Our 2015 Vision Trip made a memorable stop in the small town of Villa Altagracia. Pastor Rodney and Nilsia’s school was referred to us by Pastor Rudy (from Iglesia Bautista Quisqueyana), who officiated at their marriage years before. The school was in a crowded apartment, desks jammed tightly together and some classes held in an outdoor lean-to. A banner proclaiming their vision hung over the doorway, EDUCANDO PARA LA ETERNIDAD (Educating for Eternity). In spite of the circumstances, the children enthusiastically smiled and sang and quoted Scripture to us.
Rodney and Nilsia proudly showed us a rocky hill, overgrown with tropical foliage, which they had purchased by faith for a future school building. We left that day with a burden for this ministry, and a vision for the future. First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi raised a significant portion of the construction cost. Later in the summer of 2015, the FBC-CC mission team accepted the challenge of building a new facility, in spite of American Airlines’ best efforts to cancel their trip! Other individuals and churches contributed, in addition to the dedication and hard work of Luis Pichardo and Russell Jerez. When God is in it, faith and hard work truly can move a mountain—or in this case, a big hill!
In 2017, construction began on the second story of this school due to the demand for more rooms to house the students. Multiple mission team groups invested donations and their own sweat equity to build the final project. In addition to investing in the facilities, STCH Ministries International has sponsored several of the children through the Samuel’s Fund program, and regularly offers opportunities for teacher training.
In 2019, our vision is to install a metal roof over the patio in the middle of the school, which will create a Sunday meeting place for a new church. The church would use the school rooms for Bible classes.
Recently, the IBQ church commissioned Rodney and Nilsia as missionaries to Villa Altagracia and committed resources for their support. Pray for the growth of this work and our continuing partnership with the Villa Altagracia school and now the new church.
The school as a one-story building.
STCH Ministries President and CEO Eron Green with Pastor Rodney, Nilsia, Russell Jerez, and Rebeca Dinzey.
Putting up the walls for the new classrooms.
It took an army of volunteers to help build this beautiful school.
Now the school is ready to “Educate for Eternity.”
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/IMG_2128-e1540316432293.jpg17082560Internationalhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngInternational2018-10-23 07:00:042020-03-16 15:11:29International Partnerships: Villa Altagracia
Pastor Ramon and Ludis Castro, from the Betesda Orphanage in La Romana, Dominican Republic, have a strong faith in a great God. Through great financial stress and many obstacles, they have been very intentional in their four goals for their boys. First, a personal relationship with Christ as Savior; secondly, character formation; thirdly, an education and job skills; and fourth, the opportunity to grow up in a family environment.
Although they longed to open their home to many more orphaned boys, their small rented home would not accommodate any more. In 2014, with the help of Dominican and STCH Ministries donors, they were able to buy a piece of property. Plans for buildings were drawn, with recreation areas, a community building for fellowships, study area, laundry, and work-study areas to develop job skills.
The plans for this first home are the result of many months of cooperative dialogue as STCH Ministries worked with Dominican architects and leadership to find a model of resident care that would accommodate the differences in culture, number of needy children, and scarcity of land, but still provide a family environment.
In 2015, Ladies for the Least members voted to help fund this home, along with other STCH Ministries donors and contributions by the Dominican Betesda Board. The construction project was fraught with delays and misunderstandings, as individuals from different cultures worked through the differing opinions and priorities of the construction project.
STCH Ministries remained faithful and committed and now the first floor of the Betesda Home is completed enough for the boys to move in. STCH Ministries International mission teams will continue to work with this ministry to provide their needs.
Raquel began sharing Christ’s compassion for the poor while still a child herself, teaching street children seated on a board between cans. Raquel’s school grew and soon occupied a chicken coop. Heavy cardboard partitions divided the classes. STCH Ministries’ first visit to Raquel’s school was discouraging. Her faith and passion were the only pinpoints of hope. When asked how we could help, Raquel shyly bowed her head, explaining that the rusted tin roof leaked when it rained.
