Episode
EP #42 - From Foster Care to Ukraine, One Yes at a Time w/ Jed Johnson
- Podcast
- Plain Values Podcast
- Published
- Jun 12, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5854
- Processing state
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Summary
In this episode of the Plain Values Podcast , Marlin Miller sits down with Jed Johnson, founder of Wide Awake International, to hear how God led one ordinary family from Alaska to the front lines of caring for boys with disabilities in Ukraine. Jed grew up as a pastor’s kid in Alaska. When he was six, his father suffered a devastating double stroke. Life changed dramatically. The strong, adventurous dad became someone who had to relearn almost everything. The family moved to Montana, faced financial hardship, and leaned deeply on faith. Those early years taught Jed resilience, compassion, and the reality that God is present even when life is hard. As an adult, Jed met his wife Kim, a nurse whose childhood dream was to care for orphans. Together they became foster parents to medically fragile babies while serving in their local church. Then God began stirring their hearts toward Ukraine. What started as an adoption attempt in 2010 eventually led them to move their entire family there in 2013, right before the revolution. Jed and Kim have walked alongside boys like Boris, Anton, and Ruslan… young men who came from institutions carrying deep trauma. The work has been incredibly difficult: sleepless nights, aggression, medical needs, and the daily challenge of replacing years of harm with consistent love and safety. Through it all, Jed emphasizes one simple strategy God gave him: “Put one foot in front of the other and say yes to the next thing.” Today their homestead outside Kiev includes a garden, horses for therapy, and a growing community of Ukrainians carrying the work forward. Jed’s story is a beautiful reminder that obedience often looks like small, faithful steps into the unknown… and God meets us there. This conversation encapsulates what we hope to do here with t…