“...One of our major responsibilities as houseparents is to show our residents how they can be godly, loving parents in the future..."
Kyle and I are houseparents at Pine House with a 4-year-old son, a 2-year-old daughter, and a little boy on the way. We often play a game called “Horsie” with our kids where one or both children sit on our legs getting bounced like they’re riding a horse, while chanting, “This is the way the gentleman/lady rides. . .” It usually results in a bunch of laughs and giggles!
Ashley came to Gateway 3 months post-partum, leaving her newborn son at home with her mother. Ashley grieved this separation and continues to miss her baby every day. There has been a lot of growth in Ashley’s personal life while at Gateway in her fight against self-hate, depression, and addiction. Her son continues to be her main motivation. One day, while Ashley’s mom and son were visiting the house, Ashely started playing the “Horsie” game with her baby boy, both sharing huge grins on their faces.
Apparently, we like to play games that involve horses because our 4-year-old has another game where he rides super-fast on his rocking horse as Kyle or I provide race commentary until he crosses the finish line! This game happens every day, multiple times a day.
Michael came to Gateway with a bent towards breaking the rules, and a lot of anger built up toward other people in his life who had hurt him in the past. In the several months he has been at Gateway, Michael has learned healthy ways to cope with his anger and has found a drive to do what he needs to do to get where he wants to go. Michael was watching the racing game unfold for the fifth time one day while talking with our assistant houseparent, Gabri.
Michael: “He does this every single day. . .”
Gabri: “Michael, that’s the kind of dad I want to see you grow to be.”
Michael: “Gabs, that’s the kind of dad I want to be.”
They watch us. Many of the kids that come to Gateway have grown up in dysfunctional, abusive homes or have been cared for by parents who are not their biological parents. When they walk into Pine House, it may be the first time they experience a two-parent home with parents who are available and ready to work through their ups and downs. The residents are often uncomfortable with this and push against our efforts to connect. Because of this, we have discovered that one of our major responsibilities as houseparents is to show our residents how they can be godly, loving parents in the future through our example with our own children.
“In the world, you WILL have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world, ” (John 16:33)"
I hesitate to write this because I am at a loss for how to adequately express what is on my heart. Maybe this will connect with only one person. Or maybe it will merely be a mini counseling and processing session between the Lord and I. Regardless, here goes.
I have worked at Gateway now for just a little over 2 ½ years. (This is honestly a miracle from the Lord. I was just trying to “survive” one year and now here we are- abundantly above all we can ask, think, or want). When people ask what I do and I reply that I work at Gateway Woods, the response most of the time is very similar: “You must be a special person to work there”, “Wow, what a tough job. I could never do anything like that”, or “God will really bless you for doing this work.” Each of these remarks contain truth.
“You must be a special person to work there.” - If we are covered in Christ’s blood, we all are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession,” (1 Peter 2:9). In other words, we all are “special” people, set apart for His glory and kingdom.
“Wow, what a tough job. I could never do anything like that.” - The reality is that working at Gateway can be hard; but living a holy, sacrificial life for Christ is hard. “In the world, you WILL have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33). Whether you are raising children, landscaping (shoutout to my wonderful dad), living in a different country, or working in a fast-food restaurant, there will be tribulation. There will be tough times. While working at Gateway, there is tribulation because we are still living under the curse of sin. Until Jesus comes back and makes a new heaven and a new earth, whatever we do while serving the Lord will have its hardships. But we can be encouraged because Jesus has overcome the world.
“God will really bless you for doing this work.” - I have come to learn that God does bless us when we are obedient to Him…MOST importantly with Himself. The greatest joy that we could ever experience is walking intimately with our Father in heaven every single day. The different situations that occur at Gateway often result in my team and I coming to the Lord in prayer to ask for wisdom, discernment, and the Holy Spirit on our campus and in our home. The same could happen in your life too, through whatever joys, mundane, or hardships that occur. You don't have to be a “super” Christian to walk alongside teenagers while they deal with addiction and trauma. You just need to be willing to serve the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. “Do not quench the Spirit,” (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
"God isn’t looking for perfection from us, but persistence."
When Hannah and I started to consider becoming houseparents at Gateway Woods, we evaluated our perceived cost and reward of the work. After prayer and consideration, our hearts were confident about pursuing this work. Working with teenagers and their families had become a passion, but we still had trepidation and feelings of inadequacy. “Will the kids take us seriously? Will they listen to us? What will we do when they “blow up”? How will we hold structure?”
As we got into the work, we found that Gateway provided us with quality training, continuing education, and overwhelming support from coworkers. Yet despite all this, one thing was clear: we would make mistakes. A mentor of mine often reminded me, “God isn’t looking for perfection from us, but persistence.”
In every relationship, there are times when we will hurt each other by not showing kindness. Hannah and I were expecting to be emotionally hurt by the teenagers we worked with, but I wasn’t prepared for the times I would hurt them emotionally.
My heart would wrestle. “I’m the caregiver, a follower of Jesus. I’m the one who should exemplify the skills we are working to instill in them.” Despite this, I missed the mark. With the goal of perfection, I would strike out again and again.
It was only by the work of the Spirit, a conscience willing to listen, a mindset not despairing in missing perfection but persisting, that would foster the building of trust and the deepening of relationships. Asking the kids for forgiveness for mishandling a situation was never easy, but it was always good. The opportunity to restore the little rifts in our relationships often prevents further fracturing. The practice of pursuing persistence in our relationships is just one of the ways we submit to the Lord and resist falling into darkness.
The fight of persistence became central to not only our role as houseparents but in all our relationships. We had to cling to His promises that He is the one who bears the fruit in our labor. We had to remind ourselves to work for these kids in love and know that our labor is not in vain. God’s longing for humility and obedience in our work is strong. With His loving persistence in pursuing us, our prayer is to show persistence to those around us, wherever we are and whatever we do.
We are grateful and humbled by the lessons learned at Gateway Woods. It has been, and continues to be, a privilege to be a caring adult in the lives of the youth we’ve served at Gateway Woods.
"It was incredible seeing God work through the Gateway staff who came together to support him."
Looking back over my past 4.5 years of teaching English at Gateway Woods School, one particular student stands out in my mind. I’ll call him Bob. When Bob first arrived at the school, we realized he had a lot of catch-up work to complete. He was in his last two years of high school with hardly any credits.
I tested his abilities so I could find a way to meet his needs. I soon realized he could hardly spell and could not even write a sentence. His handwriting looked like an elementary student’s. The other staff members quickly realized this as well. He was not unintelligent but had many gaps in his education. As a team, we formed a plan to support him academically.
I personally began working with him during and after school to improve his English skills. Other teachers and houseparents did their part to help him in other areas. It truly was a team effort. I watched him struggle with all the new information being thrown at him, but over time, he started to master the material. I learned he loved to listen to old country music, had a strong protective instinct, and could be hilarious. I remember the time he read ahead and finished Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson before the rest of the class. I had to remind him not to spoil the ending multiple times because he was so engaged. He also drafted and edited essays with me during 5th period to pass the English portion of the test to get his GED. Sometimes, he grumbled, but he never gave up. By the time he was ready to leave Gateway, he was able to write a five-paragraph essay. Ultimately, he earned his GED in a very short amount of time.
I was honored to be a part of this young man’s journey. Many students have come through Gateway, and often, my students care less about their academic growth than I do. Bob was unique. He had a lot against him, but he made a personal choice to not give up. He cared and put forth a lot of effort. His hard work paid off. It was incredible seeing God work through the Gateway staff who came together to support him. I am so thankful to be serving at Gateway Woods and for the opportunity to learn from my students.
"Foster care opened us up to a world we never knew existed. It made us look at people with more compassion and understanding."
In 2017, Kurt and Staci got licensed to be foster parents and began thinking about what foster care would be like. They already had 3 young kids (2, 4, and 7-years-old). How would this journey affect their kids? What kinds of kids would be placed in their home?
Only a few short months later, in March, they welcomed Brian into their home. He was 16 years old and was in a residential treatment facility before coming to their home. During the transition, Brian spent the night in their home a few times and eventually came to live with them full-time.
Over the first few months, things were going well. Brian was back in his old high school and got along well with Kurt, Staci, and their kids. “Our personalities clicked well, and we enjoyed having him in our home.”
That summer was rough for Brian. He got pulled over for speeding, and his car was searched. In the car were various pills and a baggie of marijuana. Staci then found marijuana in Brian’s room. “At that point, Kurt and I knew he needed more structure.”
They made the difficult decision to ask Brian to be moved from their home, and he was taken away. Brian went to a shelter and then into another foster home. But Kurt and Staci stayed involved, and after 6 weeks and another failed foster home, he was back in their family.
Over the time that Brian was in their home, Staci “saw him develop hope that a better life was possible for him.” She recalled a time in December 2017 when the family was in Ohio celebrating Christmas. Their 2-year-old daughter stopped breathing. “Brian was in the corner praying with our son.” She ended up being okay, and the memory still sticks with their son.
Brian stayed with Kurt and Staci for the rest of high school, and they helped him transition into an apartment. “Brian would read to my kids, act silly, and play with them. It was very fun for our kids, and I believe, healing for him.”
When Brian left, things didn’t go as well as everyone hoped. He struggled to keep a job and didn’t always have a place to live. Over the past 5 years, Kurt and Staci have been there through Brian’s ups and downs. He is now working full-time and is doing great for himself, but the road has not been easy.
“Foster care opened us up to a world we never knew existed. It made us look at people with more compassion and understanding. Also, there are so many people who are all alone in this world and do not have the support network we have been so blessed with.”
Being a foster parent is hard, but seeing kids find the hope we all share is worth it!
"For the last 6 years, as the Auction Chairperson, I have soaked in that feeling of anticipation and excitement."
Many are the plans in the mind of man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:20-21
There is no feeling like pulling onto a very quiet Gateway Woods campus early on Auction Day. The sun rising, burning the dew off the grass, and lingering fog from the air. The tent flaps down, protecting and covering almost 1,500 donated items for this year’s Auction that would go home with generous people from far and wide by the end of the day. The smell of grilled sausage faintly drifted from the food area while the parking volunteers stood ready and eager to safely direct cars into the grassy field-turned-parking lot. For the last 6 years, as the Auction Chairperson, I have soaked in that feeling of anticipation and excitement.
As families streamed in, walking or taxied in by golf carts, a corner of the white tent is pulled back where bidders come to claim their bidder numbers. Numbers that will be used to purchase delicious meals, baked goods, ice cream, BLT sandwiches, smoothies, coffee, lemon shake-ups, popcorn, potato curls, and pizza. Numbers that are held tightly by excited kids and teens waiting for Kid’s Korner and Teen Spot to open and the Teen Auction to begin.
As I look back on my time in this role, 2020 is a year that will be remembered for all things that didn’t happen due to Covid-19. In April, the auction committee made the tough decision to go virtual for the 43rd Auction. That sparked the 2021 Hybrid Auction, which included both online and in-person and has been successful ever since. 2023 was another unbelievable year, beginning with the Gateway Choir singing “Jesus Saves” and “We Will Glorify” joined by the audience, followed by a special message from Ed and Deb Graf.
As we drove away Saturday evening, the campus was quiet again, and the tents stood empty. I wonder about the stories these tents could tell…stories of generosity, excitement, laughter, delicious food, and friends reuniting. But the best story of all is told by the brothers, sisters, and friends of the Apostolic Christian Church, coming together to demonstrate to the youth and family Gateway serves that we care and love them.
"Thomas had finished his first job interview; it was a big deal. "
Thomas had been at Gateway Woods for about a week. He had just turned 15 and was adjusting to life on a residential campus. Smart and sociable, he was always quick with a smile and an easy laugh. He portrayed confidence and was sometimes a bit of a class clown.
I walked up and introduced myself. "Hi, I'm Eric Bahler. I manage Gateway Farms. All those animals and stuff out there."
Thomas's first words to me were, "Oh, yeah. How do I get a job with you?"
I gladly explained the process (fill out an application, come to a job interview, and wait for a call to see if he was accepted) to get a job at Gateway Farms, and I asked if he was a hard worker. "Absolutely," Thomas replied.
"Ok, great, I'll have your houseparents get you an application, and we can talk more," I said.
A few weeks later, when I saw Thomas at school, I asked him why I hadn’t received an application from him.
"Well, I have the application, but I have no idea how to fill it out," He sheepishly answered.
"That's no problem, just ask your houseparents, and they will lead you through it," I replied.
The next day his application was on my desk. When interview day came, Thomas walked in wearing a borrowed dress shirt and tie and was clearly taking the opportunity very seriously. I asked him an easy first question, "Tell me a little about yourself."
Thomas froze. The confident boy melted away, "Well…I am a hard worker…and I like to garden and stuff."
I took the opportunity to lead him towards answers that highlighted who he was, "What hobbies do you like? Tell me about your family." Thomas regained his confidence and finished the interview well. I shook his hand as he left, and it was drenched in sweat.
Thomas had finished his first job interview; it was a big deal.
I called Thomas two days later to offer him the job, and he accepted. "See you on Monday," I said. Before the phone clicked off, I heard a yell of triumph.
The first two weeks of work passed by, and Thomas worked hard. He struggled to focus and was a bit careless at times, typical for a 15-year-old boy. However, I would take him aside and lead him through the process, and he would get it down.
When payday arrived and Thomas's first performance review, I led him through a list of accomplishments and positive things he had done over the past two weeks. Thomas beamed with pride. I mentioned some areas he could improve, and he listened intently, determined to improve. "I was really nervous about this performance review; I didn't know what to expect." Thomas shared with me. I handed him his first-ever paycheck, and I could feel his excitement.
Thomas's story is one of many similar stories. Adulthood is scary for even the most well-adjusted teen. Encouragement and support build the confidence they need to succeed later in life. Working at Gateway puts you in the position to provide that encouragement and support to teens who may not receive it anywhere else.
"It has not always been bliss, but it has always been a blessing."
Houseparenting at Gateway Woods was not on our radar.
We had family who were houseparents, but we never once thought that we could be houseparents someday. We didn’t see ourselves as “houseparent material”; it was something we just never considered. But one day, our family commented that we should pray about being houseparents. It wasn’t a serious ask, they just mentioned it casually. Neither of us gave it a second thought. We didn’t even discuss it.
However, God slowly worked on both our hearts over the next few days until one night, Kirk said, “I don’t know how to say this...” and before he could finish, I butted in and said, “you think we should be houseparents at Gateway?!”
I nearly had to pick his chin up off the floor – he was not expecting me to have been thinking about it, too! As we started discussing the possibility, it felt huge. Kirk was finishing up his last semester in nursing school, and he had started applying for jobs. We felt like that was where God had been leading us at the time and Gateway felt like a completely different direction. However, we had a heart to be used and didn’t want to miss out on a blessing if this was God’s will.
We got curious about the houseparenting route and started asking questions. Is this something that we could do? Would it be right for our family – our two children were ages 3 and 6 months at that time. What would it look like if we did become houseparents?
Asking these questions and learning more about it was maybe the most nerve-wracking part. We felt very inadequate and unqualified for the job. We realized there would be a lot of learning and growing to do. And that didn’t feel comfortable. We were comfortable where we were. But God was not calling us to be comfortable, and with time we realized we needed to step out in faith.
So, we started the interview process at Gateway. Kirk also interviewed for some nursing jobs. Gateway offered us a job the same week Kirk was offered the nursing job he was hoping for. We felt God leading us to choose Gateway, and we moved forward in faith, trusting that God would use us and guide us.
Almost 5 years later, we can attest to God’s faithfulness in every season. It has not always been bliss, but it has always been a blessing. Are you considering becoming a houseparent? If so, we encourage you to step out in faith. Don’t let your fears or comfortability stop you from gaining a larger blessing from our Father in Heaven.
"Because it’s more than a job. It becomes who you are."
Sixteen years ago, the year was 2007. George W. Bush was President. The minimum wage was $5.85. The average gallon of gas was $2.80. The very first iPhone was released. At Gateway Woods, Cypress House had just opened and accepted its first residents.
In 2007, I became the science teacher at Gateway Woods School. My classes dissected fetal pigs, watched plants grow, created imaginary animals living in different types of ecosystems, learned to track the stars, and much more. In 2014, I became the Dean of Students, where my focus was more on the therapeutic aspect of the school: dissecting student behaviors, watching students grow, creating school-specific goals for students to achieve, tracking student behaviors, and much more.
Celebrating almost 16 years at Gateway Woods School was not necessarily in my plans but then again, I didn’t give myself a timeline. I had just graduated college with my education degree when I moved from Illinois. I had no family and no close friends in the Fort Wayne/Leo area. It was a huge step for me, but I fell in love with the mission and Gateway Woods – the people, the school, the life – became like home.
I’ve worked with hundreds of students and many staff and have heard farewells from more than I can count. Now I am the one saying farewell and it feels surreal.
Transitions are a funny thing though. After losses and struggles, my husband and I are praising God and looking forward to holding our miracle baby in our arms this summer. This is everything I’ve always wanted, but I didn’t realize the mourning that would take place when I would leave Gateway.
Because it’s more than a job. It becomes who you are.
You are challenged in ways you never thought possible. You are loved and supported by people you work with and people you’ve never even met before. You laugh, you cry - sometimes at the same time. Some days you can feel unqualified and at a loss, and other days, you are amazed at the progress. You create relationships not only with staff but with students who need someone to listen to them, to encourage them, to not give up on them. You pray without ceasing and praise when God continues to show Himself over and over and over again.
God is at work here and He can use you here, too. He can use you as a prayer warrior, as the next Teacher or Houseparent, or as the next volunteer. While my role with Gateway Woods will soon look different, my heart for the mission and people remains.
"These moments remind me that I’m not just working in an office with products. These are real people - people who have been through a lot, people who are hurting."
Filing paperwork, sorting through files, updating spreadsheets, answering phones, picking up mail, answering questions, printing documents, ordering office supplies…and so on. The list of tasks I do is long and (I’m sure) boring to many. But I like being behind the scenes at Gateway Woods, doing the mundane tasks essential to keep any organization going.
Sometimes I’ll go weeks, months even, following my routine, starting to feel like a “regular” eight-to-five office worker. But then, something will happen to throw me off my rhythm.
I might get a call from a pregnant girl asking about placing her baby for adoption. Her voice sounds shaky and scared. I transfer her to the Adoption Manager, but her voice lingers in my mind all day, and I hope she found the support and answers she was looking for.
I might be printing documents for a new resident’s file, and my eye catches on a report of something horrible that happened to them when they were tiny, and my heart breaks a little. Or, on a happier note, a former resident might call trying to get ahold of his old houseparents, wanting to catch up and let them know he’s doing well. His upbeat voice lingers in my mind, too, leaving a smile on my face.
An adoptive couple might stop by to fill out some paperwork, bringing along the first child they adopted – an energetic three-year-old little boy. He talks to me about dinosaurs and enthralls me with his general cuteness.
These moments remind me that I’m not just working in an office with products. These are real people - people who have been through a lot, people who are hurting. Some of them don’t know what to do, where to go, or who to turn to.
I’m so honored to be using my gifts in a ministry that can be the place they can turn to – a safe place where they can find the love, support, and hope they are searching for.
"I am thankful to serve a God that chases after me and shows me unconditional love even when I don’t respond to His direction"
When I used to think about how Gateway Woods impacted people’s lives, I assumed it was referring to the residents that were placed at Gateway. I was wrong. After working a summer at Gateway, my life has been touched and impacted in so many ways.
Last summer, I had the opportunity to be an English Education Intern. One of the many things I learned was how to redirect negative behavior. One method that was used was asking the students to “try again”. This strategy compelled students to try with a better attitude or with a more respectful tone.
After asking students to “redo” or “try again” there were many times that the behavior would improve and there would be a clear change. But there were also times when the behavior would stay the same or even get worse when given those directions. After seeing the students make the same choices over and over again, it got discouraging and it was easy to get frustrated with them.
Until I saw myself in them.
How often has God given me clear directions, “redos”, or chances to change my attitude? When He gives me these directions, do I ignore Him? How often do I take advantage of the patience that God has with me? No matter how many times I do this, God is still there waiting to welcome me back into His arms.
I am thankful to serve a God that chases after me and shows me unconditional love even when I don’t respond to His direction. This unconditional love and patience are characteristics of God that I get to put into practice by displaying them to others on a daily basis.
I also actively saw this patience and love displayed through the staff on campus. I saw it in the prayer meetings, the supervision sessions, and the interactions with other staff members and residents.
I am beyond grateful for the time I got to spend living life with the Gateway staff and residents and I encourage you to take the opportunity to invest in the Gateway community. Join them by praying for them, go visit for dinner, or reach out to the houseparents and assistants to see how you can best support their house.
And who knows? If your attitude needs adjusting, maybe God will change it as He did mine.
"I wish I could have accepted and believed that while I was there, though."My wife Sydnee and I spent 2 years as houseparents prior to becoming Professional Foster Parents here at Gateway Woods. One of the most difficult youths from our time in residential was a 16-year-old named Cole."
Recently, Cole’s face popped up on an incoming video call and I admit I found myself guarded at first. He was smoking a vape, didn’t hold back his swearing, and had just sent me a picture of a recent ultrasound. He was going to be a dad. I congratulated him and told him it was good to see him. When I asked how he was doing I heard nothing short of a miracle.
He had all charges against him dropped, was staying clean from drugs and alcohol, is pursuing his dream as an EMT by going to college, and is currently number 1 in his class of 27.
He went on to apologize for his time at Gateway. He recalled times when we had to remove our daughter, Navie, or shut down the house because of his behavior. It made him feel bad and he realized he took it too far. He said he was so hardened when he first arrived, that he couldn’t let anyone in because he was so hurt from the abuse and manipulation from his past. He quickly learned our flaws and used his words to try to tear us apart when trying to talk through things with him. He once told me, "If I ever met this God you serve, I would flip him off and then kiss him on the forehead."
Now, when Cole looks back on his memories and time at Gateway, he sees it as the best time of his life. “I wish I could have accepted and believed that while I was there, though.”
At the end of our call, he told me his desire as a dad is to be able to raise his child to be as happy as our little Navie Lou and that he was glad to have been able to experience that kind of parenthood modeled to him. All of this is his desire, despite his old habit of calling us two-faced, not believing that we were genuinely trying to help, not hurt him.
I am praising God for the work he continues to do in the lives of the youth we worked with. As a selfish, goal-oriented person, I try to weigh the success of how I felt I did while helping these teens during their time here, or if I did enough. Silly, right?! I forget too often it’s not about me or what I say, but rather just being consistent, reliable, loving, caring, and forgiving so they can see Jesus at work.
"Being a mentor is not one-sided. In our brief time together, we both gave and received."
My involvement with Gateway Woods began when I was the Mission Team Leader at a local church. We were looking for somewhere in the Leo/Grabill area where we could serve, and another church recommended that we check out Gateway Woods. While exploring the various volunteer options, I fell in love with the LARC program. Looking back over my life, I have been a mentor to many in various situations, and I thought that would be a good fit for me. I especially liked the prospect of being able to support a new mom, because neither of my adult children plan to have children of their own. My thought was that mentoring a teen mom would be as close as I would get to having a “grandchild.”
It took over a year before I was matched with “Hope”, and I had become a little impatient about that. However, I now realize that it was all in God’s timing. I would not have had time before to make this commitment, and there she was - the perfect young lady waiting for a mentor like me. While Hope has moved on to live with family, we continue to keep in touch, and I pray that she knows that she can always reach out to me for advice or to be a listening ear.
It is unbelievable how much we have in common. Being a mentor is not one-sided. In our brief time together, we both gave and received. Hope and I both love to play games, cook, and eat! We taught each other new games, we cooked for each other, I introduced her to some new foods, and I loved taking her to our family’s favorite restaurants. I always looked forward to the time we spent together and watched her baby change as he grew each week. I liked to think that he had a special smile just for me.
I am so encouraged to see how hard Hope is continuing to work towards getting her high school degree while she’s also learning to be a good mother. I can’t imagine how hard that must be. Hope received great guidance from the Gateway staff while she lived there and I like to think that between what she learned from them and with the little time she and I spent together, her life’s journey is on a better path than before she came to Gateway Woods.
Please join me in praying for Hope and her child that they may always remember they are children of a God who loves them so very much.
"And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand." Isaiah 64:8 NLT
Earlier this year, I started taking a pottery wheel class. Having been learning, honing my skills, and discovering how much I don’t know about pottery for 8 months now, there are a few significant analogies that keep me going back for more – other than it being a hobby that doubles as some self-care therapy for me.
May you stay malleable in the Maker’s hands today as you point others back to the Creator, despite your imperfections.
"...it’s equally essential to remember the AND of adoption. Hope AND despair. Joy AND grief. Addition AND subtraction. Brokenness AND beauty.."
How would you describe adoption?
I’ve heard adoption described in many ways…a gift, joyful, an answer to prayer, beautiful, courageous, and a culmination of hopeful waiting. It’s also…messy, hard, painful, a grieving process, confusing, and a lifelong journey. As a professional, this collision of feelings is most profoundly felt on the day the child is born – for all individuals involved.
An adoptive family may be feeling (among other things):
· Excitement about the impending arrival of what they hope will become their child
· Fear that the birth mom will change her mind
· Concern for the health of the baby
· Nervousness at meeting the birth mom and family
· Relief and joy once the papers are signed
A birth mom may be feeling (among other things):
· Nervousness about the birthing process
· Fear that she is not making the right decision for her and her child
· Uncertainty about meeting/seeing the adoptive family
· Grief for the loss of the parental relationship she will have with her child
· Fear of what the future holds for her and her child
· A sense of relief that the decision has been made and her child will be cared for
For an adoptive family, Birth Day is the answer to prayer, the culmination of the waiting and hoping for the tangible life of the child that they have prayed for. But it’s also the beginning of a lifelong journey that will be forever intertwined with the family who courageously gave this child to them.
For the birth family, Birth Day is also the culmination of the waiting – but waiting for an end to carrying of a child they knew would not be theirs to care for. This is the beginning of grieving the loss of their child, even if they believe that choosing adoption is what’s best for this child.
It is sobering to be involved in such a momentous occasion for each of these individuals and in the life of this child. An agreement is being made that the transition of the child from one family to the other is in the best interest of the child, but each life is altered by that decision. Having an understanding of this is hard to explain, but is essential for all involved to be able to move forward from Birth Day.
So, in searching for words to describe it, it’s equally essential to remember the AND of adoption. Hope AND despair. Joy AND grief. Addition AND subtraction. Brokenness AND beauty. It’s in the acknowledging of both sides of the AND that makes adoption such a profound journey for each life that is affected and forever changed by it.
"I want to run freely ahead toward my full potential in Christ, not fearing the circumstances swirling all around me."
In 1983, as Martha Layne Collins blazed a campaign trail through the state of Kentucky, she had to cross a low water bridge, built by Mr. Raymond Swauger back in the early 1940s. While impressed at the 40+ year longevity of the humble bridge, Martha was dumbfounded to find this as the only means of crossing the river for the small community of Vancleve. She was so appalled at their lack of opportunity when flood waters raged high, that she promised them if she was elected, she would build them a proper bridge. She would bring them a bridge they could confidently drive over, in seasons of drought and seasons of flooding.
And when she was elected the first female governor of Kentucky, she did not forget her promise.
She built the bridge. She gave Vancleve a new life. She gave its people a way to get to town for supplies, medical help, or even just dinner when they don’t feel like cooking. She gave them a chance.
I’m grateful beyond words for the Raymond Swaugers who have made WillowBridge what it is today. It’s a beautiful building that is fully furnished for our tenants – who often come in with just clothing and a few personal items. Their kitchens are stocked with supplies. Their linen closets have towels. Their washers and dryers don’t require coins.
The Grabill community rallies around the tenants. Our local food bank manager heaps their bags a little fuller than their lists request. The church across the street from us drops off leftover food, stacks up gifts under our Christmas tree, and produces the majority of volunteers who transport our tenants to work, classes, and appointments.
Local job partners have given our tenants a chance for – in some cases – their first ever full-time jobs. They are patient in teaching them the ropes of being good, reliable, loyal employees.
In just over two years into existence, it’s a blessing to have been so deeply embraced by the people around us who have given time, talents, and treasure to equip us to serve.
But this is just the beginning. In some ways, our bridge is still low in the water, and encountering obstacles still happens and prevents us from being as effective as we can be. We are still moving cautiously.
There are Martha Layne Collinses out there who see the work being done and say, “This is good and admirable. This is impressive for how quickly it was brought into being. But let’s keep pursuing something stronger and long-lasting.” There are people who can come alongside and help to build a strong, permanent, lasting bridge that will allow the tenants to sprint freely toward an independent life.
Just like Vancleve, Kentucky, life floods – whether gradual or flash – are still going to come along. The WillowBridge tenants are still going to face the fury of circumstances beyond their control.
I know I sure don’t want to be scampering across a low water bridge during a flood – no matter how well-constructed – hoping to make it across before I’m swept away. I want a bridge that is strong and high above the water far below. I want to run freely ahead toward my full potential in Christ, not fearing the circumstances swirling all around me.
Will you help WillowBridge? Will you not just see the need, but make a commitment? Whether by offering your time and talents or by sharing your financial resources, will you help to build this bridge? We will continue to do what we can. But just imagine how much more of an impact we can have on the tenants’ lives (and their someday families’ lives) with a strong, high, and lasting bridge to carry them across to a better, healthier future.
Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work within us, to HIM be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout ALL GENERATIONS, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
"If you have breath in your lungs and a willing heart, you have the ability and skillset to be generous."
It happens every year. Some generous heart comes to the Auction and bids an obscene amount of money on an everyday item (say, $20,000 on a set of vice grips). All around the tent, jaws drop and hands erupt in applause. Maybe even a tear or two leaks out over a cheek, likely from an Auction Committee member.
The best reactions, by far, are from the residents: “Why did they do that? Don’t they know they can just get that on Amazon for like way cheaper?!”
Cue the houseparents’ attempts to throw all previous lessons on budgeting out the window and guide the conversation to eternal things. “Why do you think they did that? They did it for you.”
Most residents don’t know what to do or how to feel. This is a love they’ve never known before. An unconditional kind of love that says, “I don’t know who you are or what you’re going through, and honestly, I don’t need to. All I know is that I trust this ministry to take care of you and plant seeds of Truth in your heart. While they may not be able to ‘fix’ you, I believe they can point you to the One who can. And that’s good enough for me to spend my hard-earned dollars on.”
You may not have the kind of bank account that drops jaws and causes tears (at least not in a positive way), but that does not make you less generous. If you have breath in your lungs and a willing heart, you have the ability and skillset to be generous.
Every August, about 400 volunteers converge on the Gateway Woods campus, filling it with the life, love, and generosity of the body of Christ. Some grill pork chops or make coffee in the Food Tent. Some run the Kids Korner or supervise the bounce house in the Green Tent. Some sell lemonade shakeups or potato curls in the Red Tent. Some print bidder numbers or put out IT fires in the White Tent. Some auctioneer or read item descriptions from the stage. Some empty trash cans or keep an eye on the toilet paper in the port-a-johns. Some park cars or drive the golf cart valet.
Some spend the 4 months prior making big decisions. Some spend hours washing potatoes. Some spend the week organizing over a thousand items in the gym. Some spend their talents running electrical wires. Some spend 2 days riding a bicycle toward campus. Some come every year just to help clean up when the day is over.
Do you get the idea? There are SO many opportunities to be a blessing on this day – and the weeks leading up. We can’t do it without you. Because when you show up to volunteer your time, talents, and treasure, you remind staff and residents alike what the body of Christ is capable of when it is united for a common cause.
THAT is generosity worth dropping jaws.
If you’d like to volunteer for the 2022 in-person Auction, please visit gatewaywoods.ivolunteer.com to sign up. For questions, contact Janice at gwauctionvolunteer@gmail.com or 260.376.1742.
"Even better are the days when I get to learn alongside them..."
8:00 am: Students start to trickle into Gateway Woods School. After a quick stop at their lockers, they line up for their first class of the day: Devotions. My class just finished watching The Pilgrim’s Progress and is in the middle of debriefing the scene from Legality Hill.
“Can you get into heaven by doing enough good things?” I ask them. “Well, yeah, isn’t that what being a Christian is?” Peter responds. We read Galatians 2:16 and the discussion continues. Peter seems shocked. “So, you’re telling me, if you murder someone, you can become a Christian?”
I open it up to the class. We think back to past accounts we’ve read throughout the year, about Saul’s persecution of the early church, and about the woman at the well. Is there anyone or anything too big for God to forgive?
It’s a hard concept for some of the students to grasp, but fortunately, since our devotions schedule is flexible, I know we’ll be able to pick this discussion back up tomorrow. Before the kids leave, we have a class prayer. Kiyah asks if she can pray today, and then asks the class if they have any prayer requests. She asks me, too, and even though I say I don’t have anything specific, she prays for me anyway.
8:30am. First period: US History. We’re discussing child labor during the Industrial Revolution and Emma brings up the story of Iqbal Masih, a children’s rights activist from the 1990s. She asks if we can look him up in class to learn more about him. Gary can’t believe child labor still exists in the world today.
My inner-teacher heart warms watching students teach other students. I love watching their curiosity pique as they experience that learning can be fun! Even better are the days when I get to learn alongside them, like when we looked up Albert Einstein’s brain together during Psychology class, or when we googled the Scottsboro boys’ trial in US History. With small class sizes, it’s possible to really tailor the lessons to my students’ unique interests... and it pays off. One of my favorite things is hearing the houseparents tell me that a resident came back from school excited to talk about what they learned that day in class.
3:15pm. Four periods later and the students are done for the day. After meeting with the rest of the teaching team to wrap up and debrief the day, I also get to pack up and head home.
Some days I may leave with a smile on my face remembering a humorous moment from the day or a relationship-building conversation I had with a student. Other days I may leave looking a little disheveled, with a stack of ungraded papers under my arm and an inbox full of unread emails. But every day I leave knowing that God’s love was shared with a group of teenagers who often need it more than words can describe.
"We are so thankful God led us to our daughter through the blessing of Gateway Woods."
Unable to have children of their own, Jason and Jennifer prayed earnestly about how to grow their family and God called them into foster care. In December 2018, they were officially licensed and ready to take in their first placement.
They have since had 9 children placed in their home, many of which they hoped to one day adopt. Unfortunately, that was not God’s plan and each child was a loss they had to grieve. With the support of Gateway Woods, they have continued to be faithful to God’s call on their family.
Enter Lauren.
Lauren was first removed from her family and placed in foster care at 3 years old. In the 1,401 days since then (more than half of her life) she has been in 15 foster homes, the longest of which lasted a mere 5 months.
Lauren is a survivor of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and various forms of neglect. Due to all of that, she struggles with forming healthy relationships with adults. She often steers clear of relationships because she fears she’ll just relive the pain and rejection she has already experienced.
When Lauren became eligible for adoption through foster care, Jason and Jennifer saw her placement request and immediately wanted to know more. They met with Megan, the Gateway Woods Case Manager, and attended meetings to learn more about her. Through this process, they saw clearly that God intended Lauren to become part of their family.
Lauren had a rough start upon entering Jason and Jennifer’s home. She struggled with food hoarding – admitting to her new foster family that she had never been given full meals like this before. She struggled with sexual acting out – a result of her sexual abuse. She continues to struggle with trusting Jason and Jennifer because of her volatile past in foster care. These are just a few of the hardships that they’ve have had to learn to navigate together.
Through it all, Jason and Jennifer remain committed to Lauren. With the help of their Gateway Woods Case Manager, they advocate for her to get the supportive services she needs to be successful. Additionally, a lot of specialized training was made available for them to help manage some of Lauren’s more severe behaviors.
Jason and Jennifer recently received word that this summer they will be able to adopt Lauren into their family. Knowing that this will be a lifelong journey, they have made a commitment to help Lauren throughout the rest of her life, following the example of Jesus by loving her unconditionally and adopting her as their daughter.
"I praise God that He used this one little girl to change my mind."
Has God ever used someone else's situation to change your way of thinking? Has He ever used a child to show you He’s still working miracles today?