Later, we returned to the Dominican Republic with good news: a donation for a new cement roof! However, the weight of the cement roof required digging huge holes at every corner and at intervals throughout the building to add cement beams and rebar for support. The resulting “collateral” damage to the interior of the school was catastrophic. But God was faithful and through donations and a lot of work by our DR crew and mission teams, a new two-story school was built to replace the rubble.
Raquel envisioned purchasing the termite-ridden shack on the lot next door to expand her capacity to care for preschool children, and space for a computer lab—all things which would allow her to attract more children from families who can pay for their education. God is so good!! By the time our Vision Trip 2017 was over, we had been promised funds to help purchase the lot. God continued to provide, even including computers and office furniture!
Today you will see what God can do with faith, donations, and mission team efforts. Where we saw a chicken coop, or a lot with a termite-ridden house, God always saw a beautiful new school.
The termite ridden shack on the lot next door.
Beginning phases of building.
Middle phase of building.
Final phase – a beautiful addition to Raquel’s School.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/41758111_542421769535280_2632077034116874240_o.jpg8071206Internationalhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngInternational2018-10-16 12:03:302020-03-16 15:11:13International Partnerships: Raquel De Jesus
Ladies for the Least is a giving society of women who are passionate about impacting children and families in need, those who are among the least. The group raises money for special projects directly benefitting STCH Ministries, projects which are not included in the ministry’s general operating budget.
In April 2018, Ladies for the Least members voted to fund a project at Boothe Campus to revitalize recreational zones and repurpose an underutilized building. The work of the project includes:
Renovation of the old library into transitional apartments
Creation of a prayer garden and fire pit
Renewal of recreational areas for residents and visitors
As a result of the Ladies for the Least vote, the two playgrounds and the basketball court on Boothe Campus have already been enriched with new seating areas and additional safety mulch. A second part of the project will create a prayer garden and fire pit, providing a place for cottage families and visiting mission teams to come together for conversations, s’mores, or a quiet place to think. Finally, the old library-turned-storage-building is being remodeled to add three separate apartments that will house students returning home to Boothe Campus on college breaks.
Mike Perkins, Director of Maintenance at Homes for Children, and his team are working to bring the project to a reality. The playground portion of the plan is complete, and the foundation of the prayer garden has been poured and the bricks laid in the fire pit. The former library is well on it’s way to becoming a refuge for young adults; plumbing is installed and the interior walls are going up. The undertaking is on schedule and should be finished by the end of this year.
Jeny Cortez, Director of Development and curator of Ladies for the Least, describes the purpose as, “A platform to bring together women who have a heart for children and families, as well as educating ladies on the programs and resources that STCH Ministries provides. It is not just about raising money,” she explains. “We are looking to gain their involvement in ways such as: volunteering, promoting within their own networks, and participating in activities.”
The next Ladies for the Least annual luncheon is scheduled for March 30, 2019, in Houston. For more information about how you can attend and become a voting member, please contact Jeny Cortez at jcortez@stchm.org.
The old library is being renovated into transitional apartments.
The old library is being renovated into transitional apartments.
The old library is being renovated into transitional apartments.
Creation of a prayer garden and fire pit.
Recreational areas are being renewed.
00Alisha Holthttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngAlisha Holt2018-10-09 16:27:522020-03-16 15:12:16Ladies for the Least Special Project Nearing Completion
STCH Ministries Family Counseling provides hope and direction for individuals, couples, children, and families when they need help sorting through the challenges of life. Kelly Harris, a therapist serving in Corpus Christi, shares with us how God is granting freedom to a client.
I received a note from a client today who has been working with me for just a few sessions now. She wrote, “As you erased those items (from the whiteboard) and talked, it literally felt like you were erasing them from my life. It felt so freeing!” Of course, I had no idea of the impact of that moment, but He did and in this instance, I received a note to let me know.
What a great reminder that I need not offer anything profound as I work with those I serve. Sometimes it’s the smallest action that God uses to touch and change the hearts of people.
The second reminder is that this is His work, not mine! Praise God for the freedom He wants His people to have in our Lord Jesus Christ!
