The high school seniors who live at STCH Ministries will soon graduate from Pettus ISD. As these young people pursue their dreams in the next phase of life, they say they will never forget their time at the children’s home.
As flowers sprout up from the ground and signs of spring are all around, five seniors at STCH Ministries are preparing for a new season in their life. Another year of studying, homework, and semester exams is nearing an end and our seniors will soon walk the stage and receive their high school diplomas from Pettus ISD. These five students have been with us at Boothe Campus from two to four years and each one has created lasting relationships with staff and friends around the campus, while making memories that will last a lifetime.
Isaiah Moreno has lived at Homes for Children for about two years now.
Isaiah Moreno
Isaiah Moreno has lived at Homes for Children for about two years now. He plans to attend Coastal Bend College in Beeville for his basics and later transfer to Texas A&M University-Kingsville to major in psychology. Isaiah has had many memorable moments during his two years, but his best one yet is a very fresh one.
“My favorite memory just happened recently. I was baptized!” exclaims Isaiah.
After a conversation about baptism with a youth leader at his church, he says he realized the importance of this public profession of his acceptance of Jesus as Savior.
Isaiah said he is thankful for many things, most of all for the opportunity to attend college with the cost covered by the STCH Ministries Educational Scholarship Program. This program makes higher education possible for the young adults who graduate while in care at STCH Ministries.
Haley Hummel has lived at STCH Ministries for almost two years.
Haley Hummel
Haley Hummel has lived at STCH Ministries for almost two years. She said she is still weighing her options beyond high school but does see college in her future.
Haley recalled that her best times at the children’s home actually came at a rough time in her life. “One of my favorite memories would have to be working with my goat last year, even though at the time I was definitely not the happiest.” She explained how this activity was therapeutic. “The animals calmed me and made me happy.”
She is thankful to have the opportunity to finish high school and the possibility of college. A word of advice Haley shared is, “If someone tries to lend a helping hand, take it. You can’t do everything on your own.” She then cites 1 John 3:17 which reads, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
Erin DeCola has lived at STCH Ministries just shy of three years.
Erin DeCola
Erin DeCola has lived at STCH Ministries just shy of three years. She plans on going to Coastal Bend College in Beeville for two years and then transferring to Lamar University in Beaumont to major in Special Education.
Erin lights up when remembering her favorite day at the children’s home. “The first summer I was here, we went paintballing in prom dresses for Girl’s Day!”
She is thankful for the countless opportunities that she has been given by living at Boothe Campus.
Erin offers a word of advice to those behind her. “Don’t procrastinate! Before you know it you will be standing in alphabetical order in your cap and gown wondering where time went.”
Joshua Parker has lived at STCH Ministries for over 3 years.
Joshua Parker
Joshua Parker has lived at STCH Ministries for over 3 years.
“My plans for after graduation are to go to college, take my basics, and major in kinesiology,” he says.
Joshua plans to attend a community college and then transfer to a university. When reminiscing about his favorite memories, Josh particularly enjoyed summers at Boothe Campus. He recalled hanging out with friends and staff on campus and attending summer camp at Camp Zephyr.
Joshua also enjoyed the vocational training program on campus, where young people have the opportunity to work alongside staff members and see various aspects of their jobs.
“Mr. Kelsey has been a huge influence in my life. I enjoyed working with him and getting to know him more,” says Joshua. “I am thankful for all the staff at STCH. They are so much fun and really kind.”
Mary Herschberger has lived at STCH Ministries for four years.
Mary Herschberger
Mary Herschberger has lived at STCH Ministries for four years. She is working hard to finish at the top of her class and plans to spend her summer working at Camp Zephyr. In the fall she will attend the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and plans to major in social work.
When asked what she wants to do with her social work degree, Mary replied, “I just know it’s going to be with kids. I know that one of my options would be coming back to STCH for a job.”
Mary says her fondest memories come from raising her animals for the stock show, especially her steer. She is thankful for the opportunity to have met the houseparents and staff at the children’s home. She says they have shown her the type of love that doesn’t have to be earned.
In just a short time, these five graduates will embark into the next phase of their lives. As has been the case with many past students, staff members at STCH Ministries say they eagerly anticipate the visits during holidays, on weekends, and when these young adults just need a listening ear.
“Everyone at STCH Ministries looks forward to seeing what God has in store and will be cheering these seniors on each step of the way, praying for them, and sharing in their excitement during this momentous time,” said Mark Childs, Vice President of STCH Ministries Homes for Children. “Congratulations, class of 2018!”
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/DSC_0020DSC.0793.jpg17092560Homes for Childrenhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngHomes for Children2018-05-29 07:00:072020-03-16 14:24:27Celebrating the Class of 2018
After ten years in the Dominican Republic, STCH Ministries can attest to the results.
Food. Water. Shelter. All things that most of us would agree are at the most basic level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Yet many people spend their lives without the assurance of these necessities. It is no secret that multitudes around the world are living below the poverty level—about 700 million, according to the World Bank. For them, it is a struggle to get adequate food and clothing, let alone medical care and an education. When parents are unable to supply their children with the most basic essentials of life, those children suffer not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually, and the resulting cycle of poverty becomes entrenched for generations. The sheer scale of global need is staggering, but there are ways for the typical American family to make a difference, such as international child sponsorship programs like Samuel’s Fund, operated by STCH Ministries.
