Welcome to the defender podcast, a resource to help mobilize and equip the body of Christ to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children. This podcast is a ministry of Lifeline Children Services, and I'm your host, Herbie Newell. It's Wednesday, July 3, 2024, and I'm coming to you from Birmingham, Alabama. Well, today, I am so grateful to have Scott and Lynn Watson, as a part of the podcast. On today's episode, we're gonna just have a a conversation with Scott and Lynn about their heart for philanthropy and family.

They've been married for over 40 years, and they've embarked on incredible cycling adventures, including a 34100 mile journey across the USA, raising 700, 000 for charity, but now they're gearing up for the Bamorama 500, a 500 mile ride benefiting causes that include Lifeline and actually helping scholarship veterans who are interested in adopting. And with Scott's military background, their mission takes on a deeply personal meaning as they support veteran families pursuing adoption and post adoption services. So we hope that you will hear more about their story of love, dedication, and community. Scott and Lynn are are dedicated followers of Christ. They have 2 children who were adopted from China, and 5 of their grandchildren were also adopted.

They actually started this remarkable journey in 2022 as they biked the 34 100 miles across the US with Scott's US Naval Academy classmates to raise funds for these various causes. And the ride, the Bama Rama 500 that will benefit adopted children, adopted families, both pre and post adoption, will actually start on October 4th. So on today's episode, we just want to remind you about Operation Patriots for Children and to know that you can also be a part this year of the Bama Rama 500 as you give towards families, especially veteran families, who are pursuing adoption or who need post adoption services. And so the goal this year is to raise $125, 000 to support veteran families, and you can always go to our website, lifelinechild.org backslash veteran. Again, that's lifelinechild.org backslash veteran, or check out our show notes to make a donation to Scott's Cycling Efforts and bring hope to vulnerable children today.

Well, Scott and Lynn, so grateful to actually have you on the podcast and get to talk about this a little bit more. Can you just start by giving us a little bit more information? We got the dates. We got the details, but a little bit more information about yourselves and what actually inspired you to start this journey.

Yeah. 1st, thank you so much for having us on the podcast. We were so thrilled when we got the invitation. The actual journey started, at our 35th Naval Academy Academy reunion. 1 of my classmates conceptualized an idea of of riding the bikes eventually across the country.

And then about the 3rd year, the the group pivoted to, like, well, if we're gonna do riding across the country in segments like we're doing, let's raise funds for different causes, veteran causes. And so last year, we rode for Operation Heal Our Patriots, which is an amazing ministry of Samaritan's Purse that helps married veteran couples. So this year, we added Operation Patriot for children, and 1 of my classmates is picking up Operation Heal Our Patriots. So now we have 2 great causes, 1 that benefits married couples, the military met, couples who are in distress, and 1 that's helping veterans who are adopting. And Lynn and I, as you mentioned, we adopted Tula Girls from China in addition to our other 3 of the big family biological children.

I did serve on a submarine. Lynn's been part of the journey since right after the Naval Academy, so she knows the whole drill from military to family to a lot of travel. And so we we had a lot of people give back to us when we were adopting. It was as you know, adoption is is very expensive, particularly international adoption. And we had some folks that leaned into us and helped us when when money was a challenge.

And I just felt like, why don't we just pay that back, pay that forward again? Amen.

Well, and, you know, there are so many things that our veteran families do and our, you know, armed service families do that that really get taken for granted. We think about battle. We think about being on station, but you don't think about the families that are left behind that are either traveling or who have a loved 1 on deployment, the uncertainty of it all. So grateful that you guys are coming and wrapping around, 1, just veteran families in general, but then 2, specifically, those families who say, you know, we have a heart and a call to care for vulnerable children. But Scott and Lynn, even thinking about some of those challenges, maybe enlighten some of our listeners who don't have a veteran in their family or who don't know what it's like to serve in the armed forces.

What are some of those challenges that both veterans and with those in our armed services deal with as well as their families?

Yeah. So, so I was a submarine officer and back in a 1000 years ago when I was on submarines, we didn't have the Internet and we didn't have iPhones. We had no visual communication. We literally had 8 50 word, messages incoming, Lynn would send to me. I had nothing outgoing.

So there was a period of about 70 days where we were absolutely almost 0 communication. Soon after our first deployment my first deployment, we were in Washington state. I'll let Lynn tell you what happened with the snowstorm.

Well, we both grew up in Florida. That's important to know. And, like, a week after he left, it snowed 10 inches in the Seattle area. Well, they knew about as much what to do with snow as I did. And so everybody's sending these messages.

It snowed. It snowed. And they're all like, yeah. Right. Sure.

But thankfully, I had neighbors from Maine who helped me get the chains on the tires and then, you know, I was able to get in and out of the house.