After working in the foster care system for nearly 20 years, it saddens me when I think about all the kids with serious medical conditions who need a home where they can heal. I have seen far too many kids go into foster homes where the parents aren’t able to care for them, only to be moved from foster home to foster home. Or, worse yet, go to juvenile nursing homes because no one is willing to meet their needs, whatever that takes. I have seen the worst that the foster care system does to kids who are in hopeless situations.
Four years ago, I started working at Gateway Woods and met kids who had similar high medical needs. My thought at the time was, "these foster-to-adopt placements sound great, but they won’t last." That was my experience and that was the easy way to prepare myself for what I thought was the inevitable end.
Then, I met Ruby. Ruby was a little girl who was not only developmentally delayed, but she had several serious medical concerns that required a very specific and high level of care. I thought I knew the routine: she’ll survive, but there is no hope for her to thrive. She can’t truly have a good quality of life.
Through Ruby, God completely changed my heart. I witnessed a foster family take her in and love her unconditionally. I saw their church family pray for her and support her foster parents. I saw a family who said “whatever it takes, we are committed to her." This was a girl who wasn’t born into their family — she was a stranger they chose to pour their love into.
Four years later, I can truly say, with full confidence, that I have seen miracles. This same little girl – a baby when I met her – was so fragile and so vulnerable. I didn’t think she would ever enjoy life, and now she is laughing and playing the way most kids do. She was adopted by a family through Gateway Woods and is so loved by them. She is in a church community that accepts her for who she is and lifts her up in prayer faithfully.
I praise God that He used this one little girl to change my mind. Today, when I see kids like Ruby go into Gateway Woods foster homes, I pray for them and think about what God can do in their lives. Because when families bring kids into their homes, choose to love them unconditionally, and the entire family is surrounded by prayer and support, miracles DO happen.
God promises to give hope to the hopeless and strengthen the weak. God can also work through families and churches to perform miracles. Are you willing to be part of what God is doing for children who are in seemingly hopeless situations? Are you ready to pour into those who are weak physically, emotionally, and spiritually and watch God work?
"I believe Darcey really needed us, but as I look back, I think we really needed her as well. We are all better because of the relationship we share."
When I first met Darcey, boy did she ever leave an impression on me! Darcey had been abandoned, let down, and mistreated by almost everyone in her life. She wore all the signs of having never been loved well, but somehow retained an uncanny zeal for life. We were instantly hooked. Darcey was the type of kid LARC was created for. She lacked the relationships, resources, and opportunities she desperately needed for independence. It wasn't long before she was connected to a mentor family and soon joined the illustrious ranks of "Gateway high school graduate"! We were all very proud of her.
You see, Darcey has a vivacious personality but also suffered the strain of trauma. This made it easy for people to drift into her life, and easy to drift back out. This often found her “chasing” people in an effort to hold on to them. One of these people got her to follow him far away from her home. The next time I spoke to her, she was pregnant, scared, and alone. There was significant pressure around her to have an abortion and I knew she didn’t want that, but she felt lost. I still remember that conversation vividly – there was a battle waging for this child’s life.
At that time, our WillowBridge transitional housing community was just beginning. I promised Darcey that Gateway would do whatever we could to support her and the baby and to keep them safe. It wasn’t long before we were able to get her on a bus and on her way back to Indiana. Ready or not, she was coming to live at WillowBridge. It wasn’t an easy transition, but it did end up being a beautiful chapter of her life. She delivered a healthy baby boy, and both were an important part of the WillowBridge community for nearly a year and a half.
Darcey engaged with her new church community, mentors, and those at WillowBridge. She held down a job and gained many of the skills that are serving her now in raising her son. Our people are still speaking into their life, and she is still feeling the love of her community. I believe Darcey really needed us, but as I look back, I think we really needed her as well. We are all better because of the relationship we share.
When Darcey’s son turned one, we hosted a party for them at Gateway. As I looked around at the celebration for a child who almost never was, I was overcome with emotion. I thought, "if we are never able to help another kid, it would have been worth every ounce of energy and every dollar spent just to see this boy and his mom get the chance to have a life together."
Other young folks just like Darcey are feeling the impact of LARC all over city and beyond. May this propel us to what God has been telling us all along: that we cannot love only in word and speech, but in action and in truth. We must keep telling people who God says they are and then show up with the message that there is hope.
"As we go through this season of thanksgiving and gift giving, let's never lose sight of The Gift that was given by God in the manger, and the Ultimate Gift given by Jesus on the cross."
Garrison Keillor, author of the nostalgic Lake Wobegon books and host of radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion,” recalled his childhood Thanksgiving dinners as the family gathered around the table and remembered the blessings of the past year. Uncle John usually gave the prayer, which caused everyone to squirm. As Keillor said,
"Everybody in the family knew that Uncle John couldn’t pray without talking about the cross and crying. Sure enough, Uncle John prayed, talked about the cross, and cried. Meanwhile, the rest of us shifted nervously from one foot to the other and longed for the prayer to end.” Then Keillor adds this powerful observation: “All of us knew that Jesus died on the cross for us, but Uncle John had never gotten over it."
(from “Standing in the Light of the Cross” by Bill Bouknight, Good News Mar./Apr. 2002, p. 21.)
When we consider being thankful and receiving gifts, what are the gifts we are the most appreciative of? In my life, it is the ones I could have never gotten for myself. When it comes to the price of our salvation, the cost was so high the human mind can barely fathom it.
In Matthew 18, Jesus tells of the man who owed 10,000 talents and was forgiven, and then turned around and demanded payment from the person who owed him 100 denarii.
Let’s do the math…
That’s an unbelievable debt that no one could ever hope to pay. And that’s the magnitude of the debt we owed for our sin in God’s eyes. That is a gift we should be overwhelmed with thankfulness about – I hope we never get over it!
As we go through this season of thanksgiving and gift giving, let’s never lose sight of The Gift that was given by God in the manger, and the Ultimate Gift given by Jesus on the cross. Nothing else compares.
Our salvation was purchased on the cross, and we get to spend our entire lives as a love gift back to Him who saved us. Many times, I am struck by the wonderful gifts I have been given: a faithful wife and children who all love the Lord, a job I enjoy, and a church body that lives out the gospel.
The One Thing that makes all of these blessings possible is the Greatest Gift of All – JESUS.
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. - Romans 5:5
This fall, Gateway Woods will be launching a brand-new program — so new that none like it exists in the state of Indiana! In fact, throughout the country, there are very few, if any, other agencies who provide this type of service. We’re thankful we don’t have to start from scratch, though.
Gateway Woods Foster Care and Residential Programs are excited to announce a partnership that will allow us to serve more kids and their families in the near future! Earlier this year, we were approached by the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) to create a Professional Foster Care program on our campus.
Professional Foster Care is a program in which we will license a home on Gateway’s campus to be a foster home, and the houseparents will be licensed as foster parents. In this home, we will welcome foster youth who have very high needs and will be providing them services through both our Foster Care and Residential programs.
Currently, there are over 600 kids in Indiana who need this level of service. These are kids who are too young to be placed in a residential program like Gateway Woods. These children also have high behavioral needs, making it difficult for them to remain in a traditional foster home, like those licensed through Gateway Woods Foster Care. The need is very real and very felt.
The goal of Professional Foster Care is to provide a stable placement for these children where they can experience the love of God, a safe and stable place to live, and work toward reunifying with their family. We will also be providing services to these children’s families to prepare them to welcome their children back into their homes.
We will continue to offer the same Residential services that we currently have in the 4 other houses on the Gateway Woods campus. We will also continue to license, support, and provide all of our other Foster Care related services for Christian foster families. This is a partnership to meet the needs of yet another group of children who do not have a safe and stable place to live.
We don’t fully know the future of Professional Foster Care. We do know that this is an opportunity we were not looking for, but God placed directly in our path. We are doing our best to follow God’s leading right now. Please pray for us to continue following God and providing what these children need.
“I love giving to others because there have been a lot of people that have poured into me — numerous people throughout my life. I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for them sacrificing their time, their energy, and their resources.”
Josh did not get along well with his parents — and they both knew it. When things at home became distraught, they knew something had to change.
They placed Josh in a group home by the time he was a teenager, but it wasn’t a great fit for him. So he was moved to Gateway Woods and brought with him a lot of pain and trauma that dated all the way back to his early years in a European orphanage.
At first, Josh didn’t see his stay at Gateway as doing him much good. He felt like it was unproductive and a waste of time. He applied himself enough to get by – went to counseling, graduated high school, and worked through his treatment plan with his counselor and houseparents – and did well enough. Slowly, over time, his heart began to soften.
Josh eventually surrendered his life to Christ and was baptized! He can now recognize that God was working behind the scenes even before he came to Gateway, through his time at Gateway, his relationship with his LARC mentor, and has continued ever since. Combined with a little help from a lot of different people like you, Josh’s faith has grown and blossomed. God continues to transform his life in tangible ways like the restoration of his broken relationship with his adoptive parents. Where there was an angry and spiteful look in his eye when he was around them, there is now joy, love, and acceptance.
Today, Josh has a steady job, a church family he pours into, and a couple of young people he mentors in audio/visual arts. He’s a talented musician, which has taken him on such adventures as traveling with a nonprofit tour company to minister to at-risk youth through his original inspirational hip hop songs. He even started his own record label!
It’s best to let Josh sum it up in his own words: “I love giving to others because there have been a lot of people that have poured into me — numerous people throughout my life. I don’t know if I would be here if it wasn’t for them sacrificing their time, their energy, and their resources.”
Josh’s story has been going on for nearly a decade — seeds don’t sprout fruit ready to harvest overnight. Without passionate, committed givers like you, teenagers like Josh can easily fall by the wayside. A monthly commitment from you plays a vital role in turning hardened heart soils into an eternal Harvest for the Kingdom.
When you sign up to give monthly as a Sower of Hope we’ll send you a special gift as a reminder to pray for the youth you are impacting. For aging-out youth like Josh, will you become a Sower of Hope today?
We asked the Lord to build our family in His timing and in His way and it’s been an adventure ever since!
I would like to say that we always had surrendered hearts when it came to building our family but that wasn’t the case. It took us years of infertility and heartache to get there. We walked through the pain of a miscarriage and battled with the fears and confusion of infertility before we came to a point where we honestly desired God’s plan for our family instead of our own. It was during a time of pouring-our-hearts-out prayer that God met us in our brokenness and graciously reminded us that He knows. He knows how we were feeling, He knows why we couldn’t get pregnant and He knows all the plans He has for us and our future family. He reminded us that He sees the whole picture, that He is good and that we can trust Him to write our story. So, we placed our future family and our trust in Jesus’s hands. We gave Him our hopes and dreams of having a family and in return He gave us His heart for ADOPTION.
Over the next few months we learned as much as we could about adoption. After talking to several families and praying through all of our options we decided to begin the home study process with Gateway Woods. After completing our home study we chose to pursue a domestic infant adoption.
From day one of our home study we were very aware of our need for God to provide. We felt called to move forward with the adoption process but at the time we didn’t know where the funds would come from. For a while this paralyzed us from moving forward but after some more time in prayer we were reminded of the story of the fishes and loaves. We believe God wanted us to give Him what little we had and let Him fill the basket. And did He ever!
From start to finish our God provided every penny and more. We are completely humbled and amazed at His provision and everything we needed came at just the right time.
We were actually cleaning up from our adoption benefit event when we got an email that changed our lives. It was a profile of an expecting mother who was due to have a baby boy in three months. We prayed about this opportunity and decided to send this brave momma our profile book. After a few weeks of waiting we found out that we were chosen and our hearts overflowed with joy and gratitude! We saw God’s hand and provision through every step of this process and to this day we remain in awe of all that He has done and continues to do! You see, the birth of our son Jaden wasn’t the end of our story. In a lot of ways it was just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with his birth mom and brothers. We love them dearly and consider them family. God knew what He was doing, He is still writing and we look forward to see how this next chapter unfolds!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13
Adam and Rachel Riley had the desire to grow their family through adoption, but the path to adoption led them on an unexpected journey that challenged and grew their faith. "We had not expected in our adoption journey to grow so much in our capacity to love people in broken places, offer mercy and grace again and again, and to cling to God's character like there was no tomorrow!"
They were matched with three separate expectant mothers who were considering an adoption plan. For various reasons, these matches did not end in an adoption for the Riley family. Throughout this process, Adam and Rachel allowed God to work in their hearts to prepare them for the next stage of their adoption process. "Without these forced times of reflection, crying out to God, and learning to be content in His plan, another match that shifted and changed could not have been endured! God had done a work in our hearts we know prepared us!"
After three failed matches, God brought another expectant mother into their lives. "We were able to say with every confidence in our being that we trusted God knew the best place for this child." The birth mom spent some time with her baby, giving her precious time with her cherished son as she considered the permanency of an adoption plan. Believing they had obeyed God and trusted His plan for their family, this birth mom, and her son, Adam and Rachel believed that this would be their fourth failed match. However, just a few hours later, they got a call that the birth mom chose to entrust her son into their care!
"We are forever grateful and humbled by Isaac's brave birth mother! Although she has not been at a place yet to communicate with us, we have the deepest respect and love for her. Again, we know this is something only God could do in our hearts!"
The Riley’s adoption journey took them to unexpected places, but God was present through it all. Just as for each of us, God knows and cares deeply about us and for those whose lives intersect with ours in unexpected ways, as was experienced by the Riley family in their adoption journey.
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:10
Several years ago, I remember meeting with a former resident at a local fast food restaurant, we’ll call her Jessica. I don’t recall all that was going on at that time, but I’ll never forget our interaction that day. I asked her something along the lines of ‘What do you want?’, probably trying to distill down what her goals were or something like that. She looked at me and said, "You know what I really want?…I want my mom!"
In that moment I was hit by the enormity of what she was saying. Her mom had died a few years earlier and now, there was a little girl inside that just wanted her mom back! And yet here she was: a legal adult expected to make grown up choices in the real world. I can’t remember how I responded. Somehow, I kept it together during our meeting.
For some reason that I still don’t quite understand, Jessica’s reality washed over me like an ocean wave as I was driving away. What started out as a few tears grew into a torrent. I had to pull off to the side of the road to get a grip on myself. For several minutes, I let go and opened myself up to experience as much of her reality as I knew how. I remember crying out to God to have mercy on her. In that single moment, life felt so unfair and yet I also felt as if my heart was beating as one with God’s.
"Then…pretty soon…this kid who hated school just simply started applying himself."
Michael came to Gateway Woods on probation for drug and alcohol issues. Gateway Woods School (GWS) provided tutoring and other resources to help him catch up on his lacking credits. We did not give up on him, although he wanted to give up multiple times. Week after week passed. Then…pretty soon…this kid who hated school just simply started applying himself.
He attended school every day. He started earning credits. He began reading books because he enjoyed reading books. Unfortunately, he was too far behind to be able to graduate on time, so he decided to go for his high school equivalency. And this kid accomplished something that he never thought possible: he earned his high school equivalency!
Michael’s whole outlook on life changed. He realized that drugs don’t have to control him. He realized he can do well. He also realized that he had a talent for acting and came alive under the lights of a stage.
Each spring, I teach a theater class where students learn about the dramatic arts, with a final exam of participating in the school play. I asked Michael to be in the play and he hesitantly agreed. He was given a small role and had his lines memorized word for word. I was so proud of him!
The following spring, I started asking him, "Hey, would you..." and he interrupted with a resounding "YES! I’ll be in the play! I got you, Mrs. Walko!" Then, just a couple weeks before the play, he had court. You see, Michael was now 18, he had his high school equivalency, and he had made really great progress in the Gateway Residential program. It was looking like the judge would send him home.
And what did Michael do? He advocated for himself! He told the judge how he committed to act in this play, how he is working for Gateway Farms and earning money, that he wanted to stay at Gateway for a couple more weeks to complete the Residential program. And you know what? The judge granted his request.
Michael was amazing in the play! He had a lead role and was the star of the show. Everyone loved him!
Working at GWS is an adventure. It’s full of ups and downs and you never know what each day will bring. But it is SO worth it. When you work at GWS, you get to watch teenagers realize the potential that was there all along. You make a difference in students’ lives and you get to teach them about the most important subject of all: Jesus!
"My prayer is that each of our residents will respond to the Gospel themselves, as God keeps working on their hearts."
Fifteen years ago, Nathan and Rachel Mueller began their houseparenting journey in Maple House. In August this year, they returned to the Leo area to share about the work God is doing through them in Bible translation in the Maliyali tribe of Papua New Guinea.
As the current Maple Houseparents, my wife, Michelle, and I, brought the Maple residents to the Mueller’s presentation. After hearing that there were prayer cards available for some of the Maliyali families, our boys all wanted to grab some. And they did — multiple different cards each.
That night, I went back into the boys’ hallway to pray with them — a bedtime routine that usually has me and one of the boys saying a prayer out loud. As I went back that night, all three boys were sitting out in the hall with prayer cards in hand. Much to my surprise, they asked me to pray for several of the families on the cards, and I did.
The next night (again to my surprise), all three boys had their cards at the ready. This time, all three saying a prayer out loud before heading to bed. This was the first time that one of them ever took a turn to pray out loud!
Justin has a relationship with God, Harley does not believe in God, and Ryan believes in God, but does not profess to have a relationship with Him…and yet they ALL prayed for the Maliyali people they don’t even know!
The Muellers had also mentioned they like to make sure they take lots of time to love on and treat the Maliyali women with great care, since Maliyali women are not always treated well by the men. The mention of mistreatment somewhat surprised the Maple boys, to which Justin commented, “Well, they have been living out there on their own all this time with no laws and doing whatever they want.”
I tried to seized the teaching moment saying, “See, sometimes structure provides safety,” to which Justin replied, “Yeah...”
I don’t fully know what to think of this encounter, nor do I pretend to know what will come of it, but I do know that God will never stop pursuing His children. So often I can get upset at a resident who won’t listen, even after I’ve told them something for the 17th time. But my prayer is that each of our residents will respond to the Gospel themselves, as God keeps working on their hearts.
"Almost as if nothing had happened, auctioneers and bidders resumed. Praise God! There was a buzz, the tents were packed, and everyone was so generous and smiling!"
This year was unlike any other in Gateway Woods history: it was the first time a live auction was delayed by a year (due to COVID), the first hybrid online/live auction, and the first ever tent evacuation due to weather. One thing remained the same: the amazing blessing of God’s provision displayed in real time.
It all started Wednesday morning, August 4th. You bid against other supporters online from coast-to-coast, trying to snag one of the 224 Online Silent Auction items. As those items closed on Friday night, your excitement was palpable, building for the day ahead.
August 7th started like any other Auction Saturday. The sun was radiant, although scattered thundershowers were predicted. Nothing completely out of the ordinary…except it would be. Everyone relished that we were here, on site, under the tents, praising God in song together, anticipating the day ahead. We celebrated the "blest tie, binding our hearts in Christian love" — your loving prayers that supported Gateway Woods through the isolation and hard work of COVID.
We shared about exciting opportunities coming later this year, which will help even more hurting young people. Then the auction started, and it started well. It seemed that nothing could dampen our spirits!
The predicted showers started gently — no big deal. We've weathered (pun intended) this before. We were ready to handle it. Then, out of nowhere, the rain increased beyond expected and it looked ominous, with high winds and hail a possibility. We watched and prayed, evacuation plan in hand, not wanting to act too soon…or too late. It was supposed to just miss us. But when we felt a brisk, cold wind in our faces, God gave us clear direction: "Get everyone out of the tents! Now!"
The storm lashed its fury, as most watched from shelters in the school and houses. A few brave souls stayed behind, ensuring everyone got out, then worked together to shed copious quantities of water pooling on the tents. Then, just as quickly, it was over. And a cheerful sun broke through the clouds.
Not letting a violent storm and the first ever evacuation dampen your spirits, you reemerged. Sledgehammers appeared out of nowhere, and the clang of hammers on stakes punctuated the air. Tents were resecured with the cheerful cacophony of care, a worthy percussion to the impromptu hymn singing that sprang up from the Teen Auction in the Green Tent.
Almost as if nothing had happened, auctioneers and bidders resumed. Praise God! There was a buzz, the tents were packed, and everyone was so generous and smiling! Over the course of the day, I indulged myself with my usual two pork chop sandwiches, and the always healthy, deep fried potato curl!
When the final item sold, it was another record year! $827,000 worth of your passion for serving young people and their families, helping them anchor their lives on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. On behalf of the board, staff, auction committee, and kids, we offer you our heartfelt thanks, and look forward to seeing you again next year, in person, virtually, or both!
"The total at of the end of the first Hybrid Auction was a record of $827,000, the combination of online and in-person!"
A little boy took the lunch his mom packed and went out to the mountain, excited to listen to a speaker so many were exclaiming about. When the disciples following Jesus realized there were 5,000 hungry men in addition to women and children there was more than a little concern! Upon hearing about the need, the precious child offered up his meager lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fishes from his lunch pail. Jesus blessed the offering and there was more than enough with some to spare.
This could easily be the story of the 2021 Gateway Woods Hybrid Auction. But first, let’s recap:
August 4th-6th, you bid against other supporters online from coast-to-coast to try to snag one of the 224 Online Silent Auction items. As those items closed on Friday night, your excitement was palpable as it was building for the In-Person Auction day ahead.
The morning of Saturday, August 7th, 2021 dawned with peace and beauty as cars started rolling into the field to park. Sausage was frying, the Gateway Choir sang beautifully, inspirational speakers described exciting new happenings on campus, the sights and sounds of friends and family greeting each other with hugs and laughter started ringing.
The only blip on an otherwise perfect day was a thunderstorm that decided to roll through with high winds and lots of hard rain. Attendees willingly took shelter in the houses and gym until the storm passed through, some brave souls standing on guard to save tents, auction items, and equipment from damage. And after a brief 20-minute reprieve, right back to bidding in the tents everyone went! Praise God for His provision of safety!
The total at of the end of the first Hybrid Auction was a record of $827,000, the combination of online and in-person!
Just like the little boy who so willingly shared his lunch, YOUR generosity, the supporters of Gateway Woods, was multiplied over and over that Saturday. What a blessing to witness as the Father meets our needs through you, the body of Christ!
We look forward to seeing you again the first week of August 2022 for another Hybrid Auction!
"Living and working at Gateway, God has shown me a new perspective about people."
Sacrifice is defined by giving up something worthy or of value for the sake of something else. For 10 years of my life – first as a houseparent kid, then later working as an Education Intern at Gateway Woods School – I saw the definition of sacrifice played out in incredible ways.
As a houseparent kid, I saw my parents day in and day out, devote love, grace, and mercy to resident after resident after resident. No bounds were placed on the love they possessed for the residents in their care. I saw many residents throw fits of anger, tell my parents they hated them, or simply turned their back on them. I saw my parents struggle as they felt the strain it put on the family dynamic. I saw my tired, weary, and worn parents choose to constantly devote themselves to ministering to the residents.
My parents had reason after reason to walk out of residents’ lives but instead, I saw them every morning choose to sacrifice their lives for the residents at Gateway. They treated the residents with compassion because they saw the residents as people in desperate need of a Savior. I praise God for this opportunity of living at Gateway as a houseparent kid, as it has shaped my passion for teaching.
As a math teacher, I love math, but it is only the medium in which I reach students. I recognize that every student has their own story, of pain, hurt, trauma, or abuse. Just as Christ saw my deeper hurt and pain, God used my Gateway experiences to show me how to look past my students’ actions to find the deeper story. Gateway showed me that I can’t take things personally, that people make mistakes, and people have pasts that dictate their present. Having that understanding in the classroom is an invaluable experience.
Gateway was rarely easy, but then we are not promised easy lives, in fact we are called to quite the opposite and to hold nothing back. There is always a background, a story, a trauma, or a pain that we don’t quite fully know until we pour into others around us.
Living and working at Gateway, God has shown me a new perspective about people. Before we rush to judgements, let’s understand their story. I know that can be hard to do for two reasons: One, it requires us to pursue someone and choose to love them even when it seems impossible. And two, we start to see ourselves that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us".
Is sacrifice hard? ABSOLUTELY! But God sacrificed His son for a wretched sinner like me, Christ laid down His life for me. Can I do any less for those around me? My only prayer now is, "God take my life, my hands, my voice, my silver and gold, my will, and my love and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee."
"Gateway has affected me far more than I have affected it. Two objects don’t collide without leaving some mark."
It has been almost 6 years since I came to Gateway. Alas, six years is far too short a time to live and work among such excellent and admirable people. Leaving this mission will be hard for me. I don’t plan to leave until after summer school is over, and I suspect that time will be somewhat sad as I anticipate leaving a place and people I have a heart for and connection with.
My decision was made on strictly logical terms, and below is a small sample of the pros and cons list that I composed to help choose:
I, being a proud man, wish I could see, name, and point to all the ways that I have made an effect here at Gateway. It, however, would be far more accurate for me to write that Gateway has left an indelible mark on me. Gateway has affected me far more than I have affected it. Two objects don’t collide without leaving some mark.
Going 100% virtual last year allowed people from greater distances to participate, which proved that we must keep an online component going forward. We also know that so many of you missed being on campus and we missed having you here! Therefore, the 2021 Auction will be our first ever hybrid Auction!
For those who prefer (whatever the reason), you can participate online August 4th - August 6th. There will be exclusive items you won’t be able to find at the in-person Auction. You can join us online even if you plan to come in-person and will be able to pick up your items on Saturday, August 7th. Otherwise, we’ll make drop-off or delivery arrangements the week following the in-person Auction.
You will be able to register to bid and preview online items starting Monday, August 2nd. Bidding will be opened Wednesday, August 4th and the first lot of items will close starting at 8:00 PM Eastern on Friday, August 6th.
For those who are able, join us for a live, in-person event on Saturday, August 7th like usual (with a few extra precautions, of course, based on local guidelines). Not only will you be able to connect with brothers and sisters, purchase a pork chop sandwich, or sip a lemon shakeup, there will be exclusive items you won’t be able to find on the online silent auction.
We will start the day with breakfast and bidder registration beginning at 7:30 AM and have an opening program at 8:00. All three tents will begin auctioneering at 9:00 and will run until all items are Auctioned off. If your teen wants to learn how to bid, be in the Green Tent at noon. Come for an hour or stay all day. We can’t wait to see you!
Teenagers like Rosie need people like YOU to get her on the road to healing, purpose, and hope.
Did you know that a seed that is planted has to die before it can sprout new life? And that same seed must possess life to be able to die in the first place. But seeds that are lifeless won’t produce anything — not even bad fruit.
These stone seeds filled Rosie's heart once. Watch the video to see how your passionate, committed giving can take one hardened, bitter heart and turn it into an eternal harvest for the Kingdom.
Teenagers like Rosie need people like YOU to get her on the road to healing, purpose, and hope. Click the link to learn how you can become a Sower of Hope through our Monthly Giving Program.
To the best of our ability, we will conduct this Auction legally, and safely, for everyone.
Greetings to all of you: brothers and sisters who faithfully serve kids and families through the ministry of Gateway Woods!
Wow! We have been through a year! You know, it was about this time last year that I came to you with the news that there would be no live Auction for 2020. That was hard. It was disappointing. It was painful. But it was the right thing to do. And do it, you did! In spite of all the challenges, Auction 2020 was another record year, and by a lot! For this we really thank you. Your love, prayers and support have been felt greatly throughout these pandemic times.
Now, here we are. One year later and we have another Auction decision to make. We’ve all been patient, and we’ve all had changes, challenges, trials, and disappointments. And you know what? When it comes to this decision, there’s so much to consider. People are in different places and have different health and medical situations. Our Auction Committee has done their best to give careful, prayerful consideration to the matter.
That said, with humility, yet excitement, it is my pleasure to announce, that on Saturday, August 7th, 2021, we will host the 45th annual Gateway Woods Auction, live, under the tents, and on campus, in Leo, Indiana. We will also, simultaneously, operate an online auction similar to last year! We believe this solution allows at least some participation for all, at the level they feel most comfortable.
Now, there are some disclaimers. As things stand right now, we have clearance to do the Auction live and on campus. That said, if conditions change, causing new restrictions, we will re-evaluate all plans. Also, many of you recently took a survey gauging your comfort level with a live auction. You overwhelmingly supported a live auction on campus. Yet, in that survey, many of you also expressed a desire for some additional precautions. We hear you, and we will respond accordingly, but we aren’t yet in a position to detail those precautions. To the best of our ability, we will conduct this Auction legally, and safely, for everyone.
I mentioned earlier that there will be both a live and online Auction running simultaneously. The online auction will have only a portion of the sale items. Whether one is on campus, or off campus, for whatever reason, everyone will be able to participate in the online auction. But… If you want the succulent, smoky grilled pork chop sandwich, a salty & deliciously greasy curly fried potato, or a refreshingly tart and sweet lemon shakeup, for that, you will need to come to campus. There’ll also be about 1,000 additional auction items on campus that you won’t be able to bid on online.
So, to wrap up, thank you. You’ve been a rock of support in a trying time. We love you and we need you. And we sure look forward to seeing you either in person or online on August 7th!
Thank you. May God bless you, and may God bless Gateway Woods.
She's a good kid and she's worked hard to get this far. - Leslie, Foster Mom
The 2020-2021 school year is quickly coming to a close. A year filled with many upheavals, uncertainty, and way more online learning than anyone would have wanted. The end is in sight for students and teachers alike - especially graduating seniors.
Shirley is one of those seniors. She's 18, is in a licensed Gateway Woods foster home, and is greatly anticipating her transition to her very own WillowBridge Apartment upon graduation. There was palpable joy one particular day - joy that merited an email from Shirley's foster mom, Leslie:
"FYI, Shirley's cap and gown came yesterday! I attached a picture because we're excited! She was surprised when she saw the gown had long sleeves and I said, "Have you ever seen a graduation gown without sleeves?!?" and she replied, "I've never seen a graduation gown."
"It was a powerful reminder to me of how much Shirley has accomplished, given the culture she grew up in and the challenges she is facing. I'm so thankful for the roles Gateway Woods and now WillowBridge are playing in Shirley's story. She is far from perfect, but she's a good kid, and she's worked hard to get this far. It's such an encouragement to know that she will have good support when her time in my home is finished. Thank you for all you are doing, and will do, for my girls."
You can't help but look at the picture below and feel the joy bursting out of Shirley. May she be an amazing reminder to all of us, especially during National Foster Care Month, what a little perseverance, a little determination, and a whole lot of the love of Jesus can accomplish. Congratulations, Shirley!
Jarrod and Shannon McGuire followed the calling God placed on their lives by fostering and caring for children through the Gateway Woods Foster Care program. They have been foster parents for several years now and have had numerous children come through their home who have all felt the stability, security, and love the McGuires have to offer. While they have blessed and loved each child that has come into their home, they’ve also taken it a step further at times — extending the same love, grace, and patience to the biological families of their foster children as well.
One particular summer, a sibling duo, Truitt* and Trinity*, were placed with the McGuires. They were there until reunification with their biological family, so it was a relatively short stay in foster care terms — lasting less than four months. This short amount of time did not stop them – Shannon especially – from loving on and pouring into Truitt and Trinity…or their biological mother, Tasha*…and their other siblings.
What started as a bit of an uncomfortable relationship with Tasha – some smiles at visitation drop-offs, and occasional texts to share how the children were doing – it soon turned into a beautiful friendship. Shannon made a point to reach out to Tasha – checking in on her to see how she was doing – and would go above and beyond at the few scheduled drop-offs by continually praying over her.
Soon, Truitt and Trinity returned home with their mother and siblings. Things were difficult at first, which is not uncommon. Many families struggle when their children return home from foster care, but it is often scary to reach out and ask for help — the main reason being the fear of system involvement again. Rather than trying to push through on her own, Tasha chose to reach out to Shannon. And Shannon chose to come around her and support her through the difficulties. She spent a couple of days a month with Tasha and her family, helping with babysitting and doing life alongside her. She continued to invite her to church and pray over their family struggles.
This friendship really came into play when Tasha feared that her children would be removed from her home again. Her first call was to Shannon. She asked Shannon to step in and help care for her children and Shannon was quick to come to her aid through a painful situation — clearly seeing that she just needed the support of a friend and not the removal of her children again.
Not feeling fully equipped herself, Shannon reached out to Gateway to gain insight and resources that could support her through this. With Shannon as a support person in her life, Tasha was in turn able to receive the support and resources she needed to keep all of her children in her home and continue working to provide income for her family.
To this day, Jarrod and Shannon choose to walk through life alongside many biological families, sharing grace and love through difficult times in their lives. While they love the children placed in their home — they never stop there. They see the real purpose of foster care: loving the entire family unit.
*Name changed for confidentiality.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
I was extremely privileged to hold the Gateway Farms summer assistant position last summer. It is a truly unique position among the jobs at Gateway Woods. As part of a vocational program, you’re working alongside the residents, much like a co-worker position. You aren’t their houseparent, their employer, their teacher, a fellow resident, or a volunteer. You have a slight authority over them, but in a way that’s different than the other employees at Gateway. The relationships I found myself building was not peer-to-peer or boss/employee, but rather one of mentorship and camaraderie. Working right alongside them and experiencing the same things. Getting caught in the rain, forgetting sunscreen, transplanting pepper plants in sync to music, creating inside jokes, and swimming in the creek after a hard day’s work were some of my favorite bonding moments we shared.
I quickly realized that my position wasn’t to tell them what to do, keep them on track with their treatment plan, or be their counselor. My place in their lives was simply to make their journeys a little easier — to lend an unbiased ear, helping them feel a little less alone and a little more understood. Working every day with the farmers and spending evenings with them and the volunteers opened up a relationship that held countless and consistent opportunities. Early on, it became a daily prayer of mine that I would see the opportunities as they came, and redeem the short, short time that was available to me.
One-on-one time with the farmers was my favorite. Sometimes that was a whole morning spent picking strawberries, or a half an hour planting flowers, or a short walk to the workshop to grab the shovel we forgot. As much or as little time we had in those moments, it was all an opportunity to further the relationship.
I was so humbled to realize that God had long been equipping me to be a place of kindness and comfort to these teenagers. The compassion and grace that was shown to me as I was growing up by my teachers, family, friends, and most of all God, wasn’t wasted. It was the God of all comfort, whom I had been growing in love with for many years, that gave me the tools to comfort the kids I had the privilege to work with all summer. Those tools being: the comfort He Himself extended to me, and the kindness that has long been modeled to me.
We aren’t meant to keep God’s blessings to ourselves, but pour them out onto others, and plant seeds (in my case, figurative and literal), hoping and praying they fall on fertile soil and someone waters it further down the road, all the while trusting that God is giving the increase. I’m supremely thankful that working at Gateway Farms the summer of 2020 provided me with that unspeakable gift.
We are looking for a 2021 GW Farms Summer Intern. If you would like more information on this please email Eric Bahler, gwfarms@gatewaywoods.org
Volunteering is about building relationships with the residents and showing them just what it means to be a Christ-follower.
In the spring of 2020, I heard about the need for the Summer Volunteer Coordinator at Gateway Woods and prayed about filling it. I felt like it would be a great opportunity to learn and be used over the summer. Within the first week of my new “job,” I was humbled at just how great God was for bringing me to Gateway for the summer.
Despite everything that was happening with COVID-19, I felt like my volunteers and I were able to bring life to campus that was so desperately needed by all. The Gateway campus had been closed to most visitors since March and we had a cap on the number of volunteers that could come each week. So any volunteers that were able to come held an extra measure of hope upon their arrival.
We spent the majority of our days working around campus and “tidying” things up. In the evenings, we would enjoy endless games and laughs with the residents and each other. It was a time to lay aside all other life responsibilities and demands, and bask in the freedom of simply loving one another and dwelling in the goodness of our Heavenly Father.
The best part of my role was watching my volunteers come with excitement and curiosity as to what Gateway Woods was all about. Watching them leave with a yearning in their hearts to stay just a little longer was the worst part.
Volunteering over the summer is so much more than just the physical work on campus that gets done. Volunteering is about building relationships with the residents and showing them just what it means to be a Christ-follower. The residents were able to see the consistency of my volunteers by their positive attitudes and joyful spirit that exuded from them. As one group of volunteers were leaving one week, one of the residents looked at me and said, “Is that how all Christians are?”
