Finding Purpose

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Thank you for taking time to read our Messenger! On May 1st, we celebrated our 68th anniversary as an organization impacting the lives of children and families. What a blessing it is to look back and see how God has led and blessed through the many years. Throughout those years, we have always used crisis situations and scenarios as an opportunity to engage with those in need.


If you reflect back on our roots as an organization, we were solely committed to providing healthy homes for children that needed them. The crisis was clear; children without a healthy place to call home and the need was great. This crisis, and a great deal of prayer, caused Laura Boothe to donate the property for our Homes for Children campus. This crisis, and again prayer, also caused Jess Lunsford to accept the responsibility of leading us as an organization into existence.


Merriam-Webster defines the word crisis as a difficult or dangerous situation that needs serious attention. Interestingly enough, when we face crisis situations, we have two responses; fight or flight. In other words, we can do something about the crisis or we can turn our eyes away and act like it doesn’t exist.


We are all currently looking eye-to-eye with the crisis called COVID-19. This virus has taken lives and livelihoods, not only here in the United States, but around the world. We have had to temporarily adapt all of our ministries to keep our staff and those we serve safe from this pandemic. But I can proudly say, through it all, we have persevered and The Ministry has Continued! In fact, we have flourished and grown. We have created new and innovative ways to conduct ministry.


As we look at the greatest leaders and organizations, crisis has always been a catalyst to find purpose, to ACT! Our purpose or mission statement is very clear and COVID-19 has not changed it: honoring God, reaching hurting children and families with His love and truth and enabling others to join us in this ministry. Our operations may have temporarily adapted because of COVID-19 but children are still being provided safe and healthy homes to live in and all our other ministries are flourishing as well.

I pray for us all that this time of crisis is used as an opportunity to find or reinvigorate our purpose. I pray we all commit in a new way to live our lives in a manner that would please our heavenly Father. So much good can and is coming from this crisis. Take this opportunity to reset and make the changes that need to be made. What will you do?

The Ministry Continues

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Amid global challenges to public health resulting in social distancing and economic concerns, God continued to seek to save the lost and care for His own. STCH Ministries remained committed to serving the children and families God brought our way as they dealt with life’s challenges. Throughout the stay home-stay safe period, the STCH Ministries family sought avenues to continue healing hearts and sharing hope.

OVERNIGHT, TRADITIONAL WORSHIP meetings converted into virtual; our pastors and church leaders needed even more prayer and continuous support. STCH Ministries Pastor Care ministry helped churches facilitate digital worship services during the continuing COVID-19 crisis. Tim Williams, Director of Church Relations, consulted with several churches and pastors as they prepared for their first-ever video worship. He led online sermons for churches without pastors and an Easter sermon online.


Family Counseling assisted individuals, couples and families who dealt with increased stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness. Counselors found new ways to work with existing clients and reach out to the general public via a new Facebook Group. The resources for the posts came from multiple sources and delivered help with anxiety, depression, family issues and many other topics related to coping with a crisis such as COVID-19.

The ministry’s professionally trained and distinctively Christian counselors continued to see current clients and accepted new Texas clients through virtual counseling. Virtual counseling utilized private teleconferencing or telephone calls enabling clients to work through their challenges and feel a sense of “normalcy”.


Faith & Work | Faith & Finances provided resources for those looking for life-management applications and Biblical money management principles. The team discovered new ways to encourage, support and train their students, leaders and ministry partners through video streaming technology and electronic communication. Regional teams reached out to students and ministry partners to identify their physical, emotional and spiritual prayer needs. Making those connections revealed one Faith & Work graduate who lost her job due to the repercussions of COVID-19. Our staff helped her connect with employment partners who offered new employment opportunities. Another long time Faith & Work | Faith & Finances volunteer found a job which suited her skills and personality perfectly through connections she made in the Corpus Christi office.

People want to know how God’s Word can help them in the areas of faith, work and finances. In response to that desire, Faith & Work | Faith & Finances launched seven online classes serving English and Spanish speaking participants in April. The response to the classes has been overwhelmingly positive and energizing.


In response to COVID-19, Faith & Work | Faith & Finances staff developed a virtual Learning Center. The website houses a repository of lessons for training facilitators. Ministry directors created video lessons and self-guided workbooks for future use.


STCH Ministries Family Support ministry blessed Maggie, a member of one of our church partners. Maggie, her husband and their three teenage grandchildren suffered when Maggie lost her job due to COVID-19 and her husband’s employer reduced his hours to one day per week. Maggie’s faith in God never wavered and she trusted God to supply their every need. Maggie thanked God for supplying her groceries through the Family Support ministry.

Families in the cottages at Homes for Children adapted to the challenges of a “new normal” with more time together. They committed to a routine of school work, chores and devotions; while enjoying more intentional time together with board game nights, movie nights, video games, dance parties and other fun activities. Houseparents provided life-skills and demonstrated how God works amidst the uncertainty.


Hope Cottage, home to five boys (ages 11-18), added a cooking class to their daily schedule. Each boy chose a day and a meal to cook each week. They used cookbooks or the internet to find a recipe. One of the students selected fried chicken, sautéed asparagus and mashed potatoes. Other meals prepared by students included meatloaf and pork chops. This served as a great learning experience and life-skill for the kids. It gave them new appreciation and gratitude for their houseparents. Besides cooking once a week, each boy led a devotional at dinner time. One of the boy’s devotion focused on “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” -Proverbs 22:1.