Yeah. And your point, Herbie, about the family members, a lot of times you'll hear hear people in the airport, you know, thank you for your service. Really, the way I like to twist that is and change that is thank you for your sacrifice. Mhmm. And like you mentioned, the families are the ones that bear a lot of the big sacrifice.

And then, of course, as we all know, military combat, I never thankfully had to do that, but those guys and gals, they really sacrificed a ton. So if you if you wanna twist that a little bit and make it more meaningful, say thank you for your sacrifice.

You know, even just thinking about that, I'd be interested to know because, you know, I think as a church, right, we're really good with momentary things. Right? When someone's lost a loved 1 or someone's sick, we're good with thinking about meals or or showing hospitality. But, you know, a lot of times when a loved one's on deployment or a military family is traveling because they're stationed in different places and they don't really have that community, what would you say are some of the big ways the church can reach out to those families that are in active service as well as our veterans? Yeah.

I think I think that's a good a great point. There are some churches now that are starting. There's 1 in Crestview called Pillar Church that is strictly really focused on the veteran community. So there's some marine lieutenant colonel that's running that 1. And so there are some churches that are super duper intentional about it.

But I think just being aware when you see somebody come in, you know, in their uniform, just just make an extra effort. And then keep keep track of the families that have, like Lynn and I, we have 2 children that are also in the service right now and 1 that was a submarine officer. So so we've lived it kind of from both both ends. But your point about remembering that that that struggle or that battle is continuing. It's not it's not unlike foster children.

Right? Right. You get a foster child, and it's not like, well, who we we we got the child. The the struggle continues. Lynn and I just spent a weekend at the ABCH camp of champions.

What an incredible way to love on the kids and help them. And so they the families and all that saw that. So there are there are actually a lot of ways that are ongoing that you all are doing at Lifeline and Alabama Baptist Children Home and others. I think it's just you have to be open to plug into those. Just because you're not fostering or adopting doesn't mean you can't provide respite care or or or somehow otherwise step into these lives.

I'd be interested from both of you. You know, talk a little bit about what led you to adoption and even specifically China.

I mean, we had always our plan was to have 2 biological children and then possibly adopt a, you know, a 3rd. And we always talk China. We all always talk to girl from China. Because that's what god put on our heart. Well, God says, alright.

Here's my plan. You're gonna have 3 biological children and then you'll adopt 2. So that's how that's how the plan worked out.

Yeah. So we just all we always felt God we and and this is, I think, another important point that you're so aware of is, you know, we've been aligned on this 1. You know, we both felt that strong call. Even though we were old at 40, China was 1 of the few people back in those days. It was over 20 years ago we adopted that would let let old people like us come to China and get it.

And then when we we adopted our our first from China, Katie b, while we were in China, I I think God spoke to both of us and said there is no way we're not gonna, at some point, soon bring her a sister. And that's what we did. And then we went back 2 years later and got Cali.

You know, I found I've been in Lifeline for for just over 21 years. And I've really found that the heart of our armed forces and our veterans are for the orphan and for the vulnerable child. And I'm not saying, you know, more than any other group, but it really does seem like we see a lot of veterans, a lot of those in active service, that have a heart for especially international adoption. Can you touch on why you think it's such a a big call on the heart of of those who served our country?

Yeah. I think it's part of the ethos of the people that serve in the military. They they they serve. And I think they see that as just a continuation of serving. And once they become a believer, we're we're supposed to serve and the Bible is so clear about our our call.

I I it's almost like I think it just flows naturally. We have a great marine, former marine guy in our church and and how they serve. And I just I just when I'm around them, I'm like, well, totally. I get it. I understand why you have I don't know how many foster children in your home, but just a great service mentality.

Yeah. And I think to just coming out of the armed forces, I'm sure, you know, knowing the there there's just a there's a level of discipline.

There's a level of also expecting the unexpected and being ready for the unexpected that I think just uniquely, uniquely equips these families to be able to to take some of the chaos of adoption. Well, thinking now about what you're doing in raising support both for veterans and now for children, talk about how you guys got into bike riding. You know, of all the things that you could do to help raise support and awareness, both for veterans and vulnerable children, Talk about how you got into riding bikes and the thought of even riding across the country or riding from top to bottom of Alabama.

Yeah. So, I literally thought of this idea of riding across the country when I was like 13 years old. And, I went to my parents and they said, not only no, but heck no. You're not riding across the country. And so I kinda had this dream in my back of my mind forever and ever.