At the time of this writing, our Family Counseling ministry consists of four counseling hubs with seventeen offices operating, for the most part, out of partner churches in each area. Corpus Christi was the original office hub. Earlier this year, this center added a new counseling location and a new therapist to their roster. Kelly came on part time in February 2018 and began serving one day each week in the satellite offices inside Yorktown Baptist Church and Coastal Oaks Church in Rockport.
The response to having a licensed counselor in these two locations has been impressive. In just six months, Kelly’s agenda filled up and by July she transitioned to a full-time schedule, adding an extra day to each location as well as seeing clients in the main Corpus Christi office. Those extra days soon filled with regular clients and both the Yorktown and Rockport locations now have a waiting list.
STCH Family Counseling therapists are professionally trained and offer counseling that is clinically excellent and distinctively Christian. Counseling services are provided regardless of an individual or family’s ability to pay for them. Donations toward services are accepted and appreciated. Learn more at www.STCHM.org/FC.
One of our four regional counseling offices located in Corpus Christi.
We offer counseling at Yorktown Baptist Church in Corpus Christi.
We also have a counseling office at Coastal Oaks Church in Rockport.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/Corpus-office-1.jpg13332000Family Counselinghttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngFamily Counseling2018-10-04 17:16:202020-03-16 15:15:37Providing Hope and Direction
STCH Ministries opened a new Family Counseling office in Richmond, Texas, making seventeen locations in all. The new office is hosted by Water’s Edge Community Church and provides professional counseling services that are distinctively Christian.
Randy Beck, pastor at Water’s Edge, is optimistic about this new venue for reaching out to the church’s neighborhood.
“We are always looking for ways to show compassionate care for the community. It is great to see families walk through the door of a church – not for worship services but because they are broken and know they need help,” Pastor Beck explains. “STCH therapists share our values and we know the families will be impacted for the Kingdom.”
STCH Ministries has offered counseling for families, couples, and individuals since 1995, and expanded to Houston in September 2016. In the past two years, services in the Houston area have grown to four full-time therapists at five locations. The Family Counseling team has plans to continue reaching out to new areas in metropolitan Houston in the coming years.
Across South Texas, there are also regional Family Counseling hubs in Corpus Christi, Victoria, and San Antonio, with office locations at partner churches in surrounding communities. In addition to private counseling sessions, professional therapists provide training and information to church leaders and their congregations through a variety of seminars and workshops on topics related to the family.
For a complete list of Family Counseling locations, or to seek help for a counseling need, visit www.STCHM.org/FC.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/Corpus-office-1.jpg13332000Family Counselinghttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngFamily Counseling2018-10-01 08:16:112020-03-16 14:27:59Family Counseling Up to 17 Locations with New Office
Ashley Beck spent her summer as a STCH Ministries International summer intern in the Dominican Republic. She and four others served together from the base located on the grounds of Iglesia Bautista Quisqueyana (IBQ). The young people worked shoulder to shoulder with teams made up of volunteers from 15 different churches and STCH Ministries staff. The teams engaged in medical, construction, and teaching projects across the island nation.
This year, construction projects were the priority. Four new houses were built over a period of three months. Each new home was for a child sponsored through Samuel’s Fund – a sponsorship program that enables orphans and at-risk children to receive an education, participate in spiritual training, and have other needs met. Ashley blogged about her experiences in the Dominican Republic. Through those journal entries, she reveals some of God’s construction projects inside her life – demolishing incorrect thought processes and revealing His plan for her future.
She candidly communicates about the openness of the Dominican nationals to share their lives and culture to bring one more person to a saving faith in Christ. “I have a new place in my heart for Dominicans,” she wrote, “They love and serve unlike any people I’ve ever met.” She witnessed an unfailing commitment to working hard at every task no matter how menial, by workers of every nationality.
Over the course of her tenure, Ashley identified three major lessons she learned:
God works His alterations in each of us on His timetable,
Our personal hopes are eclipsed by those God has for us,
God is bigger than all of our shortcomings.
Ashley credits God with changing her focus from herself to other people. In the beginning, she was alert to what she would get out of her time overseas. What she realized was God works in each volunteer in every group, while at the same time impacting both believers and non-believers in deeply individual ways. For instance, the girl who came on the family mission trip reluctantly is impacted by the joy she identifies on the faces of children in the orphanage as they welcome friends to church services. She has been impacted by “people who live and breathe every day to make sure one more person will join them in the Kingdom (of God).”
