My recent experience with a 9 year old girl, Kayla, has reinforced my belief in the effectiveness and importance of our service.   When I began TBS with Kayla, she was having violent, explosive outbursts multiple times daily, often lasting for hours at a time. The behaviors she exhibited during these episodes included verbal aggression and profanity, physical aggression, property destruction, verbal threats, and severe opposition and defiance. For approximately the first 30-40 days, the police were called at least once a week because she was a threat to her family and herself.  I sat through many of these episodes beginning to feel more and more hopeless as her behavior did not appear to be change.

Despite this challenge, I kept sharing what I believed God would have me teach this family. In the moments I did not feel capable of effecting any change, I would pray and be reminded that I did not have to make the change, God would. Slowly, Kayla became increasingly calm, happy and interacted positively with her family. She was eager to meet with me and eager to learn ways that she could be a better sister and daughter. I taught her practical skills to manage her anger and interact with her mother more appropriately and I showed her the love that her Heavenly Father has for her. She has always been interested in hearing about Jesus. I have taken many opportunities to share Bible verses and other truths with her and am always taken with the way she lights up and listens when I share the Lord with her.

At a recent treatment team meeting, her mother shared that she feels Kayla is a different child. She shared the many improvements that Kayla has made including managing her anger appropriately, accepting responsibility for her behavior, becoming more emotionally vulnerable, showing remorse and apologizing for her actions, and becoming more helpful around the house. The mother expressed that the change in Kayla's behavior allows them to have the close relationship that she has always wanted to have with her daughter.  I am honored to see how God used me to restore a relationship, peace and stability to this home.

Through Bank of the West's Charitable Contributions Program, Covenant obtained a $5,000 operating expense grant in support of Building Blocks.   Covenant is proud to partner with Bank of the West in serving emancipated youth in Kern County.  The funds will be used to enable Covenant to beautify the facility grounds, continue mentoring services to the youth on site, and to provide other needed social services.  Building Blocks is a transitional housing program for emancipated foster youth.  Youth in this program are former foster children who are in need of continued support in order to become successful and established adults.  During their residence, youth participate in life-skills training including: budgeting, home care and maintenance, resume building, job searching, and personal healthy and safety.  Covenant assumed leadership of Building Blocks in July 2007 and diligently works toward improving every aspect of life for these residents.   This grant is a huge success for Covenant and Building Blocks.  The impact of this grant will be seen in generations to come.