Testimonials
I honestly don't know where me and my family would be in this marathon I call life without Jodi's supportive services. Her services have helped me look at the words I choose when praising, redirecting, giving my kids their voices and choices, and learning to keep myself present and regulated in hard moments. She has been able to meet my children and lock into who they are and helped me understand their needs and feelings and have a positive approach to addressing behaviors. She has also taught me to be more confident in myself, so when I am using the skills she has taught me, they are more effective. -Autumn
I had the opportunity to work 1:1 with Jodi in her TBRI® caregiver class. TBRI® has taught me how to better approach my children and trauma. It has given me a completely different perspective on why my children behave the way they do, and how to proactively approach behavior, rather than being reactive. TBRI® has taught me how to be a stronger advocate for myself, my family, and our children. Without TBRI® our family would continue to function in chaos and stress, rather than taking a step back and breathing. -Jessica
Good Morning: Thank you for presenting on Trust-Based Relationships at our Central Region team meeting. Shortly after the meeting, I received an e-mail from a caseworker. The caseworker reported that she was at a home visit and the child she was visiting used that sort of “whiny” voice that you referenced during your presentation. The caseworker reported that she got eye level with the child and told him to repeat himself but this time to use his real voice. The child was receptive and did! The caseworker was happy and said, “What a GREAT tip!”
Again, thanks so much! We appreciate your time and value the information shared.
- Felicia - Area Administrator Central Region High-Risk Intact Family Services Illinois Department of Children & Family Services
“ This study was a blessing that I didn’t know I needed. Walking through Anchored challenged me to realign how I am approaching life and who I am allowing to influence my life with who God says I am and what his promises are for me. Through this, I came to both better understand my story and appreciate who I am more genuinely. I am so thankful for Jodi’s mentorship, wisdom, and loving heart in it all. It was an irreplaceable experience. ” -Britney
I wanted to thank you again for walking me through my awareness of my relationship with David
God is SO gentle and loving to us, isn’t He?! This morning He is showing me that I have been “unwilling “ in areas of my life....especially in parenting my adopted kids... it’s a lot easier to ignore your unwillingness with your biological kids because they don’t know you any differently
However, with adoption, you really can’t expect the same. You are as new to them as they are to you. It’s SO easy to blame the kids’ trauma for all of your relationship chaos... instead I really believe that God uses these precious special children to show us a truer reflection of our own state of being and our hearts. The enemy really wanted me to live in shame yesterday. Blaming myself for not being good enough! Not today!!
Thank you for your guidance and love
-Laurie
Who am I, really, beneath all the layers of mixed-up messaging I've internalized through the years?
Anchored lit the path to Truth and Jodi has been a safe companion for the journey.
I am chosen! Beloved! And designed to love as He loves. - Monique
I have learned so much about myself during my self-worth journey with Jodi. I didn't know how much my childhood really ties into my adult life and can affect my children. Knowledge is power. - Kelly
If you are an adoptive or foster parent or if you work with children, I would highly recommend attending Jodi's TBRI training! It was very insightful and helped us gain new parenting techniques for our two adopted children. We are more in tune to their trauma triggers and have been more proactive in our parenting. Jodi spoke from experience, being an adoptive mom herself. She is very passionate about this calling! - Jessica
Registering for training to be able to meet the needs of our young children was daunting in itself, but more daunting was not feeling equipped as parents to come alongside our children. The TBRI® training hosted by Raivu Ministries not only equipped us with tools to guide our children through their struggles, but also to call out the strengths in them, as well as the strengths within ourselves and our family. A space was created where we could feel seen and connect with other families who know what it is to be on our unique journey as a family. My husband and I were pleasantly surprised, during Raivu's TBRI® Training, to find a respite from the isolation we can find ourselves in as a transracial foster, adoptive, and birth family to a house full of passionate children. We were equipped for success right from the start in the open and light atmosphere Jodi provided for us, as they led us first to recognize the insecurities and struggles each of us live with from our own upbringings. Being able to understand our own fears, sensory sensitivities, and the ways in which we seek connection, helped us to better understand our children and how we can meet them where they are, right where we are. We learned the value of taking care of ourselves and how to practically apply that even within the full life of parenting. Despite the time commitment we initially realized we were making to TRBI® training, our time together was all too short by the time we completed training, but Jodi had a way of assuring us that they were not sending us off alone, even generously making themselves accessible going forward. The language they modeled for us in TBRI® Training has been adopted into our way of life as a family. We have an understanding of how to incorporate the spirit and language of trust-based parenting, as well as how to adapt it for ourselves.
“No hurts.”
