New Foster Care Program in Columbia
Oscar and Beth Perez, join us today to discuss the new foster care program in Bogota, Columbia. We are seeing local believers go through the process with the government to become foster families. Our vision at Lifeline is to see the Global Church equipped to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children.
GUESTS
Oscar Perez: Oscar joined the Lifeline team in February of 2018 as our Colombia Orphan Care Coordinator. He’s originally from Cartagena, Colombia but now lives in Bogota, Colombia with his lovely wife, Beth, and puppy, Cocoa Reina. Their family really enjoys being able to serve the local church as well as adoptive families as they travel to Colombia to adopt their children. In his free time, Oscar enjoys exploring around the city and finding new things to do in Bogota. One of his favorite things is to show the families around when they are here adopting. He also loves spending time with friends and family. His favorite food is his mom’s special plate (fried fish, fried coconut rice, fried plantains and avocado salad), his wife’s southern spaghetti, Texas BBQ… and of course Chick-Fil-A. He will travel anywhere as long as he gets to spend time with his family and friends. If he HAD to choose, he would pick the beach and mountains. His three simple joys are doing ministry next to his wife, witnessing children joining their forever families, and getting to share good times with his family and close friends. His favorite thing about working at Lifeline is knowing that the team works with such a passion for the orphans’ cause.
Oscar Perez: Oscar joined the Lifeline team in February of 2018 as our Colombia Orphan Care Coordinator. He’s originally from Cartagena, Colombia but now lives in Bogota, Colombia with his lovely wife, Beth, and puppy, Cocoa Reina. Their family really enjoys being able to serve the local church as well as adoptive families as they travel to Colombia to adopt their children. In his free time, Oscar enjoys exploring around the city and finding new things to do in Bogota. One of his favorite things is to show the families around when they are here adopting. He also loves spending time with friends and family. His favorite food is his mom’s special plate (fried fish, fried coconut rice, fried plantains and avocado salad), his wife’s southern spaghetti, Texas BBQ… and of course Chick-Fil-A. He will travel anywhere as long as he gets to spend time with his family and friends. If he HAD to choose, he would pick the beach and mountains. His three simple joys are doing ministry next to his wife, witnessing children joining their forever families, and getting to share good times with his family and close friends. His favorite thing about working at Lifeline is knowing that the team works with such a passion for the orphans’ cause.
Beth Perez: Beth joined the Lifeline staff in August 2011. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Mobile in 2008 and continued her education at the University of Alabama, where she received a Master’s in Social Work in 2011. Beth is a licensed social worker and works with Lifeline’s Latin American program. She became a TBRI Practitioner in 2012. Beth has had the opportunity to travel overseas to several countries in Central & South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. This has caused her to have a growing passion to serve others in foreign contexts for God’s glory. Beth firmly believes that God has blessed her with the exciting opportunity to serve children and families of all nations through working here at Lifeline.
RESOURCES
Sign up for a new free resource for you and your family to use — Stand for Orphans VBS — features Bible lesson, craft, snack, song, and Scripture memory in each video. www.lifelinechild.org/stand-for-orphans-vbs-form
Did you know we have hundreds of helpful articles, activity ideas, and other materials on our Resources Page? Topics covered include: adoption, attachment, siblings, medical needs, children’s behavioral challenges, birth parents, how to address grief and trauma, and more. Visit www.lifelinechild.org/resources.
HOST
Herbie Newell is the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services and its ministry arms.
LIFELINE CHILDREN'S SERVICES
The mission of Lifeline Children’s Services is to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children. Our vision is for vulnerable children and their communities to be transformed by the gospel and to make disciples.
Creators and Guests
Host
Herbie Newell
Herbie Newell serves as the President & Executive Director of Lifeline Children’s Services, holds an MBA in Accounting from Samford University and brings years of experience from his work as an independent auditor at WAKM Companies, LLC. Serving as Lifeline's Executive Director since 2003, Herbie has significantly expanded international outreach, obtained licensure in 17 states, and led the establishment of the foster care arm. A passionate advocate, he co-founded (un)adopted in 2009, focusing on equipping orphaned children with life skills for community transformation. Herbie, also the author of "Image Bearers: Shifting from Pro-birth to Pro-Life," emphasizes that being pro-life extends beyond opposing abortion, urging a broader ethic that includes fighting for racial equality and embracing every individual with the love of Christ. Herbie and his wife, Ashley, reside in Birmingham, Alabama, and are the parents to three children.
Host
Rick Morton
As Vice President of Engagement, Rick Morton shepherds the ministry’s outreach to individual, church, and organizational ministry partners as well as the ministry’s commitment to publishing resources that aid families and churches in discipling orphans and vulnerable children. Prior to Lifeline, Rick served for 15 years as a college and seminary professor, and he also served local churches in Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He is an accomplished writer and sought after speaker. Most notably, Rick is the co-author of the popular Orphanology: Awakening to Gospel-centered Adoption and Orphan Care and the author of KnowOrphans: Mobilizing the Church for Global Orphanology. Rick and his lovely wife Denise have been married for over 32 years, and they have 3 children, all of whom joined their family through international adoption. God has continued to grow their family, and he now enjoys the role of “Doc” to his precious granddaughter!