News · 05.19.2010 Who are our Fire Fighters?

Who are our Fire Fighters?

The houseparents are the ones on the frontline at LifeHouse. They are the home-makers, the teachers, and the counselors who live day-in and day-out with the residents of LifeHouse. It would be an understatement to call them self-less, hardworking, ministers of the Gospel. Whether it is early in the morning or late at night, the needs of the young ladies who they are watching over take priority over their own needs.

One current LifeHouse resident has this to say about them, “The houseparents get their hands dirty in the issues of our lives. They reach in and get involved. They’ve helped me realize a lot about myself, they‘ve helped me change.”

On a typical week day there are many things going on that a houseparent has to facilitate. There is a doctor’s appointment, three girls have to get to school on time, one resident needs to be at work a little early, chores have to be done correctly, one girl needs counsel on a family issue that she is having, dinner needs to get on the table, some of the girls have homework and need help, and then
everyone needs to be ready for a seven o’clock parenting class or Bible study. After that, all the correct medications need to be given out. Not to mention, the houseparents have children of their own that need their time and attention! By the time that everyone closes their bedroom doors to go to sleep at 9:30 p.m., the houseparents are wrung out.

On hard days, when the recognition and the glory that is attached to working at LifeHouse fades, a houseparent must truly love the residents with the love of Christ. A houseparent has to be continually filled by the Lord in order to be poured out in service for the girls. Let us follow in their footsteps as they live out Philippians 2:4, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”