And then when our leader, John Holtz, put this out at the 35th reunion, I was like and and Lynn Lynn Lynn had some lines and rules about how we would do it, how we weren't going to do it. Like me going across country by myself was a total nonstarter. When we had this group of folk, Herbie and and the and the the people you've you've probably been around about. When you're around service academy people, people that have gone through 4 years together, Many of these people, I didn't even know from 40 years. I didn't know them at the academy, but we we did a ride from Notre Dame to Annapolis.

It's kind of 1 of our starter rides. We felt well. Lynn came and did support was helping with support with a couple of the other wives, and we just said, this is our these are our tribe. These are our people. We loved it.

And then when that that was a year before the cross country. So it's really kind of it's just a heck of a lot of fun. Yeah. And you get to meet a lot of people and then you, you know, you can be discouraged sometimes about what's happening in the good old US of A. But when you ride 45 days through Heartland America, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, and you interact with the folks and you see how gracious and warm and loving they are to us as our military people. It MOVE UP I MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH mean, MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH it's MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH incredible. MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH It's MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH just MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH it's MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH just MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH a MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH great MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH kind MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH of MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH a MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH it's MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH a MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH it's MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH unbelievable. MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH What MOVE UP SPLIT PARAGRAPH is

It I mean, it's incredible. It's just it's just a great kind of a it's a it's unbelievable. What is

you know, I know probably some people too might be listening and, you know, they're because like I am, like, to think about going 34 100 miles across the US sounds both exhilarating, but then I go, but where would I start? What what did training look like for that? And, you know, I think even knowing you've gone to basic training, you know, did that prepare you? Did your service prepare you even for the training that was necessary to take a a bike ride that's this long?

So we had a wide range of people in the group. I mean, we have some super expert writers. I mean, and I'm not in that category. I'm like over here on the beginner bell curve, you know. And so the super duper expert guys, they laid out kind of a training plan.

And in fact, we have a training plan in place for the 540 mile ride already. So the the word goes out to our team. This is training plan. This is how many miles and all that. I do think what you mentioned about just the discipline

Mhmm.

It's like, okay. There's training plan. It's like the it's the operational order. And so the guys are just now already executing the plan. And we use apps like Strava Strava and ride ride with GPS that cyclists will know.

So we get in little groups and have little challenges, and we get little kind of little rewards like ding, ding, if you're the guy that did the best week. So we kind of make it a game. We game of life for the whole time.

Well, I'd be interested in knowing that you were helping with support on the 34100 mile. What what was what were some of the the highs, but what were also some of the things that that you saw these men needed as they were cycling across the country?

Well, they needed a lot of food and so I was this last time across the country, I was what they called the the sweet vehicle, so I would ride behind them.

And if anybody had a flat tire or there was a few in particular very mountainous areas, and a couple of guys just didn't feel comfortable going 50 miles an hour down this hill. So I would load their bikes up and drive them to the next flat spot. And and, but, really, yeah, I think just they needed every 20 miles, they'd have a a stop for food food and drink. So they just and and, you know, we were there to encourage them and just, that kind of thing. Perfect.

We had, the team leader was a retired vice admiral and his wife, Kiki, the Dixons. No.

The Smith.

I'm sorry. Dixons. You can sorry. Look. Cancel that.

My second rule. Dixon and Kiki Smith were our our leaders. And Kiki prepared a 145 different support stops along with them. They were in Melissa Stitt. It was a a wife of another rider, Peter Stitt.

Just I mean, the intensity of what they did it was honestly easier, to be honest, to ride the bike than it was to do the support. Support, they had to set up. They had to have everything ready. And then just as the last guys leaving, they'd have pack up and move to 20 miles down the road. And and that's an area as you think about folks that are listening in Alabama, that's an area that that folks can really help.

We we have a couple of churches that have already leaned in to say we're gonna help you with a dinner or a support stop. That's a great way, and and we're hoping to meet a lot of people by doing getting people involved in that way.

Yeah. That's awesome. Well, thinking of hey. So you've taken biking and veterans and now being the component of vulnerable children. Can you tell me, just as y'all dreamed and thought and prayed over this Bamorama 500, What kind of impact do you hope that these funds will provide for families in in adoption and post adoption services?

Yeah. So we set it up, with you guys. You all have been great to work with. So flexible about about getting this organized and getting this started. It's particularly Chris Johnson and Jamie O'Dell, folks on your staff have been great.

So we've set it up with a goal, as you mentioned, a 125, 000, which we've segmented to $5, 000 for for every family. So we wanna impact 25 military veteran families with a $5, 000 gift to help them through those adoption expenses. Mhmm. Because what Lynn and I both strongly believe, if god calls you and we saw this ourselves, you're you're gonna figure out a way. You're that money is gonna come through.

