Pause and Think

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...

In this episode of Pause and Think, Jackie and Aixa open up about the emotional complexities surrounding birthdays for adopted and foster children. From feelings of loss and confusion to the longing for birth stories and baby pictures, they explore how these seemingly joyful celebrations can be deeply painful. Through vulnerable storytelling, biblical reflection, and grace-filled parenting insight...

In this thought-provoking episode of Pause & Think, Aixa and Jackie engage in a vulnerable conversation about the complexities of "Gotcha Day"—the day many adoptive families celebrate when a child joins their family. Drawing from their personal experiences—Aixa as an adoptive mother and Jackie as an adoptee—they reflect on how this day can mean vastly different things depending on one’s perspe...

In this deeply moving episode of Pause & Think, hosts Aixa and Jackie welcome Pastor Sandra from Church of the Crossroads in Laredo, Texas, to share her powerful testimony. Abandoned at birth and adopted through the Texas Cradle Society, Pastor Sandra opens up about her early life filled with trauma, including abuse and the pain of multiple father figures. She reflects on how her adopted mothe...

pt 2

Discover how understanding God's deep love can be the catalyst for meaningful action. This isn't just about activism; it's about letting the profound love for you and all God's children come alive, compelling you to make a real difference in the world. Join the conversation as we delve into how knowing our Father more fully can inspire unconditional love and impactful change. Also discover how CAF...