 “At Cottage #4 we have had the privilege to see tremendous growth in our young people both educationally and spiritually. We recently went to an awards ceremony to see one of our young ladies receive recognition for being on the honor roll the entire school year, gaining a varsity letter for educational achievement. We were also able to celebrate with another resident who graduated from Wooster High School and the Wayne County Career Center’s Medical Assisting Program. Two other residents made the life-changing decision to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and were baptized. Both have studied and grown spiritually over the last few months, and it is a great joy to watch them make this decision in their lives and to watch their re-birth into Christ as they were immersed in baptism."
--The Frames and Smiths
Teaching Parents, Cottage 4
 Julie* was 8 years old when she lived in Cottage 6. A rag-tag little girl whose main diet consisted of dog food when she arrived here, she refused to take her meals at the table. Instead, she would throw her food on the floor and eat like a dog. On her hands and knees, she felt she was “in her place.”
Her parents kept her chained to a dog house, told her that she was no better than a dog, and fed her likewise. Until she came here she never felt worthy of anything, not even to sit at the table with the family in Cottage 6.
One day, Houseparent John Smith set his food on the floor, got down, and ate with her. She didn’t want him to do that! She told him, “You’re not an animal!” This man, who held her when she was unreachable, enraged at the world, uncertain of her place in it, and scared, was certainly no animal. He gently told her that she was not an animal either.
With this demonstration of his love, she understood. She sat at the table from then on, with only a few recurrences, and started to feel her worth. She began to heal.
Just as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, just as He gave his life for us—unworthy sinners, John gave of himself to help this little girl. Houseparents like John and Roberta Smith give of themselves everyday, working to bring healing to hurting children . . . In His Name, introducing them to the love of Jesus Christ and actively demonstrating that love to them. |