All of the houseparents worked to point their children to Christ. On Good Friday, two young girls at Homes for Children accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Their houseparents led them to faith and helped them know how to begin a personal relationship with Jesus. Houseparents enjoyed the wonderful chance to be a part of the biblical guidance and lessons the children learn as they come to the table, not only for dinner – but also for the nourishment of their hearts and souls.


Homes for Families, on the Marshall Ranch Campus, continued to provide single moms and their children a place to be safe. The program prepared to receive two new families who arrived in May. The moms already in the program continued to grow in their faith and life-skills, while children adapted to school work being done at home, not with their teachers in school.

To accommodate all twenty-three of the children on campus together, the childcare facility set up a rotating schedule for the kids of each cottage to spend time there while the moms worked through their daily curriculums. Older students received help with school lessons while the younger children played and enjoyed worship music and snacks. New learning opportunities created closer relationships with each other and a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.


STCH Ministries International persisted in the mission of transforming lives as families in the Dominican Republic struggled with a lack of food and supplies. The shutdowns in the Dominican Republic led to a hunger crisis as ninety percent of the people lost their jobs and day laborers could not provide for their families. Our team in the Dominican Republic purchased and delivered essential food items for families in need. One father thanked us and said, “We prayed much and are so grateful for this food delivery. This is a difficult crisis. BUT God moved your heart to help us.”

CLEP (Christian Leadership Education Project) students fulfilled their requirements to contribute a minimum of ten hours a month in ministry to younger Samuel’s Fund children by helping with school work and studying devotionals. Every week, they called two to three children to build a friendship, help with homework and share devotional time. The CLEP students sent weekly reports exemplifying how the Word of God moved throughout the lives of those they served.


“I video chat with my students. We talk about their homework. I encourage their mother because she is very overwhelmed.”

“My student says she is not a Christian because she is afraid of God. I am helping her understand how to have a relationship with Him.”


The COVID -19 virus created inconvenience, change and adjustment. God enabled us to navigate these uncertain times, reminding all of us that He works in mighty ways. He continues to open doors for our ministry through the generosity of STCH Ministries’ partners, donors and prayer warriors. As you give of your time, prayers and finances, The Ministry Continues.

Defining Purpose

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Faith & Work | Faith & Finances San Antonio Regional Director, Tim Tolosa had no idea how broken Ivan Baltrani believed himself to be the day Tim shared the Gospel with him. Ivan worked as the Healthy Living Coordinator for the YMCA and helped organize Faith & Finances classes at his location with Blanca Eschbach, Faith & Work | Faith & Finances San Antonio Site Coordinator.

OVER THE COURSE of several Faith & Finances sessions, Blanca and Ivan developed a friendship. Ivan appreciated her kindness and sincere interest in him as a person. That sort of authenticity seemed out of the ordinary compared to many relationships he had experienced. The two shared a commitment to impacting people’s lives in a positive manner. In his role as coordinator for Healthy Living, Ivan taught classes on nutrition and holistic health practices. He often gave Blanca time in his classes to present the Faith & Work | Faith & Finances philosophy because he agreed that financial understanding played an important part in a healthy life. Although Blanca explained the Faith & Finances curriculum’s emphasis on Biblical principles about money as students learned practical skills, Ivan did not understand how the two ideas blended together. As he heard feedback from students who took the Faith & Finances classes, he appreciated the fact that the program helped the participants, “not just financially but emotionally. I realized they created a community culture inside the program,” Ivan said. He went on to explain that learning about the course gave him his first understanding that Christianity entailed more than Bible lessons. The idea that the Bible applied to him intrigued him.

As their professional friendship increased, Blanca encouraged Ivan to attend both the Faith & Finances as well as the Faith & Works courses. He never committed, giving the excuse, “I’m not in the right spot to do that right now.” Although he considered Blanca a close friend, he could not bring himself to change the habits of a lifetime and risk opening up to her. She knew he carried a heavy burden and reminded him that she would be happy to listen whenever he was ready to share his troubles with her.

The troubles Blanca sensed included the abrupt end of a longtime relationship as well as family troubles. Ivan’s father left the family when Ivan was a toddler. His single mom worked long hours leaving then five-year-old Ivan to care for himself and his younger sister. He described his childhood as non-existent as he dealt with abuse and repeated negative assumptions about his future. After a twenty-eight year absence, Ivan’s dad returned to his life and Ivan did not know how to handle the clumsy attempts to reconnect. As personal and professional pressures mounted, Ivan reached a breaking point.


“I worried, stressed out and was not able to sleep.
I became another person,” Ivan described.


Although friends and coworkers encouraged him to step out into new opportunities, his past weighed heavily on his mind. He started his career at the YMCA as a part-time employee and over time worked his way up to a full-time, leadership position. As that dream came to an end, he found he could not hope for anything better.

In November, Blanca set up a training session with Ivan’s training team at the YMCA to share a segment of the Faith & Finances curriculum about handling holiday finances. That day, Ivan met Tim. He first believed Tim to be intimidating and while Ivan contemplated leaving YMCA, he did not feel invested in talking about the future. As they talked after the session, Ivan surprised himself admitting that he needed help preparing his resume and looking for a new job. Tim’s response amazed Ivan. “You know what? I can help with your resume; even write a letter of recommendation for you.” The two agreed to meet the next day.


Tim read over the resume and challenged Ivan to highlight himself and his accomplishments rather than the organization he worked for. Tim gave useful pointers showing Ivan where and how to change the wording on the document. During their interview practice, Tim told Ivan, “You need to start selling yourself and you have to believe in yourself to do that.”

Ivan struggled to believe that someone who barely knew him could see potential in him. The negativity he had accepted from childhood kept him from recognizing his strengths. “My career suffered for it because I did not know how to separate my personal life and my work life even though they are two different things,” he explained. He felt as if his life lay wrecked at his feet and he did not know how to put it back together.