The focus of what she hoped for was remodeled as well. While working on a demolition project, she realized she had been inattentive to the purpose God had for the project. “In life,” she muses, “we can become so distracted by what we hope for that we miss the lessons or better gifts from God.”
Overall, Ashely has come to the conclusion each of us needs to accept: God is greater than our failures. As she grappled with her weaknesses, she noticed the hole she had dug herself into, and the temptation was strong to stop striving. God is faithful to speak to our flaws and He sent friends who encouraged her. “They picked my life apart and tried to find Jesus,” she explains, “but He was hidden underneath my selfish desires.”
She is determined now to continue to fill in those frailties with what she calls “the cement of Jesus – made with a mixture of Bible truths and water from the people in your life.” Ashley has committed to begin “digging into the Word rather than into my hole.” And she invites us to join her.
Growing up as a preacher’s kid (PK) has helped prepare Ashley to understand and accept God’s call on her life to a career in international missions. She has begun her senior year of high school with a clear focus and is submitting college applications to schools where she can pursue biblical studies with a minor in missions.
For the many people who knew her, the memory of Rosa Elena lives on. Dark-skinned, turbaned elegantly, and dressed in flowing white, she often pointed one thumb heavenward. It was her signature gesture as she deflected all the glory to God. Rosa Elena inspired everyone with her amazing faith and her dedication to the forgotten, yet priceless to God, children of Hatillo—chained by ignorance, generational poverty, and immorality.
Shortly after she opened her heart to Christ, God gave her a passion for these children living in the Hatillo area. Their location and poverty isolated them without access to education, without knowledge of God’s love, without hope for the future. Rosa Elena began educating 7 children in 1996, and labored faithfully with minimal resources for 10 years. When STCH Ministries began to partner with the school in 2007, a former graduated student recounted, “We had to break a crayon in four pieces to share!” In 2012, STCH Ministries received significant funding for this project. With the help of partnering churches they replaced the deteriorating wooden buildings with new concrete structures. The school grew to over 100 students.
Unexpectedly, Rosa Elena’s health began to deteriorate and on September 26, 2016 she passed away. A crisis developed as the school struggled with decreasing attendance, teacher resignations, and financial stress. STCH Ministries staff and donors, along with the IBQ church staff and a newly formed board, stepped up their support. New staff was trained, salaries were increased, additional investments were made in uniforms, computers, and other equipment. Gradually the school stabilized and began to grow. Today, the goals for the future of Rosa Elena’s school are excellence with self-sustainability.
Since the time Rosa Elena began to educate children and share the hope of the Gospel, many years have passed and countless children have been impacted. “La Gloria a Dios,” was Rosa Elena’s refrain, as she pointed with her thumb to the skies. Two years ago Rosa Elena left our planet to reside in that Glory-land to which she often pointed.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/JJ-3-1.jpg15562000Joanna Berryhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngJoanna Berry2018-09-26 09:46:392020-03-16 15:16:47Rosa Elena Pointing Heavenward
For the many people who knew her, the memory of Rosa Elena lives on. Dark-skinned, turbaned elegantly, and dressed in flowing white, she often pointed one thumb heavenward. It was her signature gesture as she deflected all the glory to God. Rosa Elena inspired everyone with her amazing faith and her dedication to the forgotten, yet priceless to God, children of Hatillo—chained by ignorance, generational poverty, and immorality.
Shortly after she opened her heart to Christ, God gave her a passion for these children living in the Hatillo area. Their location and poverty isolated them without access to education, without knowledge of God’s love, without hope for the future. Rosa Elena began educating 7 children in 1996, and labored faithfully with minimal resources for 10 years.
Joanna Berry (standing left), Rosa Elena (right), and children receiving new school supplies.
When STCH Ministries began to partner with the school in 2007, a former graduated student recounted, “We had to break a crayon in four pieces to share!” In 2012, STCH Ministries received significant funding for this project. With the help of partnering churches they replaced the deteriorating wooden buildings with new concrete structures. The school grew to over 100 students.
