one month's worth

Our first month here has come and gone. Most of that time has been spent living in a beautifully restored house with Jerry and Fern Hill and five young men who are currently in one of our programs. Just last week the ranch closed on the house in which we will be living. We have moved most of our belongings into the house, but it needs a little work before we actually move ourselves in. 

I was recently offered a position to do some marketing work for the summer day camp that the ranch hosts. It has been great to have a part time job to add more structure to my day and to be doing something constructive with my time. I am still praying about and looking at job possibilities for speech therapy, but my NY state license has not been issued yet.

Kyle has jumped right into his position with a confidence that I admire. Much like working with HUF, this job easily becomes a 24/7 responsibility, but I guess we are already accustomed to that, so it hasn't been too difficult an adjustment on that front. Differing from HUF we are living with young men for whom daily disappointments and confrontations can easily escalate into moments of personal crisis. Each day seems to bring moments of pleasant encounters with the guys and moments of tension. Some days the pleasant moments are more frequent and overshadow the minor tense moments, other days it's the opposite.

We have been so absorbed with our transition and the work with the ranch, that we haven't really gotten a sense for life on Long Island as a whole...we're told the perks really come with the warmer weather. Besides the obvious benefits of living on an island (i.e. beach) to look forward to, we can't go anywhere without passing a little booth set up for selling locally grown seasonal products. We are excited to see the produce that will fill those roadside stands as the weather warms, and the vendors open their shops.

This week has had several of those tense moments I was referencing. With our arrival, there has been some enforcement of program elements and minor changes, some of which have been received well by residents, others, not so well. Some necessary consequences of following the program, resulted in harsh words and strong tones directed towards my husband. His calm, controlled responses contradict the heightened emotions I felt inside while listening to him control the situation. I so admire him for his confidence in moments like that. I tend to second guess myself, him and the program, but that is why he has the position he does, and I do not. There have also been some encouraging moments this week. One young man, who we have been helping with his job applications, complimented Kyle and me, saying that we have been a big help to him as he works to get his life on track. Another young man expressed appreciation, saying that he looks up to us as an example and really respects us. It's comments like these, that remind us why we are here and encourage us to continue. We really do feel very blessed to be here and to be a part of the amazing team of people who are in this ministry. God's hand is evident in the work being done. Please join us in praying daily that His love becomes more evident to the young men and women here.

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; 

my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me."

Psalm 28:7

A visit to the beach on a wintery day