Support that Spans the Journey

AS ONE TRAVELS LIFE’S JOURNEY, they are often like a shipment crossing a bridged cavern. They will face a variety of circumstances and need multiple forms of support to carry the loads they are given. This is what Valerie experienced in her family’s journey of healing and growth. As her family’s circumstances changed, STCH Ministries’ unique ministry areas allowed our staff to meet her with support and encouragement at multiple points in her journey.

Valerie first connected with STCH Ministries when she came to the Marshall Campus with her newborn son in 2021. She felt immediate warmth and support from her new community and still cherishes the memory of the first months on the Marshall Campus with her baby. After three months, however, Valerie felt called to leave the campus due to some family issues.

In January 2024, Valerie returned to Marshall Campus after realizing what the campus meant to her and her family. She was excited to be back in a community where she could focus on building skills to parent well, grow in her relationship with the Lord and move forward in her education and career. Valerie jumped into the program with determination, eager to soak up every learning opportunity. “I really put my heart into building my character,” she remembered.

It was at Marshall Campus that Valerie first met STCH Ministries social worker Melody while participating in the Raising Highly Capable Kids course she taught.

“Taking the Raising Highly Capable Kids course really helped me learn how to interact in an emotionally healthy way with my kids. As a mom, it can be easy to be frustrated and tired, but the class taught me to keep going and that I was not alone in the difficulties of parenting. It taught me hope. I learned that it is okay to feel what you are feeling in the moment, but that I can remember to keep my eyes on God. He created the heavens and the earth, and whatever you are going through, He’s got this.”

During her time on the Marshall Campus, Valerie began laying the foundation that would allow her to live for God and lead her children well. She built strong relationships with staff members who encouraged her in her walk with the Lord, and felt God comfort her through this sense of belonging. Valerie fondly recalled, “I loved it there at Homes for Families. I loved Miss Theresa, Miss Josephine, Miss Kim, Miss Brandy… I loved everyone. Goliad was my home.”

Due to a family crisis, Valerie had to leave the Marshall Campus for a second time in September of 2024 while still in Phase I of the program. “It was such a hard decision to make. I cried over it. I was so sad to leave,” she remembered. Ultimately, Valerie determined it was necessary to move to the Houston area to seek specialized help for one of her children. She gratefully remembered the support STCH Ministries staff provided her, even as she decided to leave. “Every single one of my resident coordinators has been really helpful, always reminding me that I have a place to return if I need it,” Valerie said.

Leaving the campus and the community she built there was daunting. Valerie was determined not to lose the progress she had made there, but was not sure how she would do it without the support of the campus around her.

Valerie kept in touch with the staff, knowing that they were a resource for emotional support and guidance, but she still felt far away from her support network. With the community she had grown to trust and rely on separated by so much distance, she was not sure where to turn for local advice and encouragement. “I was scared,” she recalled, “but God was with me. I felt like I wasn’t ready to be on my own, but God helped me.”

Then, one day, Valerie got a call from Melody, who works with our Houston Community Ministries office. Linda, the Marshall Campus caseworker, made the connection after Valerie spoke to her about navigating an upcoming move. Remembering her connection to Melody from Raising Highly Capable Kids, Valerie was overjoyed to connect with support close to her new home. “I was just in awe and so encouraged that she had reached out,” Valerie said. Finding out that Melody lived in Houston brought her a sense of relief.

This rekindled connection came at just the right moment. Valerie had secured a new job but needed to move herself and her children to a new apartment quickly. She was not sure how she could furnish her new home while continuing to provide for her children’s needs. “Melody shed light on my pathway as I was moving on from living with my sister,” Valerie shared. Melody provided advice about safe areas of town to live in, since she was familiar with the region. She also helped Valerie find housing applications and resources to furnish their new home. Valerie’s application for an apartment was approved, and, upon moving in, Melody and the Houston Community Ministries team helped her set up her new home. “My kids were so happy when they walked into the room,” Valerie remembered. “Seeing those smiles on their faces was one of the happiest moments in my life.” Amid transition and uncertainty, God comforted Valerie through her connections at STCH Ministries, who had the right person to call to support her where she was.

Today, Valerie shares that she and her children are still practicing what they learned while on the Marshall Campus in their new home. “We incorporate everything that we’ve learned,” she shared. “Waking up early, being on time, doing chores and being sure the house is clean before we leave. I always go back and look at my resources from when I was still there.” Thanks to continued support along the way, Valerie is equipped to hold fast to her walk with the Lord towards a bright future for herself and her children.

Despite the twists and turns of Valerie’s journey, God provided her with the support that she needed at the time she needed it. “I was scared,” Valerie recalled, “but God was with me. I felt like I wasn’t ready to be on my own, but God helped me.” Through every transition, challenge and unexpected turn, He provided encouragement, guidance and hope at just the right time. The connections Valerie built through STCH Ministries continue to strengthen her as she leads her children forward in faith. Today, she stands as a testament to how God can use a community of support to carry families through life’s heaviest burdens and into a future filled with promise.