Unexpectedly, Rosa Elena’s health began to deteriorate and on September 26, 2016 she passed away. A crisis developed as the school struggled with decreasing attendance, teacher resignations, and financial stress. STCH Ministries staff and donors, along with the IBQ church staff and a newly formed board, stepped up their support. New staff was trained, salaries were increased, additional investments were made in uniforms, computers, and other equipment. Gradually the school stabilized and began to grow. Today, the goals for the future of Rosa Elena’s school are excellence with self-sustainability.
Since the time Rosa Elena began to educate children and share the hope of the Gospel, many years have passed and countless children have been impacted. “La Gloria a Dios,” was Rosa Elena’s refrain, as she pointed with her thumb to the skies. Two years ago Rosa Elena left our planet to reside in that Glory-land to which she often pointed.
Rosa Elena now resides in that Glory-land to which she often pointed.
Rosa Elena pointing one thumb heavenward.
Joanna Berry (standing left), Rosa Elena (right), and children receiving new school supplies.
Rosa Elena’s original school building.
Construction on the new school building.
Rosa Elena’s finished school building in the Dominican Republic.
https://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/DSC_3739-crop.jpg18262560Internationalhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngInternational2018-09-26 09:00:262020-03-16 15:11:22International Partnerships: Rosa Elena
The Dominican children are back in school. This year every sponsored child proudly carries a colorful STCH Ministries backpack, school supplies, and their uniform, provided by our Samuel’s Fund sponsors!
During regular visits, our Dominican staff ask them about their school progress and families. The children’s answers reveal their interests and pleasures, and their concerns. Many times their responses provide a small “window” into their spiritual development as well:
No matter what, God is always God. No one can laugh at Him.
God never leaves or abandons His children. I just need to have faith.
God is in every place. Anyone can know Him if they open their hearts to receive Him.
God will help me do all things, if I trust and believe.
I need to be patient and wait for God’s timing.
We must trust God no matter how difficult our situation.
I had to repeat a grade and I worked hard and prayed that God would help me. I passed!
I saw God’s hand when the brakes failed, and He protected my family.
The priority of the Samuel’s Fund sponsorship is to enable children to get an education so that they can overcome the obstacles that poverty has created. Of equal importance to that goal, however, is helping them to grow in their knowledge of God and to develop a faith relationship through Christ. It’s an investment that brings hope not just for today, but also for eternity.
00Joanna Berryhttps://www.stchm.org/wp-content/uploads/stchm_h-logotagline-e1704238942591-1030x257.pngJoanna Berry2018-09-23 11:58:432020-03-16 15:05:22God Through the Eyes of Children
International Partnerships: Villa Altagracia
/in ChangePoint Moments/by InternationalRodney and Nilsia proudly showed us a rocky hill, overgrown with tropical foliage, which they had purchased by faith for a future school building. We left that day with a burden for this ministry, and a vision for the future. First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi raised a significant portion of the construction cost. Later in the summer of 2015, the FBC-CC mission team accepted the challenge of building a new facility, in spite of American Airlines’ best efforts to cancel their trip! Other individuals and churches contributed, in addition to the dedication and hard work of Luis Pichardo and Russell Jerez. When God is in it, faith and hard work truly can move a mountain—or in this case, a big hill!
In 2017, construction began on the second story of this school due to the demand for more rooms to house the students. Multiple mission team groups invested donations and their own sweat equity to build the final project. In addition to investing in the facilities, STCH Ministries International has sponsored several of the children through the Samuel’s Fund program, and regularly offers opportunities for teacher training.
In 2019, our vision is to install a metal roof over the patio in the middle of the school, which will create a Sunday meeting place for a new church. The church would use the school rooms for Bible classes.
Recently, the IBQ church commissioned Rodney and Nilsia as missionaries to Villa Altagracia and committed resources for their support. Pray for the growth of this work and our continuing partnership with the Villa Altagracia school and now the new church.