Tim recognized the desperation and anger Ivan felt. Tim got Ivan’s attention when he told him,

“I’m here to help you, to guide you. I want to help you
grow in different ways, as a leader and as a person.”


Tim went on to ask if Ivan would like to get rid of all the stress, burden and pain.


Ivan struggled to understand what Tim told him. “Hearing those words stopped my thoughts. I’ve never had someone who cares about me who will give me the tools I need to succeed in life.” It took several minutes for Ivan to process the fact he had found someone who truly loved him for himself. Two people, including Blanca, willing to put in their time and effort to help him become a better person.

Tim explained God’s love for Ivan, in spite of everything he has done. They searched the Scripture together reading about the redemption God provided through Jesus, His Son. After a while, Tim asked Ivan if he was ready to turn his life over to Christ. He immediately teared up and answered yes.


Ivan listened to the explanation that giving his life to God meant having someone to walk beside him and fight his battles for him. He explained,

“The worst thing I had done in my life was to
try to solve all my problems by myself. At that
moment, I knew I had to do something for myself
and let God walk with me. When I gave my life to
God, all I could think was, I need help.”


After he prayed, he looked up at Tim and said, “Wow! I feel so light! Is it supposed to feel this way!?”


The two men set weekly times to meet for an hour or two of discipleship and prayer. Together, they worked through the study, Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby. ”I feel like prayer has been the biggest thing I have done in my life,” Ivan said. He learned that prayer is a conversation with God, the same as any conversation with anyone. That understanding changed his life.

Ivan still marvels at God’s love for him, sending a mentor who cared more about his personal life than career goals. Today, Ivan counts Tim as a true friend. He enjoys his new job teaching diabetes clinics and nutritional goals through a medical clinic. Because God brought Tim and Blanca into his life through Faith & Finances, Ivan believes he can connect with people to help them make real changes in their lives. “I know my life has a purpose now,” Ivan shares.


Through the Children’s Eyes

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Fifteen-year-old Jess is still adjusting to life on the Marshall Ranch Campus. Her mom, Danielle, is in Phase II at STCH Ministries Homes for Families. Sharing a room with her mom and six-year-old sister can create a need for some alone time. Jess says the vast outdoor space of the ten-acre property gives her plenty of room to find peace when sharing a home with others makes her feel frustrated. Jess recognizes Homes for Families works well for her mom. Jess describes the relationship with her mom as better than before. Danielle has more patience now and Jess finds this a nice change allowing Jess to open up and talk more with her mom. Jess has big plans for her future and looks forward to living them out with her mom as a healthy role model.

JESS IS NOT THE ONLY CHILD at STCH Ministries Homes for Families that recognizes that the ministry impacts not only the mothers, but their children as well. The children leave the life they know and move to a place where they know no one. This often presents a challenge for the older kids as they adjust to another change and process how that affects them personally. The situation which brings a family to the Marshall Ranch Campus differs for everyone, but the same motivation drives each family. They want to keep their family together while seeking resolution.

One way to determine how well the ministry meets the goal of ministering to the children is to ask them upfront. Talking with the older children reveals the longer they live on Marshall Ranch, the more they value the opportunity. Most families enter in Phase I where the strict schedule and firm rules provide a structure many are not used to. Phase II continues with both schedule and structure, however the moms have more personal responsibility to begin to practice the skills they have learned from parenting courses. They take this opportunity to build intentional relationships with their children.


Johnson Cottage, where the Phase III families live, houses most of the older children right now. Elijah (9) and his younger sister have been in the Homes for Families ministry for two years now. He says Phase III is by far the best because his mom, Ashley, has a car and they can go off campus to do things as a family. Residents in Phase III enjoy the safety and stability of life on Marshall Ranch, while they manage their lives through either working or going to school full-time.


Elijah loves living on the ranch. He enjoys the playground and basketball court but the best part involves, “having friends in all the houses to play with.” Elijah remembers life before Homes for Families but prefers not to talk about it. He recognizes growth in himself, “I’ve learned self-control and about being mature – although sometimes I don’t act like it.” He explains, “It’s not a problem to be angry or agitated, it’s what you do when you feel that way that’s the problem.” His eyes light up and his smile widens when he talks about his mom. “She has changed a lot lately. She’s been kind and careful.” Above all, he credits his mom for taking him to church and teaching him about Jesus’s love for him.

James (10) and Cameron (9) live in Johnson Cottage with their mom, Felissia and two younger siblings. James started the conversation by saying how happy he feels with the changes in his mom. “She does not do drugs or drink anymore and she treats us better. I’m proud of her. She got a driver’s license and a car; she goes to school and to work. She is getting back on her feet.” Little brother, Cameron echoes James’s feelings and adds having friends to play with every day makes life on Marshall Ranch fun. He sits up straighter and holds a steady gaze to emphasize his next words, “The best part of all is that Mom is good with God, that’s the most important thing.”

Debbie’s children Michael (15), Gabriel (13), Delilah (12), Khloe (10) and two younger siblings all agree that Homes for Families changed their family for the better. Delilah says before living here they did not have enough to eat and she did not feel safe. Khloe remembers long nights worrying about her mom when she left them with another adult. Now, living on Marshall Ranch, they enjoy the change in their mom. “She never leaves us alone anymore, I like that,” Khloe states.


