Month: April 2017

I have been told this my whole life!!!

And so I continue to learn how to be

Fluid 

&

Flexible!!

We worked our three weeks on, three weeks doesn’t sound like much

but

21 DAYS!!!

now that’s a long time.

We had 19 GREAT days!!!

The 20th and 21st days were a bit crazy!!!

But we made it!!!

We have had lots of changes in our home unit here at

Methodist Boys Ranch

but after the turmoil

we see the 

Our home has had the same eight boys since last November.

In the past six weeks we have had three boys discharged leaving us with five boys.

Last Wednesday we got a new to us young man who has been on the ranch for quite awhile but due to some different circumstances he was moved into our unit.

1 ~ 14 year old

2 ~ 16 year olds

3 ~ 17 year olds

and anticipating some new changes in the next few weeks.

We have one graduating May 2017

and may be getting another 16 year old this coming week.

Some goodbyes are very hard to handle,

some we breathe a sigh of relief.

Our boys are not bad boys,

but the reality of things is that sometimes

the boys won’t work the program,

sometimes their needs are more indepth than what we can handle

but through it all it is sad to see them go.

Sometimes we know where they are going,

sometimes we just know they were released to a different care facility

yet through it all we continue to pray for them.

We have had the opportunity to connect with eleven boys 

since we have been here at MCH.

Some connections have been wonderful,

some very difficult

but the constant through it all is knowing that each of the boys are  

and for that we give 

If you think of us,

please say a prayer

asking the Lord

to continue to give us the

love, grace and mercy

we need as we serve HIM

here at 

Methodist Boys Ranch.

This morning we were up early as the chapel services started at 8:30 AM.

Surprised they all got up without any complaints.

The chapel service was a bit different

as we are just not used to Rap music celebrating the Risen Lord.

The message was great ~ it was on “The Last Word”

Pastor Ahmad asked how many like to get the last word,

nothing like four sets of eyes looking directly at me.

But they are right ~ I like to have the last word!!!

Pastor Ahmad challenged us to seek out what

“last words” 

we let rule our lives.

Is it a negative thought a parent or someone in authority spoke over you?

Or is the Lord saying “you are my precious child!”

and

it reminded me to be careful what the last words are 

each of the boys hear at night as they go to sleep,

when they get out of the van to go to class and 

even the first words they hear in the morning.

My prayer today is “Lord help me to put pleasant words/thoughts in the hearts of these young boys that you have entrusted to us to care for.”

What “last words” are you letting direct your life today?

In talking with the boys the past few days we were a bit surprised to hear two of them say they had never received an Easter basket ~ something we have provided for our children for too many years to count…but saddened to hear two of them didn’t know what we were talking about.

So off to Dollar Tree and Walmart

I bought six little wooden baskets

and filled them with a chocolate bunny, peeps, jelly beans,

eggs filled with candy, malted eggs and of course a few of these

The baskets were waiting for the boys when we returned from Chapel.

One of our boys even had tears and couldn’t stop thanking us.

And all I could think of was Pastor Ahmad asking

What is your last word?

My last word to these boys is that we love you!!!

And though some days are hard

the better days out number them by lots.

We have three more sleeps to go and then we are off…

thinking back to the first day back on this 21 day shift I prayed

Lord help us to have the energy to get through

and He has more than answered that prayer.

And the many prayers of all of you.

As we go into the last 2.5 days on duty, 

we pray for continued peace in our home

and to be a light into these boys lives.