The idea is simple: an individual or family in a relatively affluent country like America gives a monthly contribution to support a child in poverty overseas. The gift is scarcely a burden to most household budgets, but has life-changing value to the child. Beyond this basic principle, child sponsorship comes in many shapes and sizes. STCH Ministries, a Texas Baptist organization, has been operating Samuel’s Fund in the Dominican Republic for ten years. Inspired by the Old Testament prophet who heard and answered God’s call as a child, Samuel’s Fund was created to give the children of the Dominican Republic hope and a future, and to help them develop a personal relationship with God.
To meet these goals, Samuel’s Fund must be managed with laser-like focus. Joanna Berry, STCH Ministries Vice President of Family and International Ministries, puts it like this: “We have a teaspoon of resources for an ocean of need.”
To ensure that that “teaspoon” is administered in the place where it will do the most good, there are two criteria that all children must meet to be accepted into the program:
Does the child have a need?
Does the child have potential?
The first is a resounding yes in nearly all circumstances. These children desperately need food, clothing, shoes, and access to quality education, at the very least. The second is based on whether or not they have enough support in their social environment—family, for example—to make sure they are able to get to school and have encouragement to succeed. The child must also belong to some form of a Christian ministry where they can grow spiritually and fulfill the roles which God intended. And lastly, they must have stability in their home environment.
There are currently more than 200 children sponsored through Samuel’s Fund in the Dominican Republic, where STCH Ministries also brings short-term mission teams. This fact provides a way for many sponsors to meet their sponsored child and his or her family while taking part in a mission trip. STCH Ministries partners with local churches, orphanages, and Christian schools, creating a network of local support that compliments the organization’s own full-time Dominican team members. Collectively, this ecosystem of support drastically improves the odds that sponsorship will translate into lasting change.
For STCH Ministries, accountability for sponsorship dollars is just as important before they reach the Dominican Republic. When someone steps forward to sponsor a child, Berry says, “One hundred percent of the $35 per month they donate goes directly to the needs of the child, with zero going toward administrative costs.”
When additional costs for medical care and educational supplies arise, STCH Ministries frequently covers the cost out of its operating budget, which is funded by private donations and the Texas Baptist Cooperative Program. When a family faces a critical need for food, groceries are provided through the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering.
So, does child sponsorship work? For the children of Samuel’s Fund, the evidence is visible every day. It can be seen in homework assignments proudly pinned on a palm board wall, or the healthy smile of a child who now has regular medical checkups. It can even be seen in the man who gives those checkups, Dr. Francisco Paredes, who was once a Samuel’s Fund child and returned after medical school to work for STCH Ministries.
“Our goal is to help them become Christian leaders, become self-supporting, and to give back to their community,” says Berry.
In the past ten years, many children have graduated from the program and gone on to do exactly that, now playing the part of Christian role models for young children. Through the support of sponsors from thousands of miles away, a new generational cycle has taken root, replacing poverty with hope.
Recently a woman excitedly walked into one of our counseling offices in San Antonio and shared her “STCH story”. She once lived at Boothe Campus with her siblings. Her father had been left alone with several children and could not take care of all of them, so he placed them at South Texas Children’s Home. She told our staff member, “The children’s home saved me and my siblings.”
She spoke fondly of her memories at the children’s home–it was amazing to bear witness to the fruit of those that have poured countless hours of compassion and love on those who need it most. Now, as an adult she was able to look back on her childhood with memories of her time at Boothe Campus and share what a difference her stay had made on her life.
Sometimes the people we help come back to thank us, but more often than not as helpers we may be left to wonder if we helped. Being thanked isn’t the reason why we do what we do–for all of us that work in the helping profession, no matter what the role, we do it because ultimately we are called to the work and we are living out a passion that God has borne in our hearts. So we know that our work is never in vain. This woman and many, many others are a testament to that work.
Submitted by Family Counseling – San Antonio
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/Boothe-Campus.png14402560Family Counselinghttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngFamily Counseling2018-05-16 07:00:032020-03-16 14:23:43Blessed by the Ministry
The story is told of our great Texas forefather, Sam Houston, regarding his baptism and a conversation with his pastor, Rev. Burleson, who would later become the president of Baylor University. This was a widely talked about event with hundreds coming for the baptism from as far as Austin. Sam Houston had quite a reputation for behaviors not often associated with the church going folks.
On the morning of the baptism, the pastor discovered that several boys had pranked the church baptism pool with sticks and mud, so the ceremony was moved to the “Baptism Hole” on Rocky Creek, south of College Station, Texas.
Upon completion of the baptism, General Houston was greeted by friends on the river bank with one quoted as saying, “Well, General, all your sins have been washed away.”
General Sam Houston replied, “If that be the case, God help the fish down below.”
