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.