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Spotlight Story Continued from Homepage

My experience with a recent 9 year old female client, Sara, has reinforced my belief in the effectiveness and importance of our service and in the power of love and simply “showing up” for these families. When I began TBS with Sara, she was having violent, explosive outbursts multiple times daily, often lasting for hours at a time. The behaviors 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 due to her severe escalation and threat to her self and family. I sat through many of these episodes coaching her mother on the appropriate response to her behavior, but inside began to feel more and more hopeless as her behavior did not appear to be changing.

Despite this challenge, I kept showing up, I kept teaching, and I kept modeling and 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, the days in which I would show up to our visit and find Sara calm, happy and interacting positively with her family increased. 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 Sara is a different child. She shared the many improvements that Sara 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 has expressed that this change in Sara’s behavior has allowed her to have the close relationship that she has always longed to have with her daughter, but was never able to.

Sara continues to struggle with her anger, but is open to redirection, to positive encouragement and consistently attempts to put her new skills into practice. I am honored to see how God has used me to restore peace and stability to this home and to have been a part in restoring the love between a mother and daughter.

Spotlight Story March 2008

Sara did not have a bed to sleep on and had to sleep on the floor most nights. Her Mom has been unable to pay for a new one so CARNET was able to meet this need. Being recently reunified, this family of 5, with a baby on the way, was in desperate need of a helping hand. Ginger expressed her gratitude for Covenant's help and said that with our help she is able to provide her family with a better environment. Covenant CARENET helps many families like this each month. Consider partnering with us to provide hope and love to families in transition. Contact Kevin at 661.326.8304 for more information.

Spotlight Story February 2008

Ms. Rodriguez lost custody of her five children because she was unable to provide suitable housing for the family. She has been able to secure housing and was set for reunification with her children on 2/8/08. She moved into a house a few weeks before she was scheduled to receive her children, because she needed to get various, necessities like beds.

When Covenant received the referral we contacted Ms. Rodriguez and she was extremely excited and eagerly anticipated the help we were providing. She did not hesitate to express her gratitude towards Covenant and stated that without the help of CARENET she would not have been able to get her kids back. She was overjoyed that she had been served by "helpful people with happy hearts". Through this ministry opportunity, Covenant was able to partner with Riverlakes Community Church and they provided the funds to purchase the items needed for the Rodriguez family to make a successful transition.

In all, Covenant CARENET was able to provide the Rodriguez family with 5 twin beds and four dressers. Ms. Rodriguez shared with us that she had grown up in church, but fell away in recent years. This experience caused her to call out to God in her time of need and she has rededicated her life to Christ. We prayed with her and expect to see continued success in the lives of the Rodriguez family.