Flourish Foster Care Closet & Support, Inc.
A Story of Obedience
The Larsen Family felt a calling on their lives to do more. So many little ones were suffering and they wanted to help. This is their story.
FOSTER FAMILY
Aimee Larsen
11/17/20244 min read


The Larsen Family’s unique experience with foster care led them to establish our nonprofit which has touched thousands of lives since its beginning in 2017. From the twinkle of hope to the outpouring of many hours of dedication to the foster community ; we are so thankful for the obedience of this family to the race set before them.
Story as told by Aimee:
”Early 2014 I felt the calling to something bigger for our family. I knew having more children had been out of the picture for us, but our hearts were not ready to close that door. Being a boy mom, I wondered many times what it would be like to have a daughter. We started pursuing adoption through several avenues and had a settled on Mercy Ministries in Tennessee. The paper work was in our hands and I spent many hours combing through it all just to get started. That fall while traveling James suggested foster care and even though we had family and friends who had fostered and adopted I said “NO”.
But God had a different plan. In January 2015 I became intentional about praying for guidance because private adoption seemed so out of reach, like a door we just were trying to force our way through.
One evening I was watching a news report about the abuse of an infant that was so severe she died. I cried out to say “Just give those babies to me!” When I did I heard that still small voice say “you can’t keep saying that and do nothing.”
A few days later on a snowy January morning I was running in my hometown and decided to go a different route. I was stopped in my tracks in front of Lighthouse Therapeutic Foster Agency and told James I felt the need to go in. “I’m supposed to go in.” was my exact words to him when he said “just call them”. I went in.
I was told there would be an informational meeting on Tuesday evening but we had other commitments and were unsure. Until Tuesday morning when out of nowhere a text comes through that changes everything for us.
in that long detailed text it said “ God showed me a baby and said, here’s her daughter.” This sweet friend from our previous church knew nothing about our pursuit or dilemma but it was for sure something she needed me to know, her dream, but was actually afraid to share it with me. I’m so thankful she was faithful and sent it. Because let’s be honest, if it freaked her out that she dreamed it, it could have freaked me out too. But God knew… We could not deny that it was meant for us to be in the room that night to learn more.
In July of 2015 we were approved by the state of Georgia and just knew we would get a quick phone call. We waited. Annnnnd waited. By November we wondered if we had misunderstood the direction of our calling and questioned everything. It took going to the alter one Sunday morning in surrender before we got our first call that very week.
We actually had to say “no” to our first call because we did not have enough room for the number of siblings they wanted us to take. The next call we discussed again because of the number and said “yes” only to find out they had received placement. And then, we got a call and without hesitation we said yes. We had already decided we wouldn’t say “no” again.
A little guy and his brand new baby sister arrived just before Thanksgiving and our lives were never the same. We loved those babies and we got to see their birth parents every week. We encouraged them as much as we could and hoped they felt at ease with their babies being with us.
Ultimately, their case started falling apart and within less than 2 years we were asked if they could stay, would we adopt them? Absolutely we would.
During that second year of fostering we founded Flourish. We knew we wouldn’t be taking anymore children anytime soon but we had seen the inside of foster care. We saw the children, the babies, the youth, and the foster families wanting better and fighting for better. Flourish was a very organic way for us to help keep providing for the little ones.
We adopted in 2017. We don’t celebrate our adoption day which may be strange to some. We celebrated the time it happened but there is just so much brokenness within that we simply acknowledge how special the day is to us and how thankful we are to get to be those little ones parents.
As a result of our obedience the experience has flourished into hope and redeeming self worth and dignity for many more children. Seeing the gap between the community abundance and desire to help verses the lack and needs in foster care, we could not do less. We will always do more.
I believe that the Lord God IS calling families to open up their homes and hearts. I 100% believe that the brokenness can be healed, but not forgotten. Not only are families being called, but single adults as well. I believe that we aren’t all meant to open our homes but we are ALL meant to come along side this community and offer support, guidance, and mentorship.
Our story is very unique, we realize that. But how beautiful is it that every story is unique? No child is the same, no experience is the same, but what we hope… our greatest hope is that there comes a time when there is no need for foster care. Until then, Flourish will do whatever we can to help.”