Thank you. That phrase can seem commonplace at times, especially in the south where we are known for our hospitality. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I hope that I can echo the Christian sentiment of all the fellow supporters of the Children’s Home when I rejoice with Sidney & Pat Davis and Mrs. Betty Turnbow for coming to the end such a long commitment to serving children with the love of Christ. I hope I can join fellow supporters in praying for them as they continue to serve Christ where ever He may lead. Also, I hope I will not be the first or the last to say thank you for such longevity that is becoming more and more rare. June 1st will not be the same without these people and it will most certainly be a new and different day here at the Children’s Home.
I was glad to see many of you at the midyear meeting in Amory just a couple of weeks ago. I will sum up my report for those of you who were unable to attend. Since January we have dealt with 8 potential cases while traveling 6,314 miles to keep 36 appointments. We have NOT said no to any of those 8 cases. Varying circumstances have led to children not coming to us or remaining in the pending status. Our most common hurdle at the moment is the people requesting information are not the people who have custody of the children. Our other hurdle is rebuilding relationships within the Child Protective Services caseworkers.
Our current plan of action to move past these hurdles is twofold. We will be launching a website in the coming months that will allow a younger generation of parents information about our services and an anonymous way to contact us with questions. While this will not guarantee referrals we believe it can only help. In the realm of CPS, our board approved the information on a new brochure in April and since then we have hand delivered brochures and child placement applications to 5 county offices (Jones, George, Greene, Forrest, & Lamar). Like with referrals, this does not guarantee children but it is moving us patiently that direction.
We still need your help with room renovations. Please contact us if you would like to help. Be ready with dates you can come and work, that would be a big step in the right direction. Please pray for our potential cases. Pray for our resolve. It has been quite trying to know there are multitudes of kids who need our help, to know it is our job to help, and yet to know that it is out of our hands to help. We pray for the Lord’s timing of His redemptive work in the Home and we pray for your patience with us and circumstances beyond our control. Let us trust Him as we serve Him and His people. Please contact us if you would like for us to come to your church in July, August, or beyond. Contact the office (601-426-3928), our Facebook page, or my cell phone (662- 605-0996).