they have two young sons. Although he has been a part of Iglesia Bautista Renacer since its start by his father twenty-five years

On the September 11, 2019 edition of The Defender Podcast, Herbie Newell talked with Jedd Medefind, President of Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) about the work of CAFO and engaging the local church in caring for vulnerable children. CAFO was established in 2004 when Christian leaders from various organizations came together with a common desire

On the September 4th edition of The Defender Podcast, Tony Merida joined Herbie Newell to discuss adoption, justice in the church, prioritizing family as a dad, and how the gospel has been evident in his own family’s life. Tony and his wife, Kimberly have five children, four adopted from Ukraine and one adopted from Ethiopia.

At Lifeline, we believe in the value and dignity of all women, and we know that birth mothers are incredibly brave and driven by love. Our pregnancy counselors and domestic adoption team encounter amazing women every day, who seek to care for their children in sacrificial and loving ways. Christie Mac Segars, Lifeline’s Vice President

On the August 28th edition of The Defender Podcast, guests Ann Maura Hinton and Rick Morton joined Herbie Newell to discuss advocating for children in the education system. Ann Maura is the Education Specialist at Lifeline, providing families with expertise in navigating the education system and providing educational helps for children. Rick Morton is the

On the August 21st edition of The Defender Podcast, Krista Stotler joined Herbie Newell to share how her church has cultivated a heart to care for vulnerable children through adoption and foster care. Krista is the Director of Foster Care and Adoption at Fielder Church in Arlington, Texas. Along with her husband of 24 years,

Rob Pacienza joined Herbie Newell on the August 14, 2019 edition of The Defender Podcast to share about his experience with grief and loss after the death his youngest daughter. Rob is the Lead Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and a graduate of Samford Univeristy in Birmingham, Alabama. Rob

  On the August 7th of The Defender Podcast, Lynn Beckett joined Herbie Newell to discuss transitioning children from summer to a new school year. Lynn is a vital part of Lifeline’s Counseling and Education team and helps families navigate post adoption challenges and issues that arise. Summer tends to have its own challenges, with

  The July 24, 2019 episode of The Defender Podcast featured Josh Caldwell, Lifeline’s VP of International Programs, and Karla Thrasher, Lifeline’s International Adoption Director, as they shared their knowledge and heart for international adoption. Josh noted that one deterrent to families pursuing adoption is being fearful of the process because their questions have gone

On the July 17th edition of The Defender Podcast, Pastor Raphael Kajjubi and Adalyn Newell joined Herbie Newell in a discussion about (un)adopted’s partnership in Uganda and how its unique qualities enables the local church to impact their community. Pastor Raphael is the pastor for King Jesus Church and who helps oversee the Busega School

Soraya Diaz, Lifeline’s legal adoption representative in Colombia, has more than twenty years experience working with adoptive families in her native country. She traveled to Alabama to be with many of her families at the Lifeline Family Reunion. During her time here, she joined Herbie Newell on the July 10th episode of The Defender Podcast

On the July 3rd episode of The Defender Podcast, Herbie Newell talked with Travis Wussow of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission about the current landscape of religious liberty today. Their interview included a discussion concerning how Christians can practically engage politics and our culture in a way that glorifies God, respects others, and stands

“Mom, can we PLEASE do a lemonade stand today,” begged the kids. They had been wanting to do one for a long time, so I reluctantly agreed to do a stand that hot day in May 2015. We got a poster board, some lemonade, a table, and headed down to a park in our neighborhood.