So we just wanna provide that little bit of lift, you know, after they've done the home study and that we know they're coming into the program. Okay. There's there's 3 plane tickets to China. I've just we've just taken care of to help you with that. We've helped you get get back from, you know, wherever in the Middle East with your little person with that 5, 000.

So we're just trying to give that little bit of a lift, you know, that we're with you.

And then what do you you know, I know you both have adopted and and you have grandchildren that are adopted. What are some of the the help that you hope to on a post adoption side that maybe you wish you had or you did have that you wanna make sure that these veteran families have as well?

So as as you so well know, I mean, particularly coming out of the foster system, there is all kind of trauma, involved. They didn't get into the foster system because life was beautiful and perfect. So, those children have stuff to deal with. And so, we know from our own experience with our own grandkids that they need counseling. They need support.

They need they need they need trauma based counselors that can help them through the things that they're working through. So we're hoping Operation Patriots For Children can can even grow into helping those areas as well because that that's critical. That's game changer. Amen.

Well, you know, kinda as we close, I'd love for you just to tell folks that are listening, how can they help? Maybe, you know, they don't live in Alabama, but they can still help with this. The ride's in Alabama, but the impact is across the country. We could see veteran families from any of the 50 states that are able to tap into these funds. So give a call to action in how people can help both with logistics for the ride, but also how they can help meet the goal.

Yeah. Thank you so much, Harit. The lifeline.child.org/veteran/cycling. If you just, you know, would like to give to to the cause, we would greatly appreciate that. To see the other veteran causes, navy dash cycling.com.

That's Operation Heal Our Patriots and and other secular veteran causes. And and there's a blog on there too. You can kinda follow us, see what's happening. It's a pretty interesting 45 days story from last year. If you're interested in, helping sponsor the the the whole ride, any part of the ride, you know, we all pay our own way.

But if you're interested in helping with meals or hotels, you know, you can contact me, scottwatson83@gmail.com. I'll be happy to help with that. If you're in Alabama, you wanna host a dinner or a stop, we're glad for that. And then all we we're taking corporate sponsorships. So if you have a company that that that this is in your heart and you care about this, like Waterway in Birmingham is providing all the water for our for our our ride.

And they're they're awesome. Lee, Josie, and and those that that team over there built right back up. Bip, his dad was Lee or his brother. Back up seconds. Waterway in Alabama is providing all the water.

And Bill Josie, the CEO of that company, is is really been gracious to us. So and then finally, the whole business of like share, propagate, use your social network, that helps us in a big way. You know, Lynn was on several was on the media TV interview. And when we and we're hoping to get all those kind of outlets because it is kind of an interesting it's a great story, we think. And folks are really they seem to really want to be be a part of it.

Yeah. And, again, we'll put all of that information in the show notes, but we do want to make sure that people, come together. I mean, what what a great way for 2 very important causes to come together. And our our veteran families have done so much for our country. And just like Scott and Lynn have said, so many of them have a heart to continue to serve and to serve through foster care, to serve through adoption.

And we wanna make sure that as they have given a sacrifice for our nation, both the the the children, the the wives, the husbands, everyone has given a sacrifice. We wanna make sure that we can give back to them as they sacrifice again to care for orphans and vulnerable children. Scott, if you would, just just 1 more time, detail the cities that you will be stopping in in Alabama in case there is someone listening in Alabama who would like to to either come out and see you guys or who would like to sponsor 1 of those stops.

Absolutely. Thank you. So we we start on in Huntsville on October 4th. October 5th, we ride from Huntsville to Scottsboro, then from Scottsboro to Gadsden, Gadsden to Oxford, Oxford to Auburn, Auburn to Troy, and then we end up Crestview, Florida. We make a little dip down through Crestview, Florida, and then we end up in Orange Beach, Alabama for the last 2 nights.

Well, if you would like to come alongside of these riders, in this cause, again, you can always go to lifeline child back slash veteran. Also, we'll, in the show notes, have the information on how you can learn more about other causes for our veterans. But as a people, we need to support both those that are in active duty, as well as our veterans, and know that they've made a sacrifice for our nation, for our freedom, for our safety, and we, in turn, can give back to them. And what a great way to care both for our veteran families as well as orphans as we look at this Bama Rama 500 and all of the ways that we can continue to support vulnerable children and our veterans. Scott and Lynn, thanks for joining us.

Thanks for your heart and your passion, and we just pray that this event is a big success.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for listening to the Defender Podcast. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the Defender Podcast to make it easier for more people to find. For more information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, visit us at lifelinechild.org. If you want to connect with me, please visit herbynewell.com. Follow us at Lifeline on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child.

You can email us directly at info at lifelinechild.org. Beloved, will you allow God to use the gospel to you to impact the life of a child? Please contact us because we are here to defend the fatherless. We'll see you again next week for the defender podcast.