29 Mar Miracle Hill Children’s Home

During the recent Simple Serve Food and Supply Drive, one of the recipient organizations was Miracle Hill Children’s Home. Our Powdersville Campus has been serving at this worthwhile facility in many ways.We recently received a note of thanks and an explanation as to how service and volunteering is critical to the ministry at the Children’s Home.

Dear Rob and special friends at Grace:

Thank you so very much for investing in the lives of the children at Miracle Hill Children’s Home.  We appreciate all of the wonderful “red bags” filled with personal hygiene supplies and cleaning supplies that you recently gave to our ministry.  This collection of needed supplies was such a blessing!  Our supply shelves were empty until your generous gift came.  Now our staff can have the things they need with out having to spend the extra money at the grocery store.  Again, what a blessing it is to have friends who are willing to partner with us to help meet the most basic needs of our ministry!

Since it’s founding in 1957, Miracle Hill Children’s Home has served as a refuge of safety and love for children who are caught in the middle of difficult circumstances.   Most of the children in our care have been placed with us by the Department of Social Services.  They have been removed from their homes because of some type of abuse or neglect.   Most of our kids have been exposed to or experienced things that no child should ever have to deal with.

But we at the children’s home have an opportunity to show them something different!  Obviously, our first goal is to introduce them to Jesus Christ.  Once they understand that He loved them so much that He was willing to die on the cross for their sins, they can then begin to develop a relationship with Him.  The more they learn about Him, the more they can learn to trust Him and lean on Him during the difficult times in life.  We want to show them what a loving, Christ-centered home is like – how parents lovingly interact with each other and with their children.  We want to show them what a stable home is like – a home with normal routines and structure which create an environment in which they can mature and be successful.

Sometimes we don’t see a lot of tangible “fruit” in our ministry.  Change takes times – whether in the life of an adult or in the life of a child.  Many times kids are not in our care long enough for us to see the impact of our labor.  But sometimes the Lord allows us to see some really neat changes to encourage us and to remind us that anything we do for Him is not in vain!  I will never forget the teenager who gave his savings (the money he was saving for a car) to a cottage-mate to help the family pay for the father’s funeral.  The generous young man insisted that the Lord would bless and return the money he gave – and He did!  I will never forget the elementary school girl who accepted the Lord as her Savior at the Good News Club at her school.  The following week she was in our office asking our director if he had ever asked Jesus into his heart.  That little girl faithfully took her Bible to her supervised visits with her parents – sometimes her message was accepted and sometimes it was not.  But rejection did not stop her persistence.  I wish I could read the last chapter of her book to see what amazing things she accomplished for the Lord!

Of course, we could not do what we do without the wonderful volunteers the Lords sends our way!  Volunteers strengthen our hands and help carry the load.  Volunteers also help us enrich the lives of our kids and maintain the healthy environment they live in.  There are always opportunities to get involved!

·         Providing refreshments or a meal for a cottage
·         Hosting a recreational activity for a cottage
·         Coordinating a collection of needed supplies
·         Assisting with homework
·         Joining the Birthday Club
·         Helping with maintenance and landscaping projects
·         Creating opportunities for older boys to develop life skills
·         Bringing a craft to an elementary age cottage
·         Help with making scrap books

We at the children’s home look forward to continuing to build a great relationship with Grace!  You have already demonstrated your love for our kids in some very special ways.  (Our Thanksgiving dinner would not have been possible with your help!)  Your people are serious in their walk with the Lord and are sensitive to His call to minister to others!  May the Lord richly bless you as you strive to impact our community for Him!

Sincerely,

Kris Blackman
Miracle Hill Children’s Home
Volunteer Coordinator
864.878.9987
www.MiracleHill.org
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