Mateo, 23 years of age, was baptized last month in the Boothe Campus pool. We have been privileged to know Mateo for many years. Mateo has been blessed by biological family, adopted family, friends, and staff of STCH Ministries who have stood by him, encouraging him through both difficult and triumphant times. The concept that it takes a village to raise a child goes without saying for Mateo. Numerous staff members have patiently been about the business of encouraging him and were excited about his decision to accept Christ. Upon completion of his baptism, I did not see any fish to help, but was concerned about a couple of frogs.
In an article by David Smith, it was reported of Sam Houston that, “Then he met Jesus and was baptized and everything changed.” We celebrate Mateo and pray for his continued spiritual growth. Not unlike most of us, he has come far.
Submitted by Mark Childs
Vice President of Homes for Children
STCH Ministries
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2864-1-1.jpg17072560Homes for Childrenhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngHomes for Children2018-05-11 07:00:432020-03-16 14:24:05Celebrating Mateo
Last week as we traveled to Peru, my mind echoed with the words of a song, “God gave us the stars, but put them out of our reach, and calls us to waters, just a little too deep.” (Toby Mac, “Way Beyond Me”)
For 12 years STCH Ministries International has served in the Dominican Republic. We have learned how to adapt the mission of helping hurting children and families to another culture. We have successfully created collaborative partnerships that help local ministries more effectively carry out the calling God had given them. We discovered how to integrate families into our mission trips, providing an experience to strengthen and enrich family relationships and our own American churches. We have enlisted and trained an amazing Dominican staff. Now it’s time to “kick back” and enjoy, right?
It appears that is not the way God is leading STCH Ministries—not internationally, or in any of our other ministries. Perhaps you have heard the expression that “God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable!” As we follow Christ, how can you and I afford to be comfortable? Children are hungry and hurting. Families are broken. Homeless moms and children search for a safe place to rebuild their lives.
Instead of comfortable, we felt restless. Repeatedly, we heard in our hearts the same words that motivated the Apostle Paul 2000 years ago to cross into Macedonia, “Come over and help us!” After countless hours of conversation, research, planning, and prayer, last year we began to explore opportunities in Costa Rica. Now, gradually God is forming possibilities into probabilities for ministry in that country.
Last week we flew to Peru. The field of service is huge—Lima alone has over 11 million people. Only Los Angeles and New York City have a greater population. People and ministry opportunities populate mountainous regions, rainforests, and oceanfront vistas. Homes spring up overnight, perched precariously on the side of desert mountainsides. Churches can’t reach the exploding population fast enough and cry for assistance.
We met with the passionate and qualified leadership of orphanages, Christian schools, and churches. We experienced a God-ordained moment as doors for a collaborative partnership opened in a mutual awareness of kindred spirits and potential. We sensed the opportunity to share what God has given and taught us with other ministries in Peru, and perhaps throughout Latin America.
For 66 years here in the USA, and for the last 12 years in the Dominican Republic, God has prepared STCH Ministries for such a time as this. It’s God-sized, and definitely, WAY BEYOND ME!
Bendiciones,
Joanna Berry
Vice President of Family and International Ministries
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/IMG_0027-e1525880430188.jpg14402124Joanna Berryhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngJoanna Berry2018-05-09 10:39:072020-03-16 15:29:43Way Beyond Me
God uses our family therapists on a daily basis to offer hope to hurting families from Corpus Christi to San Antonio to Houston. One client recently shared with his church his experience in marriage counseling at STCH Ministries.
“After the birth of our second son, my wife and I slowly slipped into some unhealthy patterns that were wreaking havoc on our relationship. We were both exhausted working multiple jobs and trying to raise our family – you know, just the normal everyday life stuff that comes with parenting a 2-year-old and a newborn. Then about 9 months later my wife was diagnosed with postpartum depression and we knew we were not in a good place in our marriage.
“A friend recommended that we contact STCH Ministries and we set up a meeting the next week. Like most couples we probably both went in hoping that our counselor would ‘fix’ the other person, but the reality was that she was able to hear what my wife and I had been saying/doing to one another and then helped translate it so we could each understand where the other person was coming from.
“We’ve had a number of breakthrough moments through our weekly counseling sessions. 2016 was an incredibly difficult year for us and without STCH there to walk alongside us we would have continued down a hopeless road and our story would likely have had a bad ending. Thank you for supporting STCH. Our experience with them has been absolutely incredible – it has changed our lives!”
At our Family Counseling ministry, we offer counseling that is clinically excellent and distinctively Christian. We believe in using scriptural principles as the foundation for viewing life’s problems. For over twenty years we have provided hope and direction from a biblical perspective for countless individuals, couples, children, and families. If your family needs help, call us at 1.833.83.STCHM to schedule an appointment.
I will never be the same again…nunca seremos los mismos! Words we love to hear in any language. Changing lives for God’s glory…changing lives to enable them to fulfill their potential…empowering others to become Light-bearers for their families, communities, and the world.
For over 10 years we have ministered to children and their families in the Dominican Republic—in orphanages, schools, churches and through our Samuel’s Fund sponsorship program. Most of these children have suffered trauma during critical stages of their development due to abandonment, hunger, and abuse in many forms. With limited knowledge and virtually no available training, the staff at orphanages, teachers in the local schools, and children’s caregivers struggle to handle the behavioral symptoms of this trauma. They work tirelessly to love the unlovable, set appropriate limits, heal wounds, and meet need.