“Family sticks together.”
“Are you asking or telling?”
“Let’s try that again.”
TBRI® Training by Raivu with Jodi called out the playful heart in our family and the chance for each of us to try again." -Kyle and Samantha
My husband and I have 2 boys age 7 1/2 and 4 that we adopted at birth. We love our boys, but were at a low with parenting and didn't know which way to reach out. We had been dealing with certain behaviors, sibling rivalry and other challenges. Many of our family members, friends and even teachers that don't have adopted children could not understand what we were going through. I heard the ad on the radio and gave her a call right away! Jodi is trained in something called TBRI®. We had learned the basics of this years ago and the course is life giving for families like ours with adopted or foster kids, but I believe is perfect for any family. We had never found a person in the area that was familiar with this until we found Jodi. She was able to come into our home and teach us practical ideas and help set some foundational ground rules with our family. The kids were able to participate as well. Jodi is someone that is very down to earth, listens and is available in the future whenever questions pop up. She is a great resource, but most of all she gave us hope for the future with our family. I look forward to taking a course with her in the near future to dive deeper into this journey - Jolene and Jake
"We are so thankful for the time you(Jodi) took to work with us! We’ve had plenty of opportunity to practice getting regulated (with lots of gum and blowing up balloons). It’s been great! I laminated the beautiful picture you drew and the message from God because I know I’ll be referencing them a lot. I’m making a point to read those messages from God out-loud to the kids during the day. It is very encouraging to be on this path and to know you are available to help us!! Thank you again! You are a sweet gift from God!!" - Jenny
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"We brought our daughter home, at age 2.4. For the first years, things seemed fine but when our daughter was about 8 years old, we began to see a huge change in her behavior. She would push us away. She needed help and wanted help but refused to accept it from us. Her behavior continued to escalate and it was affecting the entire family. We felt like we were in a constant battle. After about 3.5 years, we had come to the end of our rope. We found Jodi through a friend and began working with her in September of 2019.
Jodi has been a Godsend. We truly believe that God placed her in our lives at just the right time to help us grow and change as parents. The biggest thing she did was constantly point us back to Jesus and truth. Our daughter is precious and beautiful and a child of God. We had lost sight of these things. We needed our hearts changed to help us help her.
Working with Jodi has helped us see our part in our daughter’s behaviors and what we were bringing to the relationship. We had assumed that her behavior was because she was being manipulative or naughty. We did not understand how early childhood adversity affects a child’s brain and nervous system. We thought she was purposely doing naughty things or not obeying. We didn’t look for the need behind her behavior. We did not understand how when her lid gets flipped she gets stuck in the “fight” response because of how her brain works.
Jodi has helped us learn how to use the TBRI® Connecting, Empowering and Correcting principles and we have seen some amazing growth, not only in our daughter, but in ourselves. We learned how to stop and listen to our daughter; to let her have a voice in things, to look beyond the behavior for the need that she has. To give her choices and compromises and tools to help her regulate her body.
As a former elementary school teacher (of 20 years), I wish I would have had these principles to use in my classroom. I think every parent and adult working with children should be trained in TBRI®." - Gina
"Implementation has worked for us. It was important for us even just to spend that time with community who understood where we were. As are kids are moving into the next developmental phase, as it always does, some behaviors seem to get smaller, and others seem to get bigger. It is frustrating, but it is definitely less a place of chaos than when we started in this parenting journey. We appreciated the language you provided us. We have adopted some of those phrases into our day to day life. The TBRI® training has equipped us to leave the space our children need to explore their emotions and also cemented for me personally that there is space for my emotions." - Samantha
“Your role-playing the various TBRI® techniques for us during the training was very helpful. You have a good grasp on these parenting techniques and I can see you would be a wonderful parent coach. I can clearly see how these parenting techniques are beneficial for all kids, but especially those who come from hard places.” -Social Worker
"I am blessed by to have Jodi walk with me on my life journey as a mentor. She speaks truth into my life in love, causing me to grow stronger in my relationship with others and God. I am becoming healthier by decisions I am learning to make. I am so very grateful for her ability to listen and understand how much real-life situations impact people as individuals. Her willingness to take the time to help me focus on maturing socially, emotionally and spiritually transform my life for the positive." -Kay
"The worldwide ministry of For the Children serves foster children through its flagship program – Royal Family KIDS. Host churches are recruited to provide a week-long residential camp experience for children in the foster care system. Many of the relationships which begin at camp continue through mentoring, foster parenting and adoption. Annual regional conferences are provided for volunteers to be trained in methods of trauma-informed care. Jodi trained volunteers at the Great Lakes Conference of 2019 in principles of TBRI®, elevating the effectiveness of volunteers from 60 Chapters. She is a skilled communicator, effectively training people to be sensitive to the motivations driving the inappropriate behaviors of traumatized children. The methods she taught helped children all over the Midwest enjoy their camp and mentoring experience through trained volunteers."