Each of Debbie’s children can see growth in their mom. Delilah believes their mom’s success has to do with finding friends in the other moms. “They help Mom make good decisions. Before we came here, she had trouble with the choices she made. She’s stronger and more confident now,” Michael says. Gabriel adds, “She’s more fun and nicer now that she desires Jesus. I like Him too, everyone should!” He likes the fact that she has started her own house cleaning and organizing business. “I’m proud of her, it takes guts and good ideas to start and maintain your own business. She’s a hard worker,” he explains.

As the family looks toward moving on to Phase IV, getting a home of their own off-campus, they have mixed emotions. The idea of having more space to call their own brings excitement but they worry they will miss the close friendships they have. Khloe describes, “All the families here sort of combine to make one big family and that is fun.”


Michael knows those friendships will remain. He still views former residents Valerie and Brooke as sisters. Their mom, Maria, graduated from the ministry earlier this year. Michael’s favorite part about moving to Marshall Ranch is the youth group leaders and friends he has at church in town.

The first Sunday Valerie and Brooke lived on Marshall Ranch, Michael was baptized there. Later, Michael celebrated with the sisters at their baptisms. Each one credits Homes for Families as the place they learned to trust in Jesus as their Savior and learned the habits necessary to develop a relationship with Him.


“Ministering to children is different than ministry to adults. The children need to feel recognized and important,” explains Ricky Martinez, Homes for Families Activities Coordinator. The staff takes this into consideration and the children who live at Marshall Ranch receive individual counseling. Younger children also appreciate specialized attention from Ricky’s wife, Kimberly Martinez, Child Care Provider.

The staff recognizes when families move into the ministry they feel vulnerable from repeated rejections. As one staff member states, “I want them to know there is someone there, no matter what. They’ve been turned down so many times before – when they come to the ranch, they do not find that. No matter how difficult a child is every family that comes onto the ranch receives grace. We have so much grace to give them. When they fight us, we just love them more. They want us to get mad and give up on them. We tell them, ‘you can fight back all you want, we’re still going to love you and be here for you’.”


Women come to Home for Families with their children looking for the opportunity to try again. That courageous choice often leads to positive changes in thought patterns, parenting habits and spiritual understanding. Witnessing the transformation in their moms combines with the dedication of the staff to create a special place of healing for the children. “God sees the hurt in these kids. He calls us to pour into all of the family every day and we rejoice at the change in the faces of the children,” Ricky affirms.

A Timely Investment

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I think we all know that education is critical in our lives. If we don’t learn, we cannot move forward. Think about it. What if we were not taught to walk as a young child? What if we did not know how to read? Not to mention, what if we did not know how to talk or communicate?

LEARNING NEVER ENDS and it is up to each of us to determine the value of the education we receive and how we use it to enrich ourselves and serve others. The value itself is immeasurable and only becomes apparent to others when we move forward using what we have learned.

From the beginning of STCH Ministries, it has been apparent and clear that education is very important. Children living on our Boothe Campus may not have had the chance to graduate from high school if they had not been placed to live in our care. Education is crucial, not just while in care, but when they step into the reality of life beyond the safety of Pettus, Texas.

It is the commitment of STCH Ministries to provide the opportunity for each graduating senior to pursue their dreams and receive the education they desire. This could be going to college, trade school or even choosing to be certified with specific skills so they can grab a hold of life with confidence and stability. Fortunately, in our 68-year existence, donors have been generous with education endowments to provide scholarships. This ensures the resources are available for every eligible high school graduate.

Here are a couple of examples of named endowments:

The Howard K. Joslin Education Fund exists to help graduates who choose to attend a trade school and gain knowledge in fields such as welding, construction, mechanics and more. Before Howard passed away from a plane crash, he and his wife, Cristal had already talked about one day helping graduates wanting to go to a trade school. Howard knew the importance of non-traditional education since he himself went straight into a trade profession. Since its creation, several graduates have been impacted by their generosity.

The Angela Hise Education Endowment exists to help graduates attend a traditional college or trade school. Angela passed away several years ago and her mother, Jo, heard Eron Green, President & CEO of STCH Ministries, speak at a local church describing the importance of higher education and how we are committed to providing this opportunity for every graduate. Jo then decided to endow a scholarship in her daughter’s memory.

Each graduate must comply with eligibility standards required to receive funds from education endowments. These standards include academic and spiritual criteria. The College Transition Coordinator on the Boothe Campus helps to guide each resident during their junior and senior years of high school to prepare a plan for their future. Taking the next step and entering into adulthood is never an easy task for any child. However, STCH Ministries invests in every child in our care, paving the way to a positively supported future.


Due to the sacrifice and foresight of so many to make timely investments years ago and today, STCH Ministries can provide the necessary resources for those choosing to expand their knowledge.

STCH Ministries is forever grateful to those who have established or contributed to endowments to provide education scholarships. If you would like to learn more about how to create an endowment, please contact the Office of Development at development@stchm.org or 361.375.2417.

The Beauty of Reunification

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In June of 2018, two brothers were placed on the Boothe Campus because their grandmother, who was their caregiver, was experiencing some health issues. They said goodbye to their family, friends and the life they knew and moved to a place where they knew no one and had no expectations of what was to come. “They were quiet and a little uneasy,” their housemom shared. “You could tell they wanted to interact, but they were very cautious.” What the brothers did not know was that there were people praying for them, for their family and for restoration and healing to begin.

“Reconciliation and reunification with family is the hope for all the children that come to STCH Ministries Homes for Children,” Greg Huskey, Vice President of Homes for Children stated. Specific prayers that God will provide healing, restoration and peace among their family or that God will open the door for them to become part of a new family are a part of everyday life. For the two brothers, C.J. who is 14 and Jonathan who is 9, it would take a year and a half for their family to be restored and for the boys to be reunited with their family.

