Join cousins Lo and Em as they dig deep into what it means to stay planted in faith during the beautiful, messy, and often unpredictable adoption journey. Through honest conversations, shared experiences, and biblical encouragement, they offer a space of hope for anyone navigating adoption — whether you're waiting, walking through it, or reflecting on it. With laughter, real-life stories, and unshakable faith, "Stay Planted" is a reminder that even in seasons of uncertainty, God is faithful, and His plans are always for good. Lo & Em want to be your BFFs through life, faith, and adoption.
This week on Stay Planted, we're talking fall farm chores, adoption updates, questionable hotel sheets, childhood stuffed-animal surgery, and why Lauren apparently has more self-control than the rest of us when it comes to snacks (and she's not afraid to tell you).
But underneath all the laughs, we're having a deeper conversation about recognizing God's invitations, letting go of control, and learning to trust that He knows when we're ready for something new. What if His invitations don't disappear just because we're scared? What if saying yes leads us into a deeper understanding of His goodness, our true identity, and the freedom He's been inviting us into all along?
Oh, and a little warning: there's an actual jump scare in this episode. You're welcome. 😂
7 Oct 2026
We Have to Talk About This on the Podcast
This one is just plain fun. 😂
We’re catching up, telling way too many stories, getting completely sidetracked, and laughing our way through everything from childhood basketball and embarrassing school memories to food poisoning, natural deodorant, and family camp.
We also talk about updating our home study, the chaos (and fun!) of family camp, and why some stories are just too good not to save on the podcast.
Basically, it’s Lo & Em doing what we do best: talking about a little bit of everything, making each other laugh, and probably sharing more than we intended.
Come hang out with us for a fun, very cousin-y episode of Stay Planted.
2 Sept 2026
When Adoption Doesn’t Go the Way You Thought It Would with Nellya Canfield
What happens when the adoption process you trusted begins to unravel?
In this episode of Stay Planted, Lauren and Em sit down with Nellya Canfield, a mom, advocate, and founder of Long Arm Malawi, to talk about her incredible journey through international adoption—and what happened when she began to realize that not everything she was being told was adding up.
Nellya’s story hits especially close to home for Lauren because they share a very similar experience involving the adoption agency Children of All Nations and Jason Carney. From unanswered questions and things that didn’t make sense, to pushing back, advocating for children, and ultimately facing an incredibly difficult road, there are so many parallels between their stories.
But Nellya’s story doesn’t end with disappointment. Through the hardest parts of her adoption journey, God began opening doors and leading her toward something she never expected: starting Long Arm Malawi, a ministry focused on caring for and advocating for children in Malawi, among so many other things!
We talk about the realities of international adoption, learning to ask hard questions, what it looks like to advocate when there is a lot at stake, the spiritual battles that can come with stepping into something God has called you to do, and how God can use the most painful seasons to lead us somewhere we never imagined.
If you’re in the middle of an adoption journey that feels lonely, complicated, or discouraging, we hope Nellya’s story reminds you that you can keep going—and that God is not limited by our timelines or our circumstances.
Follow Nellya and learn more about her work in Malawi on Instagram: @longarmmalawi
Who has been a guest on Stay Planted: Life, Faith, & Adoption
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Hank
Miranda
husbands
Jen Mathisen
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
55
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Stay Planted: Life, Faith, & Adoption
Guest appearances
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Questions about Stay Planted: Life, Faith, & Adoption
Who hosts Stay Planted: Life, Faith, & Adoption?
Lo and Em host the show. Published by Lo and Em.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Stay Planted: Life, Faith, & Adoption take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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