Today is the last day of January and our hope had been to begin taking families in again on February 1, but we, and they, are not ready. The trailers are still in the process of being repaired, painted and new floor installed. Having only one person to do the repairs makes it very difficult but there are no funds available to hire. Such is the difficulty but we do what we can.
As for applications, they are rather slow in coming, perhaps for various reasons. Our criteria is now limited to young families and we have guidelines that are detailed. We stress the fact that people need to be working on striving to make healthy changes in their lifestyle and so we require applicants to be legally married. We also ask that they be clean from drugs and alcohol for at least one month and agree to random but regular drug screen testing. The applicants also must agree to attend programs three times a week, which is not optional.
Our programs consist of three meetings a week consisting of one to one half hour. One meeting will be a 12 step study for all residents. The 12 steps of Alcoholic Anonymous are very adaptable are now used by a great many self help groups looking for healing their lives. These steps are very basic to healthy holistic living because the first three deal with our humanity and relationship to God. The next three deal with ourselves and about taking a good long look at how and why we do the things we do especially those that bring us pain and problems. The following three, 7, 8, and 9 deal with how we deal with our relationships to those around us now and those in our past, so healing is sought. The last three steps, 10, 11, and 12 are what they call the maintenance steps dealing with how one maintains their sobriety or healthy lifestyle. This 12 step study will work on one step each month for four weeks and it will be intensive.
The 2nd meeting will be on personal (or self) development which we plan on separating into men and women groups. At this session we will be looking at and developing an awareness of who we are as persons, first as physical human beings, then the following week as rational beings and how we use our mental faculties. Each personal self development meeting will include the spiritual aspect of our being every week in this program because this is a most important underlying element to our whole existence. The other two weeks of the four week cycle each month will deal with our emotional/feeling aspect of who we are. This is an area that many people struggle with depending on how severe the dysfunctional home environment was as a young child. I am very aware that none of us who claim to be Christian were or are perfect and if we can claim our brokenness, we also claim some dysfunction. Many of us learned to function well and to be happy in this society, but some were not taught healthy skills to cope.
Last but not least is the basic life skills program which will be the 3rd meeting of each week. Again there will be a different focus each week in the four week cycle of a month. One week will focus on parenting, another week on employment and job training and the other week on budgeting. The fourth week will be resident town hall meeting giving the residents a chance to initiate events or programs for the Point of Hope community.
Operating parallel to this adult program will a children’s program so that the care of children is also attended. These may be afterschool programs depending on when the best meeting time will be for the adults.
As you can see, there are still some details needing attention. I am grateful for all the volunteers who have agreed to be part of this venture with us because without them, it would not be possible. So you, supporters and friends out there, have your task. Everyone can pray and so we ask you to keep this special program in mind and heart when you turn to the heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Pray that the program will work and be effective. Pray that the families who are meant to come, will come and they will not be frightened away by our guidelines, loving prepared to help them on this journey to healing and health.
As we come closer to being open again, we still have many plans such as a blessing of all our units before or as people are moving in. We would also like to have a ‘ReOpening Ceremony’ with the blessing for our main buildings so they too can be a source of blessing for all. We need the special ‘ReOpening’ blessing because it is only through God’s grace that it will work and we are very mindful of that fact. Yes, there is much to do, and much for you our friends to pray for. May God bless you and your families.
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