About Us
My Father’s Arrows, Inc. is a faith-based ministry, community driven, public charity that specializes in restoration and orphan care. MFA was established in 2014 in efforts to do a greater work for the children in foster care by our founders who had 44 yrs. cumulative experience as foster-adoptive parents and in service with special needs children. Our founders recognized that instability in placements and lack of long-term connections for the children contributed to decreased school performance, increased negative behaviors, overall poor choices, and lack of support for them as young adults. A mighty vision for change was born, and My Father’s Arrows set out to work. We educate the community on the children’s needs, recruit more caregivers and advocates for the children, and procure child-specific resources to help them reach their maximum potential. Our Children’s Home is a safe, loving, trauma-informed Christian home. My Father’s Arrows is registered with The Florida Association of Christian Child Caring Agencies as a Type II child- caring agency under Florida Statue 409.176. MFA is a private placement children’s home for boys and girls ages 0-17 who have been abused, neglected, abandoned, rejected, or are otherwise struggling with the impact of their traumatic experiences. These children are often struggling with negative behaviors, rebellion, academic issues, and dysfunctional attachments. We provide the 24 hour supervision, high structure, and low relational pressure that the children of trauma need in order to thrive. We utilize the TBRI model of parenting with focus on faithfully meeting the needs behind behaviors. We provide consistency in responding to behaviors with correction based on Christian values while making the world small for the children in a comfortable, residential farmstead setting. We focus on educational excellence, spiritual growth, and a healthy lifestyle with an abundance of recreation. By targeting the high risk, high volume population of children impacted by trauma and the foster care system, and focusing on meeting this group’s most critical needs, MFA is creating systemic change that not only impacts the youth served, but also the community at large.
Sarah is a founder of My Father’s Arrows. A visionary with constant open arms for children, she firmly believes that children are a blessing from God. She’s been a Registered Nurse for 20 years, which has provided an abundance of experience in leadership. Her most recent professional work has been as Director of Quality Assurance and Risk Management in home health care. The Ellis’ have served as foster-adoptive parents for 17 years, specializing in substance exposed children. In addition, Sarah served as a trainer and resource foster parent for Families First Network. She enjoys country living, music, sewing and crafts, and farm related activities. Sarah is passionate about orphan care, and her heart’s desire is to see that every orphan gets a family to love them.
Jason Ellis has an eye for detail and a faithful, serving heart, that is a blessing to our ministry. Jason has 17 years foster-adoptive parenting experience. Jason has been a nurse for 13 years, specializing in pulmonary medicine, but just recently stepped into full time ministry here at MFA. He will be overseeing the day to day operations, maintenance and building projects. He enjoys hunting, fishing, and archery, and always has one of his children at his side. When he’s not at work, he can often be found on a tractor in the garden and property. We are so thankful for his leadership.
My name is Angela Kinder. I have been married to my husband, Joshua, for 21 years and we have eight wonderful children together. We are originally from Michigan but enjoy the slower pace and warm weather Florida provides. We enjoy rodeo, soccer and spending time as a family. I have always had a calling to work with children and it is a blessing to be doing what I do now.
Hey y’all, I’m Betty Melvin, I have been married to my husband Dan Melvin for 30 years. Dan and I love the Lord and love our 4 beautiful children and their families especially the grand babies and our 6 dogs. I have worked with MFA for over 7 years. I started out volunteering at the MFA thrift store and I loved the ministry so much, I’ve worked full time ever since. Due to the pandemic we had to close our store and God told me it was time to work with His children in need of spiritual, mental and physical healing. So here I am; doctor’s appointments, cooking meals, cutting hair and anything else that God needs me to do for these broken spirits. Children are a precious gift from God. “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”. Matthew 19:13
Our medical director, Dr. Teresa Mahaffey's journey to pediatrics began at the University of Notre Dame as an undergraduate and then the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. I completed my pediatric internship, residency and chief residency at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Oakland , California. In 2015 and 2017, Dr. Mahaffey was recognized by Professional Research Consultants (PRC) as a "Five Star" healthcare provider who scored in the top 10% nationally on patient surveys where patients were asked to rate the care they received. Awards are based on how often patients gave their physician or provider a rating of excellent on the PRC survey question. PRC is a national healthcare marketing research firm that works directly with more than 2,000 hospitals and healthcare organizations. She specializes in autism and children with behaviors, and truly see the preciousness in every child she treats.
Monique has been married to her husband, Jason, for 22 years and they have two children. They love the outdoors and have years of experience with horses. Monique has 14 years experience in residential care and has managed multiple businesses over the years. Monique is servant hearted and never meets a stranger. She knows the therapeutic value of horses, so when she is not in the office, she loves working with the children in our equine program.
Hi, my name is Lacey Nowling, and I am the Care Coordinator at My Father’s Arrows. I have worked here for almost 7 years and couldn’t see myself anywhere else. It has always been my passion to work with children. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, thrift shopping, and just about any outdoor activity. My Father’s Arrows isn’t just my “job”, it’s my heart and my ministry. “Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4
My name is Deneen Goforth I love the Lord and want to serve Him anyway I can. My husband Robbie and I have been married since 1983, we have 2 kids Seth (Shyanne)and Daniel (Haley), 2 grandkids Nathaniel and Blakelyn, and a foster son named Austin. I never thought I would go back to work after being a stay at home mom for 21 years, but when the Lord spoke to me I listened. My career before motherhood included jobs in sales, banking, working as an office manager in media/public relations. God knew way back then, that I would need to use those skills again 21 years later here I am living life and doing God’s work in a ministry that I love. I will add that one of my daughter in laws is in the ministry at MFA also serving in direct care.
Dr. David and Dr. Dorothy both have Doctorate Degrees in Ministry, Divinity, and Theology. Dr. Dorothy has master's degree in working with children with specific learning disabilities has been a public and private educator for 30 years. Dr. David has been in the ministry for 72 years. Dr. David and Dr. Dorothy use their talents and education as the quiet backbone of MFA to strength our staff and children. They make it a daily priority to pray over each and every child at MFA and to lead Bible studies with the boys and girls.
Denise Hudson is a Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) who is also recognized as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and an Internationally Credentialed Sandtray Therapist (ICST). Denise has over 20 years of experience working with adolescents and families, first as a trauma-informed teacher and school counselor, and then as a mental health counselor. She is trained in EMDR, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, CBT, play therapy, and sandtray therapy, specializing in treating trauma and using right-brain modalities that assist in healing trauma injuries. As a parent of a child with special needs, Denise also has lived experience in walking through those times when parenting becomes uncomfortable, and change is needed for the family to heal. She has three children, ages 20, 15, and 10, and has been married for 25 years to a firefighter. She is humbled and honored to be joining the My Father’s Arrows team and excited to see where God is leading us in therapeutic interventions.