The Summer Volunteer Coordinator position opens up opportunity for sharing the Good News to teens who are desperately seeking for someone or something to fill them. How great is our God that He made it possible by opening Gateway Woods and making it easily accessible to do this? May God get the glory for all He has done and is continuing to do through Gateway Woods!
I: Who am I?
I am performance-based. I like progress. I like being responsible if something goes well. I like the spotlight. My definition of success is based on perfection, or the lack of it.
Can’t: Why can’t I do enough, and why am I this way?
I was born into sin (Romans 3:23). I am flawed and nothing I do will be perfect. I’m weak. Which stems from my prideful, selfish, and arrogant ambitions. I’m unclean, like filthy rags, and a shriveled leaf, swept away by the winds of sin (Isaiah 64:6).
Do: What do I do when I’m feeling out of control?
I try harder! I shame myself when I mess up, as if that will make things better. I try to show Him the best parts of me so that I can look better to Him. When I struggle, I work on the areas that I need His help with before I show Him I can do it.
Enough: When will this change or be enough?
When I stop thinking about me! Enough about me! What a selfish, depressing way to live – always falling short of the mark, thinking what I do is going to save me.
John 19:30 says, “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” And that was enough.
I say I can’t do enough…God says, “I Am enough.” That’s what I was missing! No, I am not enough — but I AM is enough.
I. AM. ENOUGH.
I Am: Who is God?
Alpha, Omega — the beginning and end. The Way, the Truth, the Life, Redeemer. He deserves the spotlight and glory, not me - He is the I AM!
Enough: What was enough for God?
Giving everything for us – His chosen people and special possession – so that we may declare His praises (1 Peter 2:9). And His grace is sufficient – it is enough – to make us perfect in our weaknesses because it’s those weaknesses that make us realize we aren’t enough without Him. (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
It’s difficult in my role as a houseparent when I don’t see a lot of my definition of success happening. And like Moses in Exodus 3, I often ask God, “Who am I that I should go to Gateway Woods to help these hurting teenagers?” And He answers, “I will be with you…and I AM enough.”
As I reflect on this past year, I am amazed at how many awesome things God has done here at Gateway Woods.
While I attributed this truth to the youth we were serving, over time, I learned it applies to everyone, including myself.
It feels very surreal to realize how much life I have spent at Gateway Woods as I wrap up my employment. I remember one of my first Sundays at Leo Church, a former houseparent told me, "20 years ago, we moved to Leo for 2 years". It seemed crazy then… and now it feels equally as crazy to be able to relate to that comment.
As I reflect back, a few things come to mind. First, I learned early on that to love at all is to be vulnerable. Connecting with others creates the possibility of joy and comfort, but also heartache and pain. Thankfully, we (my wife and I) gave ourselves to the mission and did our best to love and connect. It’s very humbling when I consider all the great relationships we formed over this span of time. I’m also thankful that those relationships can continue beyond the boundary of where we work.
The other reality that washes over me as I reflect back is how my vantage point has changed over time. Although unconscious, I came to Gateway with a sort of “jug and mug” mentality in which I would attempt to pour from my “jug of knowledge” into a young person’s "mug". Through those attempts, I quickly realized another truth called universal brokenness which says, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but I know something is wrong with you." While I attributed this truth to the youth we were serving, over time, I learned it applies to everyone, including myself.
Our first role was houseparenting and it brought me face-to-face with parts of myself that I would’ve been fine not ever meeting. And yet, this became what I would come to value most about being part of this mission: growth. I began to see that we are all on this path of maturity. Granted, I’m further down the road of life than others and therefore have something to offer, but the reality is we are all on this journey, just in different stages. This helped me not look at others in judgment, but rather see myself in kinship with them. We all need redemption and we all are in a process of growth. God have mercy when we get this wrong.
While it will be a difficult change to not be as connected to what has become like family to me, I now leave with lots of warm memories. I also leave with lots of difficult ones, but mostly I leave with a sense of gratitude to have been a part of a place where I could grow and live out what God had placed within me.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. - Romans 5:3-4
The first place Olivia drove when she left the BMV with her newly acquired license was to a little coffee shop to meet me for our first mentoring meeting. She emerged from the car a much more confident sixteen-year-old driver than I had been ten years earlier, and she approached our table with great eagerness to learn. Neither of us had ever been in a mentoring relationship before, but we both assumed we could figure it out with the aid of unlimited dollar lattes.
For the next six or so years, we met weekly, studying books and talking over those dollar lattes, and by the end of our mentorship (which was nowhere near the end of the friendship that emerged), we had both done much teaching and learning. In fact, we continue to teach and learn, across many miles now.
Working with Olivia proved to be a picturesque entry into the mentoring world. It was a great gift, because it made me want to try such an endeavor again. But I quickly learned that not all mentees come to the table just like Olivia. Not all of them seek out such a relationship like she had done. Not all of them have life sorted out at such a young age. Not all of them are driven to accomplish every single plan God has for them while they walk this earth. And not every session is served up like bottomless dollar lattes in a coffee shop.
My most recent foray into mentoring actually looked opposite in every way. Though "Amanda" didn’t resist my relationship with her, our pairing was more assigned than sought. Her life was certainly not sorted and her drive for life was mostly in park with an occasional shift into neutral. And I never once saw a latte in any of our meetings. Occasionally I brought along some lukewarm fresh brew, but that was it.
I invested as thoroughly as I had with Olivia. I shared what I hoped was wisdom about life. I offered ideas that I thought she would find helpful as she searched and picked her way. I prayed and loved and cared fiercely. And yet I watched as she often chose the exact opposite of anything I suggested.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider giving up. I wanted to move on, in search of an Olivia Jr. who wanted to learn and grow.
But one day, in the middle of another maddening mess of picking through the shambles of ignored advice, Amanda looked up with wide eyes and said, “Please don’t stop teaching me even when you think I’m not listening. I’m learning more than you know.” And once again, the mentor became the mentee. Those words are burned in my mind now, in all their truth. Yes - just because it’s not picturesque doesn’t mean it’s not purposeful.
2020 has definitely been a year that will not be easily forgotten, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought most of our lives to a screeching halt last spring. Though this year was filled with sickness, quarantine, isolation, chaos, and uncertainty, there were also plenty of opportunities to remind us that God is still in control. Our staff has had a front-row seat to witness that this year:
Kristi (Counseling): I was reminded of my fragility and all the things I need - people, consistency, and accountability. When I didn’t get those things, I was so quick to fall into negative behaviors. Shocking as it was, it was also humbling to see my constant need for grace and be reminded that grace was never affected by 2020.
Jesse (Residential): Closing Maple House and having an extra houseparent couple on campus was tough and disappointing. How would we fill their time? What was God’s plan with this? It wasn’t long before COVID was in the news and eventually on campus. Nathan and Michelle Braker have been a huge part of keeping Gateway Houses open, as whole houseparent teams came down with COVID. They have always been willing and able to step in. God provided us with an extra couple at just at the right time.
Justine (WillowBridge): One day, I had a really, really, really bad day. I felt like a failure as a mother. One of our tenants had reached out to me and said that she looks up to me as a strong mother figure and that her and her son appreciate me so much. That may seem small, but it was HUGE for me and warmed my heart.
Tim (WillowBridge): We really got to pour into our young adults, and see them grow spiritually this year. But most importantly, God has really provided and has shown me that if you truly walk in faith, you know that in all this chaos He won’t ever leave your side.
Michelle (Residential): Having church in a more intimate setting with the residents opened up more opportunity to talk, share, and discuss what really matters.
Cordin (LARC): I am thankful for relationships — relationships that fill my loneliness, stretch me, teach me, and that are redeemed through the beauty of God’s forgiveness.
Dan (Foster Care): The openness of so many people to share their struggles and being vulnerable during some truly difficult times has blessed me incredibly. It has encouraged me to be more steadfast in my own faith and see the power of allowing others into my own struggles.
Rachael (Residential): Quality time spent with teens and our children because they were home more.
Jon (PR) & Beth (Adoption): God provided for our family in a variety of ways, as well as being able to enjoy a slower, more family-focused lifestyle.
Bekah (WillowBridge): While we know a lot of couples who were undone by forced togetherness during the pandemic, our “forced togetherness” simply reminded us that working together is our favorite, and it rekindled purposeful prayers for us to be able to do something together full-time. God threw open the doors to come to WillowBridge in such an unmistakable way — and the whole time we were going through the application and interview process, we had no idea we were going to actually NEED a new job (Ryan was about to lose his). Through that, God reminded us that He had a plan way before we knew we needed one.
Shanna (Adoption): God really impressed upon me in a way I’ve never felt before the importance of gathering as a church and the impact (or loss of it) that can have on one’s spiritual health and connection with other believers. I’m grateful for the ability to “attend” church virtually, but there is no substitute for gathering as a collective body and worshipping together in person. It’s something I’ll never take for granted again.
What was an unexpected blessing for you in 2020?
And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. - Matthew 24:14
"Have you heard anything about this story before? About Joseph, Jesus' dad, being a carpenter?" Matt asked Cody.
It was Matt & Rachael’s second Christmas on staff as houseparents and they were sitting in church with their Pine House residents. The minister had just finished his sermon and Matt noticed one young man, Cody, looking particularly lost sitting there in the pew.
He shook his head. He had never heard any of it before.
Cody grew up in Indiana — in Fort Wayne, in fact. A city often referred to as the "City of Churches". And yet he had never heard the Gospel. He didn’t know Christmas had a much deeper meaning than gifts being exchanged, trees being lit, or songs being sung.
"I was so blown away that there are people that live right down the road from me that don’t know anything about the Bible — or what Christmas is all about," Rachael recalls.
It’s probably hard for you to imagine what your life would be like if you had not grown up in a Christian home, going to church every Sunday, being surrounded by a church family that supported you. But for many – too many like Cody — it’s an unfortunate reality.
It’s hard to swallow that it took coming to Gateway as a delinquent teenager to be exposed to Truth for the first time in his life. But that’s also the good news for Cody. Gospel seeds were planted in him through Matt & Rachael, his counselor, and his teachers at Gateway Woods School.
Matthew 24:14 says
"And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
'Unto all nations' starts with reaching out to our own first. Find a mission field right here in the States (like Gateway Woods) to share the Gospel with lost souls. Even more than needing to hear about the babe in the manger, they need to hear that "'tis not the manger but the Cross that sets the spirit free."
November is National Adoption Month so I would like to share the true story of Lovena with you. The sad part is that there are thousands - if not millions - of children across the world just like Lovena who are dying from starvation, don’t have a family to love them, and have never heard about the love of Jesus. Now with international travel limited because of COVID-19, many children already matched with adoptive parents are still waiting to come home to their adoptive family.
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:10
Rick and Kim first met Lovena in Canaan, Haiti. Unlike the Biblical village of Canaan, no milk or honey flows here. It is a barren land where people migrated to after losing their homes in the earthquake. Kim noticed a little girl standing alone, crying in the middle of the street. There were other children wandering the streets but somehow, Lovena really touched both Rick and Kim’s hearts.
They inquired about her and found out Lovena was three years old, her mother died, her father was in prison, and there was no one who had the means to care for her. Lovena was suffering from malnutrition as evidenced by her big, round belly, yellow-orange hair, and lethargic state. Rick and Kim sincerely prayed for Lovena and Rick felt that God spoke to him, "this little girl is to be your daughter."
Rick and Kim were in Canaan to plant a church as part of a mission trip. The pastor of this new church offered to take in Lovena during the adoption process, along with caring for seven other needy children.
It has been a long journey to adoption with many bumps in the road, but Lovena is now home with her loving, Christian adoptive family and is being taught the love of Jesus. Also, Lovena has welcomed two more little girls from Haiti as her sisters. With Americans traveling to Haiti being currently prohibited, Rick and Kim had to get creative in how they brought their daughters home.
I have two pictures of Lovena on my desk. One from when they found her and another of Lovena today. In the former, Lovena has her orange-yellow hair from malnutrition, was dressed in rags, and looks very sad. In today’s photo Lovena looks healthy with dark brown hair, beautifully dressed with a bow in her hair, and smiling ear-to-ear. She not only is physically well but her spiritually health is growing as she talks about Jesus’ love for her.
This is just one story of a miracle from God in providing the perfect adoptive family for Lovena. In my decades of working with adoption, I have seen so many miracles from God in providing just the right home for an orphan child – from right across town or from across the world.
God loves Lovena and every child is precious in His sight. I pray that somehow these children will be protected and feel the love of God.
"Our time as houseparents at Gateway Woods has been some of the most challenging, fulfilling, unbearable, and wonderful times of our life."
When we moved to Gateway Woods 5 years ago, we had a 9-month-old little girl and no plan. We invested fully, gave our best, and found our passion. We praise God for the work He has done in our lives over the past 5 years as houseparents. God knew our passion for hurting youth before we did and He led us to a place we could fully invest and use the gifts He gave us to take part in His Kingdom work. He grew our hearts for the hurting, challenged us beyond what we would ever really desire, and continued to teach us more of His love, compassion, justice, and truth. Our time as houseparents at Gateway Woods has been some of the most challenging, fulfilling, unbearable, and wonderful times of our life.
It’s interesting to me how something can be both unbearable yet so incredibly wonderful and fulfilling at the same time. I’ve come to recognize this mystery is God at work within us, His children, to prune out our dead branches and bring to life new eternal fruit. God was faithful to provide through each failure and victory.
He gave us a huge team of support to walk with us through each season. So many times, I was a crying mess, "gave up", or became angry about a situation. But just as many times, I had people pouring into me, strengthening me, challenging me, and pointing me to the reason we do this work. Taking the focus off me, and refocusing on Christ. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.
A few things this job has taught me:
"How could we possibly do the Gateway Woods Auction in the midst of all this?"
"Unprecedented." "Never seen anything like this before." "What next?" We’ve all heard or said these words many times in the past six months. And with good reason. Back in March, the global pandemic started changing things immediately, and in some ways, perhaps permanently.
And what would this mean for the 44th Annual Gateway Woods Auction? This amazingly wonderful event that is a live auction and family reunion wrapped into one, and draws 2000 people from all over the country every August. How could we possibly do the Gateway Woods Auction in the midst of all this?
But on May 11th, a decision was made. The Auction as we’ve known it for forty-three years would need to change. But change to what? There was so much to figure out and reinvent. And Auction day was only eleven weeks away. A rough plan evolved and as you, the Church, started to learn what was happening, you responded. And you did so in a big way.
First, you mailed in donations. You knew it was different this year, and you wanted to help. Then, Team 224 created an individual and virtual ride. Many of you rode with heavy hearts, contemplating that one of the passionate leaders of Team 224, Sister Lizzie, had finished her earthly race. Her bike, unoccupied. Others held events in their local communities. It really was still possible to get an ice cream cone, a lemon shake-up, and contribute to the cause.
And finally came online Auction day. But starting on Thursday instead of Saturday. And in less than an hour, all of the 224 items had at least one bid.
By Friday night, the Auction was more than halfway through! Hundreds of you tuned in to an hour of song, testimonies, memories, and encouragement! And you were such an inspiration to all of us! It was great fun to see greetings come in from around the country.
As Saturday dawned, the pace quickened, and the bids soared. It was nearly like the live Auction, and we could feel you out there, loving, cheering, and supporting the kids.
And then the day was done. And what a day, week, month, and season it was! Hopeful Distancing: The 2020 Auction Experience was blessed beyond belief and anticipation – and all of you are to thank for it. Thank you so very much for your love, prayers, work, support, and donations. At 6 PM on Auction Day, exceeding our wildest expectations, we were staggered to consider that the Lord blessed His Gateway Woods ministry with $701,750. Words cannot express the humble sense of gratitude that swept over us. And now, as of this writing, the total is over $765,339 with more still coming in!
"Unprecedented?" "Never seen anything like this before?" "What next?" Yes, the entire 2020 Auction Experience was all of that and more. What an amazing reminder that with God, not only are all things are possible, but sometimes the unexpected happens.
Having been unsupported youth ourselves, my wife and I have a passion for serving these young adults — so we quickly signed on to be the first CA couple at WillowBridge.
Five years ago, God stirred Gateway Woods to begin the LARC initiative to create genuine connections between the community and kids coming out of the residential and foster care programs. In LARC, we strive to connect youth to the relationships and resources they need to become successfully independent. What an encouragement it has been to watch mentors, churches, job partners, and others in the community pour into these young people! But how can our kids continue to build skills and stay connected to the meaningful relationships they have built if they are forced back to old environments, with no safe or consistent place to live?
Enter WillowBridge: Gateway Woods’ new transitional living community. WillowBridge serves young adults who have aged out of the system and whose primary support comes from their connection to Gateway Woods. We have worked hard to create a safe place where young people can learn to work hard, care for their own apartments and learn to manage their lives, all while strengthening their community connections.
I have had the great pleasure of working with some amazing young people who are full of raw potential and unique giftedness. Many of them truly want to experience God as a Father and build a life that has meaning, they just don’t know where to start. WillowBridge is a place where these kids can go to grow in all of the areas that lead to successful independence. We are building on much of the foundation that was laid by the Gateway Woods residential and foster care programs as well as the LARC initiative. At this juncture, they are no longer being supervised, but instead, are receiving guidance and accountability while learning to make decisions and take responsibility for themselves.
WillowBridge has the capacity for four young men and five young women (one of whom may have a child). Much like houseparents, the staff consists of a Community Advocate (CA) couple and a support team (CAS) who provide assistance and coverage for the CA during time off. Both couples have their own apartment at WillowBridge, though only the CA couple live there full-time.
Having been unsupported youth ourselves, my wife and I have a passion for serving these young adults — so we quickly signed on to be the first CA couple at WillowBridge. We now have a solid structure in place, a knowledgeable CAS couple, and some great young people here, the time has come for Sierra and I to hand the reigns over to whoever the LORD has prepared next. I will be stepping back into my leadership role of Director for both LARC and WillowBridge.
This is an opportunity to be a tangible representation of who Christ is and as Theodore Roosevelt once said, "to work hard at work worth doing". If this stokes a fire in your heart, please see the CA job opening we have posted. Thank you to all of our faithful supporters who continue to encourage us as we fulfill the mission God has given us to provide help and healing to troubled children and families who then may bless others.
Dear COVID-19,
Boy, have you rocked this world in the last few months! You’ve taken the term “going viral” to a whole new level. There is not a corner of this planet that is not being touched by you (except for maybe Antarctica). Your unprecedented popularity caught this world completely off guard.
You’ve driven most of us to our homes – whether we’re attempting to continue working, schooling, or just to keep our families alive. You’ve closed down communities. You’ve shut the doors of churches, schools, restaurants, and small businesses — some temporarily and some permanently. You’ve completely shook the economy.
You’ve used the human body as your catalyst for global dispersion. Age, gender, financial status, location, mental state, societal class — you’ve left no demographic untouched. It’s hard for anyone to have a conversation without bringing your name up. We can’t even make plans for the future without considering your impact.
You’ve closed the Gateway Woods campus to visitors. Our residents and foster kiddos can’t see their families face-to-face, nor can they meet with their mentors. Our staff has isolated themselves to cut down on the risk to their families and clients. Adoptions have stopped mid-stream with many families stuck overseas for who knows how long.
You’ve given us so many reasons to get discouraged. But you’ve given us even more reasons to choose thankfulness.
You’ve given our residents room to get creative with their extra free time. You’ve united our whole campus in a way that we didn’t know we needed. You’ve shown us how bio-parents and foster parents can work together to do what’s best for the kids involved. You’ve reminded our staff how slowing down can be a good thing. You’ve tuned us into the time we have. You’ve shown us what a blessing technology can be in helping us to stay connected.
You’ve allowed the Church to show the world we are not merely a building, but the living, breathing Body of Christ. You have opened up abundant opportunities for people to lend a helping hand to their neighbors. You’ve reminded us that nothing can make us socially distance ourselves from God our Father. You’ll never hold the power to sequester our hope, dampen our joy, or steal our peace. God is still sovereign. You can’t make a move without His say so.
You may think you’re a big shot, Mr. Global Pandemic, but you are nothing compared to our God. The power you wield to inflict pain and suffering on these mortal bodies is indeed frightening. But these mortal bodies house eternal souls, and the crown that your name bears (corona) is no match for the King of Kings. We would like to remind you that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in me (Romans 8:18).
You see, COVID, this earth is not my home. I think I can speak for any Christ follower when I say that I’d choose permanent quarantine in my real Home than anything this world has to offer. Of all the reasons you have given us to be discouraged, you’ve given us no real reason to be afraid of you. You’re just a virus.
Confident in Christ,
A child of the King
I hit the submit button, sending another family’s documents on to Central Office to be approved by the state to be Licensed Foster Parents. There was a lot of work to get to this point. Interviews, background checks, collecting all the paperwork, training, writing a Home Study, completing a home tour, and checking every last one of the countless boxes to make sure everything was ready to be submitted. In my position as the Systems Coordinator, I do all my work from the office; collecting the paperwork, inputting data into the computer, filing everything, and keeping track of due dates.
My job is behind the scenes. Unseen by most. And because of it, that can lead one to believe that the job doesn’t matter, is insignificant. Perhaps you are in one of those kinds of positions yourself. You have a support role. What you do makes other people’s lives easier, allowing them to get their own work done. Your job may seem mundane. You may even have believed the lie that your job is lesser than.
This world tends to lead us to believe that we need to have the accolades of others in order to matter. That in order to be of some significance we need to be acknowledged by others. Those things all feel nice and warm and fuzzy. But in reality, they are fleeting. Instead, we should be working for only One. Serving others for His glory. Seeking only the applause of the nail-scarred hands.
A great reminder of that can be found in Colossians 3:23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.”
So, whether your job takes you into the spotlight, or keeps you far back in the wings, every work can be done for His glory. May this be an encouragement for you today. That any job, in God’s Kingdom, has significance. And if you are where God wants you, you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. - 1 Timothy 1:7
We are living in times of much uncertainty in light of the situation with the COVID-19 outbreak. We all find ourselves doing and thinking about things differently than we would have just a few short weeks ago. Some of you may have been wondering how this recent epidemic has affected Gateway Woods, and we wanted to share some thoughts.
First of all, we are thankful that our government and the Department of Homeland Security deems organizations like Gateway Woods — social service agencies that are helping youth and families during this season of uncertainty — essential to society. There are so many people who depend on the services we offer and would be hard pressed if we had to completely shut down and turn everyone away.
I heard it said the other day that it’s okay to have a healthy amount of fear — enough fear to prepare ourselves, but not so much that it paralyzes us. I think also of 1 Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Those are wise words that we are attempting to live by here at Gateway Woods, and that means some changes for our physical campus, our staff, and the people we serve.
We wanted to inform you, as a supporter of this ministry, some of the issues for which we would so appreciate your prayers.
Gateway is blessed to be the recipient of your love and support. We pray you stay healthy, find meaningful ways to connect with those you love, and take every opportunity to show gratitude in this season that will soon be past.
“KING OOGA BOOGA!”, my kids shouted as they came tumbling in the doorway. I was amused and slightly confused. They had just returned home after a night away with friends and Gateway summer volunteers. I questioned what they were talking about and they proceeded to ramble on to me about the unforgettable night they had just experienced. They had played games (the highlight of which was the fabled “King Ooga Booga”), they ate candy and smores, told and heard suspenseful stories, sang songs, laughed (and likely cried), and camped out under the starry sky. Where, you may ask, did they have such a fun evening? This was one of the final summer “Kids Camps” at Gateway Woods- an integral part of the summer volunteer program.
Young adult volunteers had spent their evening and (bless their hearts) the entire night making memories and showing Jesus to a group of houseparent kids (HP kids). They had won the respect and admiration of the kids, and had made an impact in a big way. Kids Camp is a yearly highlight for HP kids, as well at their parents! ;) Every week, summer volunteers entertain and play games with the kids: water fights, slip and slide, nerf wars, outdoor games, cardboard villages, songs and music, Bible stories…all are a part of the fun.
So, volunteers only interact with the staff and their kids, you ask? Not at all! Volunteers also make an eternal impact on the teenage residents of Gateway. When volunteers come to Gateway Woods, whether for a day, a week, or an entire summer, they spend time eating meals in the houses, working with, and playing alongside the residents. There are Bluffton activity nights, singings, Bible Studies, basketball and frisbee…all are a part of a summer on the GW campus. Our residents would often ask “Who’s coming for dinner today? I hope it’s…(fill in your name!)” They enjoyed eating, singing, chatting, and interacting with the groups of volunteers that would visit the campus. Summer Volunteer Coordinators are especially a favorite, since they spend all summer building friendships with the residents and HP kids.
Summer volunteers are a necessary and critical part of the operations of Gateway. We depend on our church family and community family to help with tasks on campus, bring energy and encouragement to the staff (AND THEIR KIDS) and residents.
Summer is a fun time to be at Gateway. The GW Farms program is hopping, Auction preparation is occurring, daily life is ongoing, and God is working in the hearts and minds of everyone involved.
It is hard work to run a volunteer program, but so essential. Every summer, Gateway hires a paid Summer Volunteer Coordinator, along with a GW Farms assistant and an education intern, to help with the events and business of the summer months. We love to fill the campus with visitors that can help us carry out the mission of helping hurting youth and families, so that they can then bless others. Is God allowing your summer to have an open schedule? Will you come make an impact on our campus, and in turn, be blessed yourself?
"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7
Your car gets a flat tire. Your cell phone takes a plunge in liquid. One of your children catches a cold and soon, your whole household is sneezing. Your friend is hit with a hard-to-swallow diagnosis. You cannot, for the life of you, seem to get enough sleep to feel ready to face the day.
What is your first response when you go through difficult times that are outside of your control? Do you pray? Do you cry? Do you ask ‘why me’? Do you trust God with the circumstance?
In the social services field, it seems like difficult times and bad news can reign supreme. It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when it’s always overcast outside. That’s because we are broken humans working with other broken humans. Without God working inside us, we are just another social services agency trying to help people that find themselves in tough situations.
"Without God working inside us, we are just another social services agency trying to help people that find themselves in tough situations."
If Psalm 20:7 was written today, it might read, “Some trust in bank accounts, and some in their own self-sufficiency”, but do we still “remember the name of the Lord our God”? If we are stepping in trying to fix every situation (with our bank accounts or self-sufficiency) and not praying and trusting God to handle it, how can we expect to see Him work miracles? How can we expect the lost to turn their hearts to Jesus if all they see in us is our self-reliance? We must make some space and allow God to work so that He can get the glory. There is a world of lost souls at stake. He’s the only one who deserves it, anyway.
Recently, I was able to meet up with a former resident of ours from when our family was houseparenting. He is now 23, married with 3 kids, and works on a hog farm. It was so encouraging to reflect back 7 years with Cameron and now see him in a healthy place in life. The following is an excerpt of our conversation:
I still remember the day you came and picked me up. I was intimidated – not fearful but just overwhelmed – because the lifestyle I was living was a night and day difference from living at Gateway. My environment wasn’t as structured - I wasn’t involved in a church. Normally, when I’m around new people, I don’t talk much but the environment at Gateway was so welcoming and loving – that really allowed me to open up.
Not having the freedom to get a snack at 3 AM. Haha! Seriously, though, the hardest part was not being able to communicate with whoever I wanted – like my girlfriend. Just that separation from the things and life I knew was hard. Overall, it wasn’t too bad…I just had to get used to how things were at Gateway.
There’s a lot. I reflect often about my time at Gateway. I definitely miss it. One thing I learned was patience. In today’s society, everybody’s used to instant gratification. I worked with my counselor, Roger, a lot on understanding the difference between instant gratification vs. delayed gratification. That gave me some of the tools to get my act together and be better later in life.
I work with a younger guy who’s 18 and on work release from jail. I talk to him frequently and tell him to see this as “an opportunity. Use the tools you’re learning to better yourself so you don’t make the same mistakes again.” That’s something Gateway heavily impressed upon me. Like getting sent to Gateway – you can’t come thinking, “ugh, this is the next year of my life and it’s gonna stink.” But if you don’t use it as an opportunity to better yourself, nobody else will do it for you.
I miss the structure and schedule. I miss the nonjudgement. You got people coming from all walks of life – gangbangers to drug users – and yet there’s no judging. All were welcome and loved. Gateway staff tries their best to be accepting and understanding of anybody that comes.
Probably the Auction. I got to sing a solo with the Gateway choir, but just the whole experience of seeing the whole community come together – like, what, 2000 people? And to donate big money for simple items just to help Gateway. Whenever you see a community come together like that – you know there’s something good there.
I have to admit, it was a neat moment for me as a houseparent to have two of our Maple House kids doing solos. It made me proud and you guys did a great job!
Just that, if it wasn’t for my time at Gateway, I wouldn’t be where I am in life now. I’m not sure if I would be sober or not. If it wasn’t for the time I spent, and the lessons I learned, and the people I met there, I would be nowhere near where I am now. The stuff I learned gave me the tools that I needed to succeed in life. For instance, grieving. I went through some hard times where I lost a few friends. If it wasn’t for learning about the grieving process with Roger, I wouldn’t have those tools. But I had to pick up those tools and use them – they weren’t gonna fix my life for me.
Cameron has mentioned to me before many of the things he learned at Gateway that he wants to pass along to his children. He takes his family to the church his in-laws attend regularly, and even though he is still figuring out his own personal journey with God, he shared of the importance of taking his children to church. Cameron’s life is a living testimony of Gateway’s mission: to honor and obey God by providing help and healing to troubled children and families who then may bless others.
As I think about the summer of 2019, words and memories walk into my mind like old friends gathering for a reunion. The feeling is bittersweet: the pain of it all coming to an end, mixed with the joy of the experience made the ending painful.
Last summer wasn’t my first experience with Gateway, though. Our family moved from central Illinois in the spring of 2008 to be an alternate houseparent family. We transitioned to being a lead houseparent family after a year and a half, and left Gateway in the spring of 2013 for a grand total of 5 years of service.
So when I arrived on campus for the first day as the Volunteer Coordinator 6 years later, it felt more like visiting my childhood home than stepping into a new and unfamiliar workplace. As I worked on projects in and around the houses, I was constantly hit with little memories from my tween and early teen years. And I was constantly making new memories, too: learning to shingle a roof, a Nerf war with the houseparent kids, cooking lunch with one of the residents.
The scope and scale of projects I worked on with the volunteers this summer was vast – overwhelming, in fact – when I was staring at the list at the beginning of the summer. For a graduate of a theatre conservatory, spending a summer managing a wide variety of landscaping and maintenance projects is a daunting task, to say the least. But I learned – usually through lots and lots of mistakes – and grew. I bought my first truckload of mulch. I got a bucketload of painting experience – literally.
I grew in other ways, as well. I learned how to communicate expectations. How to delegate. How to say “no”. I learned more lessons than I can count, and I’m so glad I did!
But what made this job so fulfilling wasn’t learning new skills. It wasn’t reminiscing about my childhood. It wasn’t breakfast with the volunteers every morning. It was the knowledge that every day I got to spend my time making an eternal impact on others. Every day from May 20th to August 3rd I walked into my office with the responsibility of setting an example for others to follow. I knew that I was watched by my volunteers, the residents, and the houseparent kids. I felt the wholesome, healthy pressure to be a role model, to expend my energy making the lives of other people better, even if that just meant smiling and waving to someone as we passed while crossing campus.
I think all of it can be summed up in three words: reminiscent, growth, and enrichment. I reminisced about my childhood at Gateway Woods. I grew through learning new skills - too many to count. And there was mutual enrichment between myself and those around me. Serving at Gateway last summer was positively a life-changing experience, and one I will never forget.
As I reflect on this past year, I am amazed at how many awesome things God has done here at Gateway Woods.
I wanted to share the “Top 10” Highlights from 2019.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." I John 4:7-11
Is it just a word we say? Is it a feeling? Is it chocolates and flowers? Is it a hug or a kiss or a date night? Is it a verb? Why is society obsessed with it? Why is there a specific holiday to celebrate it? What is it about love that makes people go crazy — in one way or another?
Perhaps it’s not any of those things…and yet all of those things. God is the creator of love and is therefore the source of it. He is the epitome of love. He is love in the purest form. He IS love. All those other things are mankind’s attempt at expressing love. And like all things that mankind attempts, it can be easily twisted into something it’s not. The problem is not in the giving of a gift or a kiss or a word to express our love for someone. When we get to the point that we believe that one of those things is ALL that love is, is where we are horribly mistaken.
Can you love someone without ever telling them? Absolutely!
Can you tell someone you love them but not actually feel it? It happens all too often.
But can you pour out the love of Christ on someone without first being filled with His love yourself first? I think not! You cannot give what you do not possess.
"We can offer our residents tools to bring about success in life — but that has to start with Jesus. It's our job to teach them how a relationship with God changes everything." - Reginald Blackmon (Houseparent Supervisor)"
When God – the purest form of love – dwells inside of us, we possess the power to love as He does. We are called to take that love and share it with others in the different ways that people desire or need to be shown love, so that those gestures of love they may be pointed to the Source of love.
THAT is love.
We are excited to tell you that our album of original songs, Strong Trees Grow Slow, is available on CD and digital download. Some of you had this music decades ago in the LP and cassette era. If you want to stir your heart and stimulate some memories or bless someone you love with a musical gift, consider this re-mastered version available now, 40 years after its original release.
We were grateful and pleased that Strong Trees, a contemporary Christian folk album with lush vocals and instruments, was well received and sold a lot of copies within our circle of friends and church connections. That includes many of you. Hopefully, you’ll respond again OR want to hear it for the first time.
As you know, we were privileged to serve in ministry at Gateway Woods Family Services for decades. All glory goes to God and all reproduction costs for the CDs have been covered.
So 100% your gift, of any amount, goes to troubled children and families and the music will come to you.
Ways to give and receive Strong Trees:
1. Send a donation to Gateway and mention the CD in the memo.
2. Go to: gatewaywoods.org/strongtrees and donate on-line, any amount.
3. Download Strong Trees Grow Slow through any of a number of music services: Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, iTunes, Amazon, Deezer, Tidal, iHeartRadio, Napster, MediaNet, etc. Lyrics are at: Apple Music and iTunes.
4. Contact Tim directly at: 260 402 3832 or tim.sauder@icloud.com
"The highest form of worship is the act of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless." Billy Graham
"This is so outside my comfort zone." This was part of an email I received from one of our LARC mentors. She had signed up herself and her teenage mentee, Najelis (Nigh-ah-lease), to volunteer at a formal event called “A Night to Shine.” Their role would be to assist other young girls with their hair and makeup so they could “shine” for the evening, all while being dolled up themselves. Despite Heidi being out of her element, it was obvious that Najelis was in hers. Using her ability to help other girls shine, she was beaming rather brightly herself!
Heidi is a dairy farmer’s wife — she tends to keep things simple and doesn’t necessarily enjoy "girly things." Najelis is almost her exact opposite. She originally told me she wanted her mentor to be “someone who likes nice things, likes to do hair, nails, shop, stuff like that”. So how did they connect? How are they able to see past their differences to have a meaningful relationship?
Najelis’s family is from El Salvador and prefers speaking Spanish. Because of spending some time in Mexico, Heidi and her husband are both fairly fluent in Spanish. And they live near to Najelis’s family – over an hour away from Gateway Woods. Although I had hesitations, those reasons were enough to prompt me to have them connect. Between immediately falling in love with Heidi’s kids and their bonding over their love of spicy Mexican food, it was obvious this was a good match. Their relationship is now full of genuine trust and they continue to connect over all things "South of the Border".
"God took two completely opposite people and has created such a beautiful relationship!"
I love that in this job, I get to watch as God turns the ordinary into extraordinary! He turns brokenness into beauty! He takes the vulnerable and helps them to trust! And even though it hasn’t happened yet, MAYBE someday, Najelis will step foot on that dairy farm…
God is always at work in us and through us. One way that we have chosen to share the overflow of God’s love poured out on us, is by bringing children into our home through foster care. It is not an easy journey, but is a passion that God has placed on our hearts to share His love to all those that He loves.