After searching for some time, last fall God led us to find a training course, Trauma Competent Caregivers. Amazingly, certified facilitators offered this training in Spanish in April, 2018 in two different locations in the Dominican Republic. STCH Ministries sponsored a total of 33 staff members, teachers, and caregivers from the local community to attend. Additionally, our Dominican STCH staff stepped up, volunteered their time, and traveled to Santiago, spending two nights and two full days caring for those children, so that 18 caregivers could be trained.
Some of the comments we have received:
Janibel: “I learned to have empathy for the abuse that children have suffered, how to understand them better…the importance of listening to them, and even playing with them.”
Ruth Ester: “I learned the importance of three things for children—security, sense of permanency, meeting their needs for well-being.”
Alejandra: “I have better tools for disciplining children in my home, responding according to the occasion and the behavior. This will help me to better connect, empower, and correct their behavior.
Valentina Flores, one of our own STCH Ministries team members, summed up the experience for everyone, “In reality, the knowledge we received has impacted the lives of each of us, and we will never be the same again! Now that we learned about different temperaments, how to calm them, meet their needs and identify trauma, we will not see children as we did before.
You and I are the blessed ones, the ones God has entrusted with the privilege of caring for children, counseling for broken lives and marriages, teaching truths from God’s Word that can set people free. And we are blessed 100 times more to share these ministries with you–volunteers, churches, mission trip participants, and sponsors.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/30581940_434873246956800_5147086359395041280_o.jpg12241842Joanna Berryhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngJoanna Berry2018-04-10 07:00:382020-03-16 15:14:37Never the Same Again
One of the most difficult aspects of the Samuel’s Fund sponsorship program is choosing which children to sponsor. How we wish that resources were unlimited, but only God is limitless. So we must choose. We cannot go strictly on need. The criteria is not only need, but also potential.
Potential includes a reasonable degree of support in the child’s environment—someone who will provide accountability for school and church attendance. It also includes a good attitude and willingness to invest efforts in their schoolwork. When those standards are met, our STCH Ministries team invests whatever it takes to help that child succeed.
Recently Rebeca, our Samuel’s Fund Director in the Dominican Republic, traveled about two hours to visit a school in Bani.
I went to Bani to visit with Christopher Cabrera’s mom and teachers. I had received information that Christopher was stuck and not progressing in his learning. I talked to mom who admitted that she had failed to help him to do what the Special Ed. teacher had recommended in the past. I helped her explain to the homeroom teacher, who didn’t know his past difficulties, all that Christopher and his previous teacher had achieved.
As a result of this visit, an online group called “Christopher support group” was created. Both mom and the current teacher were encouraged and they promised to work hard. It was worth making this trip.
Once a child is accepted in the sponsorship program, we are dedicated to their success and to minister to their families. Staying in contact, finding resources, addressing issues, advocating for them—it’s intense and time-consuming. We make it a priority to be faithful stewards of our resources in an effort to develop the potential God has given to each child.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/P1210044.jpg17072560Joanna Berryhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngJoanna Berry2018-04-09 07:00:562020-03-16 14:28:17Finding Potential with Limited Resources
The single moms who live at Homes for Families are on a journey of faith. They are building a relationship with God and learning how to be the mothers that He created them to be. In the past few months, they discovered that faith has a big impact on their finances as well.
STCH Ministries brought two of our programs together: a Faith & Finances class was conducted at Homes for Families to teach the moms about biblical principles of money management. In the first few classes, the moms learned the basics: what the Bible says about money, how to create a spending plan, and how to save for emergencies. As the semester progressed, so did the depth of the topics. The women learned how to understand interest rates and avoid predatory lenders. They pulled their credit reports for the first time and, in some cases, were a bit shocked to discover how many past mistakes were still following them around. The Faith & Finances instructor worked individually with several students to make an action plan and begin setting things straight.
Perhaps most importantly, the class taught this group of moms that their dreams are not so impossible after all. Debt doesn’t have to be a way of life, and poverty doesn’t have to be permanent. An education and decent job are within reach. One day, they can provide a safe and comfortable house for their children and even pay it off. Faith & Finances showed them how to stop living in a financial crisis and begin the slow, steady process of building a foundation for the future.
The moms recently celebrated the completion of the class and received their certificates, along with the Homes for Families staff who also took part in the course. Their graduation was held on the first day of spring—a fitting metaphor of the renewed financial life that these ladies are beginning.
To find out more about Faith & Finances, take a look at the latest edition of the Messenger. If your church or organization is interested in partnering with us to host a class, visit www.STCHM.org/FF to contact the office nearest to you.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/Graduates.jpg9001200Homes for Childrenhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngHomes for Children2018-04-02 07:00:132020-03-16 15:14:58Not So Impossible After All
How has this trip changed your heart? In what ways has it strengthened your faith? Has your experience caused you to redefine the meaning of poor? Rich? How has your being here brought glory to God?