Their story started four years before they came to Homes for Children, when their grandparents, Marsha and David, became caregivers for the boys, due to some unforeseen circumstances within their family. The grandparents were blessed to be able to take the boys in and to start caring for them. In 2016, Marsha experienced a severe car wreck that caused major medical issues. A few months later, David had surgery for his kidneys, and started dialysis treatments. Marsha and David prayed for a way to continue caring for the boys through this difficult time.

Marsha and David started attending a local church a few years before taking the boys into their care. They did not understand why God was calling them to be at that specific church, but they knew when they walked in that God wanted them there for a reason. As medical issues continued to worsen, members of the church shared with them about STCH Ministries Homes for Children. Marsha saw it as an answer to their prayers. “We didn’t know God’s plan when we started at the church, but He did,” Marsha recalled. “He knew we would need the support of the church, and STCH Ministries.”   

For months, Marsha and David prayed about God’s plan for the boys. They felt God telling them that the Boothe Campus was where the boys were supposed to be, but that did not make the decision any easier. “When we took them there and left them there, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” David remembered. Tears filled both the grandparents’ eyes and the boys’ eyes as they hugged and said their goodbyes. This would be the start of restoration and healing for all of them.

As the boys settled into their new way of life they started to see the positives. They saw God moving in their lives as they interacted with the other children on campus and opened up to their new houseparents. Church is a major part of life at STCH Ministries and the boys enjoyed going to church with their houseparents. C.J. loved the youth group and started to see his relationship with God differently. “I have grown closer to God and seen Him move in many different ways,” C.J. stated.

As their time on the Boothe Campus continued, the relationship between the brothers grew as they remained each other’s constant. The boys also continued to strengthen their relationship with their houseparents and the other children in their cottage. Their houseparents, Sheila and Terry Backen, worked with the boys and helped in the healing process. “The Backens are angels!” Marsha exclaimed, “they were wonderful with the boys and we see such a difference in them.”

Becoming more independent is something that children on the Boothe Campus learn to do. They learn to take pride in their chores, to help with meal preparation, to take care of themselves and to be more respectful. The daily chores make them take ownership of the cottage they live in and teach them to be positive even when doing something they may not want to do.

Counseling is another huge aspect of the Homes for Children ministry. Many children come to the Boothe Campus in need of someone to help them and talk with them as healing begins. The child’s caseworker also plays a vital role in the healing process. While the brothers were healing on the campus their grandparents were healing at home. Marsha and David received the medical help they needed to better interact with the boys. At the same time communication began to improve within their family.

Marsha and David prayed when they placed the brothers that it would not be a permanent thing. They wanted the boys to be home with them when the timing was right. When approved, children in care are able to go on home visits throughout the year. C.J. and Jonathan were allowed to go home with their grandparents on some weekends and holidays. Every time they would return to campus Jonathan would ask his grandparents, “When will be the time that we get to stay at home with you?” This broke their grandparents’ hearts because they wanted that time to be every time.

They could feel God working and felt that Christmas of 2019 would be that time. Working with the caseworkers and other STCH Ministries’ staff, they prepared for the reunification of their family. The boys reacted to the news with both excitement and sadness. Going home meant leaving their friends and their houseparents on the Boothe Campus. “Children leaving is hard every time, but it is a little easier when you know it is in God’s timing,” their housemom shared. This was God’s timing.

A few days before Christmas, David came to Boothe Campus and helped pack the boy’s stuff up. They were going home and staying there. Since being home, Marsha and David have seen a difference in the way the boys interact, not just with them, but with other adults in their lives. They are more respectful and more willing to help out around the house. Marsha and David plan to lean on support from other family members. The family is currently looking for a church with a strong youth group to help C.J. and Jonathan continue to grow with God. The boys are also able to continue seeing a STCH Ministries’ counselor for help with the transition. God answered the prayers of many when He completed the reunification of this family.

For more information on STCH Ministries Homes for Children go to https://www.stchm.org/homes-for-children/.

Fulfilling the Great Commission

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As an orphan in a remote village on the border of Haiti, Robert appeared destined to live an insignificant life, constricted by poverty, isolation, lack of education and family support.  He heard about Jesus through children’s Bible classes and became a disciple, a learner, of Jesus’ ways.  Dominicans and Americans invested in him through children’s Bible classes, medical clinics and construction projects.  Soon, he was chosen by a Houston family for a Samuel’s Fund sponsorship.  In addition to repeated visits with him while on mission trips, they encouraged Robert through facetime and emails while STCH Ministries’ staff also discipled him. After graduating high school, he moved to the capital city, Santo Domingo, for University, where he joined Iglesia Bautista Quisqueyana (IBQ).  His sponsors continued to invest in Robert’s life through a CLEP scholarship (Christian Leadership and Educational Program).  Soon, Robert fell in love with a beautiful Christian girl.  As an orphan in that culture, moving in together seemed a normal next step.  The discipling process (learning of Jesus’ ways) continued as staff and Robert’s sponsors intervened to encourage pre-marital counseling with IBQ’s Pastor, Pastor Rudy.  Soon, a wedding was planned, complete with a borrowed wedding dress and a traditional marriage supper prepared by STCH Ministries International’s cooks.  Although Robert had no family or resources, over thirty-five Christian brothers and sisters from the church witnessed and celebrated this marriage.

Numerous individuals, both Americans and Dominicans, invested in Robert; changing his destiny. The Apostle Paul wrote that one plants, while others water, but God gives the increase.  Today Robert is educated, married to a Christian wife and shares his faith with others through his life and his church.  His future children will have the opportunity to grow while learning about Jesus, with the potential to impact countless others for Christ.