Recently, our youngest daughter, Klaire, was struggling with two foster children of a brother (Kenan, 3) and sister (Bella, 5), because they talk a lot and — granted — can be annoying to an 8-year-old. We encouraged Klaire that, "we need to pray that God will pour out His love into your heart, by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). She did NOT want to do that, seeming to know that if she did, she would be able to love them. In her mind, it sounded so much easier if they would just leave.
So, we prayed it for her.
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Eventually, after praying it for her, she began to pray that for herself. One morning, at the breakfast table, I asked everyone, “what is one great thing that God has done for you?” She was the first to raise her hand high, obviously wanting to go first. She said, “God has poured out His love into my heart for Kenan and Bella!”
I got all teary. Yes, this is what it is about. This is God’s love and heart in action.
Foster care is a journey: sometimes hours, sometimes days, sometimes weeks, and sometimes months with a child. No matter the length of time, it is one opportunity that we have to impart Jesus and His love to a life — a soul — that matters!
No, the foster care journey is not easy, but we do not and can not do this for us — it is what we do for kids in need. They need us, and it has to be about them. Jesus didn’t go to the cross because it was easy, but because of His great love for us. So, as He gives opportunity, we open our home and our hearts to those in need!
Kenan and Bella will only be with us for a season, but they will be forever in our hearts!
In 2017, I had the privilege of using your support to travel to Texas to learn more about Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), a model of trauma-informed care. After two years of putting those principles into practice and refining my knowledge through experience, I am pleased to announce that…I have not yet arrived.
After working through the training program during the fall, I thought that the on-site conference would seal the deal and permanently imprint the vast amount of knowledge of my trainers into my own brain. However, as it so often happens, I had a foundation but needed my own experiences to clarify and solidify those principles. I didn’t need more head knowledge; I needed to learn how to practice these skills with the real problems of real people in real time with real emotions. As it turns out, it was not as easy as I had anticipated.
"Connect, empower, correct" is the bedrock of TBRI. Practically speaking, it is only when we have a strong connection and meet the needs of our kids can we offer any lasting correction. Therefore, even in the middle of the most intense crisis, I learned how to shift my thinking from stopping bad behavior to connecting with a broken child and meeting their needs.
It’s humbling to see the process of growth and to recognize that I’m not where I was; that being said, I’m certainly not where I want to be.
A few of my "finest" moments in recent years include:
I list these, not to excuse sin under the mask of authenticity, but to illustrate that when I allow my emotions to cloud my judgment I lose the power of connection. While I need to be aware of what is going on inside me, there is a difference between awareness and abandoning reason. The beauty of TBRI is that it allows us to live in the land of "both-and" rather than "either-or."
I have grown and have areas of weakness.
I can acknowledge my triggers and respond therapeutically to my residents.
I can attend to my inner experience and connect with my kids.
The truth of the Gospel is that we can be sick and loved at the same.
God was able to maintain holiness in the midst of connection; in the end, "both-and" is what brought us healing. By modeling this in small ways to my residents, I have experienced God’s own heart for me. I have not arrived as a houseparent, a Christian, or any other role I fulfill but more importantly, that arriving is connecting throughout the process.
"A man's heart plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." -Proverbs 16:9
Ten years ago, we received a file of a five-week-old boy from Ethiopia. I always think of that day as the true beginning of our adoption journey. I remember the excitement and bit of anxiety, the potential this file held as we thought about this little boy as our son. There was never a doubt that we would say “yes” to this little guy.
Each family’s adoption journey is unique and ours certainly would be no exception. Because of some issues that had arisen just hours before we were scheduled to fly out, when we arrived in Ethiopia tired, excited, and anxious, no one was there to meet us. Scrambling a little, we were finally able to get a hold of a contact in Ethiopia who eventually came to pick us up and take us to our guest home. God’s total provision. Early the next day, we met our son. We were ushered into the orphanage where he was quietly sleeping in a crib. His world, and ours, would never be the same.
What we did not know at the time was that our son had cerebral palsy. The very things that were unique about our situation, we now see as God’s provision – provision of an early match, provision of travel and safety in the midst of uncertainty, provision of the gift of time to bond. These gifts allowed us to meet our son the earliest as possible, to welcome him in our family, and begin getting him the medical care necessary for his diagnosis we would soon discover.
As we reflect back, which we often do this time of year, we are able to see God’s generosity and faithfulness in our story.
"It has not always been the journey that we expected but it is the journey that God has given us and one for which He has generously provided in the big and small moments of our family’s life."
If you are interested in adoption please visit AdoptionGateway.org
Sometimes, I have a love-hate relationship with Christmas gift giving. I really love the act of giving but I have trouble with the consumerism and materialism that Christmas has become. Gifts are NOT my love language so I don’t mind not receiving gifts. I consider being able to spend time with loved ones a bigger gift than anything material I could ever receive. After all, they’re what’s coming to Heaven with me, not my possessions of this world.
I have to remember that some people’s love language IS gifts — they love both giving and receiving gifts, especially at Christmastime. Neither attitude is wrong — it’s just how God wired each of us and I think He enjoys creating the diversity in us.
Should you fall into the gift-givers category and want to do something a little different this year, check out Our Wishlist online or listed in the Gateway Woods 2020 calendar! It’s amazing how receiving gifts from strangers can minister to our residents. They are amazed that people whom they’ve never met can love them so much.
Whether you’re a gift giver or not, thank you for your support, prayers, and love this year! May we never forget Who the ultimate gift is this season, and that it’s “not the manger but the Cross that sets the spirit free” (Hymns of Zion, #36).
"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him..." John Piper
Twenty-four year old Miranda was living with her mom when her brother moved back home. He quickly turned the basement into a meth lab and blew up the whole house in the process. This meant Miranda had to move out, taking her two kids with her. She married her boyfriend two weeks later, becoming a whole family unit when he adopted her kids.
Soon, Miranda set herself on a path to get her GED, become a CNA, and eventually a phlebotomist. She worked at the Red Cross doing blood banks and eventually landed a job at a local hospital.
"It just felt like everything had come full circle. I was so blessed to see her!” -Diane Wieland-Gerber
One early morning, she was doing her 4 AM rounds and went into a patient’s room to do a post-op blood draw. She recognized the patient’s name and wished it wasn’t so early so she could talk with her. When she heard the patient start to ask her a question, she got excited that she was actually awake. She turned around and was met with a face lit with recognition and delightful surprise.
This was Diane, her home based counselor from Gateway Woods! Miranda was her very first client back in 2011. Every once in a while, she would text Diane to stay in contact about major life events. It had been 4 years, however, since they last saw each other. Diane had helped her so much during a very rough season of life. And now the tables were turned and she was getting the chance to help Diane out for the first time ever.
Students who attend Gateway Woods School are often behind in credits for graduation. Their attitudes towards this situation can vary. Some students are not bothered; they find little value in education because believe they know what they need for the future. Other students see graduation as an impossible goal, one that only others can achieve. Some students want to earn credits, but when it comes down to doing the work, they aren’t willing to put forth the effort to review and understand the material. Still other students persevere through the difficult material, completing all the assigned work. They have the end goal of graduation in mind.
Like the parable of the sower and the seed, students come to Gateway Woods School as fallow ground in need of bearing fruit, but they cannot become fruitful on their own. Some of them do not yet see a need for God. Others have fully accepted the world’s teaching, believing that they can’t find God. Some of the students know that the seed is good, but the thorns and thistles of past desires or addictions choke out the truth we try to plant.
Each weed must be carefully rooted out. Christ calls us to sow the seed in their lives whether the soil is yet ready to receive it or not.
As a teacher, I can sometimes become discouraged. Have I sowed in vain? Will my work ever produce fruit? All seeds require a time of germination, and sometimes, the seed flourishes with the care and attention it receives. Students blossom and produce wonderful growth here. This brings joy to my heart as a teacher. Yet I know that I only plant the seed; God causes it to flourish. How much greater must His pleasure be when we, His children, apply ourselves to growing and flourishing in our understanding of Him? We must allow Him to teach us of Himself. His patience with us when we are slow to learn is so much greater than what we as people can ever manage!
"For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease." -Job 14:7
Wow! By Auction day, over 2,000 items were donated by you, many of you giving hours of your precious time, many of you generously spending your hard earned money, all combined to make the absolutely perfect day – topped off by blue skies with a gentle breeze occasionally moving through the tents. One of the highlights of the day is always watching old friends from Sunday School days, young group years, college semesters, and old army buddies seeing each other again and catching up after time apart.
By the end of the day, $637,134.00 was raised, including $58,000.00 from the 224 bikers!
By Saturday evening, campus was quiet and the tents were standing all alone with the sides down…but the stories these tents could tell. Stories of generosity, excitement, laughter, delicious food, friends seeing each other again, and 2 lost little girls looking for their mom, knowing they were safe in the middle of several thousand people, confident that someone would find her. But the best story of all is the story told by the brothers and sisters of the Body of Christ coming together to demonstrate to the lost that we care and love them. Thanks for doing your part to make the 2019 Auction such a success and a glory to the Father! We can’t do it without you!
When you were 16, what were you up to? Most likely in high school and extracurriculars, probably a fresh driver’s license in hand, and maybe working on landing your first job.
At 16, Reginald Blackmon had risen the ranks — fueled by his reputation of being the toughest guy around — to a chief in the gang he’d been a member of for 7 years already. He had over 80 people under him, most of whom were older than him. As the only gang of the Conservative Vice Lords not located in the projects of Chicago, his name quickly spread. Drugs, robbery, assault and battery, breaking and entering – he was their leader.
"The only piece of advice my dad ever gave me was this: 'Son, go into the military and make a career out of it.' It was the best and worst piece of advice I ever received. Because I followed it and hated every minute of it." Through boot camp, he seriously contemplated taking several guys out who were constantly in his face, telling him what to do, acting like the tough guy, when Reginald could have clearly leveled them with a single punch.
It's our job to teach them how a relationship with God changes everything.
Eventually, he found himself on a ship in the US Navy, also loathing every minute of this experience. He found a way out through the boxing coach: "If you can become the All Navy Boxing Champion, you can get off this ship." And Reginald did just that — in his first fight.
For the next 3 years, he boxed and won as many championships as he could, trying his best to stay off that ship. Coming back from leave one December, he phoned a friend about one more hurrah before leave ended. "I'm wide open this weekend and it's Friday night — let’s do something, man!" "Alright. I’ll pick you up at 8:30…Sunday morning…for church." Reginald immediately knew he couldn’t back out — he just told him he was available.
It was the first time he had been to church in his adult life and he went reluctantly. "But then the preacher got to preaching and I got to listening. He was going through the 10 Commandments and I realized I was guilty — of every single one of them. My heart broke over my sin and I wept right there in church. Then the preacher said ‘if you’re guilty of these sins, there’s only one way to not be: let Jesus take them in your place'." Reginald gave his heart to Christ that day and has never looked back.
Today, nearly 30 years later, he's serving the youth of Gateway Woods, using their similar backgrounds as a connection point. "I came from the same culture of poverty that most of them come from. They've never had anyone believe in them before. Gateway is their first hope of possibility."
But Reginald keeps the end goal in mind, too. "We can offer tools to bring about success in life and help them redefine what success is — but that has to start with Jesus. If we don’t change their hearts, anything can wipe out what they’ve heard or learned at Gateway. It's our job to teach them how a relationship with God changes everything."
Pulling onto a very quiet Gateway Woods campus early on Auction day, the sun was beginning to rise, burning the dew off the grass and the lingering fog from the air, I soaked in the feeling of anticipation and excitement. The tent flaps were down, protecting and covering over 2,000 donated items for this year’s Auction. All of which would go home with generous people from Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and other states far and wide by the end of the day.
The smell of grilled sausage faintly drifted from the food area while the car parking volunteers stood ready and eager to safely direct cars into the grassy field-turned-parking lot. As families streamed from the parking lot - walking or being taxied in by golf carts - a corner of the white tent was pulled back where attendees came to claim their bidder numbers. Numbers that would be used to purchase belly-filling meals, homemade pies and baked goods, ice cream and BLT sandwiches, delicious smoothies, coffees and lemon shake-ups, popcorn, potato curls, and hot pizza. Not to mention Haiti linens, face painting, Kids Candy Shop and train rides, and Gateway Woods apparel.
The opening program - which included a testimony from a staff member, a worship song from staff and residents, and an opening prayer - still gives me chills when I stop and think back on the day. One of my most memorable events of the day was watching the Kids Korner, surrounded with yellow security tape holding back almost 100 kids. They were clutching their parents’ bidder cards or cash in little fists, hoping to grab a special item. When the security tape dropped, the mass surged forward, as they started to make their own memories at the Gateway Woods Annual Auction.
Now, the Auction is over and there are so many things to praise our God for! Those 2,000+ items were donated by you, many of you giving hours of your precious time, many of you generously spending your hard-earned money, all combined to make the absolutely perfect day – topped off by blue skies with a gentle breeze occasionally moving through the tents. One of the highlights of the day is always watching old friends from Sunday School days, young group years, college semesters, and old army buddies seeing each other again and reunited after time apart.
The 2019 Auction earned $637,134 by the end of the day including $58,000 from the Team 224 bike riders!
By Saturday evening, campus had quieted and the tents were standing all alone with the sides down again…but the stories these tents could now tell. Stories of generosity, excitement, laughter, delicious food, friends seeing each other again, and 2 lost little girls looking for their mom, knowing they were safe in the middle of several thousand people, confident that someone would find her. But the best story of all is the story told by the brothers and sisters of the Apostolic Christian Church coming together to demonstrate to the lost that we care and love them. Thanks for doing your part to make the 2019 Auction such a success and a glory to the Father! We can’t do it without you!
I love the words of God’s promise in Isaiah 30:18, "And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him." It’s a good reminder to me of how God sees situations and people differently than I do at times, and how He is always rising up, ready to do good things for those whose hearts are open to receive from Him. At Gateway Woods, I found that hearts are not always as closed as they may appear at first glance.
Take Matty, for example. He was a student at Gateway Woods School who at first seemed very closed to receiving anything from me, either as an English teacher or as a spiritual counselor. I used to struggle to find ways to reach out to him and teach him in ways that he could receive. He frequently refused to cooperate with me at school, so I found myself lying awake some nights thinking about what I was going to do about him the next day.
Sometimes he would complain to me about how different Gateway Woods School was from his previous school experiences. He would make comments such as, “You guys are always watching me!”, and “I can’t believe this! I’ve never done my homework before in my life; you’re lucky I decided to do my homework today!” Sometimes when he was frustrated he would ask, “Why do you guys even care so much?!”, and he loved to complain about “Cons” (Gateway Woods consequences for behavior choices).
However, there were also some occasions that he expressed appreciation for Gateway Woods, and appreciation for his houseparents. As time went on, he made comments about how his houseparents really cared about him and that they were helping him with his "problems."
Conversations with students like Matty helped me to realize that God is using Gateway Woods to restore hope and bring positive change in the lives of children and families being served. God is doing a good work in their hearts and minds that may not be visible now, but one that I can trust has a lasting impact. My job as a Gateway Woods teacher was to simply be available, serve, plant the seeds, and allow God to do His work in each heart. It’s encouraging to know that He is working in ways we cannot see.
It was a privilege to teach at Gateway Woods School this spring. God used the experience to teach me about who He is and His heart for people. I was reminded of God’s love for me, a sinner who doesn’t deserve His grace. I was encouraged by experiencing some different ways that He chose to use me to reach out to youth at Gateway who He cares about and whose souls He desires to win.
We are excited to unveil our new Auction promotional video. Below are some of the quotes you will find in the video. Auction is just under a month away and we can't wait to see you on Saturday August 3rd.
“The Auction is the largest Apostolic Church gathering on the continent and I think it's an encouragement to all of us when we come together. It promotes the unity of the church and it reminds us that we have a common cause...Jesus Christ.” -Clark Stoller (Auctioneer)
“I've learned that it's really God's Auction. There are times during the week, you think how is this going to happen? And it always does...it always does. So over the years I have learned to just relax, and not freak out, and let God do it.” -Heather Beer (Auction Committee)
“It's fun to see everyone buy items, they have bouncy houses for the kids...it's a great time.” -Noah (Former Resident)
"God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love." -Francis Chan
In the summer of 2009, just behind the barn, you could find 3 things: a hut made out of grass clippings, a puddle with a single occupant (an imported fish from the pond just across the campus), and houseparent kids. This was the creation of brothers Cooper and Connor Beer, who had equal amounts of energy and imagination that ran wild all summer long.
Nearly 10 years later, we’re welcoming Cooper back to Gateway Woods as the Summer Volunteer Coordinator for 2019! For the last 2 years, Cooper has been away at college, studying the dramatic arts.
“I love the potential that the Lord has given us to spread His truth through storytelling, music, film, stage, and so forth. I also love working with young people and helping them become more passionate and devoted followers of Jesus.”
Cooper spent a summer doing just that — leading a group of young actors that traveled all over the Midwest, sharing the Gospel through story and song, and always pointing to Christ. Cooper is a natural leader with great organizational abilities. He hopes this summer will be an opportunity to learn and grow his communication and time management skills.
He’s looking forward to being back in Leo and being able to build relationships with the Gateway Woods residents again.
"I’m excited to be gaining valuable experience in a ministry that seeks, above all, to honor Christ and show His love to the world!"
If you are at least 18 and have some time or talents you would like to give this summer, visit our volunteer page.
Roughly every other week in Leo Church, we hold Gospel Foundations Class. It’s designed to teach and discuss foundational truths of scripture - truths that most of us, having grown up in Christian families, have known seemingly forever. Anyone is welcome but it was planned with the teenage residents of Gateway Woods in mind, as they may not have had the advantage of attending church since babyhood.
Recently, the teacher said something in a way that I hadn’t encountered in my 58 years: “If you read the first two chapters and the last two chapter of the Bible, you will understand what God’s perfect plan is. Everything else after the fall in the third chapter is the story of God’s reconciling us to Himself.”
With this in mind, I read Genesis 1 and 2 with new eyes. Genesis 1 takes a bird’s eye view of creation. Genesis 2 takes an intimate look at one of God’s works of creation: Man and Woman. This proclamation follows: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) The formation of a family was the culmination of creation, and part of God’s perfect plan for humankind. In a world untainted by sin and death, and unbroken by the fall, every child would be born into an intact family. He or she would be the product of sacrificial love and unwavering commitment of one man and one woman joined before God in marriage.
Have you ever thought, “If only every child could have had a family like mine: raised in a loving, Christ-centered home, being taught about Jesus”? As houseparents, my husband and I had the opportunity to share a household with teens who had not experienced Jesus like we had in our childhoods.
One young woman was loath to leave. One reason being that her family did not eat supper together like she experienced at Gateway, and she didn’t want to lose that.
Another resident colored a picture for us of a young man on one knee presenting a flower to a young lady. Around the margins she wrote, “Merry Christmas. This is for you! Because I hope my love for someone grows as strong as yours.”
On two separate occasions, Paul and I were fixing breakfast together. In one instance we were bantering and joking together; in the other we were both working on our signature skillet breakfast. Both times, an onlooking resident told us spontaneously that they wanted to be like us when they were our age - they wanted a relationship like ours.
Now I realize why these memories are so precious to me: marriage was the first institution instituted by God, and part of His perfect plan.
As Christians we are still sinful creatures. Yet we can be, at least, a shadow of God’s perfect plan through the witness of a loving marriage. Through houseparenting, we are able to give many without the privileges that we have enjoyed, the chance to experience a different vision of family life.
"A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24
Seventeen days.
That’s all it took to change 12-year-old Denver’s life forever. Denver’s messy home life had resulted in him being put into foster care until he was able to get back into the care of his biological family. His stay ended up lasting just a little over 2 weeks.
Stephanie, Denver’s foster mom, took him to church a total of 3 times before he left her home to go live with his aunt. Those 3 visits were enough to leave him hungry for more of this Jesus guy. He told his aunt he wanted to keep going to church so they found one to start attending. They even invited his dad along, which he accepted, just for the sake of getting more time with his son.
Denver had always been super close with his dad — having to live away from him was really hard. What started as a way to spend more time with Denver, turned into a rehab experience through the church’s addiction recovery ministry. Three months later, in celebration of 90 days of sobriety, both he and Denver were baptized together. They now share a bond that is closer than father and son: they are brothers in Christ!
"Three months later, in celebration of 90 days of sobriety, both he and Denver were baptized together."
If all you had was 17 days to pour love into someone, would you do it, not knowing if your efforts will make an impact? There are nearly 15,000 kids just in Indiana waiting for you to be a Stephanie to them today.
My first full time counseling position after graduate school began at Gateway Woods. Like many new clinicians joining a residential community, I found myself caught in the fray of paperwork, learning to manage a multitude of schedules and the systems that place residents with us, all the while building rapport with both residents and staff members. Sometimes the role feels more like case management than counseling, but I still acutely remember the moment I knew I was where God had called me to be.
Residents often enter Gateway with their own vision of success: don’t say or do anything dumb, keep your head down, and do what you’re told.
They intend to “do their time” until the program finishes. But, as I warn them when they arrive, this strategy is rarely effective. Gateway Woods is not a holding facility, it’s a treatment facility. So residents entering our care are entering a treatment program where they are expected to participate. Participation does not mean perfection, but means practicing resilience in the face of rupture.
One day, Jeremy came to my office when he was in the middle of just such a rupture. He had hurt himself and feared what he would do to others if something did not change. In this hopelessness, he revealed to me stories of his life that he had never told anyone. He was honest with himself in a way that few of us are willing to be. By the end of our time together, awash with tears, that honesty helped him to be kinder with himself and others, the beginning of the lifelong process of building both the empathy and insight to work effectively with others.
Those rare vulnerable moments, often deeply unsettling, however, are places where we often find God is already present. Those moments are not the end of the process, but the beginning of a longer process, as we learn to return (another way of translating “repent”) again and again to the places where God is always – already – at work.
I am grateful when these young people invite me into the trauma of their lives. This is holy ground.
Spring has sprung on the Gateway Woods campus! Baby chicks fill the barn, the new strawberry test patch is being cultivated, and tiny seedlings are sprouting in the warmth of the Gateway Farms greenhouse. Gateway Farms’ peak season has begun, and as spring breathes in its new life, so comes an excitement over renewed hope and a fresh start.
Gateway Farms exists to bring that Hope and New Life to our resident-turned-farmers. A natural love for all things agricultural developed into an idea to create purpose during slow summer days. Gardens were cultivated and seeds were planted. Gracious customers received the fruits of our young farmers’ labors; bi-weekly produce bins filled with God-grown vegetables. The farmers pulled weeds, and watched as God blessed their work with a bountiful harvest. As our resident-turned-farmers watched seeds turn to harvest, and hard work into income, we pray always that their hearts will be as soft to God’s faithful increase in their own lives. Hoping to create an avenue for success and a learned skill of hard work in our residents, God continued to abundantly give the increase. We watched as through crop failure and excessive rains God displayed His abundant faithfulness to our farmers as every produce bin scheduled for delivery was filled to overflowing. We saw Him use the humble beginnings of customer-to-farmer business relations develop into friendships; conversations about vegetables happening at church, and an inviting of shared life as doors into homes were opened for our farmers. We watched as our farmers found purpose and a humble sort of pride in using their God given gifts; some easily connecting with customers over phone calls to schedule deliveries, others excitedly arranging flowers, still others baking fresh goods to tuck inside their produce bins. A small seed planted and watered, an abundant harvest gifted through God’s grace.
Gateway Farms exists to bring Hope and New Life to our resident-turned-farmers.
Now in our 3rd year of Gateway Farms operations, we continually seek to create purpose for our farmers, and new avenues to reach more residents. Gateway Farms 2017 strives to serve more customers in our produce bin deliveries, raise pastured livestock for meat sales, gain greenhouse productivity, and develop our first year of strawberry sales. As we seek to be faithful stewards of the gifts bestowed on us, we pray that God will continue to give the increase, and our farmers ever know Him more as they meet Him on the farm.
"Jason…?"
A familiar voice was on the end of the other line.
"Yeah, Dalen, what's going on?" Jason had been spending time with him ever since Dalen left Gateway Woods last year. They usually met weekly to hang out together. God had been using this mentoring relationship to provide some stability and accountability in Dalen’s life. Having recently turned 18 and no longer a ward of the state, he had decided to move back in with his mom.
"Well…I need help. I just got home to my mom’s apartment and she’s gone. There’s an eviction notice. I’m not sure where to stay. I’ve been hanging out with my friend in his vehicle to keep out of the cold."
Unfortunately, Dalen’s story is far too common for many of the youth we serve at Gateway Woods. In fact, nationwide statistics show that 1 in 5 youth aging out of the foster care system instantly become homeless when they turn 18. What a rude awaking for a young adult without much support or many healthy relationships.
But what happens to kids like Dalen who don’t have people like Jason to turn to? If only there was a safe place for them to land while still being connected to the positive relationships they had developed in their time at Gateway Woods.
1 in 5 youth aging out of the foster care system instantly become homeless when they turn 18.
Kids like Dalen have compelled us to pursue WillowBridge: an apartment building for youth transitioning out of our residential or foster care programs who don’t have a stable place to land. These are the kids who, if they leave these programs without crucial support systems, are more vulnerable and susceptible to use drugs, be incarcerated, become homeless, or commit suicide.
Renovations started in March and it is our prayer to be able to open the WillowBridge apartments this summer. With the building being located in the heart of Grabill — just a mile east of Gateway Woods — we are able to keep these youth connected with a church, mentors, and jobs in a small, safe community. These connections, with the help of on-site staff, will provide both accountability and encouragement as they transition to independence.
Visit our website to learn how you can support kids like Dalen through the WillowBridge project by praying, giving, or volunteering.
"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." I Corinthians 3:6
As a Houseparent, I heard this sentiment of "planting seeds" a lot, often in the form of encouragement, and I didn’t always like it. Don’t get me wrong, I knew that was the goal — but selfishly, I wanted to see fruit in these kids! Then Jaycee came to us at Hickory House. She was young, had extreme amounts of energy, and struggled with learning. She was so lovable and yet could be very frustrating because she was slow in making progress — thinking about planting seeds didn’t make me feel better in the moment. Eventually she moved on and we were left wondering if we had really accomplished anything in her nine months on campus.
"A seed that was planted while at Gateway Woods, however small, was still there. It was just waiting for the next person to water it and for God to give it growth."
Fast forward a few years. After having no contact since her departure, she sent my wife a Facebook message: "I just want you to know I’m pregnant. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to disappoint you." Were we discouraged to hear she was pregnant? Yes. But then we realized, there had been an impact. Despite not seeing her for years, she cared about how we viewed her and she knew what she had done was wrong. A seed that was planted while at Gateway Woods, however small, was still there. It was just waiting for the next person to water it and for God to give it growth.
When you think about missionaries or the mission field in general, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Do you picture a village full of primitive huts in the middle of nowhere? Do you imagine foreign cultures, languages, and lands? Do you picture the missionaries as the only white-skinned people around?
Most do. Most don’t picture small town America. They don’t picture teenagers who grew up in the States. They don’t think about the tumultuous homes that those teens grew up in, whether because of trauma, abuse, neglect, drugs, alcohol – or all of the above. They don’t think that those teens (who very well may be sitting in a classroom next to their own teen) could possibly live in America their whole lives and not hear the saving grace of the Gospel message.
According to Merriam-Webster, a missionary is a person undertaking a mission and especially a religious mission.
As Christians, what is our mission? To spread the Gospel unto all nations, right? The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
If you’re a Christian, you’re a missionary — and our very own nation needs missionaries spreading the Good News.
Gateway Woods is just one way to be a domestic missionary, to pour into those like the aforementioned teenagers. And while Indiana may seem like a foreign land to some, it’s probably not so different from your hometown. We do have lake effect weather and Amish buggies galore, but there’s no new language to learn and you don’t even need a passport to come visit.
In fact, we invite you to come visit. Come fellowship with and encourage our domestic missionaries who are on the front lines every day. Come connect with the teens that may have not heard of the Gospel until coming into contact with Gateway. Come be a part of a mission field that is white for the harvest — it just needs some willing reapers with an eternal perspective.
I’ve been an aunt since I was 12, so I love having houseparent kids stop in my office – it always brightens my day and I never know what kind of conversations I’ll have with them. I’ve also lived with Type 1 Diabetes since I was 9. There was a day when both of these worlds collided to form a memory that I hold dearly.
Five-year-old Paiton had stopped in to use my pens to color a picture when she caught sight of some diabetes tech that helps me manage my blood sugars. ‘Shy’ is not a word that I would ever use to describe Paiton, so she came right out and asked, “What’s that?”
But not in Heaven, right?
I attempted to bring diabetes down to her level with a simplified explanation of a very complicated disease. “There’s something inside my body that’s broken and it makes me sick if I don’t take care of it and
this helps me take care of it,” pointing to my tech.
“Oh…When will you get better?” Despite the touchy subject, I smiled. I loved her curiosity.
“Well, I probably won’t ever get better. I’ll probably be sick forever.”
Her eyes lit up and her immediate response was, “But not in Heaven, right?”
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself." Philippians 3:20-21
You know, it’s good to get reminders from a Bible verse, or be convicted from the words of a preacher, or be sharpened as iron from the words of a friend. But sometimes, you just need to have a conversation with a 5-year-old.
So you go out with your new friend, and over coffee, you discuss the terms of your friendship—how often you’ll meet, what sort of activities you’ll do, and when your friendship will end. You discuss how you’ll know if it’s a successful friendship and the ways to achieve that.
What?
You don’t start a friendship like this?
Of course not. Me either!
Everyone knows that friendship happens naturally. It develops as people spend time together and get to know one another. No one puts an end date on their friendship or measures it for success.
Then shouldn’t it be the same with mentoring?
Unfortunately, many people are unclear about what it means to be a mentor. They think it means they have to set all kinds of guidelines, be the perfect role model, and have all the answers. They worry about whether they’ll be “successful.” They think they are ultimately responsible for the development, improvement, or even the salvation of another person.
Mentoring is none of those things.
Mentoring should be natural and fun—whether it’s a formal relationship where two people are matched or an informal one that develops organically.
So then what really is expected of a mentor?
A mentor needs to show up. Just consistently show up. This might seem obvious and easy if a relationship blossoms quickly, but if it builds slowly, it is important to be consistent over time. You may feel like you aren’t making a difference at all or that the relationship is going nowhere. Be patient and keep your commitment. Showing up builds trust. Showing up says “I care,” and “You’re worth it.”
When you’re with your mentee, live out your faith in word and deed, just like you normally do. Treat your mentee with respect and confidentiality. Be present—give your focused attention. (Hmm, maybe that means putting your phone on do not disturb.) Be honest. Don’t be fake. Be willing to say “I don’t know” if you don’t. Model what God says and does for us, “I’m here for you.” “You matter to me.”
A mentee may ask you to speak in to their life right away or it may take time to earn that right. If it takes time, be patient. Whenever you do share your thoughts and insights, speak with humility and respect, remembering that you have not walked in their shoes. Give continual assurance of your love and care, no matter what. It doesn’t mean approval of every idea or decision but it means you will always care for them. Remember it is only by God’s grace and the power of His Spirit that we can speak with wisdom.
So there you have it. Anyone who is willing to show up consistently, live out their faith, and speak words of kindness and encouragement can be a mentor.
So now when you hear the word, “mentor,” think trusted ally, champion, encourager.
And when you hear the word “mentoring,” think friendship on purpose.
Think natural and fun!
Coffee anyone?
When you think about missionaries or the mission field in general, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Do you picture a village full of primitive huts in the middle of nowhere? Do you imagine foreign cultures, languages, and lands? Do you picture the missionaries as the only white-skinned people around?
Most do. Most don’t picture small town America. They don’t picture teenagers who grew up in the States. They don’t think about the tumultuous homes that those teens grew up in, whether because of trauma, abuse, neglect, drugs, alcohol – or all of the above. They don’t think that those teens (who very well may be sitting in a classroom next to their own teen) could possibly live in America their whole lives and not hear the saving grace of the Gospel message.
If you’re a Christian, you’re a missionary – and our very own nation needs missionaries spreading the Good News.
According to Merriam-Webster, a missionary is a person undertaking a mission and especially a religious mission.
As Christians, what is our mission? To spread the Gospel unto all nations, right? The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). If you’re a Christian, you’re a missionary – and our very own nation needs missionaries spreading the Good News.
Gateway Woods is just one way to be a domestic missionary, to pour into those like the aforementioned teenagers. And while Indiana may seem like a foreign land to some, it’s probably not so different from your hometown. We do have lake effect weather and Amish buggies galore, but there’s no new language to learn and you don’t even need a passport to come visit.
In fact, we invite you to come visit. Come fellowship with and encourage our domestic missionaries who are on the front lines every day. Come connect with the teens that may have not heard of the Gospel until coming into contact with Gateway. Come be a part of a mission field that is white for the harvest – it just needs some willing reapers with an eternal perspective.
Change is hard. At least that is a phrase you often hear. Do you enjoy change? Some of us welcome change and some of us dread it. Yet, life is full of change. Even the most “stable” of seasons in our lives can be full of change - both in and out of our control. Some of it is expected and even planned for, other change can be unexpected and even jarring, happening in the blink of an eye.
When we discussed the potential of coming to Gateway Woods to serve as houseparents, a veteran houseparent family shared this thought with us: “At Gateway, change is a constant.” This has proven very true in our 2 years of being on staff at Gateway Woods, and also in our lives as a whole.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:19
Time marches on and with it comes varying degrees of changes and modifications to our lives. It was a big decision to pack up and move our family from Illinois to Leo, IN in order to work at Gateway. It was a change. The story is similar for each staff member who has felt called to come and serve at Gateway.
The residents we live and work with have also experienced great change. Coming to live at Gateway takes them away from family, friends, and familiarity. Some of them desire change, some resist it. This is difficult, but also can be good.
In two years, we have been privileged to meet, live, and interact with a number of different young people (and their children). We have been blessed to get to know a lot of different staff members, working on different teams with various houseparents. Having spent the bulk of our time in Oak House (the teen mom program), we have seen babies born, toddlers grow, teens move in and move out. There have been lots of changes.
Through changing circumstances, deeper - and more important - changes are taking place. Changes in our own hearts. Changes in each of our lives - staff and residents alike. Changes through relationships and shared life experiences. It has been a great experience for us, and our own children have enjoyed being a part of the ministry. It has been hard. We have shared tears and laughter with our children, as well as with residents.
Some residents stay a very short time, while others may stay a year or more. We have heard residents comment “I’m so thankful I was sent to Gateway. It has changed me for the better and I don’t know where I’d be if I had not come here.” Not all have had this outlook, but sometimes that takes time. One thing is undeniable: the Gateway experience changes us all…and though it is hard, it is a good thing.
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
For the third night in a row, Kristi found herself sitting in the hallway of the boys’ wing at Cypress House, reading a children’s book to them as they settled down for bed. Tonight, it was Frog & Toad. The previous nights had been samplings of The Berenstain Bears and Dr. Seuss classics. She wasn’t forcing them to sit there and listen – they had asked her for another story.
As an assistant houseparent, Kristi had found reading to be a great tactic with a previous female resident. Immersing her in the adventures of the Pevensie children had helped her to escape from her own anxieties and to calm her thoughts, especially before bed.
As teenagers, most would think that stories like Frog & Toad are too juvenile for such a crowd. But what if you never had the opportunity to have such stories read to you when you were just a tot? Many of the teenagers that come to Gateway Woods have had this experience robbed from their childhoods, which leaves them aching for it, even if they don’t realize it. But that doesn’t mean they have to completely miss out on the experience. Cue story time with Kristi.
"When we fail to see the broken child inside our troubled teens, we lose sight of not only our mission here at Gateway, but ultimately the Gospel." Kristi Baran, Assistant Houseparent
The boys are now relaxing to a chapter book each evening, proving that it’s not the depth of the content that matters as much as the act of simply being read to. So, dear parent, read Goodnight Moon one more time to your little one(s). Their developing brains, bodies, and emotions need it. You’ll never regret the time you spend doing so and they’ll never be the same without it.