Soul-searching questions to ponder as the FBC Allen family group and the West University Baptist Church (WUBC) college group from Rice University celebrated the end of their time in the Dominican Republic with a banquet, packed their suitcases, and loaded onto the buses traveling to the airports. One group left for the Las Americas airport in Santo Domingo, and the other traveled to the Punta Cana airport the next morning.
In response to the questions presented at the banquet some shared an observation of what appeared to be an oxymoron—people poor in material things, but who were rich in joy and love. Another learned that his faith grew when he let go of control, and trusted God to work in His own time. Others reported, “I came thinking I was sacrificing to bless others and found that I received so much more than I gave.”
The two groups on this trip were comprised of both individuals and families, young and old.
“I brought my family so that my children would experience the priority of living out our faith,” a father shared.
Another man stated, “I have renewed my hope for the future of our country and our churches by sharing this trip with the college students from Rice University.”
Many commented that their faith was energized by the experience of evangelizing as they went door to door sharing their faith.
“I will be bolder in my witness for Christ when I return to my world,” reported many.
They were able to share their faith and pray with over 57 individuals during their time in the Dominican Republic. Ten of the individuals that the group met with responded by praying to accept Christ, while another eight people promised to visit the Quisqueyana church.
The trip also included the FBC Allen group building a playground for the school in Monte Plata where the orphanage children attend. At the same time, the WUBC group built bunk beds for the boys in the Betesda Home in La Romana and worked on the upstairs safety railings of the Villa Altagracia School. The two groups’ ministry efforts made an eternal difference for many, and the projects will bless schools and children’s homes long after the trip. But more than the projects, the value of a mission trip is the impact on the hearts and minds of the participants.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/P1220189.jpg17072560Joanna Berryhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngJoanna Berry2018-03-26 16:35:522020-03-16 15:28:33The Impact of a Mission Trip
Celebrating the Class of 2018
/in News/by Homes for ChildrenThe high school seniors who live at STCH Ministries will soon graduate from Pettus ISD. As these young people pursue their dreams in the next phase of life, they say they will never forget their time at the children’s home.
As flowers sprout up from the ground and signs of spring are all around, five seniors at STCH Ministries are preparing for a new season in their life. Another year of studying, homework, and semester exams is nearing an end and our seniors will soon walk the stage and receive their high school diplomas from Pettus ISD. These five students have been with us at Boothe Campus from two to four years and each one has created lasting relationships with staff and friends around the campus, while making memories that will last a lifetime.
Isaiah Moreno has lived at Homes for Children for about two years now.
Isaiah Moreno
Isaiah Moreno has lived at Homes for Children for about two years now. He plans to attend Coastal Bend College in Beeville for his basics and later transfer to Texas A&M University-Kingsville to major in psychology. Isaiah has had many memorable moments during his two years, but his best one yet is a very fresh one.
“My favorite memory just happened recently. I was baptized!” exclaims Isaiah.
After a conversation about baptism with a youth leader at his church, he says he realized the importance of this public profession of his acceptance of Jesus as Savior.
Isaiah said he is thankful for many things, most of all for the opportunity to attend college with the cost covered by the STCH Ministries Educational Scholarship Program. This program makes higher education possible for the young adults who graduate while in care at STCH Ministries.
Haley Hummel has lived at STCH Ministries for almost two years.
Haley Hummel
Haley Hummel has lived at STCH Ministries for almost two years. She said she is still weighing her options beyond high school but does see college in her future.
Haley recalled that her best times at the children’s home actually came at a rough time in her life. “One of my favorite memories would have to be working with my goat last year, even though at the time I was definitely not the happiest.” She explained how this activity was therapeutic. “The animals calmed me and made me happy.”
She is thankful to have the opportunity to finish high school and the possibility of college. A word of advice Haley shared is, “If someone tries to lend a helping hand, take it. You can’t do everything on your own.” She then cites 1 John 3:17 which reads, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
Erin DeCola has lived at STCH Ministries just shy of three years.
Erin DeCola
Erin DeCola has lived at STCH Ministries just shy of three years. She plans on going to Coastal Bend College in Beeville for two years and then transferring to Lamar University in Beaumont to major in Special Education.
Erin lights up when remembering her favorite day at the children’s home. “The first summer I was here, we went paintballing in prom dresses for Girl’s Day!”
She is thankful for the countless opportunities that she has been given by living at Boothe Campus.
Erin offers a word of advice to those behind her. “Don’t procrastinate! Before you know it you will be standing in alphabetical order in your cap and gown wondering where time went.”
Joshua Parker has lived at STCH Ministries for over 3 years.
Joshua Parker
Joshua Parker has lived at STCH Ministries for over 3 years.
“My plans for after graduation are to go to college, take my basics, and major in kinesiology,” he says.
Joshua plans to attend a community college and then transfer to a university. When reminiscing about his favorite memories, Josh particularly enjoyed summers at Boothe Campus. He recalled hanging out with friends and staff on campus and attending summer camp at Camp Zephyr.
Joshua also enjoyed the vocational training program on campus, where young people have the opportunity to work alongside staff members and see various aspects of their jobs.
“Mr. Kelsey has been a huge influence in my life. I enjoyed working with him and getting to know him more,” says Joshua. “I am thankful for all the staff at STCH. They are so much fun and really kind.”
