Pause and Think

How does God take what was meant for harm and turn it into something used for good? On this episode of Pause and Think , host Aixa connects with Dr. Nicole Wilkie to explore the connection between child welfare, empirical research, and gospel hope. Together, they discuss the transformative power of belonging, the origin of the free Caleb Koala resilience project, and why the pursuit of good scienc...

What is it like to grow up in a family that fostered and adopted more than 70 children? Dr. Nicole Wilkie shares her remarkable story as the biological daughter of foster and adoptive parents. Together with Jackie, she discusses the joys, challenges, grief, purpose, and lifelong lessons that shaped her faith, her family, and her calling to serve vulnerable children around the world.

Healing isn't a destination—it's a journey best traveled with others. In this episode, Jackie and Aixa reflect on six years of walking alongside adult adoptees in a Spanish-speaking support group spanning Latin America. They discuss why vulnerability matters, how grief becomes a pathway to healing, and the incredible transformation they've witnessed as participants find their voices, share their s...

Why do so many adoptees struggle with rejection, identity, and belonging—even in loving homes? In this vulnerable and eye-opening episode, Jackie and licensed therapist Irene Kim discuss the deep emotional impact of adoption, foster care, birth trauma, and healing. A conversation filled with compassion, truth, and hope.

In this deeply moving episode of Pause & Think Podcast, the conversation explores the science, soul, and sacred responsibility of motherhood. Joined by Irene Kim, this episode dives into postpartum healing, matrescence, nervous system attachment, foster care, adoption, and the emotional realities mothers carry after birth. Together, they reflect on how community, compassion, and intentional su...

What happens when adoption is celebrated instead of kept secret? Cambria’s story is a moving testimony of openness, healing, and unconditional love. From “gotcha days” to becoming a mother herself, this episode explores the lifelong emotional journey of foster care, adoption and the importance of being fully known and loved.

Adoption often brings new beginnings—but what happens when those beginnings include a new name? Jackie and Aixa have an honest discussion about identity, healing, family belonging, and the spiritual significance of being “called by name.” This conversation offers encouragement for families navigating adoption and reminds us that our truest identity is ultimately found in God.

In this episode of Pause & Think , Jackie Darby sits down with Stephanie Fast to explore adoption, trauma, and the lifelong journey of healing. Together, they unpack powerful truths about parenting, faith, and identity—reminding us that healing is a process, not a quick fix.

Stephanie Fast’s life began with abandonment, uncertainty, and survival on the streets of Korea. In this deeply personal conversation with Jackie Darby, she shares how being left alone at a train station as a young child began a journey that would ultimately transform into a story of faith and redemption. Stephanie discusses her search for identity  and why she wrote She Is Mine —a book inten...

In this episode of Pause & Think, we sits down with Marlena Smith to discuss what it means to raise an adopted child with roots in two cultures? Marlena reflect on a deeply personal adoption journey shaped by missionary life in Guatemala. Together, they explore what it means to adopt while living in the country you serve, navigating cultural identity, belonging, and faith—both for parents and...

In this episode Aixa sits down with longtime friends Chad and Marlena Smith to explore a radically different vision for missions and orphan care. Drawing from their years living in Guatemala and their work with World Orphans, the Smiths share how God reshaped their calling—from working in orphanages to focusing on family preservation and orphan prevention through the local church. Together, they u...

In this episode of Pause & Think , Aixa sits down with adoptive mom Kristen Williamson for an honest, mom-to-mom conversation about the realities of adopting older children. Together, they unpack the emotions few people talk about—grief, anger, guilt, unmet expectations, and the slow, difficult work of attachment. Kristen shares her journey of parenting a child from a hard place while already...

In this episode of Pause & Think , host Jackie Darby talks with Kristen Williamson about her family’s faith-filled journey through international adoption. Kristen shares how God placed a calling on her heart, the challenges of a long and uncertain adoption process, and the emotional reality of bringing home an older child from the Philippines. She opens up about trauma, trust, patience, and th...