Salvation is first, a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ. However, we are not only saved FROM the penalty of sin but also to BECOME disciples, lifelong learners of Jesus.  Jesus’ last words reveal his priorities, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus spent three years, approximately 1056 days, focused on teaching twelve disciples.  In our numbers-focused American culture, the method that Jesus employed would not have earned Him recognition or promotion in any business that we know of.  It’s all about mathematics; how much money did it cost, and how many numbers, clients, projects were accomplished?  Were Jesus’ methods a failure?

Today, we know that through those disciples, Jesus changed the world. When the disciples heard Jesus say, “Go and make disciples,” they had a clear picture of what to do.  Jesus invested His time training and teaching the twelve disciples.  Compassion for the least of these was His trademark; feeding the hungry, healing the sick, blessing children.  He spent His time with tax collectors, lepers, prostitutes and many more.  These activities did not distract from His mission, they were the means by which He accomplished His mission.  He wedded the Gospel message to loving your neighbor, feeding the hungry and meeting needs.

There are many creative ways in which mission trip participants use their talents in this process.  Sometimes they present seminars for school teachers and share school supplies to under-resourced teachers.  Many of the public-school teachers must manage up to fifty students in a classroom without any helpers. One might ask how teaching classroom management, or creative teaching methods for math can be effective methods of sharing the Gospel?  These teaching seminars inspired our Dominican staff to meet with Christian principals in an effort to encourage and support them.  They have a two-fold goal; communicate to the community a better understanding of the purpose of the Christian school, and help teachers apply Biblical integration in the classroom.  Samuel’s Fund Director, Rebeca Dinzey, wrote, “This is a great opportunity to bring the gospel to our communities.”

Small actions can encourage the discipleship process in the life of a child.  One sponsor purchased a guitar for a young student.   As he learned to play, he began to lead worship in the youth services.  Alex Castillo will soon become Dr. Castillo when he graduates from medical school.  Uncounted numbers of American mission trip participants, as well as the IBQ church, have invested in Alex’s life.  He has been counseled through difficulties by the STCH Ministries staff, both Americans and Dominicans.  His sponsors paid for his education all the way through medical school.  As a Christian Leadership and Educational Program (CLEP) scholarship recipient, he disciples younger Samuel’s Fund children, through Bible studies and teaching English. Recently, he presented a study to Samuel’s Fund boys on the human brain and the Creator God who designed it.

Construction projects provide another opportunity to meet needs and intentionally invest in the discipleship process.  The Berroa twins, hyperactive, incorrigible little boys, accepted Christ at a children’s camp.  Adult believers needed a lot of patience and perseverance to continue to work with these boys since learning about the Bible was not high on their list of priorities.   As they grew, they became interested in construction projects because they wanted to learn English from Americans. They were discipled as they experienced a Christian testimony lived out through hammers, saws and paint by Americans and their Dominican peers.  Today they share with others while they attend college.

Francisco lived in a two-room home on dirt floors when he came to know Jesus and was discipled through Bible classes, VBS, mission teams and the church. Today he ministers as Dr. Francisco Paredes with STCH Ministries International in the Dominican Republic.  He leads and organizes medical mission trips in collaboration with small chapels, Christian ministries and schools.  Patients hear the Gospel and experience the love of God while their desperate physical needs are met.  Countless dozens have come to faith and been discipled by the local ministries where the clinics are held.

To be effective, the primary goal of all mission trips must follow Jesus’ recipe for success: “Go and make disciples…teaching them to observe all I have commanded.” Matthew 28:19-20.  Short-term mission trips must be more than entertaining, sight-seeing, painting or constructing buildings for schools and orphanages.  They must be more than delivering food to a hungry family, coloring a craft project in a VBS class or sewing a dress. They also need to be more than sharing the Four Spiritual Laws or other soul-winning formulas.

The Dominican Republic is a small country, only one of 195 countries.  What is the most effective way to evangelize the Dominican Republic, or any other country? On a short-term mission trip, can individuals coming from a different culture and speaking a different language effectively evangelize through a narrow focus on sharing the Gospel? Is it possible to weld the Gospel message to discipleship, relationship-building and teaching?  Working in partnership with local ministries, can we empower local individuals to evangelize, disciple and build Jesus’ kingdom in their own neighborhoods?

A personal relationship with God through faith in Christ is a priority.  STCH Ministries International’s mission trips integrate sharing the Gospel in partnership with local ministries while teaching and meeting needs in creative ways.  These collaborative partnerships with national churches and individuals ensure that the seeds sown in an admittedly short mission trip week will be watered and cultivated.  STCH Ministries International’s short-term mission trips are not about a one-time event, but a part of a long-term process of investing in qualified Dominican leadership so that the work of discipleship can be accomplished.  Jesus said, “GO!” STCH Ministries invites you to “COME”, and invest your life and resources with local ministries in making disciples.

Stronger Together

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Happy New Year from the STCH Ministries family and thank you for taking a moment to read our Messenger!  Here at STCH Ministries we love to partner with fellow believers to witness God at work.  We partner together in a variety of ways with families, children, organizations, churches, hospitals, universities, orphanages, schools and the list goes on.  The needs are so great!

As we partner, we start with prayer.  It is our desire that we are 100% in the center of God’s will in all we do.  We have a team that prays as we plan to take children into care.  We pray for and over those that are seeing our counselors. As a ministry to children and families, we understand the need to join together in prayer for all those in which we serve and partner. As we pray together, we are laying the foundation for what God wants to do through us!