Mary Herschberger has lived at STCH Ministries for four years.
Mary Herschberger
Mary Herschberger has lived at STCH Ministries for four years. She is working hard to finish at the top of her class and plans to spend her summer working at Camp Zephyr. In the fall she will attend the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and plans to major in social work.
When asked what she wants to do with her social work degree, Mary replied, “I just know it’s going to be with kids. I know that one of my options would be coming back to STCH for a job.”
Mary says her fondest memories come from raising her animals for the stock show, especially her steer. She is thankful for the opportunity to have met the houseparents and staff at the children’s home. She says they have shown her the type of love that doesn’t have to be earned.
In just a short time, these five graduates will embark into the next phase of their lives. As has been the case with many past students, staff members at STCH Ministries say they eagerly anticipate the visits during holidays, on weekends, and when these young adults just need a listening ear.
“Everyone at STCH Ministries looks forward to seeing what God has in store and will be cheering these seniors on each step of the way, praying for them, and sharing in their excitement during this momentous time,” said Mark Childs, Vice President of STCH Ministries Homes for Children. “Congratulations, class of 2018!”
Do Child Sponsorship Programs Really Work?
/in Featured Posts, Other Publications/by CommunicationsDo Child Sponsorship Programs Really Work?
After ten years in the Dominican Republic, STCH Ministries can attest to the results.
Food. Water. Shelter. All things that most of us would agree are at the most basic level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Yet many people spend their lives without the assurance of these necessities. It is no secret that multitudes around the world are living below the poverty level—about 700 million, according to the World Bank. For them, it is a struggle to get adequate food and clothing, let alone medical care and an education. When parents are unable to supply their children with the most basic essentials of life, those children suffer not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually, and the resulting cycle of poverty becomes entrenched for generations. The sheer scale of global need is staggering, but there are ways for the typical American family to make a difference, such as international child sponsorship programs like Samuel’s Fund, operated by STCH Ministries.
To meet these goals, Samuel’s Fund must be managed with laser-like focus. Joanna Berry, STCH Ministries Vice President of Family and International Ministries, puts it like this: “We have a teaspoon of resources for an ocean of need.”
The first is a resounding yes in nearly all circumstances. These children desperately need food, clothing, shoes, and access to quality education, at the very least. The second is based on whether or not they have enough support in their social environment—family, for example—to make sure they are able to get to school and have encouragement to succeed. The child must also belong to some form of a Christian ministry where they can grow spiritually and fulfill the roles which God intended. And lastly, they must have stability in their home environment.
There are currently more than 200 children sponsored through Samuel’s Fund in the Dominican Republic, where STCH Ministries also brings short-term mission teams. This fact provides a way for many sponsors to meet their sponsored child and his or her family while taking part in a mission trip. STCH Ministries partners with local churches, orphanages, and Christian schools, creating a network of local support that compliments the organization’s own full-time Dominican team members. Collectively, this ecosystem of support drastically improves the odds that sponsorship will translate into lasting change.
For STCH Ministries, accountability for sponsorship dollars is just as important before they reach the Dominican Republic. When someone steps forward to sponsor a child, Berry says, “One hundred percent of the $35 per month they donate goes directly to the needs of the child, with zero going toward administrative costs.”
When additional costs for medical care and educational supplies arise, STCH Ministries frequently covers the cost out of its operating budget, which is funded by private donations and the Texas Baptist Cooperative Program. When a family faces a critical need for food, groceries are provided through the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering.
So, does child sponsorship work? For the children of Samuel’s Fund, the evidence is visible every day. It can be seen in homework assignments proudly pinned on a palm board wall, or the healthy smile of a child who now has regular medical checkups. It can even be seen in the man who gives those checkups, Dr. Francisco Paredes, who was once a Samuel’s Fund child and returned after medical school to work for STCH Ministries.
“Our goal is to help them become Christian leaders, become self-supporting, and to give back to their community,” says Berry.
In the past ten years, many children have graduated from the program and gone on to do exactly that, now playing the part of Christian role models for young children. Through the support of sponsors from thousands of miles away, a new generational cycle has taken root, replacing poverty with hope.
Originally published at http://txb.life/article/do-child-sponsorship-programs-really-work.
Blessed by the Ministry
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Family CounselingBoothe Campus
Bee County, Texas
Recently a woman excitedly walked into one of our counseling offices in San Antonio and shared her “STCH story”. She once lived at Boothe Campus with her siblings. Her father had been left alone with several children and could not take care of all of them, so he placed them at South Texas Children’s Home. She told our staff member, “The children’s home saved me and my siblings.”
She spoke fondly of her memories at the children’s home–it was amazing to bear witness to the fruit of those that have poured countless hours of compassion and love on those who need it most. Now, as an adult she was able to look back on her childhood with memories of her time at Boothe Campus and share what a difference her stay had made on her life.
Sometimes the people we help come back to thank us, but more often than not as helpers we may be left to wonder if we helped. Being thanked isn’t the reason why we do what we do–for all of us that work in the helping profession, no matter what the role, we do it because ultimately we are called to the work and we are living out a passion that God has borne in our hearts. So we know that our work is never in vain. This woman and many, many others are a testament to that work.
