Foster Family In Need

‘On November 14, 2014, the Lenhart’s world was turned upside down when Jake and their son Jackson were in a serious car accident. Jackson came away from the accident with minor injuries and a mild concussion, but Jake was not so fortunate.’

Since 2005, Jake and Tiffanie Lenhart have adopted four children, have fostered more than twelve children, and have hosted many more as an alternative to shelter placement.

Jake has served as a pastor since 1998, and the couple served in youth ministry for over a decade. This past year, Jake began a new position with Frontline Church, and Tiffanie left her career in nursing to turn her foster and orphan care passion into a profession. Tiffanie is now serving as a case manager with Angels Foster Family Network, helping families to foster children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned.

Tiffanie says this quote from faith leader and orphan advocate David Platt sums up her journey toward foster care: “Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms,” Platt writes. “But once you do, everything changes.”

A mission trip to Haiti in 2005 was life changing, opening the Lenharts’ eyes and minds to the plight of “the Fatherless.” They adopted three boys from Haiti before turning their hearts toward the orphan crisis in their own backyard.

The Lenharts have fostered more than 12 children since 2008, not including the many children they have hosted for just a few days in-between placements. As Tiffanie describes their family, “We have two home grown (biological) and four handpicked (adopted) children.”

Their most recent adoption was last July, a daughter whom the Lenharts had fostered for more than three years.

“Our lives were forever changed the day we accepted our first placement. We went into fostering naively thinking that we would be a blessing to these children, when in reality, they were the ones blessing us,” Tiffanie says. “Fostering these precious children has taught us much about the presence of injustice, abuse, neglect and family-less children in the world. It has also taught us to look for beauty in the midst of really, really hard circumstances.”

On November 14, 2014, the Lenharts found themselves in hard circumstances of their own. The Lenhart’s world was turned upside down when Jake and their son Jackson were in a serious car accident. Jackson came away from the accident with minor injuries and a mild concussion, but Jake was not so fortunate. Jake sustained multiple facial fractures, multiple skull fractures, and a traumatic brain injury. Tiffanie says Jake will likely need facial reconstructive surgery and will require extensive rehabilitation.

Due to their recent job changes, Jake was without health insurance for a brief time frame. Unfortunately, the accident occurred during this time. The Lenharts are now facing an enormous amount of medical debt for Jake’s emergency room bills, hospital stay in the ICU, and the intense follow up care necessary for recovery from a brain injury of this magnitude.

The Lenharts will also have the additional expense of replacing the family car, repairing another family car, and other unexpected expenses that will arise from having their lives so drastically changed in the blink of an eye.

This family has continually served as a blessing to others, and has been a beacon of hope and love to countless children in need. Now, the roles are reversed, and they have found themselves in need of assistance. Whether you know the Lenharts, have been touched by their generosity, or you are simply moved by their story, please consider making a donation to help us get this family back on their feet.

Please click on the link below to be directed to the Lenhart Family Donation page through our partners at Youth and Family Services:

https://www.yfsok.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=5

Below we will post updates on donation totals. Please keep them coming! God bless!

11/25/14- $554

11/26/14- $3,904

12/1/14- $4,054

12/17/14- $6,124

1/14/14- $6,424