Julia, a new resident at STCH Ministries Homes for Families (HFF), moved to Marshall Ranch determined to commit her heart to Jesus and to give her infant daughter Jordan a good life. After ending a bad relationship, she knew the time had come to break the abusive pattern. HFF allows mothers and their children to live in a safe, comfortable home setting as supportive staff help address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the family.

There are four phases in the program: Phase I – The Restorative, Phase II – The Equipping, Phase III – The Launch, Phase IV – The Landing. Inspiration for the phase names comes from the book Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman, “Jesus Christ is not my security against the storms of life, but He is my perfect security in the storms. He has never promised me an easy passage, only a safe landing.”

Julia experienced tremendous trauma during her formative years. Her dad hung himself when she was five years old and in the aftermath, she grew up in a controlling environment with her mother and a string of boyfriends. During this restorative phase at HFF, Julia recognized the hurt she experienced as a child resulted in her repeating the same manipulative habits as her mom. “I had to go through a forgiveness process which was possible only through Christ to overcome the guilt of the choices I have made,” She admitted.

Julia asked God to remind her of a time when she was not manipulative. He took her back to the age of seven when she had a nanny, Zonia, who served Jesus and taught Julia the scriptures. Her life, at that time, was devoted to pleasing Jesus. Julia hoped to become, for her baby, the same example Zonia had been to her. To do so, she knew she needed Jesus.

Encouraged by that memory, Julia continues to grow and seek God’s face. She is learning how to break free from the bondage that taught her to look to people instead of to the Lord. She describes the best part of living at HFF as the opportunity to show Jordan what it means to know who she is in Christ. The chance to live on Marshall Ranch with no distraction allows Julia to learn how to keep negative experiences from taking root in her heart.

It is beautiful to see what Jesus is doing through His word, prayer, praise and worship in her life and the other women at STCH Ministries Homes for Families.

STCH Ministries Ladies for the Least (LFTL), a generous group dedicated to impacting children and families in need, held their annual luncheon at the Junior League of Houston. The elegant affair raised resources for a special project benefitting those helped through the nine services of STCH Ministries. LFTL began over five years ago.

This year’s program created a “behind the scenes” peek into the lives of individuals who have experienced the benefits of STCH Ministries first-hand. Personal testimonies fascinated the crowd as they spoke about the impact STCH Ministries made on their lives. A housemom at Homes for Children (HFC), a young woman moving through the Homes for Families (HFF) program and a college student from HFC shared their stories. LFTL members voted this year to fund the Sports Recreation Equipment Project at Homes for Families.

The members of LFTL enjoyed a vibrant sense of community. One member, Joy Kotal, has experienced this community on a deeply personal level. Joy lived as a resident at Homes for Children for eleven months in the mid-1960s. Shortly after she arrived, Jenny Broughton also moved to the home now called Dimmick Cottage. The two girls quickly grew to feel like family and remained in touch over the years. The first LFTL luncheon took place at HFC and Jenny came back to Boothe Campus as the keynote speaker. She asked Joy accompany her as her guest for the weekend. Although the two had stayed in touch, twenty years had passed since they had seen one another. “I was pinching myself because it was just the two of us, we got to catch up quite a bit,” Joy remembers.

Also that weekend, Joy met housemom Virginia Wilkins during the tour of Boothe Campus. Over time as Joy visited the campus for both personal and service project trips, the two ladies built a close friendship. Joy expressed that hearing the testimony of one of her “favorite people” this year pleased her greatly.

Sisters Lorraine Ross and Kay Walleck from East Bernard also attended the first luncheon. As women do, the two struck up a conversation with Joy in the ladies’ room. Joy shared with them how she intentionally tries to share Jesus’ love in her everyday life – praying for opportunities to minister to ladies she meets at social functions. Joy told them. “I pray for discernment – that I’ll know whether someone needs a hug or an offer of prayer or a kind word.” Joy’s intentionality resonated with the sisters and Lorraine said she never forgot that conversation and determined to adopt the habit herself. The three ladies sat together this year and enjoyed the opportunity to renew their acquaintance.

Lorraine and Kay have attended almost all LFTL Luncheons, but their fondness for STCH Ministries surpasses monetary donations. A young lady came to the sisters for help in 2015 and they introduced her to the Homes for Families (HFF) program. HFF is a resource for single mothers and their children designed to bring them through a time of crisis while transitioning into independent living. The young lady completed the HFF program in 2018.

When asked about the luncheon this year, Lorraine and Kay expressed their delight with the event. Lorraine shared it was particularly poignant, “We were able to bring as our guest a young lady who graduated from the HFF program. It was so special to see her visiting with those people who had so much to do with her getting stronger and learning how to be a good mom. I love Ladies for the Least!” Kay enjoyed the personal feel of the presentations. “I loved being able to hear the personal testimonies of hope and healing,” she stated. “The stories brought to life what STCH Ministries stands for. Ladies for the Least is always such an enjoyable experience.”