Advent (noun): the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:" Isaiah 9:6a
There are various and sundry traditions when it comes to Christmas: decorating a tree, setting up a Nativity scene, hot cocoa and eggnog, caroling, making all kinds of sweets, and eating for days on end, just to name a few. Maybe most notably, though, is the tradition of gift giving.
As fun as it can be to anticipate the snow, the food, the family togetherness, and the gifts, wouldn't it be most gratifying to anticipate the greatest Gift of all? It can be easy to get so caught up in the material side of Christmas that we can quickly lose sight of the little fella that is at the center of our very Nativity scenes.
So our prayer for you, dear friend, is that your greatest anticipation this year is for God's Gift to us: Jesus. That's also our prayer for each of the kids, clients, and families that the ministry of Gateway Woods gets the honor of coming into contact with every day. If we don't point them to Jesus, our work is in vain. Merry Christmas!
My husband, Quinn, and I never would have guessed how God would choose to use foster care as a blessing to us. We decided to look into fostering when we weren’t able to have biological children. Both of us being teachers, we loved working with children. We had an empty bedroom and felt convicted to give God our "loaves and fishes" to help out hurting children. Little did we know that those children would actually be the ones helping and teaching us.
We had an empty bedroom and felt convicted to give God our "loaves and fishes" to help out hurting children.
We decided to get our license through Gateway Woods, and time and time again we have been so thankful for that decision. Gateway helps us keep track of our paperwork for the state, provides training to keep our license up, cover us in prayers, comes to our home monthly to check in, and supports us with any problem 24/7. Without Gateway helping us navigate through this journey, I truly believe we wouldn’t still be fostering. They not only give us the push when we need it, but also help us through the guilt when we’ve had to ask for a child to be removed.
Seven years, 30+ foster kids, and 1 biological child later, God has proven faithful every day of this crazy journey. It’s been the hardest, yet most rewarding chapter of our marriage. One of my foster friends said it well, "Fostering is being a missionary without needing a passport." With foster parenting, you're given the opportunity to teach children about Jesus while living out life in your own home.
I think one of the biggest surprises of fostering has been the empathy I now feel towards the biological parents. It had been way too easy for me to think, "How could anyone do this to a child?" when I have lived life with a strong Christian network surrounding me. But after hearing some of the parents' stories, I wonder if I would really be able to choose any differently had I not been given the gift of that Christian support group.
One of the hardest things for me to hear as a foster parent is when well-meaning Christian friends say, "I could never do that: I could never love a child knowing I would have to give them back." I cringe when hearing comments like that one. Jesus did not take the easy way out in His life. We aren't called to the easy things in life, to spread the news of Jesus only when it won't cost us anything in return. (I would argue the complete opposite is what Jesus lived and preached!) Jesus doesn't call everyone to foster, but He has commanded us all to help the widow, orphan, and the fatherless. I'll leave you with this question: what is God asking you to do for the helpless?
It’s difficult to put into words what houseparent life is like at Gateway Woods. As we approach two years as houseparents, we look back over our experience and who we were when we first came here, and we are so thankful for the work God has done in us. If we were to give you the number of kids we have worked with that are doing well now, our statistics could be discouraging. But what is our measure of success? What will God do with these stories and lives down the road? Only God knows the rocks that have been moved and the seeds that have been planted, and we trust Him for the increase!
We have felt like we’re at rock bottom many times these past two years. What do you do when you are pouring out all you have, giving of your heart and time, and the very teens you’re trying to help respond in an apathetic or oppositional way? How do you live with the negativity, drama, and heartbreak they bring with them? Can you answer “why?” to a teen who is still at the emotional age of a child because her mom threw her out on the streets at age nine and she survived by running drugs? Can you answer “where was God?” to a teen who was hurt and abused from the time she was four years old?
Think about all the people you have around you who support you and pray for you. Can you imagine having no one? No one who will come visit you, or to even make a phone call to, or to live with when you leave treatment? The situations and impossibilities we face daily drive us to our knees like nothing we have ever experienced before.
We don’t have answers; but we do have hope. There is nothing abnormal or special about us. We don’t possess some super talent that you don’t. What we have learned is that the work is the LORD’s, changing hearts and lives is of the LORD, and praise be to Him that He can do the impossible! At Gateway, we give these teens maybe the first safe home in their lives, and show them a way of living they have never known. We live out the Gospel by loving them when they are unlovable. And we do all that only by the grace of God and by His strength.
It’s tough to remain fully staffed, because the work is difficult. As believers, though, we are not called to the easy, but to the difficult. The truth is, we don’t have what it takes to do this work…but God does. We encourage you to step out and live for Christ in a way that is uncomfortable and challenging. You will find that the work God does in changing and molding you more into His likeness is far more than worth the cost.
We praise God for His faithfulness this past year! We are so thankful for the support from the body of Christ that has helped impact the lives of over 780 children and families who received help and healing this past fiscal year. This year has been one of transition and growth. Whether it’s been the expansion of the LARC (Linking to Attain Responsibility & Community) program or the necessary remodel of Maple House, God has been faithful in providing through generous and compassionate brothers and sisters like yourself.
We are amazed at God’s providence and provision as the LARC initiative continues to grow. The outcomes are staggering for the youth who leave Gateway without healthy and supportive relationships. Over 35 vulnerable youth this past fiscal year have enrolled in this voluntary program. Over 120 community partners and mentors have been identified to help provide support and accountability for these youth in transition.
The Adoption department in Indiana and Illinois had a record year by assisting over 165 families with their adoptions. What an amazing blessing to be part of helping these vulnerable children find a Christian forever home.
Gateway Farms recently completed its fourth growing season. Eric and Marissa Bahler were hired as full-time farm managers to help this initiative expand services and impact. Resident-turned-farmers have had a great opportunity to learn the value of hard work, food, and community through their employment.
As we reflect on this past year, we are so thankful for many things. We are grateful for the continued opportunity to serve hurting children and families. We praise God for willing workers who come from near and far to minister to the broken and downtrodden. We are so thankful for volunteers, prayer partners and donors who change lives and bring hope.
My husband and I felt called to adoption after no longer being able to have children of our own. As we researched options that also called to our spiritual needs to serve, Gateway Woods was presented to us as an agency. We could not have been more pleased with Luci Koch and the team at Gateway Woods. They really took the time to get to know us, and to help us. They approached every situation with a servant heart. It was in their help that we reached out to two other agencies that really matched our desire of a Christian, God filled adoption journey.
A social worker at one of these agencies connected us with our birthmother directly, and we began the process of a private placement adoption. We could not have gotten through this process without our faith in God, and the wonderful people at both agencies who were such a tremendous resource for us. In less than a year from when we were adoption certified, we welcomed home a healthy and very happy baby boy, named Ben. Our daughter helped us pick out the name as Ben is derived from the Latin translation, gift from God.
"Our daughter helped us pick out the name as Ben is derived from the Latin translation, gift from God."
It is often that people tell us how lucky that Ben is, but we don't feel that way at all, in fact, we very much feel like the lucky ones to have Ben in our lives. The process of adoption was life changing for Tim and I and we have not only a greater sense of purpose after adopting, but also great respect for how God's plan unfolds in each of our lives. Our birthmother had such a heartbreaking story, and we realized how being born to a family that loves us and also realizing God's love for us can make all the difference in someone's life.
There isn't a day that goes by that I don't pray for our birthmother, or think of her. She will forever be a part of our lives and our hearts. We stay in touch, I send cards and pictures, and we recently met for dinner with Ben. When Luci explained the benefits of an open adoption, I was skeptical, but I will say our open adoption has been good for both of our hearts. Jesus says we should "be the light", and it has given us great opportunity to do just that.
We couldn't imagine life without our dear, sweet, Ben, or this experience to meet and walk in faith with a complete stranger with a shared interest of providing the best life possible for a child of God. Our hearts are full, and this is an experience we wouldn't have had without the help of so many and our faith that God had a plan for us, even though it didn't match our own plan for our lives. Our story has a happy ending, but also a beautiful beginning in finding ways to share our own experience, share in the need to trust the Lord, and to live a life of compassion, humility, and grace.
Recently, I was out to eat for dinner with a former co-worker. I caught the eye of a former resident that I knew when I was an after-school tutor in the Residential houses. He came over to say hello but soon wandered off with his girlfriend. Before he left, he stopped by our table again and informed me that he had dropped out of school. He seemed disappointed in himself, so I told him about two students who took the High School Equivalency (HSE) because we had just received their passing scores that same day. He asked if I would help him, so I gave him my number not really expecting that I would hear from him.
"His motivation continued and within one month, he also passed his HSE!"
Before 8:30 the following morning, he was texting me to ask if we could start studying that day. His motivation continued and within one month, he also passed his HSE! I am thankful that the influence of Gateway Woods does not end with their time on our campus. Even when they are feeling vulnerable, former residents trust that if they reach out to Gateway, they can still find help.
I saw them learn to trust that God does indeed work all things together for good, even when they can’t see it.
Every now and then, God blinds us. He blinds us to this temporal reality — a broken mixture of matter and man’s will fighting against the curse to hold on to God’s original "very good" — and gives us eyes to see.
With my mortal eyes, I saw about six students, each focused on a piece of paper, their pens or pencils wavering and swirling as they completed a writing prompt. But I also saw shards of broken beauty now back in the Potter’s hands. I could see the souls who withered and cracked from addictions and abuse now overflow with the abundant life God pours out from His throne through the cross and tomb. They could go to school and learn without worrying about their next meal – or their next bruise. They could think; they could wonder; they could explore the minds and talents God gave them.
I recently ended a four-year career teaching at Gateway Woods School, and in those four years, I saw students threaten one another; I saw students cheat on homework; I saw a student demand of God why He would let a trusted adult abuse her. But I also saw them heal, some powerfully, some gradually, some seemingly permanently, some seemingly temporarily. I saw them laugh; I saw them conquer a difficult text passage; I saw them earn passing grades – excellent grades – when they previously earned primarily F's. I saw them ponder the message of the Gospel, all the way from Genesis to Revelation, in devotions class. I saw them learn to trust that God does indeed work all things together for good, even when they can’t see it.
And when I saw with spiritual eyes, I saw that too.
I also saw me. I saw my pride; I saw my anger; I saw my anxiety – not as quirks or habits, but as real spiritual monsters that warred against God’s very good plan. And when I saw that, I could better see God’s heart, not just for me, but for all those who come to Gateway. All have sinned, but Christ can redeem all.
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called Children of God," John writes in his first epistle. "... Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."
I can’t wait to see in Heaven my former students who trusted in Christ. I can’t wait to see how God redeemed them after our paths crossed for four short years.
I can’t wait to see not the end, but the beginning.
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. - James 5:16b
"Now thank we all our God…"
Those words of song swelled the white tent, as hundreds of people offered the sweet savor of gratitude to our Lord just moments before the opening gavel. The space was packed, the smell of delicious food permeated the air, and everyone stood in expectation. The forty-second annual Gateway Woods auction was underway!
"With Heart"
More that fifty years ago the Lord stirred the hearts of many brothers and sisters to bring about a ministry to children and families in trouble. That heart continues to this day, as the church continues this challenging but vital work of service. A veteran probation officer, with tears in her eyes, followed the songs with riveting testimony of bringing kids from tough situations to Gateway Woods. She offered an emotional thank-you to the church and to Gateway Woods for opening our hearts and homes to young people.
"And Hands"
It’s time to give a hand for all the hands. Hundreds of volunteers and nearly 2000 guests make the auction go. And that’s just on one day. The number of hands offering service and fellowship over the decades must be in the thousands. And we always want to remember those most important hands; the ones clasped in ardent prayer. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16. Thank you for your ceaseless prayers for the work of the ministry and for the auction, and thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ!
"And Voices"
Beautiful songs of praise at start of day. Auctioneers voicing enthusiasm and excitement. Lively children laugh with delight. Joyful and animated conversations punctuate the air. Gracious greetings, fond farewells, and thoughtful words of thanks. We lift up our voices to praise our great God.
"Who wondrous things has done"
Yes, the 42nd annual auction was a wondrous thing! The Lord blessed and blessed and blessed, and His bounty carried the day.
"In whom the world rejoices"
We rejoice indeed in the wonder of the day. Thank you so much for your prayers, support, presence, purchases and love. We are excited to report a new record auction total of $645,000! And while the funding is necessary and nice, the sweet spirit of generosity, love and support is heartwarming and humbling. May the Lord richly bless you, as you have served children in tough situations. We will see you at next year’s auction on Saturday, August 3, 2019!
"The kids think I’m this big, intimidating person and now I just ruined my reputation!" Cheryl Bartnick said through tears as she shared during the opening program of the Auction. Her comment earned her a round of applause from the audience. During her 13 years as a placement officer, Cheryl had placed 50 teenagers at Gateway Woods because she saw the impact our staff was making through the love and care of our family model. Now, she was sharing with the very people that have helped Gateway continue in its work for over 40 years and she was full of emotional gratitude standing before them.
The kids think I’m this big, intimidating person and now I just ruined my reputation!
"While the kids are here, they have a love-hate relationship: they hate the rules, they don’t like going to church. But they like the love that they’re getting — they’re being welcomed and embraced. They don’t get that at home. The kids that come to Gateway want to come back to visit because they don’t realize how good they had it while they were here — they want to reconnect with the staff that poured into them and reached back out even after they left. My kids never go back to any of the other places they’ve been. Gateway is unique. We need Gateway. I can’t imagine a world without it."
Little did Cheryl know that standing in the crowd was a young lady whom she didn’t recognize nor expect to see. This young lady wasn’t thrilled to hear the Gateway Woods choir sing about an "Almighty, Infinite God" but was moved to tears by Cheryl’s speech and was quick to find her and give her a big hug afterwards. Why? She was one of "the kids" Cheryl had mentioned — she was on her probation caseload decades prior! She was never placed at Gateway, but Cheryl had been her probation officer. Along with the hug, she thanked Cheryl for investing in her life, her heart somehow softer now.
We had invited Cheryl to share about the impact she sees the mission of Gateway Woods making, but seeing how much Cheryl has impacted kids herself speaks volumes to the level of care she poured into them.
Thank you, Cheryl, for being a bright light to so many kids and to us here at Gateway. We can’t imagine a world without you.
when you volunteer at Gateway, you will never just merely paint or merely mulch, but everything should be full of new meaning and purpose which brings about healing to the children.
If I come and volunteer, what will I do? This question seems like it would be straightforward, but as the volunteer coordinator this summer for Gateway Woods I found this to be the most difficult question. It is the question I received back from most people who I asked to come and volunteer, but it always felt like it was a loaded question. Behind asking what they will do, they are really asking will I be doing anything worthwhile? Or even is it worth me coming out? So, I could answer the question with physical activities like painting and landscaping, but those answers do not actually answer the real motive behind the question. And herein lies the problem with volunteer coordinators, what is the purpose for volunteering here? There is not a straightforward answer to this question, and it is this question that has haunted me all summer. Here are a few thoughts that I had after thinking it over all summer.
So, if you missed volunteering this summer at Gateway, pencil it in for next summer. Come and see Christ’s work in action. Come and put a face with your prayers and with your giving, and let us put a face to our gratitude.
Leyah* and Jordyn* were nervous. They were returning to the Gateway Woods campus for the first time since they were in the residential program. It had been decades since they had even lain eyes on the campus. And today, they were stepping back in time by coming to the annual Auction.
Leyah had been placed in Maple House, her brother joining her shortly after. Leyah recalled the life events that brought them to Gateway and the myriad of emotions that were tied to living on campus. She wondered if it could be possible to see the inside of Maple House again just for a few minutes.
"I just want to see my old room and remember how God was there even when I didn't want Him."
Somehow, she found a Board Member and timidly presented her request, her nerves trembling. Houseparents were eventually located and a tour was arranged for the both of them. A sense of peace and closure that can’t be explained filled Leyah and she went through the rest of the day elated and joyful. While Leyah didn’t appreciate her time at Gateway at first, she can look back now and say it was a positive experience. The lessons she learned continue to motivate her decision making today.
We never know how many years will pass until we see the results of the seeds that are being planted in our teenagers. But those results never cease to amaze us!
*Names changed to protect privacy.
"They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." Nehemiah 4:17
You are probably familiar with the story. Nehemiah hears of Jerusalem’s walls in shambles, procures safe passage and materials from a Persian king, rallies his countrymen, and is able to restore the wall to its previously fortified state despite some stiff opposition. Significant enough opposition that those feverishly working on the project needed to hang on to a weapon in order to finish the task. The thought that always goes through my mind when coming across this account is ‘how in the world could you get anything done when one of your hands is hanging onto a sword?’ Each worker, whether having great or little skill and literally only one hand to work with, became effective builders because the work they were doing was in an effort to glorify God.
Like the Israelites, you have the opportunity to step into the gap and become an effective builder of the ministry at Gateway Woods through serving at the benefit Auction this year. I promise not to make you work single-handed or even have you hold onto a spear while serving, but I would ask that you prayerfully consider volunteering for one of the over 320 opportunities on August 4th. This long-standing event would not be able to function without the faithful aid of volunteers. We are employing a digital sign-up this year for the first time. The digital sign-up can be found at https://gatewaywoods.ivolunteer.com. At this site, you will find the five main areas in which we need volunteers and by clicking on any of these you will discover opportunities to sign-up and serve: Food, Green Tent, Grounds, Red Tent, and White Tent. Your local Gateway Woods Representatives can help you navigate these waters, so track them down — they would LOVE to assist you.
God used His people to build a wall that stood as a symbol of His provision and faithfulness. For over forty years, Gateway Woods has been a shining beacon of hope for hurting families and a testimony of God faithfully working through His people to build His kingdom. I encourage you to join in the labor and become builders of the ministry at Gateway Woods by offering your time and efforts on August 4th.
Please do not hesitate to contact me via email at gwauctionvolunteer@gmail.com or by leaving me a message at (260) 376-1742 if you have any questions.
Happy Volunteering!
I’d like to introduce you to a former student of mine named Susie. Both of Susie’s parents abandoned her at birth and their whereabouts are still unknown to this day. Susie was raised by her grandmother, whose family was deeply involved in criminal activity so Susie grew up surrounded by meth manufacturers, drug dealers, alcoholics, community misfits, and sexual predators. Susie was expelled from public school and ran the streets, doing many illegal and immoral activities.
"I will never forget that moment and I don’t think Susie will either."
When Susie came to Gateway Woods, she struggled big time in school. On the surface, she seemed unmotivated and lazy. She was a frustration to us teachers because no matter what lessons we planned in class, Susie would zone out and appear to be in a different world. The school kept logging these observations and asking her counselor and houseparents, “What can we do to motivate Susie?” Susie’s counselor decided to broach this subject in a counseling session. Susie opened up to her counselor and uncovered that the school staff was not wrong in thinking she was in another world when in class, because she was. Susie’s “zoning out” was her actually frequently experiencing flashbacks of the day her house burned down and the times she experienced horrific sexual assault. With sudden realization, I didn’t see Susie as a lazy, unmotivated student anymore. I hurt for Susie. Why should she care about the War of 1812 or how to solve for a variable in algebra? She went through things that are unimaginable. I was flooded with empathy for her, which created a great desire to see this girl succeed.
She was failing my Biology class so she needed to complete additional studying at the house to have any hope of passing. My suggestion was to have her create flashcards for the vocab terms that would be on the upcoming test. The houseparents took this suggestion and gave her index cards with markers so she could make them look “pretty”, as this was something she enjoyed to do. Well, Susie studied those “pretty” flashcards she made. Prior to taking the test, Susie told me that she thought she would do well on it. I admit I was a little doubtful of this because her track record on previous tests was quite dismal. She took the test. I graded the test. I called Susie over to me and told her that I graded her test. I took a big breath and I said, “You got a 96% A!!!” Susie’s eyes lit up and the biggest smile spread across her face.
I will never forget that moment and I don’t think Susie will either. For in that moment, Susie had her first taste of success and she liked it. On a Biology quiz the next week, Susie used her flashcard study method to not only get an A but an A+ this time! And I knew that these moments with Susie were worth it. Susie has inspired me. “Susie moments” are why I work at Gateway Woods School.
After 31 years, 48 houseparents, and 187 residents, what kind of things do you think the walls of Maple House (formally known as New House) would share if you asked them?
We can only imagine the stories they might tell us. They might speak about the time a frantic young Aaron awoke his houseparents, because of his paranoia about the goat that was knocking on his window and keeping him up all night. Or maybe about the mysterious escape of a hamster in the middle of the night and a distraught Richie who had just lost his new pet. They could definitely share a few entertaining conversations between kids through the vents.
Maybe they would share memories of laughter. They could speak of the time a startled Joe hurled a manikin head out of the bathroom with a shriek as his houseparents watched with much amusement. Maybe they would share about the multiple false fire alarms triggered during the middle of the night, which awakened everyone from their sleep. Or maybe they would tell of the time houseparents and kids cleared all the furniture and decorations out of the great room and dining room so they could play dodge ball (we hope they don’t share whose great idea that was).
There would be a lot of serious moments to recollect. These walls could share about devotions around the dinner table and story time with the houseparents. Or about the anguish and tears because of the painful memories of abuse. Maybe they would share about the anger and resentment that sometimes manifested itself in tantrums or carvings into furniture. They could also share about the disappointment of some of the teens who anxiously waited by the bay window watching for a parent who would never show up for a visit.
How about the time Zach found out from his house dad that his father had passed away from cancer? Or the time Andre broke down in tears by his bedside to surrender his heart and life to Jesus? Or the emotional phone conversation that Katie had with her estranged mother where she offered her mom forgiveness because that was what Christ had offered to her?
Oh, if these walls could talk, there would be much to share! There would be stories of heartache and sorrow but also stories of hope. There would be fond and funny memories. There would times of frustration but also times of jubilation over the smallest of victories. There would be countless prayers uttered (including some that could only escape as groans). But most importantly, there would be a reflection of life and hope because of Jesus. Even in the darkest of times, His light still shines.
As these walls could share memory after memory of the past, they would also share of a need for repair and restoration. In order for the children and houseparents of Maple House to continue making memories, it will need both repairs and a major renovation. Would you consider praying and supporting the Maple House staff and children this summer as we plan to undergo these necessary improvements?
"For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease." - Job 14:7
The Gateway Woods School is offering an opportunity for education majors to refine their skills, gain practical classroom experience, and learn from professional teachers through the education internship position.
Two years ago, I worked alongside an intern, and her presence helped sharpen my skills, much like iron sharpening iron.
Interns work with teachers as they teach summer school for Gateway Woods’ residents Monday through Thursday, starting June 4 and ending July 19. For the first two to three weeks, interns observe as teachers turn lesson plans into daily activities, evaluate assignments and keep students focused and engaged, but often by the end of the third week, the interns are teaching part of the lesson while the teachers observe them.
And before summer school concludes, the interns are creating their own lesson plans and evaluative tools and using them in the classroom on their own. Interns observe and teach during the entire class time, from 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., but before that, they often consult with their mentor teachers and meet with the entire school staff as they discuss school policies and train. Through these opportunities, education interns can expand their skills and knowledge, as well as learn about day-to-day issues that schools must consider beyond the classroom. And though education interns grow professionally, they also help the school achieve its mission to inspire hearts and minds.
Two years ago, I worked alongside an intern, and her presence helped sharpen my skills, much like iron sharpening iron. As I would review my lessons and plans, her questions would challenge me to think through my own reasoning. Furthermore, as she assumed class duties, I could that additional spend time digging deeper into my curriculum to better prepare for the upcoming school year.
Adoption – ә’däpSH(ә)n – noun. The act of being adopted: the state of being adopted. Ad – to. – option — choose.
When I think of adoption, this definition doesn’t even come to mind. Adoption is so much more than a mom and dad claiming a child as their own. It is the act of a mother and a father opening their hearts and their homes to someone who God has called them to. It is the act of lowering themselves to meet the needs of the child they brought home, the child who they can now call their own.
I can’t even begin to fathom what my life would be like had I not been adopted. Home would’ve been in an orphanage in Ukraine, far away from the knowledge that someone loved me.
For the mom and dad, adoption is bringing home a new loved one. For the child, adoption is the opportunity to see a world they never would’ve known — and being saved from a life without Jesus; a life without unconditional love. I can’t even begin to fathom what my life would be like had I not been adopted. “Home” would’ve been in an orphanage in Ukraine, far away from the knowledge that someone loved me.
My mom once said, “It wasn’t the needs that scared us, but the unexpected that came with it.” She was absolutely right. If adoption was easy, everyone would do it. If it was too hard, no one would do it. God never promised us it would be easy, He promised to make it easier. The unexpected wasn’t easy, but it resulted in God showing my parents that above all else, HE reigns!
After all God has done for me, how can I not live for Him? Turning my heart and my life over to Him was a decision I will never regret. I live for walking on roads that were planned by God. I trust in His perfect plan. I have hope that the future is bright, and someday I will be living with Him in a place called Heaven. Amen! The above definition of adoption is only the tip of the iceberg. I have been blessed with so much… because I’ve been adopted twice — once into my family, and once into God’s family!
Baby Brantley* was only a year old when he experienced his first broken bone — an arm. The break was mysterious enough that he and his four other siblings were split up across three different foster homes. It’s only been a few months but it’s time for him to return to his biological family. With her last visit to the foster family, Brantley’s Foster Care Case Manager prays with the foster parents over Brantley — for his return home and whatever his future may hold. As his foster mom drops him off with his mommy, she asks for permission to do the same. Brantley’s whole family was covered in prayer that day.
"I love that I get to walk alongside foster parents who walk by faith and not by sight."
Today, Brantley is living reunited with his parents and all of his siblings and they are doing well. Brantley’s mommy is excited to take them all to church soon with a friend that invited her. Brantley may not know it yet, but this experience has changed his life forever. Even if that one prayer prayed over Brantley and his mom the day they were reunited plants one seed in any heart involved in the situation, this hard experience was worth it. Kingdom work always is.
"I love that I get to walk alongside foster parents who walk by faith and not by sight," says Michelle, the aforementioned Foster Care Case Manager. "This work can be hard emotionally so it’s nice to have co-laborers that trust in the Lord first and foremost."
*Names changed for privacy.
As I rode along, belting songs from the Frozen soundtrack with 5-year-old Bailey*, I couldn’t help but grin. She was singing louder than both Marisa and myself and was multitasking with stickers in the backseat. Marisa, a Foster Care Case Manager, graciously allowed me to be her shadow for the morning as she took Bailey to her speech therapy appointment.
"She wasn’t always like this," I heard Marisa say as Bailey continued her enthusiastic tune. "She was shy, she wouldn’t talk much, she was malnourished. And now just look at her."
Louder tones erupted from behind us and we both chuckled — Bailey’s favorite part of the song had come on.
Bailey’s only been in her current foster home for a year and she now has the energy and personality of Tigger: we all held hands as we ran into the building and she promptly tried to hug everyone she knew. Bailey was placed into a Gateway Woods foster home because she was being neglected. In her five short years, she wasn’t modeled how to speak properly so she now goes to therapy once a week. And she loves it! Because she is being loved and cared for and she feels safe – with her foster parents, with Marisa, and even her speech therapist.
As we were leaving, we were yanked away once again by a bounding Bailey, who screamed “I LOVE YOOOU!” before the door could shut on Ms. Julie*. It’s amazing what a little love, a little compassion, and a whole lot of Jesus can do for just one neglected 5 year old.
*Names changed for privacy.
I remember walking into one of my foster family’s homes on a cold February day to meet my newest little foster child placement; I had no idea the little miracle that awaited me inside. She weighed less than 10 lbs., was severely malnourished, diagnosed as failure to thrive, and was getting ready to celebrate her first birthday. Her foster mother handed her to me and I sat there holding her almost in disbelief as I stared into her eyes. I saw fear, confusion, but yet most importantly, I saw potential. God placed her in this home for a purpose; I didn’t yet know how but it was going to be a beautiful journey.
She required extensive medical care but I would argue she required a loving, nurturing, and structured home even more. I had the privilege of visiting with her and the foster family twice a week, so I was able to witness her progress first hand. Within the first couple of months she started to build muscle, her eyes brightened, she began to bond with her foster family, and she progressed within her various therapies. She loved to listen to music and would often smile and kick her legs whenever a song would come on. We celebrated the small victories as well as the big victories and gave all the glory to God. I recall the first time she reached double digits in her weight, the first time she was able to drink milk from a cup, when she started to eat solid food, when she started to crawl, then when she started to walk, and now she is able to talk.
God placed her in this home because He knew this foster family had the incredible ability to show her His love through caring for her. In Ephesians 2: 4-8 it states,
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-by grace you have been saved-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
While this was a difficult road of many medical/therapy appointments, lots of milestones she needed to reach, and many scary moments, her foster parents were able to depend on God through each and every moment. Within the realm of foster care, it’s a difficult journey to embark on but God is with us each step of the way because of the sacrifice He made for us. We are able to pour the love of Jesus Christ into these foster children because of His love for us. In Matthew 11:28-30 it states, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Please remember to pray for these foster families and foster children, that they may feel the love and grace of Jesus Christ during each and every moment throughout the duration of their foster care journey.
When I first was contacted about coming to Gateway, my first thought was “thanks, but no.” I really didn’t know much about Gateway, other than that they worked with troubled teens. My personal experience with a father addicted to alcohol, gave me a heart for kids from broken families. But teens?! I felt completely unqualified and didn’t think I had much of anything to offer. I also wasn’t sure I was ready to use the pain and experience in my life to help someone else. Yet with the persistence of a dear sister in Christ and God reassuring me that He’s got this all under control, I chose to trust God and apply for the assistant houseparent position.
That was four years ago! It has been an incredible journey and I am so, so thankful for God’s strength and provision each step of the way! There was many times I had no idea how to handle a situation or how to address an issue with a resident. The lives of a lot of these kids are so heart breaking and it’s hard to know how I can speak into their lives. The truth is that without God, we are totally incapable of helping these kids! His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
It isn’t a matter of feeling qualified or feeling like you can make a difference.
It’s being willing
It’s being available
It’s a matter of showing up.
God takes care of the rest! It is only through His grace, His mercy, His strength, and His power that lives can be changed. Praise God!
It’s truly been an honor to serve at Gateway Woods and to have joined my co-workers in the fight for the redemption of souls.
He got the job! We celebrated together on this great news — Mike would get the chance to make a new beginning and start a career!
Flashback to the summer of 2016: my second summer at Gateway Woods — this time as the Top Quality Coordinator. My job was to lead a crew of 3 residents on various landscaping jobs, and help teach them work and life skills. I became very close with one of the young men on my crew, “Mike”. We shared a lot with each other throughout the summer. He told me about his unfortunate and heartbreaking past, but then rebounded with all the things he was going to do to make the rest of his life better. He talked of overcoming his past and all the tasks he was going to accomplish. At the end of the summer, we celebrated our hard work and our friendship by going on a fishing trip. A few days later, I packed up and headed back to Ohio to start my career as a teacher.
Fast forward a year and a half to January of 2018. I was driving in my car, reflecting about the experiences I have had in my life, and how life has changed as I progress through my career. What is God’s plan for me? As I was reflecting, I thought back to Gateway. Gateway Woods: the place that truly “turns lives around”. I wondered about my Top Quality crew. How were they doing right now? Are they holding on to the truths planted in them while at Gateway? Almost immediately, my cell phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize from Indiana. I answered and the first words I heard were, “Brad…it’s Mike, do you remember me?” I was so surprised to have received this call, I almost shouted back into the phone “YES! OF COURSE I REMEMBER YOU!” He proceeded to tell me how he was doing and asked me if I could fill out a letter of recommendation for a job he was trying to apply for. I immediately told him I would. I was so thankful he had reached this point in his life and gave him all the information he needed.
We went ahead and talked for a while, reminiscing on the times we had together at Gateway and catching each other up on our lives. Mike had such a great work ethic so I knew he would get the job. The only thing holding him back from getting it was his past track record. Some employers may be nervous about hiring someone with a past like Mike. Despite all of this, I was confident. A week later, I get another call from Mike. He got the job! We celebrated together on this great news — Mike would get the chance to make a new beginning and start a career! After we hung up, I thought back to the night when I was driving in my car as I pondered my life and what God’s plans were for me. I still may not know what His plans are, but this I do know: God loves us and sure knows what He’s doing. His timing is always perfect, even when we don’t understand.
If you would like to invest in lives like Mike, during the summer or on more of a full time basis, please see our openings below.
Ring…Ring…Ring…
Hello?…Hey Jon this is Jeff.
That was the start of a phone call I had with a past resident of mine when I used to be a houseparent. I wasn’t expecting it and I almost didn’t answer it because I didn’t recognize the number.
"Gateway is truly unique." At Gateway relationships are important. At my last place I can't say that I developed any relationships.
We talked for about 20 minutes and it literally made my day. Jeff was a great resident to work with and I enjoyed our time with him. He was a hard worker and just loved to have fun. Unfortunately for Jeff things didn’t end well for him at Gateway and he was sent to another treatment facility.
Back to the phone call, he called to tell me he was back home and looking for a job and he wanted to use me as a reference. Jeff went on to tell me, about the differences between Gateway and the other treatment facility. He said, “Gateway is truly unique.” At Gateway relationships are important. At my last place I can’t say that I developed any meaningful relationships.
It never ceases to amaze me how God never gives up even when we as his vessels see no light at the end of the tunnel or hope around the next corner. That is the beauty of God — his perspective is so true and clear. He sees the whole picture when we only see a small detail.
Once upon a time, in a residential facility by the name of Gateway Woods, there was placed a young man into the loving care of the houseparents of Maple House. This young man, although pleasant in nature, was extremely lackadaisical in his treatment and struggled to stay motivated to complete expected tasks in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this pleasant-natured young man struggled with staying awake and would prefer to stay in bed until the last minute before racing out the door for school. Then at school, he was apt to lay his head on his desk for periods of time and occasionally, a snort could be heard by his fellow classmates.
As time went on, this young man began to leave for school later and later and was sent to bed early every night, but the pattern of lateness continued. “How,” the houseparents asked, “can we inspire this young man to wake up on time for school?” As they contemplated the problem, an idea began to form. “What if,” they ventured, “we hide five alarm clocks within his bedroom…and set them at different minute intervals…could this inspire our young man to vacate his bed in time for school?”
It was a worthy query. And executed immediately. While the young man was at school, his houseparents hid alarm clocks throughout his room. In addition to this young man’s personal alarm clock, four more were hidden under his bed, inside a desk drawer, under a pile of dirty laundry, and behind the overflowing trash can. His houseparents did not have to worry about an early discovery – cleanliness was not an obsession of the young man.
And so, the morning came. Breakfast was served, and the houseparents waited with bated breath to see if the young man would emerge before the time for school had passed. One alarm could be heard from the depths of his room, then two, then all five. His door burst open and the young man emerged, awake and indignant. “That’s not funny guys, I was already awake!”
As houseparents, we work with kids from all walks of life. Some kids are extremely motivated and thrive, while others need a bit of a wake-up call.
Not just to get to school on time, but also a wake-up call to realize that there are people surrounding them who love them and truly want them to heal from the hurts of their past. And that is what happens here at Gateway Woods. Teenagers, who believe they are unlovable and beyond help, feel safe enough to trust their houseparents with their story. And by sharing their story they open the door of their heart to allow in hope for healing and love.
Brothers and Sisters, at this time we have a great need for several positions at Gateway Woods to be filled. To put it plainly, we need new houseparents to come and awaken our kids to new life. Please contact us ASAP.
When you are driving along and you approach a railroad crossing, what is usually your first thought? Is it something like, "please no train today, I’m already late." Do you will that gate not to lower and those red lights not to flash just so you can get to whatever destination you set out to reach when you got in your car?
Me too. Until Cory.
Cory is a former resident of mine from my houseparenting days and he is absolutely nuts about trains. There’s a track that runs through the next town over from Gateway and he would often ask me to take him to the crossing just so we could sit and watch for a train. "Slow down," he would tell me, every time we happened upon a crossing while out on an errand, just in case a train was coming. If it was, maybe – just maybe – he’d be able to catch a glimpse of it as we crossed the tracks. He even asked me to take him to the tracks so we could do a photo session next to a train car.
