God Leading a Family to Freedom Through Foster Care

The Israelites’ departure from Egypt took them on a journey into uncharted territory, but in the midst of the unknown, God revealed Himself present and powerful to provide. Celine Souza’s story is no different. Her and her husband’s “yes” to being foster parents took them on a journey they hadn’t anticipated, yet God showed up time and again reminding them He was with them.

Since Celine’s former job, which helped girls transition out of the foster care system, Celine and her husband have had a heart for children in foster care. She explained, “I was working at Taylor’s closet. At the time, they offered mentoring programs for girls who were aging out of foster care. It really opened my heart to want to foster children and it stayed in my heart until my husband and I felt it was the right time for us to take the step to foster.” Their desire to get involved became a reality in 2019 when they became foster parents. In their first year, they cared for six young children.

As they poured God’s love into each child, they witnessed a breakthrough and freedom in each one of their lives. One child was a toddler who had a special impact on their family. He started out apprehensive and worried about food. Celine shared, “He would always overeat, but little by little, we saw him worry less about food because he knew it was going to be there.” Over time, with consistent love, safety, and provision, he found freedom from this fear.

As Celine and her husband cared for each child, they also experienced breakthrough and freedom of their own. Prior to fostering, Celine had lost two sons of her own. Through fostering, seven boys have come into her life. “I feel like God really brought healing to my heart, you know, in this sore place that was still difficult—to take care of little boys. So yes, it has brought freedom and healing in ways only God can do.” The grace and power of God became evident for Celine and her husband as they relied on God day by day to parent each child with love and grace.

If you feel called to foster, pray and consider taking a class to learn more about foster care. Trust God’s mighty hand in the process as you discern His call. As God used Moses to lead His people toward freedom, God can also use you to bring hope and freedom to children in need.

To learn more about how you can change the lives of kids in South Florida, please visit CalvaryFTL.org/Foster-Care.