From the earliest days of Eight Oaks, we have wondered "Who will be the house parents for these eight girls?". At first, Teddy and I thought it was us, but as we discussed and prayed about it with our wise, trusted family and friends it became increasingly clear that it was not our role to fulfill.
We have been praying for and thinking about these eight girls for so long that we feel as if we already know them. Several months ago, Tammy Garrett (co-founder of the Father's House) emailed Teddy and said that when she finally met her Great Eight boys, "I already felt a strong connection
to each of them. I honestly feel like God birthed each of them in my
heart during that year of intense prayer before I ever saw their faces." We feel the same about our girls: they are so dear to us, and in so many ways we already consider them our children. Obviously, we very seriously and very earnestly prayed for God to provide an amazing Mom and Dad.
We had often dreamt aloud or talked about Landon and Kate partnering with us and this organization. When they gave the slightest indication that they were interested and felt called to these roles, we could not have been more excited. We have known Landon for almost ten years now: he has been one of our very best friends since high school. His dad Tim teaches at Trinity and has provided solid support and advice to Eight Oaks since it started--he is a gold mine of Godly wisdom. Kate is a nurse and hails from Pennsylvania. We have loved her and her sweet spirit since the moment we met her. She and Landon met at an orphanage in Guatemala (foreshadowing!!!) and I cannot imagine two people better equipped to take on this exciting challenge. I admire so much about this couple: they clearly and passionately
display their faith through their actions and lifestyles on a daily
basis. We are so, so blessed to call them friends and partners in this adventure, and we thank God for Landon and Kate every single day.
Please be in prayer for them as they embark on this journey. They have started a blog to keep us all updated which you can read HERE.
