A Place to Call Home

 
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A NOTE FROM OUR CEO

Do you remember the first time you spent the night away from your home? Was it more exciting or scary? Did you get homesick? Were you tempted to fake a stomachache at 3:00 AM to get your mom or dad to come get you? How would you have felt if you knew that no matter how homesick you were or how much your stomach hurt, your parents would not or could not come to your rescue?

Do you remember the first time you spent the first of several nights away from your home? Maybe you took your first job as an adult in another city, or went to college, or joined the military. Do you remember the first time you came back to your hometown after having been gone? How would you have felt if once you had left home, you discovered that you could never go back?

For many of the children in our care, their first night with us can be very scary. They may have been removed from their home for very good cause, but all they know is that they are being exposed to a new place with new rules and expectations, and on that first night, they have no idea what to expect.

Our house parents and foster parents do an excellent job of making children feel welcomed. I was talking to a young lady who came into our care as a teenager. She commented how much she wanted to hate it. She wanted to hate the home, but it was pretty nice. She wanted to hate her room, but it was the biggest and nicest room she had ever had. She wanted to hate her house parents, but her house mom gently took the black garbage bag that contained all of her possessions from her hand and sat on the floor with her and carefully and kindly folded all of her clothes and put them into the dresser and hung up her shirts and her pants. She found it hard to hate someone who was being so kind.

Some kids come into our care and are with us for a very short time. Others stay with us for several months or even years. For those who graduate from high school while in our care, we try to continue to be family to them while they attend and (usually) complete college.

Whether a child is placed in one of our foster homes, one of our shelter homes or one of our Campus Care homes, they have much in common. When placed, they are truly homesick, but we try to show them hospitality and grace. Our goal is that every child feel welcomed and be welcomed. Each child in our care is unique. Each comes from a different place with different experiences. But, each child will hear and see the Gospel while they are with us. Many children will get to go back home or to live with a family member. Some will be adopted. A few will remain with us until they go to college.

Every child in our care (yes, even the babies) will hear the Gospel and learn about Jesus. We will sing them to sleep with “Jesus Loves Me.” We will pray for them and with them. We will plant seeds and pray for the harvest. In the following pages, you will meet some of our house parents who serve children in Campus Care, learn about the new Ensor Shelter where we will provide Shelter Care, and you’ll hear how a little girl came to know God’s great love for her. Pray for each of these homes and the children who are entrusted to our care. God bless you!