"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.