If you would like to enjoy the comradery of the Ladies for the Least mark your calendars now for Saturday, April 4, 2020. Plans are underway for the 2020 LFTL event which will be in San Antonio. We will announce more details as the date draws closer.

Each summer, Homes for Children junior high and high school students gain a sense of purpose and a paycheck through the Vocational Training Program (VTP). For two weeks, our students take part in a working environment where they learn how to apply for a position, learn how to work under a supervisor, learn new skills and learn how to work with their peers.

Participating staff members demonstrate appropriate supervisory skills, problem-solving, communication and servant leadership to the students. Caseworkers and houseparents use the students’ participation in the VTP to begin conversations about financial integrity, budgeting and stewardship. Other staff supervisors enjoy developing a personal relationship with students, something their typical workday seldom allows. Mason Elliot in the Maintenance Department, who taught the students about lawn care said, “Supervising the VTP program allowed me to build deeper relationships with the kids and it was fun to teach them new things.”

One new participant, working in the Maintenance Department, got a crash course in plumbing the first week and spent the second-week trimming trees. She discovered how much she likes working outside and is hopeful she can continue on a volunteer basis.

For the past three summers, another student has worked in the Student Activities department during the VTP, which includes working with the younger children on campus. He believes the key to success with elementary children is to love them as if they were his own family.  “I’m more than sure that God is working on me through this program,” he stated. His tremendous smile is proof that the VTP is helping him to develop ideas about what he wants to do as a career. He is not yet sure what path he will follow after high school, but he knows God will use him to impact kids’ lives through whatever profession he chooses.

This year, about 30 students worked in six different departments on Boothe Campus during the VTP. Most of the students plan to save the money they earned for big purchases. Learning to save and budget their dollars makes sense for future success and are life skills we try to teach each of the students. The program is great for both staff and students and they look forward to it every year.

Family, education, community service and participation in their local church have helped guide the Rosales family of San Antonio through life. Recently, Eva Rosales saw a flyer at her YMCA for a STCH Ministries Faith & Finances (FF) class. The idea that the Bible had something to say about her finances intrigued her. Her aunt, Maria Rosales, and daughter, Marriah Miranda, were also excited when she mentioned the class to them. Although the three ladies are in different stages of life, the opportunity to learn together in the study appealed to them.

Faith & Finances is a life skills training based on Biblical principles for money management. The topics include spending plans, managing debt, setting savings goals and preparing for the future.

Maria retired twenty-eight years ago and has enjoyed a comfortable retirement. Coming from a family with a history of longevity, she realized she needed to start thinking about the future. She came to FF wanting to learn how best to manage her money and better prepare for her future.

Eva is a widow with two adult children and works as a public elementary school teacher. She works a second, part-time job to help pay for her youngest son’s college tuition. Her personal faith and the importance of giving back to her community are two values she incorporates into her lessons. Eva hopes to retire in ten years but plans to remodel her family home before that happens. Her goal was to put together a workable savings plan to help her retire well.

Marriah Miranda graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi with a degree in Biomedical Science and a minor in Spanish. She plans to continue her education to become a Physician Assistant. “I wanted to take this course because, in school, you don’t learn about the basic stuff like taxes or anything financial.” Marriah has student loans and wanted to learn how to be able to pay it off and keep herself from taking on more debt.

The ladies enjoyed the variety of participants in their Faith & Finances sessions. Each session began and ended with prayer, specifically praying for one another. Comradery developed as individuals showed vulnerability by discussing personal situations and sharing tips to overcome specific fiscal obstacles. Maria recalls, “Not only was the teacher teaching us but we learned from our peers too.”  

Eva was grateful for their facilitator, Blanca Eschbach. Blanca is the Site Coordinator for the San Antonio Faith & Finances – Faith & Work regional office. “It was a neat part of the class to not have someone just dictating to you. Blanca told us what she learned through the mistakes she made. She helped us figure out how to fix our mistakes and learn from them.”

Today, they are better prepared to handle their money. Paying in cash is Maria’s biggest takeaway from the study. She closed several credit card accounts and has become more deliberate about her spending. Through the training, she learned how to rearrange her assets and save money. She has a new financial plan and does not worry about becoming a burden on her beloved family.

Eva is applying the principle of writing down all her expenses. She was surprised to realize how much money she spent eating out. “Those fast food offers are tempting to a busy working mom,” she explains. Dedication to being more intentional about her spending enables her to decide to eat at home.

Marriah is more aware of her spending habits. “Using cash makes a difference,” she describes. “I don’t want to buy things because I can see the money leaving.” Marriah and Eva started looking at discount stores and resale sites rather than making impulse purchases, and it is something they enjoy doing together. Marriah is determined to pay off her credit card and student debt.

“This is our simple life,” Maria declares. The Faith & Finances course has given them tools they will continue to use to build their family’s financial future for generations to come.