Submitted by Family Counseling – San Antonio
Celebrating Mateo
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Homes for ChildrenThe story is told of our great Texas forefather, Sam Houston, regarding his baptism and a conversation with his pastor, Rev. Burleson, who would later become the president of Baylor University. This was a widely talked about event with hundreds coming for the baptism from as far as Austin. Sam Houston had quite a reputation for behaviors not often associated with the church going folks.
On the morning of the baptism, the pastor discovered that several boys had pranked the church baptism pool with sticks and mud, so the ceremony was moved to the “Baptism Hole” on Rocky Creek, south of College Station, Texas.
Upon completion of the baptism, General Houston was greeted by friends on the river bank with one quoted as saying, “Well, General, all your sins have been washed away.”
General Sam Houston replied, “If that be the case, God help the fish down below.”
Mateo, 23 years of age, was baptized last month in the Boothe Campus pool. We have been privileged to know Mateo for many years. Mateo has been blessed by biological family, adopted family, friends, and staff of STCH Ministries who have stood by him, encouraging him through both difficult and triumphant times. The concept that it takes a village to raise a child goes without saying for Mateo. Numerous staff members have patiently been about the business of encouraging him and were excited about his decision to accept Christ. Upon completion of his baptism, I did not see any fish to help, but was concerned about a couple of frogs.
In an article by David Smith, it was reported of Sam Houston that, “Then he met Jesus and was baptized and everything changed.” We celebrate Mateo and pray for his continued spiritual growth. Not unlike most of us, he has come far.
Submitted by Mark Childs
Vice President of Homes for Children
STCH Ministries
Way Beyond Me
/in Joanna's Journal/by Joanna BerryFor 12 years STCH Ministries International has served in the Dominican Republic. We have learned how to adapt the mission of helping hurting children and families to another culture. We have successfully created collaborative partnerships that help local ministries more effectively carry out the calling God had given them. We discovered how to integrate families into our mission trips, providing an experience to strengthen and enrich family relationships and our own American churches. We have enlisted and trained an amazing Dominican staff. Now it’s time to “kick back” and enjoy, right?
It appears that is not the way God is leading STCH Ministries—not internationally, or in any of our other ministries. Perhaps you have heard the expression that “God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable!” As we follow Christ, how can you and I afford to be comfortable? Children are hungry and hurting. Families are broken. Homeless moms and children search for a safe place to rebuild their lives.
Instead of comfortable, we felt restless. Repeatedly, we heard in our hearts the same words that motivated the Apostle Paul 2000 years ago to cross into Macedonia, “Come over and help us!” After countless hours of conversation, research, planning, and prayer, last year we began to explore opportunities in Costa Rica. Now, gradually God is forming possibilities into probabilities for ministry in that country.
We met with the passionate and qualified leadership of orphanages, Christian schools, and churches. We experienced a God-ordained moment as doors for a collaborative partnership opened in a mutual awareness of kindred spirits and potential. We sensed the opportunity to share what God has given and taught us with other ministries in Peru, and perhaps throughout Latin America.
For 66 years here in the USA, and for the last 12 years in the Dominican Republic, God has prepared STCH Ministries for such a time as this. It’s God-sized, and definitely, WAY BEYOND ME!
Bendiciones,
Joanna Berry
Vice President of Family and International Ministries
Counseling Testimony
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Family CounselingAt our Family Counseling ministry, we offer counseling that is clinically excellent and distinctively Christian. We believe in using scriptural principles as the foundation for viewing life’s problems. For over twenty years we have provided hope and direction from a biblical perspective for countless individuals, couples, children, and families. If your family needs help, call us at 1.833.83.STCHM to schedule an appointment.
Submitted by Family Counseling – Houston
Never the Same Again
/in Joanna's Journal/by Joanna BerryFor over 10 years we have ministered to children and their families in the Dominican Republic—in orphanages, schools, churches and through our Samuel’s Fund sponsorship program. Most of these children have suffered trauma during critical stages of their development due to abandonment, hunger, and abuse in many forms. With limited knowledge and virtually no available training, the staff at orphanages, teachers in the local schools, and children’s caregivers struggle to handle the behavioral symptoms of this trauma. They work tirelessly to love the unlovable, set appropriate limits, heal wounds, and meet need.
After searching for some time, last fall God led us to find a training course, Trauma Competent Caregivers. Amazingly, certified facilitators offered this training in Spanish in April, 2018 in two different locations in the Dominican Republic. STCH Ministries sponsored a total of 33 staff members, teachers, and caregivers from the local community to attend. Additionally, our Dominican STCH staff stepped up, volunteered their time, and traveled to Santiago, spending two nights and two full days caring for those children, so that 18 caregivers could be trained.
Some of the comments we have received:
Janibel: “I learned to have empathy for the abuse that children have suffered, how to understand them better…the importance of listening to them, and even playing with them.”
Ruth Ester: “I learned the importance of three things for children—security, sense of permanency, meeting their needs for well-being.”