International Partnerships: Betesda Orphanage
/in ChangePoint Moments/by InternationalAlthough they longed to open their home to many more orphaned boys, their small rented home would not accommodate any more. In 2014, with the help of Dominican and STCH Ministries donors, they were able to buy a piece of property. Plans for buildings were drawn, with recreation areas, a community building for fellowships, study area, laundry, and work-study areas to develop job skills.
The plans for this first home are the result of many months of cooperative dialogue as STCH Ministries worked with Dominican architects and leadership to find a model of resident care that would accommodate the differences in culture, number of needy children, and scarcity of land, but still provide a family environment.
In 2015, Ladies for the Least members voted to help fund this home, along with other STCH Ministries donors and contributions by the Dominican Betesda Board. The construction project was fraught with delays and misunderstandings, as individuals from different cultures worked through the differing opinions and priorities of the construction project.
STCH Ministries remained faithful and committed and now the first floor of the Betesda Home is completed enough for the boys to move in. STCH Ministries International mission teams will continue to work with this ministry to provide their needs.
International Partnerships: Raquel De Jesus
/in ChangePoint Moments/by InternationalRaquel De Jesus
Raquel began sharing Christ’s compassion for the poor while still a child herself, teaching street children seated on a board between cans. Raquel’s school grew and soon occupied a chicken coop. Heavy cardboard partitions divided the classes. STCH Ministries’ first visit to Raquel’s school was discouraging. Her faith and passion were the only pinpoints of hope. When asked how we could help, Raquel shyly bowed her head, explaining that the rusted tin roof leaked when it rained.
Later, we returned to the Dominican Republic with good news: a donation for a new cement roof! However, the weight of the cement roof required digging huge holes at every corner and at intervals throughout the building to add cement beams and rebar for support. The resulting “collateral” damage to the interior of the school was catastrophic. But God was faithful and through donations and a lot of work by our DR crew and mission teams, a new two-story school was built to replace the rubble.
Raquel envisioned purchasing the termite-ridden shack on the lot next door to expand her capacity to care for preschool children, and space for a computer lab—all things which would allow her to attract more children from families who can pay for their education. God is so good!! By the time our Vision Trip 2017 was over, we had been promised funds to help purchase the lot. God continued to provide, even including computers and office furniture!
Today you will see what God can do with faith, donations, and mission team efforts. Where we saw a chicken coop, or a lot with a termite-ridden house, God always saw a beautiful new school.
Ladies for the Least Special Project Nearing Completion
/in News/by Alisha HoltLadies for the Least
is a giving society of women who are passionate about impacting children and families in need, those who are among the least. The group raises money for special projects directly benefitting STCH Ministries, projects which are not included in the ministry’s general operating budget.
In April 2018, Ladies for the Least members voted to fund a project at Boothe Campus to revitalize recreational zones and repurpose an underutilized building. The work of the project includes:
As a result of the Ladies for the Least vote, the two playgrounds and the basketball court on Boothe Campus have already been enriched with new seating areas and additional safety mulch. A second part of the project will create a prayer garden and fire pit, providing a place for cottage families and visiting mission teams to come together for conversations, s’mores, or a quiet place to think. Finally, the old library-turned-storage-building is being remodeled to add three separate apartments that will house students returning home to Boothe Campus on college breaks.
Mike Perkins, Director of Maintenance at Homes for Children, and his team are working to bring the project to a reality. The playground portion of the plan is complete, and the foundation of the prayer garden has been poured and the bricks laid in the fire pit. The former library is well on it’s way to becoming a refuge for young adults; plumbing is installed and the interior walls are going up. The undertaking is on schedule and should be finished by the end of this year.
Jeny Cortez, Director of Development and curator of Ladies for the Least, describes the purpose as, “A platform to bring together women who have a heart for children and families, as well as educating ladies on the programs and resources that STCH Ministries provides. It is not just about raising money,” she explains. “We are looking to gain their involvement in ways such as: volunteering, promoting within their own networks, and participating in activities.”
The next Ladies for the Least annual luncheon is scheduled for March 30, 2019, in Houston. For more information about how you can attend and become a voting member, please contact Jeny Cortez at jcortez@stchm.org.