"One man’s trash is another man’s treasure."
Cory’s anticipation and excitement at even the chance of catching a glimpse of a locomotive flooded me with memories the other day when he reached out to ask for those pictures. How many of us think of stopping for a train to pass as trash? To Cory, it was such a treasure.
Cory taught me the importance of slowing down and enjoying the little things in life – even if it meant practicing my patience by waiting on a train to pass. As you embark on this year of 2019 with full steam, remember to slow down and enjoy the little things. And maybe – just maybe – you can catch a glimpse of God coming down the track to teach you something.
“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:16
God loves the children of this world more than we can even begin to imagine. As a foster care case manager, this is hard for me to wrap my head around because of the pain, abuse, and anguish I have observed some of the foster children I work with go through. The trauma experienced by these children is unthinkable. However, every single day I have to remind myself God is sovereign; He holds each of these children in the palm of His hand and has a plan for each of them.
Permanency is a concept many children within the foster care system don’t understand or even get to reach within their lifetime. They get passed from foster home to foster home, they get sent home with biological parents on multiple occasions, only to be returned to foster care. Or when they become teenagers they become pregnant, drug addicts, or drop out of school. They don’t get to experience a home with love, nurture, consistency, safety, and/or structure.
I have known Remy for over 2 years. He came to live in one of Gateway’s foster homes when he was 6 years old. He is a laid back, outgoing, and a pleasant young boy. He just lights up a room when he enters it with his smile and laugh. He has been in and out of foster homes his entire life; this has caused a sense of mistrust, unease, and overall unsteadiness within his life. He has never known permanency. His mother loved him and there was always a connection but there was never a strong, healthy mother son attachment. She wasn’t able to parent him because of her own past and inability to hold a steady job as well as to hold appropriate relationships. Through circumstances, Remy was placed into one of our homes for pre-adoptive placement recently. This has truly been an answered prayer for many of the members of Remy’s professional team of social workers. At 8 years old, Remy will finally start to have a family who will stick with him for the rest of his life.
Within the work of foster care, I have to hold onto the success stores like Remy’s as well as the little moments of joy I experience each day. Whether it’s singing along to Christian radio at the top of my lungs with kids in my car, laughing with a foster parent, crying tears of joy because a child has reached a milestone, or simply smiling because another applicant family has received their foster care license; I know God continues to bless the foster care department at Gateway Woods.
I kind of dread it every time I receive a request to tell a Gateway counseling story. First, I can never meet the word limit. Second, the kind of experiences our residents face are rarely appropriate for a refined, sheltered audience. Third, I have no stories of my own to tell; the stories are the residents’—not mine.
Will this nightmare finally end? It seems like I cannot blend in.
But here’s my best attempt to comply: Once I worked with a young lady for a whole year. I don’t think I made much progress, because she returned to Gateway for another whole year. But throughout both years, I asked this young lady to chronicle her experiences in poetry. At the end of two years, she handed me an anthology of two years worth of poems. I have strung these poems together in chronological order. This is Sasha’s story, in her own words:
Will this nightmare finally end?
It seems like I cannot blend in.
I try and try and try,
But it’s like trying to fly!
I just want to end this life,
But I can barely grip this knife,
As I see my life
Pass before my eyes.
Some people say I’m crazy;
That doesn’t amaze me.
When the anger fills my mind,
It seems to make me blind.
You will never find me;
I am never coming back.
So don’t bother looking;
I’ve covered up my tracks.
You say that you love me,
You say that you really care;
But now I don’t believe you;
Now I’m just scared.
Filled with broken hearts;
Filled with countless tears;
Filled with unanswered questions;
Filled with numbered years.
Filled with many mistakes;
Filled with bitter lies;
Filled with utter confusion;
That’s the world through my eyes!
I feel guilt wash over me,
Swallowing me down
Into a whirlwind of hurt;
There’s nothing left but drown!
It’s too much to bear,
Too much to think about:
Hate, bitterness, regret, grief, betrayal—
Oh God, I just want out!
I hate the way I’m living!
I’ve been led astray!
Lord, please give me the strength
To find a different way!
As I lie here,
Staring at the ceiling,
The silence screaming in my ear
Makes me lose all feeling.
Who am I?
Where am I at?
Will I ever find out?
Will I ever get back?
What happened?
I was doing so well.
Did I make a wrong turn?
Because now life is hell!
Why don’t we all just stop and think,
Stop and think for one minute:
Are you who God wants you to be?
And if you’re not—just admit it!
I feel my heart beat melting,
And the light that is shining through;
I see all the evil I have done,
And how much I have neglected You.
Though I’ve denied You in the past,
You’ve accepted me as your own.
And on the day of judgment,
I will fall to my knees,
At the foot of Your throne!
“Jesus freak!”
“Holier than thou!”
I can only imagine
The names they will call me now.
Will they still love me?
Will they even understand?
Will they accept what I’ve become?
Or alone will I stand?
Are You here? Are You there?
Have You heard my pleas?
Have You heard my prayers?
I know You are;
You’ve always been there.
You’ve never left,
And with you, I can bear.
Your reassuring voice
Stills the storm that I’m in;
Mops up the rain,
And tames the howling wind.
Your presence wraps around me,
And calms my trembling limbs.
You gather me in your arms,
And whisper in my ear:
“Everything will be okay.”
“I’m here now. I’ve got you.”
They are the words I’ve longed to hear
From the lips of my Father.
One of the biggest blessings I’ve received in working at Gateway Woods is the ability to turn to prayer in an instant with my co-laborers.
Nothing is so important that it can’t be interrupted by prayer — ever.
Three months into marriage, my husband lost his job. I broke down in my supervisor’s office – we brought it before the Lord. A friend of a friend lost his best friend to suicide – we gave it to God. A Gateway Woods Representative’s young son has a near-fatal accident when a tree falls on him – an email went out and prayers ascended. A Team 224 bicyclist gets swiped by a car – a phone call and 5 minutes later, all of campus is praying, including our Auction volunteers and our board of directors who were in the middle of various committee meetings. A coworker who is usually upbeat walks into the office so downtrodden from a recent turn of events that he couldn’t even muster up his usual contagious smile – intercession by his team is the first resort.
Were all of the prayers that we lifted answered in the way we wanted? No. But they were answered in the way we needed. And each time we prayed, it reminded me to put the control back into God’s hands (where it belongs), instead of continuing to worry over it myself.
I weep with joy at the thought of being alongside these brothers and sisters in the battle we call life, and the ministry of Gateway Woods. It truly is a battle – we are fighting the unseen every day. And we’re praying for more warriors to join us. Will you pray with us? Would you like to join the battle? If you don't already have it please download the AC Central app on your device; there you will get prayer requests for Gateway Woods along with the other Apostolic Christian missions.
Sometimes, I have a love-hate relationship with Christmas gift giving. I really love the act of giving but I have trouble with the consumerism and materialism that Christmas has become. Gifts are NOT my love language so I don’t mind not receiving gifts. I consider being able to spend time with loved ones a bigger gift than anything material I could ever receive. After all, they’re what’s coming to Heaven with me, not my possessions of this world.
I have to remember that some people’s love language IS gifts — they love both giving and receiving gifts, especially at Christmastime. Neither attitude is wrong — it’s just how God wired each of us and I think He enjoys creating the diversity in us.
Should you fall into the gift-givers category and want to do something a little different this year, check out Our Wishlist online! It’s amazing how receiving gifts from strangers can minister to our residents. They are amazed that people whom they’ve never met can love them so much.
Whether you’re a gift giver or not, thank you for your support, prayers, and love this year! May we never forget Who the ultimate gift is this season, and that it’s “not the manger but the Cross that sets the spirit free” (Hymns of Zion, #36).
With excitement we announce the release of Turning Lives Around — The history of Gateway Woods by veteran former staff members Tim Sauder and Lauretta Schafer. Coinciding with the recent 40th anniversary Turning Lives Around provides a comprehensive account of the people, pressures, opportunities, process, decisions, and lessons learned in navigating the unpredictable path toward creating compassionate and effective Christian programs for troubled children and families.
This book details the early vision, exploration, and launch of two group homes on a rural campus in 1976. Then the stage-by-stage development of seven specialized but connected and faith-guided programs that serve clients and communities in northern Indiana and central Illinois, and that touch lives from around the world are carefully chronicled. Also included is a complete appendix listing all staff members, their positions, and dates of employment. Board members’ and counseling elders’ terms and home churches are also detailed. Available for $15 from Apostolic Christian Publications: acpublications.org, 309 965-2611. Turning Lives Around is in-stock in time for Christmas and would make a great gift.
A resident shared, “I made a decision right there to let Jesus and the Holy Spirit into my heart and let God be my long-awaited Father. Now I know I’m not an orphan.”
“The place [Gateway] gave me a sense of belonging and family. Although there were times of turmoil and strife amongst the children there, we were like a family”, wrote another child.
Not only have clients been deeply touched by the love and truth of Christ, but hundreds of others involved in the ministry as volunteers, staff members, leaders, and donors also testify of the unexpected ways their hearts and lives have been forever changed. This history of Gateway Woods with over 250 photos and illustrations is enlivened with personal stories of spiritual strength in staff and children alike in overcoming the challenges and wounds of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and addictions. These anecdotes interlace warmth, humor, joy, tears and sadness, failures and successes, and will be especially interesting to those personally involved and supportive over the decades as eye-witnesses to God working to transform hearts and lives.
“I know without a shadow of a doubt that He…used this ministry to forever change my life and draw me closer to Him.” – Former staff member
The authors explained, "As the research and writing developed and the stories emerged over the past several years of work, we realized that this book reflects the original motto and had also become A Work of Faith and a Labor of Love". They further shared, "Not only is our Lord the 'author and finisher of our faith' personally, but He is revealed as the ultimate author of the ministry—and this book." The stories continue to be experienced and written each day as lives are turned around.
“… honestly, I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience the love Gateway Woods offers. I learned so much about spiritual growth and about God’s message through the Bible and church. I felt in my heart that everyone there was so devoted to the right things, change for the better for anyone who crosses their path.” – former client
Most of us have never experienced what it’s like to be homeless. Wondering where we are going to stay tonight; a shelter, under a bridge, with a friend of a friend. A number of the clients we have worked with have had moments of homelessness as life has thrown them a curveball. What happens in these times when their “family” and “friends” can’t or won’t help? This can lead to a feeling of hopelessness! Not having people and resources to help claw your way out of the pit of despair can be a very lonely and discouraging place. I would like to share a former resident’s story:
"First I would like to start off with saying God gives his toughest battles to His toughest soldiers. He will only put you through things cause He knows you can get through them. With that being said, my life has been nothing but a constant battle.
I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1995 to my mother, Jacqueline and my biological father Johnny. Johnny didn’t want anything to do with me but God placed my stepfather, Raymond in my life when I was just months old. After a couple years, my mom and stepdad had my siblings Raven, Raymond Jr. and Master Adrian. As a child, life was difficult but my parents made sure we didn’t have to worry too much.
In 2003-2004 my family became homeless. We would stand on the river walk in New Orleans with a sign that said “homeless with 4 kids” and at the end of the day we would have enough money for food and a hotel room. One night in particular I remember being outside past curfew with my siblings in the French Quarter and the police came and took us to the station. After that, we moved in with my older stepsister until we were able to get our own place. After finding our own place, life was okay… normal I guess you could say until August of 2005.
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and my family was forced to leave the city. After all the chaos from the hurricane we were offered a home in South Bend, Indiana. Life was starting to look up again! Not too long after that we ended moving into a different house and months after, it burned down. Then we moved again. After a couple of months, we were placed in foster care due to issues with my parents.
I was first introduced to Gateway Woods when I was sent there as a teenager back in 2010. My mother Jackie passed away unexpectedly in 2012. This was a difficult time in my life adjusting to mom being gone. After graduating high school at Gateway Woods in 2013, I pursued my CNA license and moved back to South Bend. Life continued to have its challenges as my stepdad Raymond passed away this past year.
Long story short, Gateway Woods has been like family to me since I had spent time in the one of the group homes. With my parents both gone, they were the people I could call if I ever needed help or assistance with anything. Without Gateway I don’t know where I would be. When I took custody of my brothers after my parents died, and even before then Gateway Woods helped. If we were low on food, the lights got disconnected, my siblings needed anything or my son; Gateway was and I know is still always there.
They basically give me a sense of security and as long as I was doing what I was supposed to be they were more than willing to help. I’m not perfect by any means but Gateway makes me want to strive to do better. They didn’t just pay for things, they sat down with me to work out a budget and figure out things my parents didn’t get to teach me… I am forever thankful and I love Gateway Woods and everybody who works for or has worked for them!"
Johnese (Former Resident)
They show me what GOD meant when He explains Love.
I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to know and work with such an amazing young lady. Although she has experienced much heartache, she still pushes ahead and perseveres. She has so much potential to impact her world for good. Please pray for her and her family as they press on in life.
You can help impact lives like Johnese’s by giving to the Partnership Assistance Fund this Giving Tuesday. This fund was created to help former residents or current clients of Gateway who have fallen into some financial hardship. It is designed to help plug the gaps but also provide accountability. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to help these individuals and families in crisis. Would you consider partnering with us to provide help and hope to in those in the midst of the storms of life?
The following is an interview with houseparents, Todd and Kara Strahm, who have two adopted boys, Ty and Zeb. Ty was adopted prior to coming on the Gateway staff and Zeb was the first child to be adopted by active houseparents.
Did you adopt domestically or internationally? Why was this your choice?
Domestically. We had friends adopt domestically and we were in awe of the relationship they built and maintained with their child’s birth mom. We wanted to be able to have that same opportunity to be a witness for Jesus during a really difficult time in a young woman’s life. We also had an intense desire to be parents starting from infancy, and adopting domestically was the way to fulfill that.
What has going through the adoption process taught you?
There are endless questions we can’t answer about the broken world we live in. We have learned that we don’t always have to know “why” but to trust God! God’s design was for children to be raised in their biological families. But sin changed all that. We are imperfect people with a desire to be parents and a thankfulness to our Father for adopting us into His family. While we can’t “fix” the world, we can fulfill both our heart desire for a family and God’s heart desire for children to be raised in a home where they will be taught of His ways. And loved on. So loved. And given more hugs and kisses than they know what to do with.
You have changed a life by adopting - how has adoption changed you?
We have heard more times than we can count: "Your child is so lucky, blessed, fortunate, etc". Nope. We consider ourselves those things. We thank God for the gift of our boys through adoption and the privilege to call them our sons. Adoption has made us more selfless, less judgmental and more aware of our own nothingness.
What is one thing you would tell someone considering adoption?
"Do you wonder if you can love a child that’s not your biological child? You can- in fact, you won’t be able to stop yourself if you tried! Is there anyone in your life that you love who doesn’t share your bloodline? Do you love them like crazy? When we brought our babies home, our hearts felt like they would burst. Don’t hesitate if you feel God calling you to this!"
What is one thing you wish you knew going into the adoption process?
What an emotional rollercoaster the process is. We knew going into adoption that it would be a rollercoaster, but nothing can prepare you for just how bumpy that ride can be. But that wouldn’t change anything and in the end, we would do it again. And Lord willing, we will someday!
Did adopting prepare you for your work at Gateway in any way?
Absolutely! It started with infertility. Wow! That’s a whole other story. God was just getting started with us (isn’t He still?!). And then bringing home our first son, Ty...it was beautiful! But oh so overwhelming to see a brave young woman leave the hospital with empty arms. And finally, a second adoption. A brother for Ty! But God had different plans and after almost 6 months of praying for our second child, he went straight to his Heavenly home instead of ours. We were instantly thrown on the other side of the adoption fence, where we were grieving the loss of a child, along side his biological family. Devastating and heartbreaking…yet wrapped in God’s loving arms the whole time. Our Father whispering to us in our grief that this was not a mistake and we were right where we were supposed to be- in that hospital in Wichita, Kansas. We got a front row seat to families who are broken and realized we had underestimated the value of the the support network we grew up in. God had slowly been softening our hearts and changing our mindset, and there was no going back to “normal” life. Knowing about Gateway Woods (although admittedly, very little) through our church, we looked into houseparenting and within a couple months had our belongings packed up and moved 700 miles to work in this ministry!
The Strahms are now lead houseparents and continue to bless Gateway with their servant leadership. Their boys also bless every room they enter with energy and smiles that can brighten anyone's day. Watch their Adoption video on Vimeo.
This is national adoption month, so I am sharing a true story of Cai and his adoptive family, who are working with our adoption program at Gateway Woods. It is obvious that God had a hand in this adoption to find just the right family for Cai, and just the right child for this family.
Cai was abandoned at birth in China, but was not adopted until he was fourteen years of age from an orphanage in China.
Though Cai had a pleasant personality and was well liked in the orphanage, he was not adopted earlier due to his special need of having spina bifida and being confined to a wheel chair. However, his adoptive family was shown waiting children from China and they felt immediately that Cai was the right child for them. China seemed the right country for this adoptive family as the adoptive mother’s mother was Korean, and this adoptive family has traveled to many Asian countries and are very familiar with the Chinese culture. Cai fit right in at fourteen years as these adoptive parents have grown children and their youngest daughter is seventeen years of age. The adoptive father was in a land mine explosion in Vietnam while he was serving in the military in 1968 and had both of his legs amputated. From this accident the adoptive father is also in a wheel chair, so adopting a child in a wheel chair did not seem daunting.
Although this adoptive family is the right family for Cai, they had little idea how to work with him. At his adoptive home, Cai had a real role model in his adoptive father who has never let his wheelchair limit his activities. The adoptive father has coached special needs children and adults and as well as participated in a variety of sports himself. So Cai went from barely doing anything for himself, to taking care of his own needs such as: cleaning his room, making his bed, showering, doing his laundry etc. He has developed a strong upper body participating in sporting activities such as badminton, basketball, and rides a rip stick very fast. This has opened up a whole new world for Cai and he has enjoyed learning all the things he can do. He has also really enjoyed going to church with his adoptive family and participating in a weekly church youth group. Most importantly, he has learned about the love of God for the first time in his life.
This is just one story of a miracle from God but in my years of working with adoption, I have seen so many miracles from God in providing just the right home for a needy child from across town and from across the world.
The following is an interview with current staff members, Jon and Beth Ringger, who adopted their oldest son, Josiah, prior to coming on staff as houseparents.
Did you adopt domestically or internationally? Why was this your choice?
Internationally. Beth and I have always liked to travel and we have always had a heart for Africa. Ethiopia was the only country in Africa that we were qualified to adopt from.
What has going through the adoption process taught you?
Early on we learned patience. The adoption process can be long and without a lot of hope, but we learned to trust God and lean on each other when we literally felt hopeless. After we brought Josiah home, it has been amazing to see him grow and our hearts expand for him and our other three boys. It is a testament of God’s unconditional love for us.
You have changed a life by adopting - how has adoption changed you?
Life without Josiah? I can’t imagine that. He has been such a blessing to our family and through this adoption we have learned more about God’s heart for adoption.
What is one thing you would tell someone considering adoption?
The gospel is all about God adopting us through His son Jesus. It is our privilege to be able to give back in a small way by adopting a child. That said, it is not for everyone but whether you adopt or support someone else, everyone can take part in the adoption process.
What is one thing you wish you knew going into the adoption process?
Our journey is not over by any means, but it is hard to know exactly what our child will face in the present and the future as they process the hurt and trauma of losing a family and being placed into another family. It truly is a bittersweet process.
Did adopting prepare you for your work at Gateway in any way?
Through our adoption of Josiah we read various books, went to different trainings and our worldview totally changed. This definitely helped us in our role as houseparents at Gateway.
Anything else you want to add…?
Adoption is an amazing thing and everyone should be praying for all of the orphans in the world. Then when you get off your knees you should take action. Whether that is supporting another family financially, fostering or adopting yourself. There is no shortage of opportunities.
The Ringgers were houseparents for three years before Jon transitioned into his current role as Communications Coordinator. Beth is now using her experience and passion for adoption as an Adoption Case Manager. They now have four boys that keep them on their toes. Watch their Adoption video on Vimeo.
Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these..." Mark 12:31
Having former residents return to Gateway for a visit to give back may not happen for many years after their time with us. Ronald returned after just one year to do just that this summer. Shortly after his visit, we received this letter in the mail.
Dear GWW Staff,
Thank you for welcoming me back so well. The past few days have been great, and I really enjoyed myself at Gateway. It was good to know that you guys still care for me and are wiling to continue working with me as I adjust into adulthood. It was a blessing to play basketball, have dinner, and go to church on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. I know that Gateway and LARC are going to be a big support for me when I arrive for good and just having people who care about me. So thank you for welcoming me back with open arms, it means so much to me.
Take Care & God Bless
Ronald
Please continue to pray for all of the kids and families that have been, and continue to be, touched by the ministry of Gateway Woods.
In 1989, the Apostolic Christian Children’s Home changed it’s name to Gateway Woods, which was a necessary move since the ministry had opened up other services outside of just a home for children. I spoke with Tim Sauder, who was the Administrator at that time, and asked him about the process. He shared with me that it wasn’t an easy process and they struggled to come up with an adequate name. After cutting their list down from over 100 names to just a few they finally chose Gateway. Feeling it was a little too corporate a current resident at the time suggested the name, Gateway Woods, because of the large number of trees on our campus.
So here we stand in 2017, almost 30 years later. Why the new look? Why now? In branding 101, you want to make sure that your mission and your image resonate with your audience. If your image becomes stale, or worse, you start delivering a service or a product different then your mission, you have a big problem. After gathering professional feedback, we concluded that Gateway Woods has a strong brand and mission, however the logo appears outdated.
If you look at our existing brand you can break it down into four parts: name, icon, font, color scheme. After doing some user testing, the name had a great reputation with our audience. Secondly, the icon, much like the name, was what they recognized when Gateway Woods was mentioned. So that leaves us with the font and the colors. These are the two components that make the existing brand stale, so it was our goal to update the brand to make it fresh without losing it’s core integrity.
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10b
With the first stage of redesigning complete, the second stage to this rebranding process is implementation. We will soon be launching a new responsive website, literature, and signage. This has been a yearlong process and we are excited on where we are heading. The last thing we want this to be is a distraction to what God is already doing through the mission of Gateway Woods.
Thanks for your ongoing support and we value your feedback. If you have any questions or comments please contact me.
Thursday was overcast. It was windy. Busy tying down large auction items to prevent trampolines and canopies from going airborne. Then it rained. Hard.
Then came Saturday. Auction day. The sun gloriously crested the horizon exposing misty grass and verdant fields. The early workers came. The sound of sizzling and the smell of sausage patties on barbecue grills, whetting appetites in anticipation of a breakfast sandwich. They rolled in, mostly by car, but some on foot and bicycle, coming from near and far; and the excitement was palpable. The parking field filled, and the buzz of anticipation swelled.
Eight-thirty A.M. The Gateway staff and children ascend the White Tent stage, preparing to praise God in song. A nervous titter rustles through the choir, and the White Tent swells with expectancy. Standing room only. Sweet praises, smiling faces.
Nine A.M. A brother prays, the cries of auction raise, and we're underway! First item, a hand crafted, handmade wooden rocking motorcycle. Sold! And the auctioneers ply their trade. Only 1,612 more items to go!
Reunion. Nearly two thousand guests. Brothers, sisters, families, neighbors, friends. Warm greetings, hugs, laughter, stories, and sales.
Children. Buying a toy, jumping for joy. Resident youth. Looking in wonder, pondering the splendor, and perhaps wistfully contemplating a childhood unrealized.
Tent sides gently rustling, as if to say, surely the Lord has been here this day.
Noon. A moment of silence. Heads bowed, hearts raised, thanks given. Praise God for this morning, and the coming afternoon! Now a pork chop sandwich, or a fruit cup, a deep-fried curly potato, or a salad.
Afternoon. The pace quickens, bids rise, ice cream sales soar. The thermometer, sliding upward, tracks the auction score.
Final bell. The day is done. Except for the clean up. Long farewells, some joyful tears. "See you tomorrow?" or "See you next year!"
Clean up. Youthful faces, Sunday school students, the future church. Making short work of the stuff to store. A year in the planning, a week in the setup, and three hours cleaning up, not much more.
Sunset. Just the tents remain. Golden hues signal the coming end of summer. Tent sides gently rustling, as if to say, "Surely the Lord has been here this day."
From the staff and board, along with the children and families that the church serves through Gateway Woods, we offer a most heartfelt thanks to you, while giving all praise and glory to God! The forty-first annual sale was day of sweet fellowship, grand generosity, and humble contemplation. The Lord blessed once again, and supplied an auction day record bounty of $638,000. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! We hope to see you at auction number forty-two, on August 4th, 2018.
"...that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Acts 2:21b
"I got a 'D!'" A student exclaimed in class one day when I passed back the Algebra test he had taken previously. In my own school experience, that exclamation would have been a sad exclamation but that was not the case for this young man. He was genuinely excited about the fact that he had earned a D because that meant he had actually passed an Algebra test. That situation showed me in a very tangible way what experiencing success means for a student.
Helping kids see that they can be successful in the school setting is a spring-board for them to see they can be successful in other areas of their lives.
As I reflect over my four plus years here at the school, this experience really sticks out to me as it points to how the school helps fulfill the overall mission of Gateway Woods: helping kids see that they can be successful in the school setting is a spring-board for them to see that they can be successful in other areas of their lives. It has been my pleasure to work with the staff here at Gateway Woods as well as the young people that we serve.
At the end of September I plan to leave Gateway Woods School and thus the school is in need of a new Math teacher. Please prayerfully considering coming to Gateway to fill that position.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
314. Have you ever wondered what would happen if we did not have 314 willing volunteers like you who give of their time and talents to help make the Gateway Woods Auction run smoothly?
Volunteers are essential to the success of the Auction.
Heather Beer, Auction Item Coordinator, imparts, "Volunteers are essential to the success of the Auction. There is no way we could pull off such a huge event without the many hands that give willingly of their time. One of the biggest blessings of the auction every year is seeing so many different people from so many different places blending their unique abilities to create this exciting event called the Gateway Auction...and doing it with joy! It's a tangible picture of the type of body Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12."
"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." - 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." - Acts 20:35b
Summer at Gateway Woods can be identified in many of the ways that you might think: days are longer and warmer, school is put on hold, and parents start organizing activities to keep the kids busy. Here on campus, summer also means the need for volunteers, and every year we are thankful for the many that choose to give of themselves to further the mission of helping the hurting.
Just seeing the staff, I see they are really passionate about the Gateway mission.
This year, we are honored to have Zach Romersberger leading the charge of our summer volunteer program. Zach comes to us from Gridley, IL and is a student at Illinois State University. Zach said, "I've known about Gateway for forever but my first time visiting was for the Auction last year." It took visiting campus to make it real for him: "Just seeing the people (staff), I've got more of a sense of the heart of everyone who's here. They're really passionate about being here — about the mission."
As the Summer Volunteer Coordinator, he's hoping to hone his organizational and people management skills. "And obviously, I want to complete as many projects as I can."
May is National Foster Care Month, and around here at Gateway Woods that is big reason for reflection, thankfulness, and prayer. Children who are in foster care are orphans. They may be biological orphans, having lost one or more parents to death, or they may be situational orphans for a time. Many not only need a family for the short term here on earth, but also need to accept adoption into God’s family. Often, introducing a child to the Gospel begins by first establishing a compassionate relationship with the child.
May is National Foster Care Month, and around here at Gateway Woods that is big reason for reflection, thankfulness, and prayer.
Romans 15:7 invites us to "…receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God." Jesus showed us the way to receive others, so that we may point them to God and give Him the glory. He showed us over and over with His actions that the key to connecting someone with God is starting with relationship. He displayed unbending acceptance of the person, and then leveraged the subsequent relationship to show people the stumbling blocks they had placed between themselves and God’s unselective love. Over and over, with the woman at the well, with a paralyzed man in Matthew 9, with Martha, Lazarus’ sister, and especially with his 12 disciples, He waded into relationship for the purpose of pointing the person to eternal salvation.
Who are the orphans in your circle of influence?
Who are those with whom you already have a relationship, that need further pulled and pointed toward relationship with Jesus? Who are those among your friends who are missing a father, a mother, or are alone in their family in their faith in Jesus? How can you dig deeper to leverage your connection with them to encourage and support? And if you can think of no one in your circle of influence, family, or friends who needs to be further received to the glory of God, perhaps it is time to pray that God lead you to those who need a relationship with you, to help them understand His relentless, unbending, eternal love for them!
Spring has sprung on the Gateway Woods campus! Baby chicks fill the barn, the new strawberry test patch is being cultivated, and tiny seedlings are sprouting in the warmth of the Gateway Farms greenhouse. Gateway Farms’ peak season has begun, and as spring breathes in its new life, so comes an excitement over renewed hope and a fresh start.
Gateway Farms exists to bring that Hope and New Life to our resident-turned-farmers. A natural love for all things agricultural developed into an idea to create purpose during slow summer days. Gardens were cultivated and seeds were planted. Gracious customers received the fruits of our young farmers’ labors; bi-weekly produce bins filled with God-grown vegetables. The farmers pulled weeds, and watched as God blessed their work with a bountiful harvest. As our resident-turned-farmers watched seeds turn to harvest, and hard work into income, we pray always that their hearts will be as soft to God’s faithful increase in their own lives. Hoping to create an avenue for success and a learned skill of hard work in our residents, God continued to abundantly give the increase. We watched as through crop failure and excessive rains God displayed His abundant faithfulness to our farmers as every produce bin scheduled for delivery was filled to overflowing. We saw Him use the humble beginnings of customer-to-farmer business relations develop into friendships; conversations about vegetables happening at church, and an inviting of shared life as doors into homes were opened for our farmers. We watched as our farmers found purpose and a humble sort of pride in using their God given gifts; some easily connecting with customers over phone calls to schedule deliveries, others excitedly arranging flowers, still others baking fresh goods to tuck inside their produce bins. A small seed planted and watered, an abundant harvest gifted through God’s grace.
Gateway Farms exists to bring Hope and New Life to our resident-turned-farmers.
Now in our 3rd year of Gateway Farms operations, we continually seek to create purpose for our farmers, and new avenues to reach more residents. Gateway Farms 2017 strives to serve more customers in our produce bin deliveries, raise pastured livestock for meat sales, gain greenhouse productivity, and develop our first year of strawberry sales. As we seek to be faithful stewards of the gifts bestowed on us, we pray that God will continue to give the increase, and our farmers ever know Him more as they meet Him on the farm.
When you think of Gateway Woods and the children we serve what comes to your mind? Hope, healing, turning lives around? So what happens when we don't see healing, we lose our hope, or our measure of success isn't being met?
Let me tell you a little story about a boy named Joe and a girl named Kate. Both Joe and Kate came to us with different stories, traumas, families, and personalities. Time passed and relationships began to build. We began to know these two with a deep love and care as we learned more about who they were and where they had been. On the surface, they looked like everyone else, but we weren't prepared for what was underneath.
Our muscles ached and we didn't know if we had the strength to pull one more rock.
As treatment for Joe and Kate progressed, slowed, and then reversed, we began to feel stuck, wondering if these were two teens that wouldn't benefit from our program. Instead of choosing defeat, we dug deep, and over time discovered a few rocks that were blocking the seeds from really taking root. As time went on, the rocks we were pulling became larger and larger. Our muscles ached and we didn't know if we had the strength to pull one more rock. We, as a team, felt completely overwhelmed and unable to provide the level of care necessary for Joe and Kate. Feeling like failures, we struggled to accept that we weren't equipped to meet the needs of these children we cared for deeply. Children we had laughed with, cried with, built relationships with, for over a year.
Often times, we forget that in order for seeds to be planted and take root, the ground has to be worked. In gardening, this is the worst job. It's back-breaking work: digging up the soil and pulling out the weeds and rocks, not even able to gauge how hard the work will be until you are fully invested. We have learned that our job sometimes requires us to be tillers and rock-pullers rather than planters. Sometimes, we are called to make things a little messier to prepare the soil for planting. Sometimes, we are called to step back and allow God to use others to plant.
So, we find hope: hope that Joe and Kate's stories aren't over. We find healing: praising God for using us to work the soil to prepare the way for seeds He has coming from some other facility, agency, or person. And we give thanks that an all-knowing God chose to use us to begin preparing the way for His word to turn around the lives of the children He loves.
For over three years, I have been blessed to work as a foster care case manager at Gateway Woods. I have learned many lessons throughout my years here. One particular lesson I have learned is to trust and surrender to God. One way I have been able to experience this is by watching and working with my Christian foster families. These foster parents show me daily how Christ calls us to love every individual even when it gets challenging.
In foster parenting, there are many ups and downs with working with foster children. I have seen how much love and energy they pour into the children every single day. It amazes me to see them give of themselves daily to fulfill The Great Commission. Being a foster parent is not an easy job but it is worthwhile in the end to know you have been able to bless a child or children with learning about the gospel of Christ.
Another lesson I have experienced is how to trust. Trust is something I have particularly been challenged on while I have been at Gateway. Luckily, my foster parents have demonstrated what it means to fully trust God and His plans for them. Our foster parents have to trust and surrender to God their lives and their family’s lives to better serve the foster children.
Many times foster parenting takes a toll on the family, it becomes a struggle to really see any progress with the foster children. When these challenges come, I have seen foster parents lean completely on God for reassurance and they continually trust that God has a higher purpose to why the child is placed in their home.
The road of foster care is long, challenging, and sometimes overwhelming but my foster parents are always living out scripture in their homes. A scripture that comes to mind is, "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23. I am honored to see foster parents take up their cross and follow God in their calling to be foster parents.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Even with all the trials foster parenting can bring, in the end it is wonderful to trust that all of this is worth it. Even if there are struggles, it is important as Christians that we Trust God that everything will bring honor to Him in the end.
In Galatians 6:9 it states,
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." This verse reminds me of how to keep striving to serve others while Leaning on God, trusting He knows what He is doing. My foster families show me how much God loves us and how we are called to surrender to Him daily. It is a great privilege to be a foster care worker at Gateway and I cannot imagine doing this job without our wonderful foster families.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
While I was a home based worker, I was connected with Tika, a 22-year-old mother with a four-year-old daughter named Syah. Tika grew up in Chicago living a hard life of poverty, learning the ins and outs of government assistance, and relying on the thrill of promiscuity. Tika followed her daughter's father to Fort Wayne hoping to find happiness and success, but found herself on her own, without a job, and trying to raise her daughter while keeping herself afloat. When I met Tika, she was suffering from depression, living off of $700 per month in child support as well as some food stamps. She could barely provide shelter for their little family. Tika would bounce back and forth between feeling motivated to find work and overwhelmed with all the barriers in her way. She did not have transportation to get to a job. She could not afford child care. She did not have a high school diploma or GED. There seemed to be too many obstacles to reach the top of that huge, dark hole. We worked together for several months. During this time, Tika was able to find a part-time job through a staffing agency, Syah was approved for a free preschool program, and Tika purchased a somewhat reliable car to get to work. Tika was slowly taking steps towards stability.
When our time of working together was up, we met one last time for closure. Tika and Syah had become very near to my heart so this parting was rather bittersweet. As a farewell gift, Tika had gotten me a card. While she was handing it to me, she said, "It was a $4.00 card, so I wasn't sure if I should buy it, but then I thought, 'You're worth a $4.00 card,' because you helped me even when it was hard." I responded back with, "You were worth it."