The apostle Paul references, in Colossians 2, the “whole body” and growth due to the support and unity provided by the “joints and ligaments”.  Paul is referring to our head being Christ and how as believers we are a support system for one another by being the joints and ligaments.  Just like Paul’s reference, we here at STCH Ministries are being the earthly joints and ligaments each and every day to children and families coming from places of great need.

It is so exciting to see these support systems forming for those that we care for and many times they are support systems for each other!  We have young adults from our Homes for Children program that are roommates in college.  We have mothers and their children from our Homes for Families program that have developed a loving and supportive community together.  Once those we minister to begin to become the joints and ligaments for others, it is amazing to experience!

Early this year, I had the privilege of joining together with a group that attended one of our International Vision Trips.  This Vision Trip was to the Dominican Republic where we have been ministering for over 10 years.  The trip was attended by pastors and their wives, board members, donors, STCH Ministries staff, etc.  One of the trip highlights was dedicating an orphanage in the small town of Higuey that we were instrumental in constructing.  To hear the testimonies of their leaders and how they had labored, and prayed for over 20 years for this project to become a reality was tremendously inspiring.  How blessed we were to be there for the dedication!

I also want to take a moment to thank you for your partnership.  We are not able to do the work God has called us to do without your support.  We are so blessed by you sharing your time, talents, treasures and prayers with us and for us.  Together we are stronger!  We stand together with those we serve, we stand together with our ministry partners and we stand together with those that give so generously to make our ministry possible.  How Blessed we are to have one another.

Together for Him!

Better Together

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Chris Harriman believed he had the world when he married Rachel in 2000. The two met online in 1999 and discovered they shared similar upbringings. What they did not see coming was that Chris’s fear-driven compulsion to work as many hours as possible and Rachel’s codependent impulses to please the people important to her would drive a wedge between them.

After the couple married, they lived a simple life in a small apartment in Victoria, Texas. Rachel enjoyed being a wife and worked hard to establish a home. The year 2003 brought a medical crisis, a brain tumor Chris had received treatment for returned and required surgery. With Rachel by his side, Chris made a full recovery and their family soon grew by two girls and a boy. Determined to provide well for his household, Chris found a new job at a nearby chemical plant. Like many young families, the Harrimans enjoyed successes and faced struggles as they settled into a routine.

As the years passed, the two continued the business of daily life: work, church, friends, children, even occasional date nights. The connection between them faded and resentment found a foothold. Chris’s absences from family events and church activities pushed Rachel to depend on friendships at church for companionship. Chris grew to resent the time Rachel spent with her friends and she came to resent the impossible drive to keep everyone happy. Arguments and bitter silences replaced the affectionate atmosphere of a once happy home.

An exceptionally bitter argument over Rachel’s plan to go on a cruise with friends and Chris’s adamant refusal to allow her to, delivered the final blow to Rachel’s tolerance. Exhausted from a lifetime trying to please everyone and attempting to live up to the image of the perfect wife, mother and friend, Rachel could not fight anymore. She asked Chris to move out. Scared and furious, yet committed to his marriage, Chris refused. Rachel did not want a divorce either, but she felt they had reached an impasse.

A friend recommended STCH Ministries Family Counseling to Rachel. Chris reluctantly agreed to go along to sessions; he worried about his family’s and friends’ response to seeking outside help. The two met with Vince Porter, STCH Ministries Counselor, in the Victoria office.

In the beginning, Chris’s attendance was sporadic – work being his main excuse for not attending.  Rachel applied herself to the process and the truths she uncovered about herself. She grew up in a happy home, with four siblings and loving parents. She recognized having brothers with special needs made her family different from others, but she did not think about how that affected her outlook on life. As a young girl, she wanted to alleviate some of their struggles through not causing any more difficulties. Only after working with Vince did Rachel realize the coping skills she acquired as a child contributed to the problems she faced in her marriage.

Prior to therapy, Rachel had not heard the word codependency. Vince explained to her that it presented as an excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner; she recognized patterns in her own life. “I did not have a definition of who I was and what I liked and what I didn’t like. I thought it was rude to be direct or to have a decisive opinion about something.”

Rachel pieced together other aspects of her personality that led to the trouble in her relationship with Chris. While she often considered herself a victim of Chris’s overprotective nature, she understood that nature originally attracted her to him because it felt familiar.  She grew up in a home where the idea “father knows best” governed the family. Therapy allowed her to examine her childhood, identify patterns she saw modeled there and identify things needing change as an adult. Rachel learned the importance of assessing her likes, dislikes and setting boundaries. She attended a Celebrate Recovery group, as well as Codependents Anonymous meetings.  She found a sponsor who helped her to maintain the new margins she had created. As Rachel matured into the person that she believed God designed her to be, she found she did not want her marriage to end, yet worried Chris would not accept her changes. Encouraged by both Vince and her sponsor, Rachel prayed for Chris’s heart to soften.

Chris did notice the changes in his wife.  That combined with the tensions exposed in the sessions with Vince, amplified the underlying dread which colored his world. The meetings intensified his desire to save his marriage; he knew to do so would mean he must dig deeper into his own issues. He agreed to meet with Vince. Intense conversations and a commitment to change helped Chris identify the fear that plagued him. The perpetual question, “what if” controlled his thoughts. “What if the tumor comes back? What if I lose my job? What if…”

Chris made plans, organized situations and micromanaged every aspect of life. He nearly lost his marriage and family and saw how his behaviors contributed to the troubles they experienced. Vince’s challenge to seek what he would change in himself opened the door to honest examination. “In the beginning, I went because I didn’t want to lose something. I know now there was a purpose to it.”

