Hopebroker
When you are a child the only “normal” you know is the world you are growing up in. Glenn was born to a couple who were nowhere ready for a family. Other family members cared for him until he was adopted at four years old. His adopted family was already at risk with newly blended family issues and a severely alcoholic father. His home was in constant turmoil eventually leading to his adoptive father’s suicide. His mother remarried a guy Glenn calls “Psychopath Ben.” When Glenn speaks he often says, “I’ve had two moms and three dads, so to sum up my “Jerry Springer” background it took five adults to mess up my life and one Jesus to redeem it.”
How does a young boy, then young man, then man – survive such a chaotic upbringing with no clear model to follow? The simple answer is GOD. God does transform broken lives. The more complicated answer is years of stubborn love, persistent patience, and a heap of encouragement and affirmation from Glenn’s wife, Robin and the church communities that he has served.
His life and family ended up being very “Disneyesque,” like a scene out of Aladdin.
Glenn, the street urchin with all his lying, manipulative, stealing ways and the princess, the Pastor’s daughter from a rock-solid normal home filled with love and laughter.
Boy meets girl, dreams of marrying princess, girl takes a while to fall for boy, boy wins girl over and takes a long time to kiss her and tell her he loves her, boy marries girl, boy and girl have three little angels with just a hint of orneriness from their father and they live happily ever after. The end. Now go to sleep – er… move along.
Why Hopebroker? Glenn has been involved with an organization called Royal Family KIDS for over thirty years. Out of his own difficult past and the amazing children of foster care, he has seen the powerful effect of hope in the lives of broken little people. Often he says, “Hope is like gold in the economy of the abused.” He has watched a lot people amass money, stocks, bonds, real estate, cars and toys and it didn’t bring them or others a lot of happiness. However, HOPE is a deliverable, an outcome, a currency – and when given or traded properly can lift a life, flip a frown, even unlock a dream. So Glenn decided if he was going to broker something, it would be hope. In the inside cover page of his book, A Seed of Hope in Toxic Soil he quotes a proverb because he believes it’s true, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12 New Living Translation.
Glenn and his wife, Robin, have been married for forty years and reside in Santa Ana, California. They have three children, David married to Ally with granddaughter Millie, Matthew married to Francine and Janae married to Alan Setthaboupha with granddaughters Ruby and Lucy . Glenn is a graduate of Vanguard University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and a Master’s degree in Leadership. He is currently Chief Servant Officer at Life Center Church in Lakewood, California.