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transformation through relationships

Working together to provide care to
children, youth, and families

Working together to provide care to children, youth, and families

transformation through relationships

Working together to provide care to children, youth, and families

Founders

Jason Nails, President
Jennifer Nails, Vice President

As we look back over our 23+ years of marriage, we can see clearly how God lead us on our life’s journey of loving the fatherless and the vulnerable. Our journey started taking shape when I (Jen) taught at a title one school in a low socio-economic area. We truly developed a deep love for my students and together, Jason and I were able to go on to mentor kids and families from the classroom and the community. Through these experiences and relationships, God placed a desire in our hearts to grow our family through adoption and to serve vulnerable children and families.

Each step and experience along the way has called for more faith, surrender and sacrifice; but God has been faithful through it all. We are blessed with 6 precious children (and a daughter & son-in-law) and we cannot imagine life without one of them. Also, through years of leading mission trips to Ecuador, we developed strong relationships with several people with similar hearts and callings. Collectively, God put an incredible burden on us to do more for the kids that cannot be adopted but have to remain in institutions. Through obedience to that call Restore17 was born. With our family and R17 team, we have the privilege of loving and serving countless children and families and we get to point them to the One who makes all things new, the source of our hope in this broken world.

The R17 Story

Our Team

Emily

Director of Program Development
Emily is a Seattle native who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish in 2012. After college, she spent six months interning at a church in Ecuador. During this time, she was exposed to the reality vulnerable children face in the country. Upon returning to the States, Emily worked in the US foster care system for three years until moving to Atlanta where she helped Jennifer & Jason start Restore17. After two years serving as a volunteer on the board, Emily saw the need to develop programs so she moved to Ecuador. Emily is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus and giving our families and youth a voice.

melissa

Family and Community Resource Coordinator
Melissa was born in Loja, Ecuador. She grew up with a religious background. However, she came to know Jesus personally at 19-years-old while studying engineering and marketing at the University of Armed Forces. Since the Lord saved Melissa, she eagerly tries to understand Scripture and has taken several Bible courses at her church such as biblical counseling and biblical interpretation. Her deepest desire is to make Christ known so children, adults, and families may know the one and only true God.

David

Social Worker

David graduated with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and is currently studying to become a lawyer. However, his life was not always like this. David comes from a similar context as the youth and families we serve. His family lived in poverty without lights or water. The environment he lived in was filled with interfamily violence. Despite the challenges he faced, he knows God never abandoned him. Breaking this generational cycle motivated him to study Social Work. He desires to help vulnerable and at-risk youth. David loves making a positive impact in their lives as they seek God.

Additional Staff & Volunteers

Within Ecuador, a team of dedicated staff and volunteers work together to ensure the children, young adults, and families in our ministry thrive. Fundación Restore17 is the legal corporation that carries out operations for Restore17 in Ecuador. The Fundación Restore17 team includes but is not limited to: mentors, house parents, social workers, tutors, psychologists/counselors, additional administrative and office staff.

Board Members

Scott Woodson

Treasurer

Scott is a native Atlantan and graduate of Auburn University, earning his degree in accounting in 1987. He has been employed by Lockheed Martin for the past 26 years helping to manage engineering development projects. Scott and his wife Carrie have two sons, Ben and Will. They are active members at North Metro Church in Marietta, Georgia where they serve on Sundays and in the local community. Scott enjoys cycling, photography, soccer and most of all spending time with his family. Scott was led to partner with Restore17 after seeing the passion and integrity that co-founders, Jason and Jennifer have for serving orphans and vulnerable children in Ecuador. Scott is dedicated to the faithful stewardship of all the resources that Restore17 receives.

Dave Meadows

Secretary

​Dave lives in awe of God and His mercy and grace every day. Dave and his wife Sheila have been blessed to raise nine children (eight biological and one adopted), five married and so far they have been blessed with nine grandchildren. Dave earned a Bachelor of Theology from William Tyndale College majoring in Bible and Teaching and he has served in various church roles over the years including pastoring for over 15 years. He owns and operates Art Jewelers with four of his children and he is a third generation jewelry and Graduate Gemologist, G.I.A. and an award winning designer. For fun he enjoys drumming for the Christian band, Awaken the Hero. His first mission trip was to Ecuador to minister to orphans and he continues to minister to the needs there. Dave counts it an honor to serve on the board of Restore17.

Affiliations

Christian Alliance
for Orphans

CAFO unites more than 200 respected organizations in shared initiatives that inspire and equip Christians for orphan care, family preservation, adoption and foster care.

For His
Children

For His Children’s mission is to ensure children in Ecuador who have been abandoned, abused or neglected have a safe and loving home with specialized care.

The Santiago
Partnership

An international team of Christ followers who seek to transform the lives of at-risk children and their families, and serve underpriviledged communities alongside the local church.

La Fuente
Church

La Fuente exists to be a bulwark of truth formed by disciples who grow and make disciples of Jesus Christ in Quito, Ecuador, and around the world, for the Glory of God.

Compassion
Connection

For over 20 years, Compassion Connection has been helping churches and individuals partner together toward planting churches, training leaders, and restoring communities.

Gospel Life
Church

At Gospel Life Church, everything is about and for the God-man, Jesus. Their vision is to make disciples that make disciples and plant churches that plant churches.

Live
2540

Live 2540 is committed to the restoration of hope and health for the abused and abandoned, the hungry and the sick. To create a climate where the Holy Spirit abides, compassion flows freely and in turn the Glory of God is revealed.

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