daddy-and-girlsMany of you know that Kelly and I have been involved in fostering children over the past two years.  Since we began this journey, we have had five children in our home.  Our first, Brie, is now our own.  Six months after receiving Brie, we received Lizzy, she was five days old.  We were told it would only be a one week stay.  One week has turned to over a year and a half.  A month and a half ago, we received her older sister into our home.

The Lord was very kind to give us opportunity to thoroughly share the gospel on more than one occasion with the birth father.  Until this week, our relationship with him has been very positive.  Due to our concerns about an immediate return of the children to his care, we did retain an attorney and wanted the court to hear our concerns.  We have known that the county social workers and attorneys were pushing for an immediate return of the children to the birth father without transition.  Yesterday we had our day in court.  Today the Judge gave his ruling.

Here is the note we just sent to our church family in regard to our recent court activity to retain our foster daughters Lizzy and Jade.  Thank you all for your wonderful encouragement and prayers.

Today the Judge presiding over Lizzy and Jade”™s future ordered that both of the girls be immediately placed with their birth father under what is called a Family Maintenance plan. This means the children will remain dependents of the county, but under the full time and constant care of their father The county will be providing all of the father”™s means of support for the next three months. We remain defacto parents for Lizzy and were granted 2 supervised visits per month with her to hopefully help with abandonment issues. The children will be taken from our home Friday morning.

Obviously, this is not what Kelly and I, and I”™m sure all of us, were hoping and praying for. We did everything within our ability to speak to the matter in court. We did all we could do in prayer. As Job said (though our situation is not even comparable to his loss), “. . . The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

We are deeply saddened, but confident in the Lord”™s goodness and very thankful for our church family. Thank you for every moment of prayer and every gift of affection and love you have provided the girls while they were under our care. You will never know what a blessing and joy it is to have had them exposed to such a loving people as we have in our congregation.

Continue to pray for us ““ pray much more for the girls and their birth father.

We look forward to seeing you all on the Lord”™s Day if not this evening at MIT.

Together for Christ,

Bret Capranica