Apologies in advance for this largely being duplicated from the other site, but I created it after a troll accused me of being a Russia sympathizer.
Lots of people are asking me what they can do to help Ukraine. If you want to send wire transfers to unverified accounts, donate your truck, or load up on tacticool gear and deploy yourself, great. Do that.
If you are unsure about how your contribution might help, then I‘m happy to direct you to a cause that I know is working hard every day to care for those displaced by the conflict:
A Family for Every Orphan
In November of 2020 I attended the funeral for Michala Siler, a remarkable woman who served in the Army for almost a decade and accomplished more than most of us do in a career. She married another officer and started the above-mentioned charity. Sadly, her life was cut short when she was killed while jogging one morning in Kyiv. A perpetrator was never identified or apprehended. She left behind a husband and four young girls. This loss deeply affected me and everyone in my professional community.
From AFFEO‘s website:
Micala Christie-Hicks Siler, A Family for Every Orphan’s founding Executive Director who served from 2010 to 2020, had a tremendous impact on the global orphan care movement. Micala’s vision was a world without orphans, and she lived out this mission with an inspiring dedication to those in need. Micala was an exceptional advocate for orphans and vulnerable children, caring deeply for each and every child and family in her path.
As the Executive Director for AFFEO, Micala helped over 227,500 children and at-risk families in any way she could. Because of her tireless efforts and remarkable wisdom and leadership thousands of families were reunited and strengthened, social workers trained, families were provided with adoption support or counseling, and millions were reached with the message of adoption.
Micala was the first born to Michael and Celeste Hicks in Iowa City, Iowa on December 19th, 1978. She was an intense light and fierce leader from the day she was born. Over time, she became the oldest of seven siblings who loved her so dearly and consistently looked to her for insight and inspiration in writing the next chapter of their collective narrative. Micala graduated from high school in Olmsted Falls, Ohio in 1997, and earned a nomination to join the ranks of the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. The next five of her six younger siblings followed her into the Army. Consistently, when asked why they wanted to serve in the military, the explanation started with, “Well, my older sister Micala went to West Point…” She was the rare, uniquely beautiful type of person who always sought the next challenge, always sought to serve, and always pressed into what it means to become ever more alive and fully human.
Over the course of Army assignments that would take her to Fort Leonard Wood, Korea, Fort Bragg, Fort Lewis, Iraq, and Afghanistan, she became the first female to ever graduate from the demanding Sapper Leadership Course, became Jump Master certified, and led many men and women through the challenge and danger of combat deployments.
She met the love of her life, Jason Siler, while assigned to Fort Lewis and married him on July 4th, 2009. Through their deep love and commitment to each other, four beautiful girls were brought into this world – Keira, Noelle, Cheyenne, and Natalie. All five of them are such preciously tangible legacies of her goodness and outpouring of love.
After stepping away from military service in 2009, Micala’s desire to serve the world – and specifically to protect and encourage those whose lives had been less fortunate than her own – found a new outlet. Micala became the Executive Director of A Family for Every Orphan, an International Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to finding loving families for orphans in their home country. There could not be a mission or calling more accurately expressive of who Micala was. Her deepest desire was to love others well and to spread the light, hope, and restoration of an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Micala’s light and goodness will be deeply missed by her friends, colleagues, and family. We take great comfort in knowing that she is in heaven, eternally free and infinitely restored. Her legacy of joy and purity are just as concrete and eternal as her new home. Even now, we hear her saying “Good job!” “That’s great!” “I love you!” Even now, she leads us
Lots of people are asking me what they can do to help Ukraine. If you want to send wire transfers to unverified accounts, donate your truck, or load up on tacticool gear and deploy yourself, great. Do that.
If you are unsure about how your contribution might help, then I‘m happy to direct you to a cause that I know is working hard every day to care for those displaced by the conflict:
A Family for Every Orphan
In November of 2020 I attended the funeral for Michala Siler, a remarkable woman who served in the Army for almost a decade and accomplished more than most of us do in a career. She married another officer and started the above-mentioned charity. Sadly, her life was cut short when she was killed while jogging one morning in Kyiv. A perpetrator was never identified or apprehended. She left behind a husband and four young girls. This loss deeply affected me and everyone in my professional community.
From AFFEO‘s website:
Micala Christie-Hicks Siler, A Family for Every Orphan’s founding Executive Director who served from 2010 to 2020, had a tremendous impact on the global orphan care movement. Micala’s vision was a world without orphans, and she lived out this mission with an inspiring dedication to those in need. Micala was an exceptional advocate for orphans and vulnerable children, caring deeply for each and every child and family in her path.
As the Executive Director for AFFEO, Micala helped over 227,500 children and at-risk families in any way she could. Because of her tireless efforts and remarkable wisdom and leadership thousands of families were reunited and strengthened, social workers trained, families were provided with adoption support or counseling, and millions were reached with the message of adoption.
Micala was the first born to Michael and Celeste Hicks in Iowa City, Iowa on December 19th, 1978. She was an intense light and fierce leader from the day she was born. Over time, she became the oldest of seven siblings who loved her so dearly and consistently looked to her for insight and inspiration in writing the next chapter of their collective narrative. Micala graduated from high school in Olmsted Falls, Ohio in 1997, and earned a nomination to join the ranks of the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. The next five of her six younger siblings followed her into the Army. Consistently, when asked why they wanted to serve in the military, the explanation started with, “Well, my older sister Micala went to West Point…” She was the rare, uniquely beautiful type of person who always sought the next challenge, always sought to serve, and always pressed into what it means to become ever more alive and fully human.
Over the course of Army assignments that would take her to Fort Leonard Wood, Korea, Fort Bragg, Fort Lewis, Iraq, and Afghanistan, she became the first female to ever graduate from the demanding Sapper Leadership Course, became Jump Master certified, and led many men and women through the challenge and danger of combat deployments.
She met the love of her life, Jason Siler, while assigned to Fort Lewis and married him on July 4th, 2009. Through their deep love and commitment to each other, four beautiful girls were brought into this world – Keira, Noelle, Cheyenne, and Natalie. All five of them are such preciously tangible legacies of her goodness and outpouring of love.
After stepping away from military service in 2009, Micala’s desire to serve the world – and specifically to protect and encourage those whose lives had been less fortunate than her own – found a new outlet. Micala became the Executive Director of A Family for Every Orphan, an International Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to finding loving families for orphans in their home country. There could not be a mission or calling more accurately expressive of who Micala was. Her deepest desire was to love others well and to spread the light, hope, and restoration of an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Micala’s light and goodness will be deeply missed by her friends, colleagues, and family. We take great comfort in knowing that she is in heaven, eternally free and infinitely restored. Her legacy of joy and purity are just as concrete and eternal as her new home. Even now, we hear her saying “Good job!” “That’s great!” “I love you!” Even now, she leads us