I reflected on this later and thought about my past and current clients. Some are crude. Some are smelly. Some are infested with entitled mindsets. Some make illogical decisions. But, all are worthy of love. If we are followers of Christ, we know that He saved us from our dirty and selfish hearts. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He thought we were worth the sacrificial love of the cross. We are now redeemed and sanctified! I pray that as believers we can live every day in the footprints of Jesus by loving the unlovable because they are worth it...even if they smell a little.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
As we enter the year 2017, we want to share a story of how God has used one of our home-based workers to help write a story of redemption:
"Approximately 15 years ago, I was working with a dad, "Danny", and his four children with home-based. Danny was a long haired, tough language, biker type of man. As I got to know him, he started to open up to me. I remember one visit I had with him at McDonald's. He opened up about how his dad would beat him for things that he didn't even do. But at one point, with tears streaming down his cheeks, he told me that his dad became a Christian. I asked Danny if his dad repented, asking him for forgiveness. Danny said, "Yes." He also said that he needed to do that at some point in his life. Well, Danny has been on my mind 'off and on' for the past 15 years, and I tried to find him, but to no avail. I wanted to find him to ask if he ever became a Christian.
Yesterday, when I was in town, this man said "Hi, do you remember me?" As you might expect, it was Danny! I am glad that he recognized me, because I didn't recognize him due to him having short hair, a cap on, etc. He started talking about things that have happened since we last saw each other, some of them not very good. After talking for awhile, I explained that I have been wanting to talk with him after all these years. I asked him if he remembered our conversation at McDonald's. He did, even saying which McDonald's it was. I explained to him what we talked about at that time, and telling him that when/if I saw him again, that I wanted to ask him a question. So I did, asking him if he became a Christian. He said, "Yes!" I then asked it a different way, if he had given his heart to Christ, and again he said, "Yes, about two years ago." I told him that he just made my year! So, let's keep praying for souls, because we never know who we might see in Heaven some day!!"
This a great example of how God's timing is far different than ours. As we sit on the front end of a new year, no doubt our minds and hearts are filled with ideas or resolutions to become better. Just remember that when we put God in the center of our life everything else just seems to fall into place.
Is God calling you or your family to live, love and serve together for His kingdom? Serve to show God’s grace and love to vulnerable and hurting youth and families. It’s challenging, tough, gritty work with people from some very difficult circumstances. Lives will be changed, you will be challenged, God’s kingdom will be blessed.
As you can see from the chart below we have some opportunities for individuals and families to come and work for God’s kingdom at Gateway Woods. You may be wondering why should I work at Gateway Woods? A little over four years ago my wife and I asked that same question when God laid it on our hearts to consider being houseparents. Looking back it is amazing to see how God has carried us through the valleys and over the mountains that you are faced with when you are houseparents. Now that I am in the office, I have a greater appreciation for the admin staff and all that they do behind the scenes to allow houseparents to focus on direct care with the kids they serve.
Looking back it is amazing to see how God has carried us through the valleys and over the mountains that you are faced with when you are houseparents.
If you are looking to be challenged and refined, Gateway Woods could be the place for you. If you think this could be your calling, please pray and then visit gatewaywoods.org/careers for more information. When Beth and I started working at Gateway, we had no idea how transforming it would be. We had little to no direction for our family and now we feel blessed to be a part of the Gateway community where we serve as a family.
What does applied Christianity look like? I have yet to figure that out in my own life. But I do know a good place to learn: Gateway residents.
Flashback:
A few years ago, I was scheduled to conduct one of my first Gateway presentations in the Philadelphia church, directly following the afternoon service. Well, it was already the afternoon service, and I was a little bit nervous, because I still didn’t know how I was going to start off the presentation. I shouldn’t have worried.
Brother Jerry Isch opened the Bible to Isaiah 61 and meditated upon these prophetic references to the Master:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified."
As Bro. Jerry read about binding up the brokenhearted, I thought of Landon, convulsing on the floor, clutching his chest, and shouting: "My heart, my heart—it hurts so much!" As Bro. Jerry expounded on proclaiming liberty to the captives, I thought of Sophia, whose own father was raising her to be a prostitute—right in his own home. As Bro. Jerry meditated on opening the prison to them that are bound, I thought of every time we enter a county jail and ask a young person: “Would you like a better life?"
As Bro. Jerry expounded on comforting all that mourn, I thought of Colton, who was raised by his grandmother and great-grandmother, because his parents were not in the picture. After coming to Gateway, both his grandmother and great-grandmother died. As Bro. Jerry mediated on "beauty for ashes" and the "spirit of heaviness," I thought of Levi, who was left an orphan in Russia when the apartment of his alcoholic parents burned to the ground. Levi was later horrifically abused in the orphanage.
What a depressing passage of the Bible, I thought to myself! But then Bro. Jerry read this: "That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified!"
Regardless of their background, when a young person comes to live in the Oak House, the Hickory House, the Maple House, the Cypress House, or the Pine House, our goal—the Master’s goal—is to plant trees of righteousness…for HIS kingdom and HIS glory!
So what does applied Christianity look like? Let’s ask Gaven, who once told me in counseling: "I would rather have the fiery passion of a broken heart, than the mediocrity of a heart that has always been whole!"
I think that’s the spirit of another prophetic verse we can read in Isaiah 53:
He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
And that’s the standard for applied Christianity!
"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45
Recently a young lady named Missy graduated our residential program. The following is a glimpse into her life story.
Missy's father passed away when she was five. Drugs and abuse became the reality for Missy and her two sisters, who were living with their mother and her partner. Eventually the girls went into foster care. Missy came to Gateway Woods when she was 15 years old. Everything she had was in the trunk of a car.
Drugs and abuse became the reality for Missy and her two sisters, who were living with their mother and her partner.
Missy brought with her a love for animals, so the barn was an immediate connection that helped to bring down her guarded walls. The horses were especially therapeutic, and the residential staff could count on her asking almost daily if she could go ride the horses. Missy also loved listening to Christian music because the message was consistent with what she felt at Gateway.
It was an exciting day when Missy completed the program. On her last day at Gateway, she was picked up at the school on a horse and handed the reigns! "I was so happy that I got the treatment I needed. I love to ride horses, it's a major coping skill for me and other kids" declared Missy. Gateway staff feels honored to have been a part of her journey.
If you would like to help partner with us or find out more information on how you can help us reach more people like Missy, please visit our careers page.
"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Psalm 34:8
I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with Vince, a past resident I worked with in our residential program, at the Gateway Woods 40th reunion. I can remember Vince being a vibrant kid, but didn't have a strong family unit. We always appreciated his upbeat attitude even when his life was upside down.
As we were catching up, I felt the need to ask him how life is going now that he is on the outside looking in. He mentioned that his life is going well, but he would rather still be at Gateway Woods than in Foster Care.
If it wasn't for you guys, I would probably be lying in a casket somewhere.
After a little while, I asked him what were some of the things he learned while he was a resident at Gateway. He looked at me and he said, "Where do I start? I learned how to respect others and see that everyone has value, including myself. I was part of a functioning family here at Gateway and I miss it a lot! I will never be the same person as I was when I first walked into the doors of Gateway. If it wasn't for you guys, I would probably be lying in a casket somewhere."
Those words rang loudly in my ears. I am so thankful that it is because of Jesus that we do what we do here at Gateway Woods. If you would like to help partner with us or find out more information on how you can help us reach more people like Vince visit our volunteer page.
Thank you for blessing us with over $550,000 at the 40th Annual Auction!
Thousands of attendees joined us for the 2016 Annual Gateway Woods Benefit Auction. The gift campus receives Auction day is not only financial; it is an impressive, visual reminder of the love and prayers we receive throughout the year. Your support impacts the lives of hurting families and children while providing a safe Gateway community—a community conducive to a family model. Because of this model, Ian Ringger (7) also gets to be a part of Gateway Woods, living life while observing other staff shine their lights daily!
Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.
What do you think about Gateway?
I've been a houseparent kid for 2.5 (1.5) years. It's fun because I get to play with friends, and I get a big house! In the summer, I like Kids Kamp and the Auction. They have the Auction so they can raise money for Gateway Woods.
Tell me about the Auction.
First, for the Auction, all the people that were singing went to Maple to sing the last time before they sang in front of the crowd. When all the people were singing, I was at my Uncle Jon's shirt and hat store that has all the Gateway stuff. My mom brought me $1 and I used that $1 to buy something at the candy store. Then, my Grandma asked me to get some ice cream for her and my Grandpa. Then, I got some for me and my brother. Then, I got another $1 and went to the candy store for the second time! Then, my dad took me into the green and white tent and we looked for some Lego sets. We bought a BIG, GINORMOUS Lego set! It had a ship on top of it that could fly off! It was on the silent auction - my dad writed it (the bid amount) when we had a couple minutes left. It didn't change so we could just go to the table and grab it off the table. I like the auction because there's pizza, snacks, and a whole bunch of kids I can be friends with!
Why are you at Gateway?
Because God asked my Mom and Dad to come here!
The 2017 Auction is scheduled for Saturday, August 5th.
The day was rainy, but about 250 people came. They parked their cars in an open field. The majority of the sales items were quilts and antiques.
Those words were penned referencing the very first Gateway Woods Auction in 1977. Thirty-nine years and forty auctions later, one thing was the same, but most things were different. People still parked in an open field. But this time the day was sunny, the vast majority of sales items were everything but quilts and antiques, and over 2,000 people came!
“This is amazing. I had no idea how big this was and how many people would be here…” It was inspiring to hear those words upon greeting one of our elder brothers who was attending for the first time. It was also encouraging to share a few words with a dear sister who organized the earliest auctions of the 1970’s. She has been an ardent supporter ever since. Whether one attends for the first time, the fortieth time, or is coming the next time for the first time, it’s always a day of remarkable blessing to be a part of those joining hands and hearts to do the Lord’s work.
Finally, it would be remiss if we did not acknowledge all those responsible, and especially the One who makes it all possible. The Lord has blessed the work of the church through Gateway Woods with another tremendous auction! Thank you all so very much for the marvelous support. Thanks to generous donors who lovingly give so that there might be something to sell. Thanks to the determined auction committee, that works tirelessly for an entire year to organize and improve the event. Thanks to the enthusiastic attendees, who support and encourage by buying and just being there. Thanks to the relentless prayer warriors who cover the event in petition for the Lord’s divine hand, and thanks to Him, who takes all our meager efforts and multiplies them for His glory! This year the Lord has once again overwhelmed and humbled us by providing over $550,000 in auction proceeds! Praise God! We look forward to seeing you all next year!
We became licensed foster parents in the spring of 2014 and since then our "family photo" has gone through multiple changes. Our first, short-term placement added two boys, making us parents to six boys in all; our second group of siblings kept us at six kids, but added a girl to the mix; and currently five rambunctious boys call our house home.
Being a foster family has not only changed our family size and composition, but many other aspects of our lives as well. Our schedules have had to change to include appointments and therapies; our expectations have had to change as we figure out a new "normal" for life with traumatized kids; our discipline strategies have had to flex and expand.
My hope and belief is that amidst it all, not only are schedules and strategies changing, but that lives are changing as well.
I believe the biggest changes have come in our own lives as parents and a family. God has used foster care to reveal the greatness of His love and grace, as we have been challenged to extend the same to children who act out in defiance or struggle with regressive behaviors. He has helped us develop patience, self-control, and wisdom. He has established an extra measure of love and healing in our own hearts. Romans 12:2 says,
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
While being a foster mom, I have had to continually ask God to help me not conform to the world’s way of doing things — growing impatient, holding onto bitterness, giving up when it gets tough, or complaining about the “system”. Instead, I have tried to dig deep into the Word of God and press into His presence to renew my mind from those patterns of thinking and to transform me into what will make me more like Him — and a better mom!
But the truth is, when we started our journey as foster parents our focus wasn’t on all the ways God would change us, but how we thought we could make a difference in the lives of children in need.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us,
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
We expected to step into our role as foster parents to provide “training up” and parenting that would help correct mistakes made against these kids in the past. While our efforts to do that in the way each child has needed have not always been as fruitful as we expected, we have seen change in many positive ways, from overcoming speech disabilities to learning how to say sorry after a conflict. We have helped build behavioral skills, encouraged emotional expression, and seen academic improvement. We have witnessed significant physical changes as we encouraged healthy eating and exercise habits.
Most importantly, we know we have planted seeds of spiritual change. During our very first placement my husband was able to tell the children in our home that God made them and loved them — something they had never heard before! During our few years as a foster family, our greatest desire has been that God would use our family as His tool to establish His lasting, spiritual changes in the hearts and lives of the little ones He brings into our home. While we may never see the full effects of the seeds planted, we are thankful for our part to plant the seeds of change that others may water and that God will cause to grow.
If we're supposed to pick up our cross and follow him, why would we just live a life of comfort, the way we want to live it?
"One day we'll work there," Paul and Nichole Suvar often commented as they passed Gateway Woods on their way to church. The recession of 2008 hit hard, and the Suvars quickly realized God might be replacing "one day" with "today". A Houseparent position opened, corresponding with the call Paul and Nichole were feeling. In less than a month, Paul and Nichole were Houseparents!
Paul and Nichole (along with Owen, Hannah and Madeline) served as Houseparents for five and a half years. After moving on, their passion for the mission and the gospel is still evident! I recently had the privilege to talk with them about their experience.
"God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible - what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves." A. W. Tozer
What challenged you?
The attempt to balance life with our children and life with the residents: Our mantra was that we were "living life", but we always had the question in our head, "Are we doing enough for out kids? Are we doing enough for the residents?" Also, the constant disregard for the Gospel; we could put up with attitude, disrespect, and kids continuing to mess up, but seeing the Gospel continually rejected - that was the hardest part.
What impacted you?
We learned so much about ourselves! I truly believe we have a stronger marriage and better parenting techniques because of being Houseparents. And, the times when you could see the Gospel reaching a soft heart, that made it worth it. Although it may contradict what was said above, I loved that we were able to live life as a family and our home/life was the mission field. It was so purposeful. We could do it right alongside our kids. We talked about life, we talked about Jesus "living life". We grew spiritually, emotionally, and learned more about relationships and what makes them work well.
What did you learn?
The importance of purposeful, intentional relationships with our children and each other. That success looks different for everyone. That it's not God and I on one team and the residents on the other, but I am truly on the same team as these kids. We are all fallen and all need Jesus. I guess I knew that deep down, but didn't always think or project that.
What would you say to a couple considering Houseparenting?
This work will change your life—for the better. It is hard, but what thing that is truly worthwhile doesn't come with sacrifice and work? If we are truly children of the King, then we need to be active in His Kingdom, loving the hard-to-love and showing them Jesus. It might look hard; it might look impossible — but that's the road Jesus walked. If we're supposed to pick up our cross and follow him, why would we just live a life of comfort, the way we want to live it?
Jon & Beth Ringger came to Gateway Woods as houseparents about three years ago. Due to some changes at Jon’s job, and the closing of an adoption door due to a pregnancy, the Ringger’s decided to act on their desire to serve in a mission environment as a family by joining the Gateway Woods team.
Doing life with these residents is a lot of fun, but also gets really dirty sometimes.
"There can be some fear when making a big career move like this. It can feel like you’re putting your life on hold. We found that our life was not put on hold, but rather it just changed! Some people think, 'if I go to Gateway my career will be set back,' but in reality taking a few years to serve others is very eye-opening to a potential employer. Houseparenting sharpens great character traits that employers are seeking," Jon shares.
"Doing life with these residents is a lot of fun, but also gets really dirty sometimes. I like to think that we are putting a figurative pebble in their shoe, and someday it will be uncomfortable enough that they will remember back to what they learned here. The reality is that many of these kids will backslide at some point in the future. But put yourself in their shoes for just a second. Think about yourself as a 16 or 17-year old. You probably had a fantastic foundation and yet still made some bad decisions at that time, I know I did. These kids have no foundation, and sure, many of them still choose poorly, but it is amazing to see their growth. We aren’t so different from these kids. We may have been given a lot more, but we are still sinners saved by grace."
Jon and Beth have poured three years of their lives into the ministry of houseparenting. Starting in September, Jon will transition into the role of Communications Coordinator.
How long has it been since you went stone skipping?
By praying for, participating in, or financially supporting foster care programs, you can create ripples!
When she entered a Gateway Woods foster family at 13, Quinn's arms were marked by deep, self-inflicted slashes. Reports of illicit drugs and abuse represented her home life with her father. Love was to be earned: her body was given to boys for affirmation. After running from home multiple times, Quinn was labeled a runaway and placed in foster care.
I finally know what it means to have a loving family; it means people who will love and care for you no matter what.
Devoted foster parents communicated a new philosophy: a structured environment, appropriate boundaries with males, and most importantly, they filled her life with unconditional love. Quinn's attitude changed and self-esteem rose. Quinn understood she could have healthy relationships with males, make good grades, and value herself and others. The love poured into her overflowed: Quinn began to invest in others - continuing the ripples outwards.
At a recent doctor's appointment, Quinn was amazed at how her scars have healed. But to those around her, it's apparent that the healing is deeper than her skin.
"I finally know what it means to have a loving family; it means people who will love and care for you no matter what." - Quinn
"To say that prayer changes things is not as close to the truth as saying, prayer changes me!" Oswald Chambers
Neil arrived into residential placement at Gateway Woods with a growing list of felonies including: resisting arrest, fleeing and auto theft. Six months later, Neil returned home with a commitment to finish high school along with his own mode of transportation - a moped he purchased from his money earned at Gateway. Neil left a letter silently placed on his bedroom dresser.
Dear: Pine House Parents
Thank you for everything you guys have done for me. Thank you for showing me kindness and love. Before I came here, I was 15 and was on my way to boy school because I had just pled guilty to four felonies. And I already had two prior felonies. So, I prayed every night in juvenile for three months. I asked God to make the best decision possible, whether it was boy school or not. And God blessed me by sending me here.
When I first got here I really didn't know what to think of these 'Houseparents'. I had never heard of a Houseparent. It sounded kinda weird. But after a while I got used to it. It wasn't so bad here after all. I will definitely miss all the food.
This place changed my life. I was able to see how you guys live compared to how I was living. I seen huge things I have to work on. And I will continue to make changes. I will try to remember all the advice I got here (a lot). Thank you for all the help and support you guys gave me. I will miss you guys when I leave. I appreciate everything all of you have done for me.
Pointing others toward a God of hope and healing.
On February 11, one of our houseparent couples welcomed a new baby boy. Because they were super gracious and brave, they allowed family, friends, staff and youth from the residential program to visit them at the hospital. Two teenage girls from the residential program were enamored and beyond excited to hold the new baby — one even noted, "this is the best day I've had at Gateway!".
"Nothing can bring a real sense of security into the home except true love" - Billy Graham
After being passed around, the newborn was fussing and was returned to his mom. Instantly he was content. The girls marveled at how quickly he recognized the safe haven of his mother's arms.
By the time we meet many of the youth in our programs, they have been passed around. It may have been the arms of grandparents or foster parents; it may have been unhealthy friendships, abusive relationships, gang memberships or others. Some may no longer have the arms of their mother (or father); others struggle to recognize those arms and the sacrificial love they entail.
And that becomes our goal — not to replace or fill in for parents, but to bear witness of the love of a Heavenly Father (John 1:8) whose arms are open wide.
When you think of ways to unselfishly serve others, what comes to mind?
There are so many ways to serve others, that sometimes it can seem overwhelming. One that I rarely think of, but which has been on my mind often lately is mentorship. I was surprised to discover just how important purposeful intergenerational relationships and mentoring are to building and maintaining a teenagers faith. I recently read an article encourage a 5:1 ratio of adults to teens for building strong youth. That's a ratio of five adults willing to invest in one teenager's life!
"The highest form of worship is the act of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and helpless." Billy Graham
This week I sat down with a mentor couple that is living out their Christian faith through a mentor relationship established through the LARC Initiative. They have seen real growth in their mentee, Maya, a member of the Gateway Woods Residential Program. This family is able to model Christ-like behavior to Maya very naturally, and she can see what she is learning about in the Residential Program displayed in regular life.
I asked this mentor couple if they felt that other couples should consider mentoring. Their response has really stuck with me. "There are so many kids that could benefit from a mentor family, and there are a lot of kids that still need families. It's definitely something that people should consider. Not everyone can be houseparents, but it's a pretty natural fit for many people to mentor. And you can really make a difference in someone's life."
At the heart of Gateway Woods’ Mission is restoration through Christ.
Working with volunteers the summer of 2015, I got to witness this first hand. To see the gospel of Christ manifest itself on this wonderful campus was a great and humbling experience.
On this campus many residents encounter the gospel story for maybe their first time. Through the eyes of a volunteer, one witnesses the love and compassion that the staff pours out on these kids. At first these kids may be wary of the love shown to them, but during the duration of their time they see that this love is authentic and real. By instinct and teaching they associate this love with the power of Christ, and this is where the healing begins. As a volunteer you get to walk along with the staff and show Christ’s love. You get the opportunity to relate and interact with these residents at a level you would not expect.
One of the realities that hit me while at Gateway Woods last summer was all mankind’s need for restoration. The world needs restoration, these residents at Gateway Woods need restoration, and I, myself, needed restoration. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 says,
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
As a volunteer you witness this truth. Working, relating, and interacting on this campus, it becomes a sort of sanctuary. You can begin to grow your appreciation for Christ’s reconciliation in your life, and also you begin to take on the ministry of reconciliation for yourself. The more appreciative you are for Christ, the more you want to share Christ!
Being a volunteer was not just a rewarding experience, but also a fun one. With endless interactions with the body of Christ, you could not help but to feel uplifted. If you spend a summer at Gateway Woods, you will see the beauty of the campus. To whoever would consider volunteering and helping out at Gateway Woods, please don’t hesitate! I think you will see Christ in a living and restoring way. Whether you’re a college-aged kid staying for a week in the summer or a family helping during auction week, the opportunities to serve are there.
I recently sat down and interviewed a LARC mentor family, the Slagels. Kurt & Kristen Slagel were formerly houseparents at Gateway Woods, though even after leaving they have continued to invest in the children on our campus. As partners in the LARC Initiative, the Slagels mentor a teenage girl named Maya currently in Gateway Woods Residential Care. The Slagels are seeking to build a solid relationship with Maya, which they can keep up after her time in the Residential Program is finished and she officially leaves our care. Some names have been changed to protect privacy.
What does your mentorship relationship look like?
“We do weekly visits. We try to live life with her, spending time together, playing games, and going places. If we are going to do something as a family we try to include her. For example, we went to the pet store to study some animals and asked her to go with us. Really we try to include her in what we normally do as a family. One thing that’s nice for us is that Michaela (the Slagels oldest daughter) is a similar age and they’ve been able to connect in some ways.”
"Not everyone can be houseparents, but it’s a pretty natural fit for many people to mentor."
“At first there were times when it was awkward, but she has really started to open up. Now she has started to talk to us or call us right away when going through a hard situation. She thinks of us now.”
How do you feel that you and your family have grown through this mentoring relationship?
“One of the things that we didn’t expect is the connection that it provides with the houseparents and other current residents. We see them when we go pick Maya up or drop her off and it provides a good opportunity to interact with them, even more than the short time that we have at church.”
“It seems to have connected our kids to Gateway more…it means a lot when kids from church reach out to the residents and make an effort to connect with them. To have peers that connect with them reminds them that really, they’re just kids.”
“Mentoring has helped us to focus on reaching out to someone else. It’s getting us out of our comfort zone and realizing there are a lot of needs. We already knew that, but it became clearer once we got our hands dirty. It can’t help but change you as a person when you go through messy things with someone. It’s not easy, but it’s life.”
Would you encourage other families & couples to become mentor couples?
“Definitely, if they feel called to it. We really are all called to mentoring, even if it’s not through LARC. We’re all called to disciple. It comes in different forms, but this is one that that we realized that we wanted to be more intentional about doing. LARC gave us that opportunity.”
“One thing that we really like about the LARC program is that it provides some structure. We aren’t just going at this alone…it’s great to have the support of the counselors, or Rob [Parker, LARC Coordinator], or the other staff at Gateway.”
“There are so many kids that could benefit from a mentor family, and there are a lot of kids that still need families. It’s definitely something that people should consider. Not everyone can be houseparents, but it’s a pretty natural fit for many people to mentor. And you can really make a difference in someone’s life.”
They told me adoption was beautiful and redemptive. I guess they were right, but that wasn’t the whole story.
Let me explain. Some time ago we adopted a son from Ethiopia and thought he needed an Ethiopian brother, so we started our second adoption. Months passed and for the usual reasons it was taking longer than anticipated. I periodically perused waiting child lists for various agencies, and one day I found him. He was the right age for our papers, tiny and precious with a mischievous grin. I inquired about this boy, who was not yet matched, and also was not in Ethiopia. We were confused at this development, but we read the file and prayed for a boy a world away who had already known too much loss. We decided to pursue him even though he was not in Ethiopia. We started over with new papers for Congo. Soon after we added a match for a certain baby girl.
It finally came time to travel and pick up our kids. Congo was a brand new program, but they said it should take two weeks. My husband and I both traveled for the first week, then my husband left to care for our son back home and my sister came for the duration of the trip. However, she got lost at the airport. She’d been the first one through customs and baggage, and in the chaos of the Congolese airport she was pushed outside and coerced into the wrong taxi, having never made contact with our guide. After a long and terrifying nighttime ride through Kinshasa, she did eventually find my door.
I know...the One who intimately knew the cost of making orphans into sons and daughters and chose to do it anyway.
She recovered safely inside the compound gates and the rest of the week was uneventful, until the kids’ papers weren’t ready when it was time to go. So we waited for days, which turned into weeks, praying for today to be the day and dreading 5pm when the consulate closed again with still no word and no papers. Fridays were the worst, with the weekend looming long and low. By the fourth week I broke down on the phone with our agency caseworker, begging her to please just do something, though I knew she had no power over the embassy. Really I just wanted to be heard, but “I told you this would be hard,” was the best she had to offer. I felt forgotten, alone, and trapped half a planet away from home with two kids I barely knew. And there was nothing to do but wait.
I kept extending our stay a few days at a time, but eventually our hotel was booked and we had to move. The new hotel wasn’t as nice, nor accustomed to adoptive families, so when the policemen followed us back from the grocery store one day they were ushered right to our door. I didn’t understand what they wanted. I called our guide, and soon there was a posse of angry men arguing in our front yard, and even the Vice Consul of the US Embassy made an appearance on our behalf. They were looking for quick cash, but a lot of worse things had gone through my mind by the time they finally left empty-handed. We moved again late that night, back to our first hotel where, providentially, a room had opened up. Our papers were mercifully ready a few days later, and we finally headed home a full 35 days into our 14-day trip. I’m not sure “Welcome Home” has ever sounded as sweet as it did when our feet finally found American soil.
They told me adoption was beautiful and redemptive. I guess they were right, but that wasn’t the whole story. If I’d known the costs from the start, I would have walked away from the boy in the picture, convinced I didn’t have what it took. To be honest, I still don’t have it. But I know the One who does — the One who intimately knew the cost of making orphans into sons and daughters and chose to do it anyway. I guess they never said it would be easy. Redemption is costly, and life can be just plain hard. But I would do it all again, because they are worth it.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3
As 2015 comes to a close we cannot help but be struck by how God has blessed us throughout the year.
We will be entering our 40th year in 2016. At Gateway Woods we are not strangers to God's goodness, provision and guidance, but we are still regularly struck by His wondrous provision for us. Here are just a few ways that God moved at Gateway Woods this year:
"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:32-33
Christmas at Gateway Woods can be an interesting time. Many of us have wonderful memories of Christmas that include snow, Christmas trees, presents, (too much) food, hot cocoa and crackling fires. But most of us probably also have memories of caroling, nativities, stories of the birth of Jesus, and prayers of thanks for a promise fulfilled. This time of year is always a reminder that many of the children that we serve do not share these same memories.
While getting the display pieces down from the attic, one of the residents asked what the nativity meant.
Years ago a houseparent told me a story about how their house was working to setup the Christmas nativity display that we have near our campus entrance. While getting the display pieces down from the attic, one of the residents asked what the nativity meant. The houseparent asked if he had heard the story of the birth of Jesus before he came to Gateway, and he had not! How mind blowing, that someone who grew up in Indiana could reach teenage years and never hear the story behind the Christmas holiday. We are so thankful for the opportunity to share that story with children and families that do not know its importance.
As Christmas draws near we ask you to be prayerful for many of the children that we serve. Please pray that this could be a time of healing with their families, and an eye-opening season for all. We will likely only have one Christmas with most of the residents on campus, and we hope that it can be part of a lasting change. Our hope is that in the future, when Christmas time approaches, these residents will remember that this time is not about presents, big dinners and Christmas trees. But instead this is the time where we thank God for doing the unthinkable, coming to earth to fulfill a promise, making Himself of no reputation and blessing all of mankind.
We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas holiday.
A few years ago one of the most challenging boys we have ever had was placed in the Residential Program. This young man came straight from the streets and was firmly entrenched in his gang as an influential leader. He did not want to participate in Christmas because it was offensive. Many of us thought he would be the first to refuse to participate in church and church activities. A young man that was so caught up in sin and gang activity that he would have regular ‘satanic’ dreams that would keep him up all night. Out of the many kids we worked with over our 4+ years as houseparents, this young man’s life oozed a spiritual warfare like none others that we experienced.
Through his time at Gateway, he never did refuse to go to church, but he did opt out of participating in Christmas and Easter celebrations. Over time he did become a little more open with spiritual matters when talking one-on-one with us, but usually quietly opposed God and Christianity. He was able to make some positive improvements by passing his GED before he left. Even though he was not a very vocal individual, he still impacted most of the young men on campus because of his ‘gang’ influence. Unfortunately, after approximately ten months this young man had to be discharged early because of his choices. We will never forget the day we watched him be taken away in handcuffs. It was one of the most difficult days for us as houseparents, to witness that knowing there seemed to be little hope. Prayers, countless talks and time invested into his life seemed to be all for nought! We just went back to the house and wept over the mess of the situation.
We sent a letter and tried to look him up a number of times when we were in his hometown, but with no success or response. Some times the only things we can do is pray for these individuals.
Fast-forward a couple years. Our family was in the his area and decided to try to Facebook message him to meet for dinner. We didn’t hear back (no surprise, considering how he left Gateway). The former residents we were visiting told us that they had some contact with this young man and that he was different.
Several days later we received this text from him “I’m doing good, been working steady over a year now. Got my own place back in April and finally turned my life over to Christ last year. Sorry for all the problems I caused you guys. I have been wanting to visit some time. God has been doing many amazing things in the past year for me. I’m so glad even though I failed the program, I learned something from it all.
It took me a while to realize it, but I know God’s working and has been using me as a voice for his lost sheep. I changed a lot. Even though I’m not perfect, in ALL things God has made me a man with a purpose.
Words can’t describe the overwhelming emotions that followed as we conversed via text for the next hour. When he left there were tears of anguish and now tears of joy and overwhelmed by the work of God. We serve an awesome God who is continues to amaze with His miracles.
Gateway Woods will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of serving children in 2016.
With the admission of our first resident on November 7, 1976, we actually became a “children’s home”. There were years of planning and construction and in the months prior, staff were hired, policies developed, supplies assembled and curtains hung. But until there was a child, we did not truly serve orphans.
Anniversaries are occasions for looking forward with anticipation and excitement, but also for looking back with reflection and thanksgiving. Where did the vision come from that led to a facility in Leo, IN? What’s the source of the passion for ministry to lost and wounded children? Who in our past saw beyond the immediate needs of “our own” to heed the Spirit’s call and the Word’s command to “visit the fatherless”?
The Apostolic Christian denomination which began when our founder was driven from the Swiss state church in the early 1800s had an initial evangelical zeal and passion for the lost in their regions. Soon Samuel Froehlich and many of his followers were also driven out of the country and, in many cases, from the European continent. In the New World as they settled near other German/Swiss Anabaptists, a focus equal to evangelism, was simply survival and finding homes where faith could be practiced freely.
Whether because of seclusion and exclusion due to language, customs and faith or a newfound prosperity, the missionary zeal that brought many Apostolic Christians to the US in the first place was almost lost over the next 100 years. In many areas, evangelism was discouraged and missionary efforts were unsupported. Most family needs, crises and care for elderly and orphans were handled within families and local congregations without much effort to extend beyond the church community.
In the 1960s and 70s that slowly began to change as the responsibility of plenty collided with previously neglected or rationalized scriptures. Quietly, on an individual basis, family-by-family, and then church-by-church, a simple equation brought conviction that - what we have is what they need! Troubled children and families around us need what we have in abundance - stable marriages, solid extended families, supportive church congregations, adequate finances, extra places at the table and extra beds in homes. To know this and to not share these blessings would be wrong.
Old and New Testament scriptures that command true believers to give to the poor, visit the sick and imprisoned, and care for the old and fatherless are too numerous to ignore. And, the response needed to be more than just writing a check and agreeing to pray when it crosses our minds. God’s wheels grind slowly but thoroughly. For leaders and believers who truly desire to understand and obey all of scripture, the Word will eventually illuminate, convict and motivate. When that happens the “sleeping giant” awakens and powerful and contagious things happen that can reach around the world.
Events that led to the founding of the Apostolic Christian Children’s Home included couples from the Midwest becoming involved with a struggling Appalachian orphanage named Dessie Scott Children’s Home in Pine Ridge, KY. In 1967 Art and Bertha Gasser and Chet and Roma Rufener from Rittman, OH and Herman and Helen Norr along with their daughter Elaine from Leo, IN visited the home and were moved by the extreme needs. Soon their passion became contagious and by 1968 they rallied 175 volunteers to help replace or repair other various buildings, provide funding, and even become board members. About that same time momentum for Apostolic Christian World Relief efforts was growing and funding was thus provided.
Seeds had been sown and others like the Norrs became catalysts who labored and lobbied tirelessly to develop a program for troubled children in the Midwest where members and resources are concentrated. In 1969, a 9-member children’s home Exploratory Committee was formed. In 1973, final Elder Body approval was received, the name Apostolic Christian Children’s Home was made official, and 73 acres in Leo, IN were chosen by lot from among several sites. In 1974, groundbreaking for the first two group homes was held, construction began, and the motto “A Work or Faith, a Labor of Love” from I Thessalonians 1:3 was chosen. During 1975 construction by hundreds of volunteers continued and the first administrator and houseparents were hired. In 1976, the Indiana license arrived September 17, Dedication was held October 24 and the first resident was admitted on November 7. In the midst of such a flurry of events and energy, the Home was finally in operation!
Over the decades Gateway Woods has grown to provide multiple different but related services. Many of these were delivered through the same patience and perseverance that birthed the original program while some no longer exist. Visit gatewaywoods.org/history if you’re interested in some of these key events in our history.
It is marvelous to see where those who have passed through Gateway Woods in various capacities have gone and what ministry they have delivered across the community, region, country and world. It is satisfying to know that Gateway has been a training ground for many who have moved on to do amazing things for the Kingdom in other places. While some are more direct than others, all are a testimony to God’s patience, faithfulness and provision.
Scores of adoptive and foster parents are raising children from down the street or from across the globe in Christ-centered homes. Numerous full-time workers in the US and missionaries in foreign lands bring faith and hope to the lost and wounded. Organizations like His Ranch in MO, My Sister’s House in IL, 4 Kids of South Florida and The New Beginnings in FL, Casa Vida y Esperanza in Mexico, HarvestCall (AC World Relief/Missions), Loving Shepherd, ACCFS, and Lifesong for Orphans operating in the US and in numerous foreign countries have relationships and staff connected to Gateway Woods; who would have thought, who would have dreamed!
May God be glorified and may we all be encouraged as we celebrate 40 years in 2016.
In 2015, we began a significant renovation of the two original homes on campus, the Hickory and Oak houses. As of November the renovation of Hickory house has been completed and Oak house is nearing completion.
We would like to personally thank everyone who supported this project through their donations and hard work! - Ryan & Bethany Donaghy
These renovations were not just meant to modernize the look of the homes. While they do improve the look very much, the purpose is really to provide a more open environment. This allows the houseparents to “keep an eye” on the residents in a way that is so much more conducive to building a trusting relationship. “The most effective type of supervision happens when the kids don’t feel like they are being supervised. The open floor plan really allows us to keep an eye on the kids without seeming awkward about it,” says Ryan Donaghy, one of the Hickory houseparents. For example, it is now possible for the houseparents to hold a discussion with a resident in the office and be able to simply glance up and see what the other children are doing in the main living area. This was not possible before. This is just one of the many benefits to these new renovations.
