Husbands, Boys, Etc...
This calling that we felt was definitely a shared interest among the women in the our group. During one of our first meetings we started talking and brainstorming ideas about a possible group home. By the end of that meeting, we believed we would possibly be working on building a group home for girls. We as women felt that we could understand and lend a great deal of help to young girls in need. All of us are mothers. All of us are nurturers. We all had some different experiences and back stories to share. We felt that reaching out to young girls would be easy because we were women. We wanted to share our lives with these young girls and help shape them into well adjusted and successful God loving young women. God had a different plan!
One of the first things we did was pray! We prayed and talked and prayed and talked. We also thought it would be wise to seek counsel from other people who have done what we were hoping to do. We met with a woman who started a wonderful Children's Shelter in Walnut Ridge. She shared her story starting at the beginning of her journey. She gave us lots of great information but one of the things we walked away with that really stuck with us was....teenage boys are really hard to place.
We also contacted the Department of Human Services in Pocahontas. We were excited and nervous, but really felt like this was something we needed to do. We shared that we had a vision to help foster children but didn't really know any details of what that would look like. Imagine our surprise when we were told that it is young boys who needed the most help in our area. This was the second confirmation we received that maybe we should be helping boys. Boys? Hmmm Boys? Really? It turns out that boys age 13 and older are the hardest to place within a family seeking adoption, and sometimes even foster homes. Children at this age can choose to NOT be adopted. These children will remain in the "system" until they turn 18, or 21 if they attend college or join the military. This means they may move from foster home to foster home. This could result in changing schools, losing friends, and missing milestones. We as mothers all know and understand the importance of stability. From that moment on, our goal was to build a home for young boys. We wanted to provide that much needed stability, love, and guidance. We wanted to give them a place to call home until they graduate high school.
Our husbands all came on board right away. I don't believe one husband questioned us, laughed at us, or even thought twice. They were ready and willing to help. Their visions seemed to line up with our vision! That is a God thing for sure! How often do men and women come together and agree so easily on a topic? Our husbands are beyond excited to be involved with this boys' home. We hear them talking about the animals that the boys can raise, and about taking the guys fishing and hunting!. They also talk about sharing God's love and promises with the boys. They are excited to be role models for these young men and want to be the 'Bridge of Hope' for these boys.
Jenni
This calling that we felt was definitely a shared interest among the women in the our group. During one of our first meetings we started talking and brainstorming ideas about a possible group home. By the end of that meeting, we believed we would possibly be working on building a group home for girls. We as women felt that we could understand and lend a great deal of help to young girls in need. All of us are mothers. All of us are nurturers. We all had some different experiences and back stories to share. We felt that reaching out to young girls would be easy because we were women. We wanted to share our lives with these young girls and help shape them into well adjusted and successful God loving young women. God had a different plan!
One of the first things we did was pray! We prayed and talked and prayed and talked. We also thought it would be wise to seek counsel from other people who have done what we were hoping to do. We met with a woman who started a wonderful Children's Shelter in Walnut Ridge. She shared her story starting at the beginning of her journey. She gave us lots of great information but one of the things we walked away with that really stuck with us was....teenage boys are really hard to place.
We also contacted the Department of Human Services in Pocahontas. We were excited and nervous, but really felt like this was something we needed to do. We shared that we had a vision to help foster children but didn't really know any details of what that would look like. Imagine our surprise when we were told that it is young boys who needed the most help in our area. This was the second confirmation we received that maybe we should be helping boys. Boys? Hmmm Boys? Really? It turns out that boys age 13 and older are the hardest to place within a family seeking adoption, and sometimes even foster homes. Children at this age can choose to NOT be adopted. These children will remain in the "system" until they turn 18, or 21 if they attend college or join the military. This means they may move from foster home to foster home. This could result in changing schools, losing friends, and missing milestones. We as mothers all know and understand the importance of stability. From that moment on, our goal was to build a home for young boys. We wanted to provide that much needed stability, love, and guidance. We wanted to give them a place to call home until they graduate high school.
Our husbands all came on board right away. I don't believe one husband questioned us, laughed at us, or even thought twice. They were ready and willing to help. Their visions seemed to line up with our vision! That is a God thing for sure! How often do men and women come together and agree so easily on a topic? Our husbands are beyond excited to be involved with this boys' home. We hear them talking about the animals that the boys can raise, and about taking the guys fishing and hunting!. They also talk about sharing God's love and promises with the boys. They are excited to be role models for these young men and want to be the 'Bridge of Hope' for these boys.
Jenni
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