In this heartfelt episode of Pause & Think , host Jackie Darby sits down once again with advocate and foster mom Caitlyn Baten for an eye-opening conversation on the realities of foster care, adoption, and the generational cycles affecting vulnerable families. Caitlyn shares her family’s journey—how she and her husband stepped into foster care before having biological children, how their faith...

Tim & Caitlyn Baten join us to discuss the joys and complexities of foster care and adoption — the both/and of grief and beauty. They speak on honoring birth parents, raising children of diverse backgrounds, and what it means to pursue openness with humility, truth, and love. Their testimony highlights the power of community, the role of the church, and how God shows up in ordinary moments — e...

Pause & Think , hosts Aixa García and Jackie Darby  talk openly about adoption — both international and domestic — and what it really means to belong. Aixa shares her experience as a Guatemalan adoptive mom, while Jackie reflects on her journey as a Korean-born adoptee raised in the U.S. Together, they explore how every adoption story carries both beauty and loss, how identity and race in...

In this moving continuation of Pause & Think , host Aixa García sits down again with José and Sherry Salazar to tackle one of the most common fears about foster care — “I could never do it. I’d get too attached.” With honesty and grace, the Salazars unpack what it means to love deeply, let go faithfully, and depend on God through heartbreak and hope. They share how their children have grown th...

In this heartfelt episode of Pause & Think , host Aixa sits down with José and Sherry Salazar in Guatemala City to explore how God has shaped their family’s story through obedience, sacrifice, and love for the vulnerable. From meeting at an orphanage to welcoming 11 children into their home, the Salazars share how faith guided every “yes” along the way — even when the road was hard. They talk...

In this inspiring episode of Pause & Think ,  Kristen Thomas shares her powerful story of transformation—from growing up in foster care to becoming an adoptive mom. Kristen opens up about: 💬 How a “one-night foster placement” turned into a lifelong family through adoption. 💬 Walking alongside her daughter Elise, who overcame challenges with confidence, identity, and autism. 💬 The reali...

In this episode of Pause & Think , host Jackie Darby sits down with Kristen Thomas from Raleigh, NC, to share her powerful journey through foster care, kinship care, and aging out of the system. Kristen opens up about the struggles of instability, trauma, and feeling unseen—yet also how faith, community, and resilience helped her find healing and purpose. 👉 Stay tuned for Part 2, where Kriste...

Aixa and Jackie sit down with Jamie Finn — foster mom, author, and founder of Foster the Family — for a vulnerable, grace-filled conversation on the realities of foster care, adoption, and gospel-driven compassion. Jamie shares her journey from “one kid, one time” to over 30 children in her home and four adoptions. She speaks candidly about identity, control, grief, and the constant refining work...

In this episode of the Pause & Think Podcast , Jackie and Aixa share their powerful experience at the ACH Summit  in Guatemala City—a gathering of leaders, churches, and families from 13 countries across Latin America, united to live out James 1:27 by serving orphans, widows, and vulnerable children. From its small beginnings in 2010 to becoming a Latin American movement, the ACH Summit i...

In this episode Aixa welcomes Cosette Eisenhauer-Epp, a transracial adoptee from China raised in Dallas, TX. Cosette opens up about her adoption journey, identity struggles, and the emotional layers of growing up in a family that doesn’t look like her. From navigating cultural gaps to the unexpected grief of changing her last name after marriage, Cosette's story is raw, reflective, and filled with...

Why do so many adopted children and even adoptive parents silently battle loneliness — even when surrounded by love? In this deeply vulnerable episode of Pause & Think , hosts Aixa and Jackie open up a raw, unfiltered conversation about the emotional undercurrent often left out of the adoption narrative: feeling unseen, misunderstood, and isolated — and how that loneliness can linger into adul...

In this heartfelt episode host Jackie Darby sits down with Amber Parker to share the powerful and deeply personal story of her family’s adoption journey. From a childhood calling to adopt a little girl from China to a series of miracles that led to Ruby joining their family just before the country closed its borders, Amber opens up about the joys, heartbreaks, and spiritual lessons woven throughou...