Providing Hope and Direction
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Family CounselingI received a note from a client today who has been working with me for just a few sessions now. She wrote, “As you erased those items (from the whiteboard) and talked, it literally felt like you were erasing them from my life. It felt so freeing!” Of course, I had no idea of the impact of that moment, but He did and in this instance, I received a note to let me know.
What a great reminder that I need not offer anything profound as I work with those I serve. Sometimes it’s the smallest action that God uses to touch and change the hearts of people.
The second reminder is that this is His work, not mine! Praise God for the freedom He wants His people to have in our Lord Jesus Christ!
At the time of this writing, our Family Counseling ministry consists of four counseling hubs with seventeen offices operating, for the most part, out of partner churches in each area. Corpus Christi was the original office hub. Earlier this year, this center added a new counseling location and a new therapist to their roster. Kelly came on part time in February 2018 and began serving one day each week in the satellite offices inside Yorktown Baptist Church and Coastal Oaks Church in Rockport.
The response to having a licensed counselor in these two locations has been impressive. In just six months, Kelly’s agenda filled up and by July she transitioned to a full-time schedule, adding an extra day to each location as well as seeing clients in the main Corpus Christi office. Those extra days soon filled with regular clients and both the Yorktown and Rockport locations now have a waiting list.
STCH Family Counseling therapists are professionally trained and offer counseling that is clinically excellent and distinctively Christian. Counseling services are provided regardless of an individual or family’s ability to pay for them. Donations toward services are accepted and appreciated. Learn more at www.STCHM.org/FC.
Family Counseling Up to 17 Locations with New Office
/in News/by Family CounselingRandy Beck, pastor at Water’s Edge, is optimistic about this new venue for reaching out to the church’s neighborhood.
“We are always looking for ways to show compassionate care for the community. It is great to see families walk through the door of a church – not for worship services but because they are broken and know they need help,” Pastor Beck explains. “STCH therapists share our values and we know the families will be impacted for the Kingdom.”
STCH Ministries has offered counseling for families, couples, and individuals since 1995, and expanded to Houston in September 2016. In the past two years, services in the Houston area have grown to four full-time therapists at five locations. The Family Counseling team has plans to continue reaching out to new areas in metropolitan Houston in the coming years.
Across South Texas, there are also regional Family Counseling hubs in Corpus Christi, Victoria, and San Antonio, with office locations at partner churches in surrounding communities. In addition to private counseling sessions, professional therapists provide training and information to church leaders and their congregations through a variety of seminars and workshops on topics related to the family.
For a complete list of Family Counseling locations, or to seek help for a counseling need, visit www.STCHM.org/FC.
Lessons Learned
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Alisha HoltThis year, construction projects were the priority. Four new houses were built over a period of three months. Each new home was for a child sponsored through Samuel’s Fund – a sponsorship program that enables orphans and at-risk children to receive an education, participate in spiritual training, and have other needs met. Ashley blogged about her experiences in the Dominican Republic. Through those journal entries, she reveals some of God’s construction projects inside her life – demolishing incorrect thought processes and revealing His plan for her future.
She candidly communicates about the openness of the Dominican nationals to share their lives and culture to bring one more person to a saving faith in Christ. “I have a new place in my heart for Dominicans,” she wrote, “They love and serve unlike any people I’ve ever met.” She witnessed an unfailing commitment to working hard at every task no matter how menial, by workers of every nationality.
Over the course of her tenure, Ashley identified three major lessons she learned:
Ashley credits God with changing her focus from herself to other people. In the beginning, she was alert to what she would get out of her time overseas. What she realized was God works in each volunteer in every group, while at the same time impacting both believers and non-believers in deeply individual ways. For instance, the girl who came on the family mission trip reluctantly is impacted by the joy she identifies on the faces of children in the orphanage as they welcome friends to church services. She has been impacted by “people who live and breathe every day to make sure one more person will join them in the Kingdom (of God).”
The focus of what she hoped for was remodeled as well. While working on a demolition project, she realized she had been inattentive to the purpose God had for the project. “In life,” she muses, “we can become so distracted by what we hope for that we miss the lessons or better gifts from God.”
She is determined now to continue to fill in those frailties with what she calls “the cement of Jesus – made with a mixture of Bible truths and water from the people in your life.” Ashley has committed to begin “digging into the Word rather than into my hole.” And she invites us to join her.