These important renovations could not have been completed without the financial support and volunteer help provided by many of you. Thank you for blessing Gateway Woods in this way!
"The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Numbers 6:24-26
Once again nearly 2000 bidders came to our campus for the 2015 Annual Gateway Woods benefit Auction. Thousands of attendees blessed us by coming to our campus, purchasing food and items and volunteering their time. It was breathtaking to see so many people willing to give their hard earned money to help the mission of serving children and families in need. This year God blessed us with over $500,000 for the first time through your donations! We praise Him and thank you for this incredible outpouring!
God blessed us with an incredible, record-breaking Auction once again this year. Thanks to our many supporters who attended and blessed us!
The Auction is a great experience for those of us at Gateway Woods for several reasons. The most obvious of which is the amazing financial support it provides. However, in addition it provides a breath of fresh air to the staff to see thousands of people offering support and encouragement. It is a great reminder that we aren't serving alone! Also, every resident at the Auction is a witness to the fact that thousands of people are willing to come and support them in their striving towards change. Many have never witnessed anything like it!
Once again, thank you for blessing us with your support, year round and at the Auction. We pray that God blesses you as you have blessed us.
The 2016 Auction is scheduled for Saturday, August 6th.
Here are three ways you can pray for foster children and families around you this month.
May is National Foster Care Month, and here at Gateway that is big reason for celebration, thankfulness, and prayers. For over 25 years we have depended on you and your families bringing us to the throne of God, over and over. There is no better work for God's people than to serve the hurting and fatherless, and a big part of that service is prayer.
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ..."- Colossians 4:2-3
Thank you for praying for our Foster Care Department. Our foster homes are full, and every day many children are settling into families who are teaching them about Jesus and taking them to church. While there is much grief and pain in these children's lives, God is not done writing their stories, and His plans for them far exceed our wildest imaginings! We have foster parents who are in their early 20s and haven't started their own families, but have felt the calling to use their homes for service. We have families who are teaching their school-aged children selflessness and grace by showing them how to love hardened foster children. And we have couples that have long-since been empty-nesters that stand in as grandparents in the lives of their foster children.
God uses a variety of His people for His service! Likewise, God calls a variety of us to work as staff in the Foster Care Department. His calling is our privilege, on tough days and mountaintops alike. As you say your prayers tonight and throughout the rest of the month, please consider praying for:
Thank you for your prayers!
Last summer, I was the Volunteer Coordinator at Gateway Woods. I learned many things, more than you could fit in this article, but I will try to let you in on some central themes. Beginning with the end:
In my role of ministry to the residents, I was able to lead the guy residents in a weekly Bible Study. Meeting them where they were, I lead them through some basic apologetics. The reliability of the Bible, present evidence for the existence of God, as well as some basic principles that are taught in scripture. It was good for me to learn about the topics, but the larger lessons were learned from their reactions to the material. There were a few who were consistently resistant to what I would try to say. It came to the point that some said it would take a vision or physical manifestation of Christ for them to believe. I was reminded of the parable of the rich man in Luke 16 “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” This revealed to me, that even with all my exposition of the Gospel, it is a miraculous work of God that is needed to bring these ones to Him. I thanked God for His work in me and realized just how hard a task the staff at Gateway has. "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer." (Mark 9:29) The work of the Church is missions. The work of missions is prayer.
The annual Auction was a culmination of the summer in many ways. It seemed that everything built to that climax. Being close to the center of the storm, I learned just how many people it takes to put the Auction together. From the committee, which meets year round to ensure everything is organized, to the churches and individuals who donate money and auction items, to the many people who give a wealth of time and resources to put it all together. From tables and chairs being set up, electrical and multimedia elements, food prepared and served, items organized, presented and sold, the conglomeration was far too much for one person to comprehend. It was in these times that I became very proud of what the Church was capable of. People from across the country were united to complete the common goal of seeing the sale come about. Individuals filled the needs that they could without needing recognition or reward. The thing is, Gateway operates this way year-round. They rely on individuals and churches to intercede, to fill in the gaps that they cannot fill on their own. Throughout my summer as the Volunteer Coordinator, I realized just how much we need “the body” to work in tandem to accomplish the mission.
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:9-10
The task of reaching the children and families that Gateway Woods works with is a mammoth undertaking. They rely on the Church body giving financially, volunteering, and laboring in prayer for them to operate. At times I went through incredibly difficult times while at Gateway. I was feeling discouraged, not seeing any indication that my effort was going to do any good, when I read from Galatians 6. I was encouraged by the thought that even if I don’t see any obvious results in this lifetime, my reward is in Heaven. If there is anything I have learned in my life, it is that God does not lie. Let’s believe in His promises as we complete the work He has for us to do.
The amazing thing about being called as missionaries is that God reconciled us to Christ so that He could not only save us, but also give us the ministry (or task) of reconciliation.
Since coming to Gateway, first in the pregnant teen Oak House, and subsequently in the co-ed Pine House, there has been a passage of Scripture that has served as the impetus for the ministry where God called us in March of 2012. It is found in 2 Corinthians 5:14-20.
"14 For the love of Christ constraineth (also translated “compels”) us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God."
Jesus’s love is what “compels” us (v. 14) to share the simple message of the Gospel, which is good news to the core. “Compels” can mean to guide, unify, or motivate – all essential ingredients for the mission field. Whether we are caught in the drama of a teen mom who so desperately wants to start a new life but feels a cemented bond to the father of her baby…or, we are trying to rescue a young man caught up in an inner city gang who knows no other escape than to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana to numb his pain– the Gospel is for “all” since “one died for all” (v. 15).
Teens are prone to orient their world view around “the self.” They are busy trying to figure out their own identity and what will make them happy in the moment. We urge them to focus on Christ’s love demonstrated by his death “for them” (v. 15) personally. This begs the question: Because of what God in His Son, Jesus, did for me, why would I ever want to live for myself? What often brings young men and women to Gateway are the catastrophic consequences of living to please self rather than their Creator who created them to live in His image, instead. Their life purpose is often distorted or misdirected.
The only way for a new start for these young men and women’s self-destructive lives is to believe the promise: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (v. 17). These teens don’t need greater self-esteem, or a new identity – they need a complete regeneration by the Holy Spirit so that all things, regardless of their struggle, become new.
The amazing thing about being called as missionaries is that God reconciled us to Christ so that He could not only save us, but also give us the ministry (or task) of reconciliation. It is astounding that God uses us, with all of our own struggles with sin and all of our flaws, to reach lost teens with His ministry of reconciliation.
The incredible truth about The Gospel is that, because God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ, He does not have to count these teens’ sins, or our sins, against us (v. 19). In fact, through simple faith, we don’t need to count our sins against ourselves or count the sins of the young men and women we work with. This is the Good News! Hallelujah! All the praise and glory belongs to Jesus! Please pray for all of us at Gateway that we would be committed to what Jesus has committed to us – the message (word, v. 19) and ministry of reconciliation to Christ (v. 18).
If we have been called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we have all been summoned to be Christ’s ambassadors (v. 20) meaning that Jesus is making a strong appeal to us to beg those who are lost in the deadness of their sin to be reconciled (come into agreement) with God about their sin and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. Our single mission as houseparents at Gateway Woods is to continually urge and beg young men and women to come into intimate fellowship with God the Father and be saved and sanctified by His grace.
Fifteen-year-old William came to the Gateway Woods Residential Program two years ago. His background of gang involvement, crime and drug abuse was common to many of the other youth in his house. William initially resisted the structure, discipline and spiritual focus of Gateway Woods. But slowly over time, he started making incremental changes, becoming more responsive to expectations and showing a budding interest in matters of faith.
After six months, William had come to appreciate Gateway Woods and had earned much trust from his houseparents. He was doing better in school, had a part-time job, and was participating in church youth activities. He was doing so well, that one month later, the judge who placed him here, allowed William to return home to his family.
Everyone was optimistic as they bid farewell to William. Even his mother, who was skeptical at first, enthusiastically endorsed his return home. Surely this young man, with a chance for a new start, would take the lessons learned and keep his life turned around.
Unfortunately, once William left the structure of Gateway Woods, he started regressing into old behaviors. His neighborhood and friends beckoned with a siren’s call back into the same life that got him into trouble in the first place. Five months after returning home, William was arrested again, this time on an assault charge.
All of the youth that pass through Gateway Woods learn valuable lessons in the practical and spiritual matters. A great number take those lessons and cement lasting changes that impact the rest of their life. Unfortunately, too many like William, do well at Gateway Woods, but then return to self-destructive behaviors after leaving.
Our goal is to connect young people to those who have a heart to help.
William’s struggles are too common and beg the question, “What can be done?” This concern became a consistent theme, and as a result, we are excited to announce the creation of a new program called Linking to Achieve Responsibility and Community (LARC).
The goal of LARC is to create a network of volunteers, business owners, people from the community, and other resources, that can support clients after they leave our programs. It is our belief that the best way to create lasting change in our clients is to help them develop supportive and nurturing relationships with people in the community who will encourage them and hold them accountable. In short: our goal is to connect young people to those who have a heart to help.
Gateway Woods is not trying to create another program. No matter how good our intentions, struggling young people don’t need another program as much as they need caring adults with whom they can have genuine and organic relationships. It might seem ironic that Gateway Woods is creating a "program" which, in itself, will not directly support kids but simply be a vehicle to create an environment for real, helping relationships to grow.
This initiative is boldly unlike any other program we have started before, and we are looking for the right person to lead its charge. If you are up for the challenge of breaking new ground in the forging of mentoring relationships for some of society’s most vulnerable youth, please reach out to us. We’d love to hear from you!
For a large share of my life, I only had a superficial understanding of Gateway Woods. My perceived understanding was that the Apostolic Christian denomination was attempting to create a field of missionary work for some unfortunate orphaned or troubled youth from a city larger than I cared to visit — except for maybe going to the zoo. I grew up in rural northwest Ohio approximately an hour from Fort Wayne, Indiana. During my sheltered childhood, Sunday was a day meant for Church, work was a necessity, parents were to be honored, an education was valued, the elderly were esteemed, the practice of love and forgiveness was taught and other virtues were maintained. At times back then, but even more so today, many youth in America are lacking this type of heritage, and many in this generation are now paying the consequences. Back then I didn’t realize the complicated situations and lifestyles many young children had, nor did I realize the numerous causes creating these needs. Fractured families, drugs, poverty, lack of any Christ-centered spiritual home environment and many other issues were real years ago, and are far more prevalent for today’s young people. In my youth and for much of my early adult years I had almost grown to believe that doing mission work meant traveling overseas to some third world country where Bibles were scarce. As I have experienced more of life and been given the opportunity to work with people, my eyes have been opened to some of the intense needs of young children and teens. When I see the emotional and physical wounds of those around me, I have asked myself, How do I go about helping these people? What role do I take? Do I have a heart of compassion to get involved? What if they have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ before and if so, what would it take to present the Gospel to them? How can I be Christ to them? What if they reject all my efforts? If Gateway Woods was operating from my Smithville Apostolic Christian Church, would the culture of my church change with their attendance and if so, would I be satisfied with that? Would I have enough love to overlook my desires and try to understand their needs? Does this sound like a missionary opportunity?
"...my eyes have been opened to some of the intense needs of young children and teens."
I have had the privilege to become more involved with Gateway Woods and learn much more of its programs by being on the Board of Directors. On the board, we discuss the challenges of continuing and expanding the vision for the future of Gateway Woods as we face many unknowns, from the areas of stewardship to new programs to revenue issues. With the government currently being a substantial revenue for the “business” of Gateway Woods, we have to address what that would look like if we choose to become a fully private organization by necessity because of our Christian foundation and mission. This is a real mission in our country. I realize every Apostolic Christian Church cannot operate a youth ministry like Gateway Woods, but I am thankful we have one.
In middle school I went on a mission trip and while there I felt God tell me I would some day be a missionary. Fast-forward a few years (Yes, just a few) I decided I wanted to stay in the small town in which I grew up and enter the social work field. I now teach a career-focused class which causes me to reflect on my own life choices. I began to question God as to why He would put such a desire in my heart at a young age, but then guide me down a different path. God quickly answered by stating He in fact has created our family to be missionaries, just not in the sense I had originally thought. A missionary is defined as someone who is on a religious mission, and as Christians we are given the Great Commission to spread the teachings and love of Jesus Christ. We are to spread this message everywhere, not just to remote and seemingly far off places. Yes, some are called to go, however I firmly believe God is using us right where we are to meet the needs of those around us. Our mission field is our home.
We are far from having it “all together,” however God reminds me continuously that He has called us and He is faithful and will see us through. God takes us as we are. He picks us up out of our mess, dusts us off and sets us on the right path. We are blessed enough to be able to share this kind of crazy, amazing, and unconditional love our Father has for us with not only the children and youth placed in our home, but with their families as well.
Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to support foster families. So whether you support foster care through prayer, case management and administrative work, or donations, you are also participating in missions. It doesn’t matter what part we each play in the mission field as long as we use the gifts God has given us. We are sowing the seeds that can have an impact beyond our wildest dreams. One of my favorite quotes comes from Robert H. Schuller, “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.” Let that sink in! We each need to start where we are and with what we have been given and watch God work--impacting our homes, communities, country and world!
Wow! What an incredible Auction weekend we all enjoyed together in August! In the aftermath my mind was a whirlwind of emotions, but two stuck out more than any other: humility and deep gratitude. It was absolutely humbling to watch the outpouring of love, support and generosity we witnessed not only on Auction day, but also in the weeks and months preceding. On behalf of all the staff, and those who are served through the ministry of Gateway Woods, I would like to express deepest gratitude and thankfulness for the incredible blessings of the Auction weekend.
The work for the Auction starts with a committee made up of mostly volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of the ministry. Even when they should be kicking up their feet and taking a well deserved rest, they continue to meet soon after the Auction to assess what went well, and what still needs to be improved. The committee works together to not only pull off an excellent event, but also to seek continuous improvement. We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Auction committee.
Our church representatives also begin to prepare months early for the Auction, as they solicit item donations, volunteers and support long before most others have begun to think about the coming event. Thank you so much for all you do!
We know that many faithful people pray for Gateway Woods, not only for the Auction, but year-round. We truly rely on the prayers of those we love!
And who wouldn’t be inspired by the sea of yellow jerseys that engulfed the campus as bike riders from east and west converged on the campus in a mélange of color, cheering and clapping. Thanks to all of the riders for making great effort to generate a building enthusiasm that united on Friday night.
All of this effort came together to bring a record setting total in excess of $470,000!
Then comes the day. After 20 years of personally watching Gateway Woods Auctions come and go, I still stand in awe at the outpouring of generosity, the fellowship, and the open hearts. Thank you for coming to join us on that exhilarating day!
All of this effort came together to bring a record setting total in excess of $470,000! In all this, we ultimately praise and thank God for His great bounty. Without the Lord’s blessing, we would truly have gained nothing. Oh, we might by our own efforts have garnered more money, but without the Lord’s blessing, we would have truly achieved nothing. It’s with that thought in mind we thank all of you, but most of all, in great humility, we thank our Lord. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
If you’re already making plans for next year’s Auction, be sure to mark you calendar for Saturday, August 1st.
"Where are you, God? Are you even there?"
There is a good chance that nearly everyone reading this has thought these words at one time or another. Rena, one of the residents at the Pine house was no exception.
In the midst of Rena pondering the existence of God, Keith and Alisa Beyer, alternate houseparents at Pine, had been doing devotions with the residents. One of the recent lessons had focused on a biblical example of seeking a sign from God.
Later that day, Rena sat down to join two of the Beyer’s daughters doing some drawing and coloring. At one point Rena looked over and saw one of the girls drawing a heart onto a piece of paper in clear green. A few minutes later she was handed that picture.
Rena looked down, and began to weep!
Why?
The Beyers later found out that Rena, taking their previous devotion to heart, had prayed to God saying, “I will know you exist if, within the next 24 hours, you give me a yellow heart.”
Rena had even watched the heart being drawn, but seeing that it was in green thought little of it. Upon receiving the paper and looking down though, she was shocked to see that the Beyer’s daughter had chosen to fill it in with a bright, vibrant yellow.
“I love that story,” Alisa Beyer says, “because it shows God working. And it also is a testimony to the fact that our kids are a part of the ministry in ways that they weren’t even seeking it, God was just using them.”
God works in mysterious ways, wouldn’t you agree?
A healthy baby boy was born this summer in central Illinois. It is a miracle that this baby was healthy, as the mother had not received any prenatal care until three weeks prior to the birth. Gateway Woods Family Services Illinois was able to help this mother obtain prenatal care as well as assist her with other necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. She was living at a friend’s house and was unable to work because of her pregnancy. We helped her acquire and furnish an apartment. As we transported her to doctor appointments and went shopping with her, our prayer was that she could see the love of Christ in us and that we could share about God’s transforming power.
We are excited to be open to serve Christian families in Illinois seeking to provide a home for a child through adoption.
This young woman professes to believe in Jesus, and prayed about what family to choose for her child. She stated, “If there was any way possible that I could have raised this child, I would have done it…I made some poor choices in the past, I am trusting that I made a good choice this time.” Due to her life circumstances she was unable to parent another child at this time, but God had parents chosen for this child and worked in the lives of an Indiana couple to pursue adoption―not because they couldn’t have children but because they desire to use their blessings from God to provide a loving Christian home and family for a child who otherwise would not have such an opportunity.
We are so thankful that God brought us this young woman and adoptive family to serve! Who knew that a poster in an out-of-the-way place at a laundromat would touch a despairing young woman’s heart―God did and He placed us here in Illinois for such a task.
Thanks for your prayers.
Sandra began at Gateway Woods as a young, frightened and pregnant resident. As a member of our Pregnant Teen and Teen Mom Program she was taught many things including life skills, parenting strategies, and Biblical truth. However, the help and training that we provided Sandra did not stop once she graduated from the Residential Program.
Now we look forward to seeing her create a new legacy for herself and her child!
Upon leaving our campus and striking out into the world, Sandra was matched with one of our Home Based Service Workers. This worker helped Sandra to find an apartment for her and her baby, as well as a job so that she could begin providing for her family. In addition, this worker was able to continue to reinforce the things that Sandra learned during her time in the Residential Program.
Now Sandra is on her own, with no current need for our help, though we will always be just a phone call away. We are thankful for the opportunity that God gave us to play a role in breaking the destructive cycle for Sandra and her baby. Now we look forward to seeing her create a new legacy for herself and her child!
I would say, hands down, she was the toughest kid we’ve had in our house. She brought chronic disease that affected every part of her life. She brought years of severe abuse and neglect with her.
It manifested itself with screaming, throwing, name-calling, and defiance.
When she lived here she taught me so much about trust and patience and unconditional love.
She lived here for 9 months.
That was three years ago.
And last Sunday I got to witness her stand in front of 200+ people and profess her need for Jesus and His Saving Grace. I got to be there to see her be baptized.
She was part of my lowest moments here as a houseparent.
And now she is part of one of my highest moments, too.
She is a living, walking example of prayer working—His body reaching out to serve and witness.
After Gateway, God brought others into her life to pick up where we left off. They mentored, loved, and took her to church with them.
I weep with thankfulness when I think that some day I will get to see her in heaven, with all her hurts forgotten, her disease made well, every tear wiped dry.
Don’t give up on those cases that seem hopeless. As long as there is life, there is hope!
Keep loving, keep praying, keep serving.
Because God isn’t done with us yet.
It has been several weeks since we had the privilege to host our annual representatives meeting here at Gateway Woods. Every March, representatives from our supporting churches give up a Saturday to spend the day with us, and learn how the investments of time, talent and treasure impact the lives of children and families in difficult circumstances. We were privileged to meet a young adoptive mother, who gripped us with a tale of adoption and her family’s ministry to not only their new son, but to their son’s birthmother. A counselor and a young resident recounted their journey of help and healing as this young lady prepares to be reunited with family. And a young woman told how her home-based worker and Gateway Woods support and help her as she overcomes depression.
Six months since becoming the Executive Director of Gateway Woods Family Services, I found myself at the conclusion of this Representatives Meeting feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Grateful for the vision of a ministry to help children and families; grateful for the steadfast and generous support of our reps and their churches; grateful for the diligence, determination, and excellence of the staff that serve so faithfully; grateful for a dedicated board of directors who give of themselves to provide wisdom and oversight; grateful for an opportunity to serve so many. We cannot offer enough thanks to all of you for the love and support you show us in the work we all do.
It’s exciting to be thankful and I’m thankful to be excited, especially about the future of Gateway Woods. It is thrilling to see solid growth in our most seasoned programs, Residential and Foster Care. At a time when residential placements are dropping across the state, Gateway Woods continues to run the Residential Program nearly full. After some retooling in the Foster Care Department, it’s exhilarating to see steady growth in both children served in foster homes and newly licensed Christian foster parents. We are excited to announce that our Adoption Program has now expanded into Illinois and is ready to help adoptive families. On top of that, we have just achieved accreditation to the Hague standards for both the Illinois and Indiana Adoption Programs. This important accreditation allows Gateway Woods to facilitate adoptions in countries that were previously closed to us. With so much growth occurring, it is a wonderful time to be a part of the ministry of Gateway Woods!
We appreciate your prayers as we seek God’s will in setting our future. Thank you again for your wonderful support. May God richly bless each of you, as we all seek to serve Him, by serving others!
Several years ago the leadership at Gateway Woods began a journey, a journey that is finally coming to an end. Although, it may be more appropriate to say that it’s a journey that is just beginning. In March of 2014 Gateway Woods Family Services Illinois officially opened to provide adoption services for families residing anywhere in Illinois.
We praise God for His provision over the years as the groundwork was laid to open this Illinois location. He has provided the right staff, location, opportunity and timing for us to serve Christian families in Illinois looking to bring a child into their family. Though at times it seemed like it would take nothing short of a miracle to complete all of the requirements needed, God opened all of the right doors in His time.
Gateway Woods Family Services Illinois provides quality, affordable, and family-focused services for both international and domestic adoptions. Specifically services include:
We ask for your prayerful support as the Illinois office opens. We specifically ask for prayers regarding:
I believe that I speak on behalf of the Gateway staff as we pursue this new mission field when I say that,
At a staff meeting this past month, each Gateway Woods team member had the opportunity to take a few seconds to share some things for which they are thankful. Many wonderful responses were given, and one in particular stood out.
After dozens of staff stated how thankful they were for family, friends, homes, opportunities, health, and more, one staff member stated that he was thankful for all of the things that he did not know. He went on to explain, "I'm thankful for what I don't know. I'm thankful that I don't know what it's like to have a father that beats me, or a mother that steals from me to support her drug habits, or brothers and sisters that I barely know."
As you spend time giving thanks over the next few days, try to remember to give thanks for the things that you don't know.
It was a sobering moment as we considered the truth of what was said. Most of us in that room have never personally known the things that many of the children we serve can never forget. While we see it daily, we have never experienced it the way they have. It was also a reminder of why we do what we do. We pray that we can help break the cycle for hurting teens and families, so that one day their children can grow up in a totally different environment—one that breeds joy and life, instead of pain and brokenness.
As you spend time giving thanks over the next few days, try to remember to give thanks for the things that you don't know.
We hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Angelina is one of those people that you just have to like the moment you meet her. She has boatloads of personality, is outgoing, fun and has an infectious smile. Talking with her you would never know the struggles she has been through, or the difficult times that her and her family have experienced. Though she grew up far from Indiana, this is now a place that she can happily call home.
Angelina never really was allowed to get comfortable in a home. She spent most of her childhood moving from one house or apartment to the next, rarely being there for more than a year. She and her siblings would even sometimes sleep in parks while her parents were off partying or coming down from a high. Her past is full of stories of being moved to and from foster homes, getting evicted from houses due to her parents drug use, moving because of natural disasters, and even coming home from school and finding her house in flames!
Angelina had her share of problems too. Several times she was caught running away from home, and she often turned to drugs and alcohol in order to fit in with her friends. “[My parents] did it, why couldn’t I? They didn’t want me to do it, but they were doing it themselves so I never felt like I needed to stop.”
Eventually Angelina was sent to Gateway Woods, and she saw something that she had not experienced much before. “The people here are a good example of what a Christian should be. My family would say things about God, but their lives didn’t show it.” Angelina saw people’s words and actions lined up, and it started her down the path to change. She was also introduced to a structured environment, which could nurture her growth. She became the first member of her family to graduate high school, and now, thanks in part to a scholarship provided through some caring donors, she is working towards a nursing degree. Angelina also was able to complete her CNA training and is working at a nearby nursing home. “I know if I wasn’t at Gateway Woods I would not be able to do any of this!”
Angelina is preparing to move out on her own soon. She will leave the structure that has become a comfort to her and venture out into the real world. Please be prayerful for Angelina as she takes this difficult step.
"I want to leave and not to disappoint people. People in the church have really showed a lot of love for me, and they really care about what happens to me."
In many ways we will be sad to see Angelina’s personality and joyful spirit leave campus. But at the same time, we are thrilled at the change that we have seen in her life. Now we look forward to see what God will bring about next for her!
We currently have a resident, Brandon who is about to graduate our Residential Program. Below is his story.
I have been a resident at Gateway Woods for 18 months and am about ready to graduate the program. The reason I am at Gateway is because I violated my probation by using prescription pills at school and getting into a fight. I got suspended from school and my parole officer said that I couldn’t leave my house for three days. However, while my mom was sleeping the next day, I snuck out. We messed around for a while and then I snuck back into my house. Apparently somebody saw us running around because a while later the police knocked on our door and took me to a juvenile detention facility. I went to court and was sent to Gateway.
When I got to Gateway I quickly learned that I was not the center of the universe.
In the first few months I learned more about being a respectful and good young man than I had learned in my whole life. My Counselor, Kirby helped me to work out and through my problems, instead of simply acting out. I found that these things were easy to learn, but hard to apply consistently.
When I came to Gateway I thought I was doing great spiritually, though I eventually realized that I was really very lost. I thought I was going to heaven, but in reality, while I was doing my devotions every night and going to church, I was still rejecting Christ in my heart.
Thankfully, through the work of my Counselors, Houseparents and the Spirit I began to realize my helpless state. I realized that I was a sinner and I deserved death, but there was a God sustaining me every second and calling me every day. He had sent His son to die on the cross to cover all my sin. I felt heavily convicted and I talked to my Houseparent Dad. That night I repented.
It hasn’t been an easy road since, and I still have my struggles, but I have been maturing and growing spiritually since that day. Soon I will graduate from the program here at Gateway and will probably move into a Christian foster home, but I know that wherever I go, God will be with me and I will be fine. Christmas means so much more to me this year than ever before, because now I know the Jesus.
Building strong relationships takes many things, two of which are time and trust. One of the most exciting things that we see at Gateway Woods is when a child begins to develop a deep relationship with those around them, whether that is their houseparent, foster parent, teacher, counselor, or their biological parent. So often children come into our homes with what seem to be Jericho-like walls, so solidly built that it feels as though nothing can break through.
After finding out some good news, he actually asked his houseparent for a hug!
Andre, is one such resident, who came in with an attitude that seemed impossible to penetrate. However, over time, and through many of your prayers, we have seen Andre begin to soften to the instructions of his houseparents, and to begin to develop trust with them. Not long ago, Andre showed a level of vulnerability and emotion that had never been seen from him before. After finding out some good news, he actually asked his houseparent for a hug!
Andre still has a lot of work ahead of him, and he still has walls that need to be broken down. He still has a lot of anger issues and hurt from his past to deal with, but our hope is that the walls have begun to crumble. Please pray that the power of Christ and the things that he is learning could continue to change him!
Adoption. It is something so beautiful.
I have been involved with other family’s adoptions for the past two years now working as an Adoption Case Manager at Gateway Woods. I have been able to follow families through the process from the beginning stages of hearing about Gateway, to working through the home study and training, and eventually the post placement visits. It has been a blessing to see the commitment of these families, and their desire to do this for God’s glory and in His name.
One couple that has adopted recently stated,
"We were greatly encouraged by the body of Christ reaching out with financial support, praying for our family, and welcoming [our daughter] with open arms."
With this in mind, I want to share some of the ways that I have seen how the community can play a vital role in an adopting family’s life.
During these last two years, I have come to see how important it is for a family moving towards adoption to feel support from those around them. There are numerous ways to do this, ranging from bringing meals to them, to offering to give the parents time with their new child by babysitting biological children, and so many other creative acts of kindness. One of the biggest ways a community can assist through the adoption is to support the adoptive family’s decisions.
What do I mean? One example is that sometimes when a family completes an adoption, it is important that they take time to attach to the new child. This can be confusing to the family and friends looking in from the outside. They want to meet this new child, to give him or her hugs, and help the adopting parents. However, depending on the situation, that may not be the best thing for the family. This is sometimes called, "cocooning" — it is a time for the family to come together just by themselves so that the child can bond to the parents, since he or she did not experience that at birth. Even if the child was adopted at birth, he or she still missed out on nine crucial months of bonding with the mother during pregnancy.
There may be other decisions adopting parents make that seem different to family and friends. In my experience, families appreciate when others are respectful and supportive of these choices. Parents are often open and desire to talk about these decisions with friends and family.
The second greatest need that adopting families often experience is the financial commitment that bringing a child into the family requires. Random donations to adopting parents are almost always appreciated, as well as meals, cards, and other gifts. If you would do it for a biological birth, don’t hesitate to support an adopting family in this way!
There are so many ways that we can be living water to adopting families. As the body of Christ, we all have gifts and talents. Let’s use them to bless others!
While cleaning up after this year’s annual Auction, one houseparent expressed how he was always moved by the event, sometimes even to tears. He commented on how amazing it is to witness the support that we receive in such a massive outpouring. Sometimes, in the midst of our daily work, we can easily forget that there are THOUSANDS of people supporting our work with broken children and families each day; thousands of people directly impacting lives through prayer, gifts, and service.
Auction day is an incredible reminder of that, but it also means so much more. It is awe-inspiring for a child in need to see everything that happens during Auction week, from the first preparation, to the final “SOLD!” announced by the auctioneers. It is a great opportunity to share how God places a desire to serve others on the hearts of His followers.
The final total for this year’s Auction has been calculated at a record breaking $463,000!
We praise God for all those that helped to provide hope to over 500 children and families this year, as well as to bring encouragement to the Gateway Woods staff. Thank you for being a blessing to us!
While cleaning up after this year's annual Auction, one houseparent expressed how he was always moved by the event, sometimes even to tears. He commented on how amazing it is to witness the support that we receive in such a massive outpouring. Sometimes, in the midst of our daily work, we can easily forget that there are THOUSANDS of people supporting our work with broken children and families each day; thousands of people directly impacting lives through prayer, gifts, and service.
An early total for this year's Auction has been calculated at a record breaking $450,000!
Auction day is an incredible reminder of that, but it also means so much more. It is awe-inspiring for a child in need to see everything that happens during Auction week, from the first preparation, to the final "SOLD!" announced by the auctioneers. It is a great opportunity to share how God places a desire to serve others on the hearts of His followers.
An early total for this year's Auction has been calculated at a record breaking $450,000! This is nearly a 5% increase over the previous record! We praise God for all those that helped to provide hope to over 500 children and families this year, as well as to bring encouragement to the Gateway Woods staff. Thank you for being a blessing to us!
Next year's Auction has been scheduled for Saturday, August 2, 2014.
As believers, one thing that God has charged us with is blessing others (Matt 5:16, Philippians 2:3-4). There are many ways to do this, to be living water to those around us. Often the ones that jump to my mind are through my physical blessings, such as by giving money, or time, or skills. But a resident showed a great example of another way to bless others recently.
"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 12:2-3
Dillon has been on our campus for several months and has been receptive to the advice and guidance of his houseparents, teachers and counselors. Some months ago, he shared his testimony of faith to the rest of the children in his house, which was a great step for him! Also, recently he was able to share words of advice and encouragement from the bible with a struggling friend outside of Gateway Woods. How awesome! This young man has taken to heart that he is not blessed with the word just for himself, but to help and encourage others! This is an exciting part of our mission that we do not always get to see, but it is thrilling to know that some of our clients turn around not only their own lives, but also continue on to "bless others!"
How can you use what God has blessed you with to be a blessing to someone today?
When asked about his memories of the Gateway Woods Auction, Taylor, a former resident said, "I remember that a lady bid almost $1,000 on a lemon shakeup." He recalled it instantly, and laughed as he said it. "That's crazy! People just don't do that sort of thing! But it's awesome that people want to give like that to Gateway. I have great memories from there. I learned a lot, and I know it couldn't have happened without people's giving."
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights... James 1:17
Taylor expressed it so well. It is jaw-dropping to see someone buy a lemon shakeup for that much money! It is so encouraging to see such overwhelming support and love on Auction day. And through that support, you directly impact hundreds of children and families each year. Whether a child like Taylor, a foster son recovering from abuse, an adopted daughter reaching out to her mother for the first time, or a family being reunited under the oversight of a Home-Based counselor. It is all made possible by your support and God's provision.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
Something that we see clearly through all five of Gateway Woods services is the essential role that the father plays in the family. God designed the family brilliantly, with each member bringing their own strengths to their roles. As we see daily, when this structure is disrupted, everyone suffers.
It can be astonishing to watch as a child who does not know the love, compassion, or discipline of a father experiences it for the first time. It has a life-changing effect. As one former resident, and current foster child said,
"I've never had a father figure there to help me. It was awesome to have fatherly support like that. There are things that kids like myself just can't talk to their mom about. There is something about growing up and being a man and being respectful and responsible, and it is very important to learn those traits from a father figure."
The need to help the fatherless is all around us. How can you stand in the gap and restore hope to someone in need today?
As a Christian, the story of redemption can never grow old. How great is our God that He would come to His creation, live a perfect life, die for us, and then rise from the dead to complete the purchase of our freedom!
...having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight... - Colossians 1:20-22
God moved Ben and Denise Bouwers to share His story of redemption through adoption. They began their journey not knowing that it would last nine long years. Through many trials and frustrations they kept following God's direction. In the end, the Bouwers came to have a deeper relationship with their heavenly Father, as well as the opportunity to share His story with two beautiful adopted girls.
This video shows the Bouwers sharing some wonderful words given to them by a good friend. These words tell of the magnificent salvation that God gives to us, and how that redemption is revealed through adoption.
The White Cedar is one of the slowest growing trees you can find. In fact, the slowest growing tree ever recorded is a White Cedar located in the Great Lakes area of Canada. In over 150 years it has only grown to be four inches tall!
At times, working at Gateway Woods can feel like watching a field of White Cedars grow. It is hard to see children and families succumb to their selfish desires which often have long-term consequences. It is heart-breaking to see them reject the truth of the gospel that they seemed so open to during the time in our care. Sometimes we wonder why the cannot make better decisions and grow faster!
The White Cedar is one of the slowest growing trees you can find. In fact, the slowest growing tree ever recorded is a White Cedar located in the Great Lakes area of Canada. In over 150 years it has only grown to be four inches tall!
One houseparent recently shared about how he had heard from a struggling former resident, Tess, and how disappointing it was to hear. But then he expressed his joy about one simple detail which was striking. The first words out of Tess's mouth were, "please don't be mad." Why is this significant? Because she cared! Even after being away from Gateway for some time, she new she had done wrong, and she also cared about what her houseparents thought of her. There were seeds of truth that had made an impact on Tess. This was a stark contrast compared to what her attitude was like before coming to Gateway.
It is important for us here at Gateway to remember that God provides all of the increase to our work. Though we may look at some of our former clients, such as Tess, and see only a White Cedar, He knows about every issue they struggles with, and He can see even the slightest growth taking place in their lives. We praise God for His provision.
Brad and Cynthia Dirrim have been foster parents for over 20 years. In that time, through the sacrifices that they have made, through the pain they have experienced, and through the joys they have been a part of, they have grown in their understanding of what it means to love as Jesus loved.
A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35
Foster parenting can be a thankless job. It is difficult, and at times frustrating. Yet, as the Dirrims can attest, bringing the mission field into their home has been an incredible blessing to both of them, as well as their biological children. Watch this video as they share about what Brad describes as "one of the greatest callings that you can have."