Chris learned from a young age that hard work and financial security measured a man’s success. This idea took root and a dangerous experience at work increased the worry he carried. Vince helped Chris to acquire new thought patterns and gave him tools to combat the fear. Chris learned to let go of his fear and trust God to be in control.  One day at a time.

While accepting a difficult truth is the first step, both Chris and Rachel recognized that complete healing took time and continued effort. They each saw positive changes in the other and recognized the improvement God brought through counseling and commitment to their marriage vows. The couple now enjoys a deeper relationship, with openness and communication. Each confessed guilt and released shame that defined their lives before counseling, and both desired a closer relationship with God and one another.

Their new house, which is under construction, represents tangible evidence of the heart changes the couple experienced. A beautiful home on a country lot exemplified their dream come true for many years, yet, the “what ifs” kept them from taking the steps to turn dreams into reality. Chris gave God the glory for changing his heart; although the temptation to worry still exists, he chose to trust that God is faithful to complete the good works He began in those who love Him (Philippians 1:6).

Chris summed up their experience, “At first, I wished we hadn’t gone through that but now I see how it has made us who we are today. What the devil tried to make into a mess has helped us to become what God wanted us to be. I hope this is not just for us. I hope God uses it to encourage others.” 

Fingerprints on the Future

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Fortino Guzman, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista el Buen Pastor Ingleside, maintained the conviction that believers must be good stewards of all God gives them, including handling money. For 24 years, Pastor Fortino has led his congregation to live in such a way as to leave a biblically-based, positive impact on their community. These principles weighed heavily on Pastor Fortino’s heart as he prepared for the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas in McAllen in June 2019. There he found STCH Ministries Faith & Finances ministry, a nine-week study teaching families and individuals how to overcome financial obstacles. The opportunity to understand practical issues of money management based on biblical principles taught in Spanish excited Fortino. Finally, he knew how to equip his congregation to impact the generations to come.

Through the study, ten families learned to create a budget, set goals for saving and discovered how to avoid new debt while managing existing loans. Jeny Guzman, Pastor Fortino’s wife, shared that most people operate within the thought that they deserve to buy whatever they want, never considering God’s expectations. She learned the popular idea that money buys happiness is a lie. “This class has taught us the importance of discipline; we have to be responsible for everything God gives us to show others true happiness comes from Him.”

Jeny realized, “responsibility demands sacrifice.” The importance of working together to stay within the family budget led the couple to commit to meet their financial goals. Each found habits needing a change. Jeny decided to run the laundry machines only when she has a full load to save money on energy, water and detergent. Pastor Fortino promised to turn out lights when he leaves a room. Making these lifestyle changes allowed them to become more available to serve as a blessing to fellow believers when the need arises.

Newlyweds, Alejandro and Fatima Mendez, the youngest couple in the class, were surprised to learn God cares about financial decisions and that the Bible speaks clearly on the subject. Alejandro shared that he feels most people would benefit from the Faith & Finances class. He explained the importance of knowing what pleases God. “The more money we have, the less we think about it – we forget what money is truly for.” Together, they reduced their spending and created a monthly spending plan and a plan for saving money too.

Three generations of the Chapa family attended the meetings. Neither Rafael nor Enedina were Christians when they got married. Rafael came to Corpus Christi from Mexico in 1990 to work in the oil industry where he could earn a good salary. Earning a decent wage gave him a sense of accomplishment. The young couple did not understand how to manage the money they received; they never established good spending habits. Enedina spent much of her free time shopping, because she could. After they gave their hearts to Christ and started to tithe, they understood God had kingdom purposes for their money. Rafael began working as a welder. As he matured in his walk with Christ, his employers recognized his trustworthiness.  They promoted him to Shift Leader, then to Foreman and finally a Superintendent in his company. He expressed great expectations for the future as the family managed their finances according to the principals of the Bible. Through the Faith & Finances study, Enedina developed the habit of only going to the store when she had a list of actual needs in hand. Two of the couple’s three adult children attended the study as well. “We are leaving a legacy, teaching our children that the Word of God applied to our finances can impact people’s lives,” Rafael reflected.

Miguel and Conchita Martinez, leaders in the church, have been married for 50 years. Miguel kept careful control of the family’s finances even before placing his faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, he discerned the importance of money after he began to tithe regularly 48 years ago. Their children learned well from Miguel to follow God’s plan in all things. Their adult kids never considered the possibility of not tithing. When Pastor Fortino first introduced the Faith & Finances class to the congregation, Miguel did not pay much attention to the idea. Conchita’s suggestion they attend together caused him to wonder why they needed to listen to someone else teach them what they already managed well on their own. She reminded him that believers never learn in a vacuum, “The Lord teaches us so we will pass the blessing along to the whole church; God blesses our obedience when we care for the community.”

STCH Ministries’ commitment to partner churches continues long past the final class. Yesenia Acosta, Administrative Assistant for Faith & Work as well as Faith & Finances Corpus Christi, moderated the class at El Buen Pastor.  She will continue to follow up with class participants after three and six months to encourage them to continue with the action plans that they put into place. Pastor Fortino will host another session of Faith & Finances in 2020. Alejandro and Fatima along with Miguel plan to become mentors for other Hispanics in their area who take the course. Rafael, Enedina and Jeny will soon take the facilitator certification class to lead their church family  and any others wanting to understand Biblical money management principals. “We are a church with a future,” Jeny said. “It is important that we leave this fingerprint, this teaching, for those who are yet to come.”

For more information about Faith & Finances, please visit: https://www.STCHM.org/faith-finances/