Growing up as a preacher’s kid (PK) has helped prepare Ashley to understand and accept God’s call on her life to a career in international missions. She has begun her senior year of high school with a clear focus and is submitting college applications to schools where she can pursue biblical studies with a minor in missions.
Rosa Elena Pointing Heavenward
/in Joanna's Journal/by Joanna BerryFor the many people who knew her, the memory of Rosa Elena lives on. Dark-skinned, turbaned elegantly, and dressed in flowing white, she often pointed one thumb heavenward. It was her signature gesture as she deflected all the glory to God. Rosa Elena inspired everyone with her amazing faith and her dedication to the forgotten, yet priceless to God, children of Hatillo—chained by ignorance, generational poverty, and immorality.
Unexpectedly, Rosa Elena’s health began to deteriorate and on September 26, 2016 she passed away. A crisis developed as the school struggled with decreasing attendance, teacher resignations, and financial stress. STCH Ministries staff and donors, along with the IBQ church staff and a newly formed board, stepped up their support.
New staff was trained, salaries were increased, additional investments were made in uniforms, computers, and other equipment. Gradually the school stabilized and began to grow. Today, the goals for the future of Rosa Elena’s school are excellence with self-sustainability.
Since the time Rosa Elena began to educate children and share the hope of the Gospel, many years have passed and countless children have been impacted. “La Gloria a Dios,” was Rosa Elena’s refrain, as she pointed with her thumb to the skies. Two years ago Rosa Elena left our planet to reside in that Glory-land to which she often pointed.
International Partnerships: Rosa Elena
/in ChangePoint Moments/by InternationalShortly after she opened her heart to Christ, God gave her a passion for these children living in the Hatillo area. Their location and poverty isolated them without access to education, without knowledge of God’s love, without hope for the future. Rosa Elena began educating 7 children in 1996, and labored faithfully with minimal resources for 10 years.
Joanna Berry (standing left), Rosa Elena (right), and children receiving new school supplies.
When STCH Ministries began to partner with the school in 2007, a former graduated student recounted, “We had to break a crayon in four pieces to share!” In 2012, STCH Ministries received significant funding for this project. With the help of partnering churches they replaced the deteriorating wooden buildings with new concrete structures. The school grew to over 100 students.
Unexpectedly, Rosa Elena’s health began to deteriorate and on September 26, 2016 she passed away. A crisis developed as the school struggled with decreasing attendance, teacher resignations, and financial stress. STCH Ministries staff and donors, along with the IBQ church staff and a newly formed board, stepped up their support. New staff was trained, salaries were increased, additional investments were made in uniforms, computers, and other equipment. Gradually the school stabilized and began to grow. Today, the goals for the future of Rosa Elena’s school are excellence with self-sustainability.
Since the time Rosa Elena began to educate children and share the hope of the Gospel, many years have passed and countless children have been impacted. “La Gloria a Dios,” was Rosa Elena’s refrain, as she pointed with her thumb to the skies. Two years ago Rosa Elena left our planet to reside in that Glory-land to which she often pointed.
God Through the Eyes of Children
/in ChangePoint Moments/by Joanna BerryDuring regular visits, our Dominican staff ask them about their school progress and families. The children’s answers reveal their interests and pleasures, and their concerns. Many times their responses provide a small “window” into their spiritual development as well:
No matter what, God is always God. No one can laugh at Him.
God never leaves or abandons His children. I just need to have faith.
God is in every place. Anyone can know Him if they open their hearts to receive Him.
God will help me do all things, if I trust and believe.
I need to be patient and wait for God’s timing.
We must trust God no matter how difficult our situation.
I had to repeat a grade and I worked hard and prayed that God would help me. I passed!
I saw God’s hand when the brakes failed, and He protected my family.
The priority of the Samuel’s Fund sponsorship is to enable children to get an education so that they can overcome the obstacles that poverty has created. Of equal importance to that goal, however, is helping them to grow in their knowledge of God and to develop a faith relationship through Christ. It’s an investment that brings hope not just for today, but also for eternity.