-John Schwider, US East Field Representative, Royal Family Kids
"Before I knew about trauma, there was a disconnect between how my children behaved and how I understood their behaviors. Before I learned how to think about my own childhood relationships and how they impact my parenting, I was parenting on auto pilot and frustrated that I wasn't getting through to my children. After the TBRI workshop my husband and I have a new framework for discussions on parenting and discipline. I am able to talk to my children in an empathetic way that shows them they have value and are loved and that they have the power to learn skills to be successful in relationships. Jodi did an excellent job connecting the love of Jesus to the love we have as parents. I highly recommend her workshop!" -Sarah
I think the biggest take-away for us was the “play-doh brain” activity. Where we were asked to form a brain as best as possible, then hand it to the person next to us who was asked to smash it up. Then they handed the smashed brain back to us, and we were supposed to form the brain again. We did this multiple times. We were then told that this activity was a picture of what home visits can be like for a foster child. All the routines and social/emotional regulation that were established in the foster home can be demolished during the visit with their birth family. When the child comes back to the foster home, it’s like starting all over again molding their little mind." -Ryan and Kristen -
"Corey and Jodi Klepp saved my life once. I have known The Klepp family for about a decade. They have become a second set of parents to me. My time with Raivu 1440, and time spent with Corey and Jodi in general, has taught me some of the greatest lessons life has to give. For example, it cost absolutely nothing to be a decent human being. Raivu 1440 was a safe haven for many troubled youth full of questions about life. Myself included. Raivu 1440 wasn’t just a youth group. It was far more than that. It was a family. Our family. My family. Thank you Raivu 1440. Thank you Corey and Jodi Klepp" -with love- Big Jon
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"Raivu was family. Raivu is family. And Raivu will always be family. I found Raivu through my best friend Santana, and I feel that is where my walk with Christ Jesus started. During my time in the youth group, I grew a strong and meaningful bond with Corey and Jodi Klepp. Whenever I looked for guidance when I failed to guide myself, they always guided me the way the Lord wanted me to go, and they loved the Lord with everything they did." - Asher
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"Jodi and Corey have changed my life not only as people I can trust and love like my own family but as mentors and spiritual guidance. They have taken me out of a dark place and gave me light and purpose. They have saved my life literally. Without them I would not be alive today. They taught me how to cope and deal with my past as well as help others and the wisdom they provided were amazing. They do this not because of money but it’s their calling and they love it. To them it’s not about the money yes it’s nice but it’s about changing and saving and helping people." - Xavier
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"Working with Raivu gave me a Godly purpose. It strengthened my relationship with God. I loved serving children and the community. I loved to help young Christians grow in their faith. I definitely believe that serving with Raivu during that stage of my life was carrying out God’s Will for me." - Travis
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"How Raivu for Kids has helped me: - taught me the importance of serving others - how to be selfless - showed me God can use me in unexpected ways - made me realize a simple prayer can go a long way! - helped me see my own community as a mission field - not just foreign countries." - Natalie
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"- Raivu was always a place where there were friends around as i didn't have many friends growing up.
- My family isn't very religious so this was a great place to learn more about God and his plan for us since we rarely went to church
- life lessons were taught every week and guidance was provided which I believe shaped me to be who I am today
- Always had fun every week with all the games and activities that you guys did which definitely made me look forward to Thursdays every week.
- Was able to do things that I would've never gotten to do if not for Raivu like broomball, capture the flag, and something as simple as fishing where I had a blast
- Overall you guys provided such a positive, fun, and supportive environment and have given me many memories that will stay with me forever. " - Cesar
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"As a teenager, I was naïve, gullible, and illogical. Not knowing what it meant to have Christ in my life, Corey and Jodi taught me the joy of feeling the spirit. I am now 21 years old and I am forever grateful to have met them in my teen years. The reason I met both Corey and Jodi was because of their organized youth group named Raivu, that they had made for kids/teenagers who needed Christ in their lives. During the years of attending Raviu, Corey impacted my life by showing me the light of Christ, while Jodi showed me what it is to be a loving mother. Every moment shared with them was not always a happy ending, but one thing I do know is that they have become family. I love Corey and Jodi for showing love unto others even when they are struck with trials. They both always continue to show the love for Christ." -Alejandra