Alejandra: “I have better tools for disciplining children in my home, responding according to the occasion and the behavior. This will help me to better connect, empower, and correct their behavior.
Valentina Flores, one of our own STCH Ministries team members, summed up the experience for everyone, “In reality, the knowledge we received has impacted the lives of each of us, and we will never be the same again! Now that we learned about different temperaments, how to calm them, meet their needs and identify trauma, we will not see children as we did before.
You and I are the blessed ones, the ones God has entrusted with the privilege of caring for children, counseling for broken lives and marriages, teaching truths from God’s Word that can set people free. And we are blessed 100 times more to share these ministries with you–volunteers, churches, mission trip participants, and sponsors.
Finding Potential with Limited Resources
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Joanna BerryOne of the most difficult aspects of the Samuel’s Fund sponsorship program is choosing which children to sponsor. How we wish that resources were unlimited, but only God is limitless. So we must choose. We cannot go strictly on need. The criteria is not only need, but also potential.
Potential includes a reasonable degree of support in the child’s environment—someone who will provide accountability for school and church attendance. It also includes a good attitude and willingness to invest efforts in their schoolwork. When those standards are met, our STCH Ministries team invests whatever it takes to help that child succeed.
Recently Rebeca, our Samuel’s Fund Director in the Dominican Republic, traveled about two hours to visit a school in Bani.
I went to Bani to visit with Christopher Cabrera’s mom and teachers. I had received information that Christopher was stuck and not progressing in his learning. I talked to mom who admitted that she had failed to help him to do what the Special Ed. teacher had recommended in the past. I helped her explain to the homeroom teacher, who didn’t know his past difficulties, all that Christopher and his previous teacher had achieved.
As a result of this visit, an online group called “Christopher support group” was created. Both mom and the current teacher were encouraged and they promised to work hard. It was worth making this trip.
Once a child is accepted in the sponsorship program, we are dedicated to their success and to minister to their families. Staying in contact, finding resources, addressing issues, advocating for them—it’s intense and time-consuming. We make it a priority to be faithful stewards of our resources in an effort to develop the potential God has given to each child.
Not So Impossible After All
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Homes for ChildrenSTCH Ministries brought two of our programs together: a Faith & Finances class was conducted at Homes for Families to teach the moms about biblical principles of money management. In the first few classes, the moms learned the basics: what the Bible says about money, how to create a spending plan, and how to save for emergencies. As the semester progressed, so did the depth of the topics. The women learned how to understand interest rates and avoid predatory lenders. They pulled their credit reports for the first time and, in some cases, were a bit shocked to discover how many past mistakes were still following them around. The Faith & Finances instructor worked individually with several students to make an action plan and begin setting things straight.
Perhaps most importantly, the class taught this group of moms that their dreams are not so impossible after all. Debt doesn’t have to be a way of life, and poverty doesn’t have to be permanent. An education and decent job are within reach. One day, they can provide a safe and comfortable house for their children and even pay it off. Faith & Finances showed them how to stop living in a financial crisis and begin the slow, steady process of building a foundation for the future.
The moms recently celebrated the completion of the class and received their certificates, along with the Homes for Families staff who also took part in the course. Their graduation was held on the first day of spring—a fitting metaphor of the renewed financial life that these ladies are beginning.
To find out more about Faith & Finances, take a look at the latest edition of the Messenger. If your church or organization is interested in partnering with us to host a class, visit www.STCHM.org/FF to contact the office nearest to you.
The Impact of a Mission Trip
/in Joanna's Journal/by Joanna BerrySoul-searching questions to ponder as the FBC Allen family group and the West University Baptist Church (WUBC) college group from Rice University celebrated the end of their time in the Dominican Republic with a banquet, packed their suitcases, and loaded onto the buses traveling to the airports. One group left for the Las Americas airport in Santo Domingo, and the other traveled to the Punta Cana airport the next morning.
In response to the questions presented at the banquet some shared an observation of what appeared to be an oxymoron—people poor in material things, but who were rich in joy and love. Another learned that his faith grew when he let go of control, and trusted God to work in His own time. Others reported, “I came thinking I was sacrificing to bless others and found that I received so much more than I gave.”
The two groups on this trip were comprised of both individuals and families, young and old.
“I brought my family so that my children would experience the priority of living out our faith,” a father shared.
Another man stated, “I have renewed my hope for the future of our country and our churches by sharing this trip with the college students from Rice University.”
Many commented that their faith was energized by the experience of evangelizing as they went door to door sharing their faith.
“I will be bolder in my witness for Christ when I return to my world,” reported many.
They were able to share their faith and pray with over 57 individuals during their time in the Dominican Republic. Ten of the individuals that the group met with responded by praying to accept Christ, while another eight people promised to visit the Quisqueyana church.
The trip also included the FBC Allen group building a playground for the school in Monte Plata where the orphanage children attend. At the same time, the WUBC group built bunk beds for the boys in the Betesda Home in La Romana and worked on the upstairs safety railings of the Villa Altagracia School. The two groups’ ministry efforts made an eternal difference for many, and the projects will bless schools and children’s homes long after the trip. But more than the projects, the value of a mission trip is the impact on the hearts and minds of the participants.