Who doesn’t love a good ole’ game of baseball? You never have seen a more perfect setting until you watch the little guys at Miracle Hill Children’s Home trying to teach one another the American favorite pastime. One of the boys got baseballs, a bat, and a Clemson hat for Christmas. I mention the hat, because every baseball player has to have a cool hat . . . right? It was very wet outside on the cold December morning, so the game did not take place on a green field. Instead, the boys set up the t-ball set on the basketball court. Areas were designated for bases and home runs were the goal. It was fun to watch the nine year olds teach the five and six year olds how to hold the bat and swing it correctly. One guy hollered, “Keep your eye on the ball”. No scores were kept and no feelings were hurt. It was just a fun day with the guys!
None of us can truly understand what it feels like to be a child in foster care, unless we have been there ourselves. There are a lot of things you miss, but there are also things you gain. One of the greatest advantages to living at the children’s home is that we can house many large sibling groups. Brothers and sisters don’t have to be separated. They do live in different cottages, but they live together on the same campus, which allows frequent contact. However, if you don’t have a biological sibling living here, you instantly gain a foster sibling. Remember when you were growing up and you could pick on your younger sibling, but no one else had better say a mean word to them. It is the same here. Our children are protective of one another. They might fight with one another at home, but a child a school had better not hurt or be mean to them. It becomes an unspoken brotherhood. Yes, they fight like brothers do, but they also laugh, cry, play and pray together.
The Lord was truly faithful to the children’s home during 2012. We were able to house and minister to over 60 children within our five cottages. We greatly anticipate seeing how the Lord will use us in 2013. Thank you to all of the individuals, churches and corporations that made this Christmas special for our children. So many of you purchased gifts, made cookies, brought hot chocolate or made a special meal. We had a wonderful Christmas season and are thankful for each of you allowing the Lord to use you to bless our children!
According to one 2009 estimate, there were nearly 115,000 children in the United States in foster care waiting to be adopted. Many children in the state system wait as long as three years before they are adopted, while teenagers and large sibling groups may wait even longer.