When the Flower Finally Opens

So, here we are in the middle of winter with Christmas just around the corner, and I'm posting a colorful flower. There's just no better illustration of new life than a flower in its natural glory. God's creations are simply breathtaking. When a broken, hurting, young woman finds a new life in Christ she, too, shines with God's beauty.

No matter that the wind chill makes it about zero outside and there's stills snow on the ground, for the women at Bethany House, their lives are blossoming into beautiful bouquets. Cold weather can't stop a heart from experiencing renewal.

I'd like to share another story with you from our archives. Yet another weed-filled life turned into glorious bloom of hope.

Christina's Testimony

I was born in Cluj, Romania and raised in a Christian family. When I was 6, my father decided that living in a communist regime wasn't what he wanted for this three children. Less than a year later we ere living in southern California., I was baptized at age 13 and walked with the Lord. We moved from California to Monroe, Washington, and finally to Portland.

In may sophomore year, with no church to lean on, I began to try drugs and drinking. My curiosity led me to marijuana and I began going to nightclubs. By 17, I was addicted to crank which almost destroyed my life. I was completely engulfed in sin. Somehow I quit crank and moved on to alcohol, drinking until I would black out.

Then I got pregnant. I wanted an abortion, but I feared God. The idea of going through a pregnancy and parenthood was so over whelming and confusing. My friends were encouraging me to have an abortion, but I knew it was wrong and didn't like the idea of being a murderer all my life.

I tried to go ahead with it anyway, but I saw the ultrasound picture and knew I couldn't do it. I went to Crisis Pregnancy Center where someone prayed with me, and I felt such peace. I decided to look into adoption for my child because financially and emotionally I knew I couldn't raise a child on my own. Though a facilitator I found a couple to adopt my child.

About that time I decided to look into Bethany House and, after the interview, I know it was where God wanted me to stay. The thing I remember about Bethany House is the living relationship the house parent's Mat and Tina, had and thinking. So this is what God wants marriage to be. The house mother touched my heart. Her patience, kindness and love were abundant, but it was her gentleness that I loved the most. She'll always have a special place in my heart.

I gave birth to a beautiful girl and I will never forget the pain, sadness, and emptiness I felt as I had to say good-bye to my daughter. I started drinking again to numb the pain and fell into a deep depression. Then the Lord got a hold of me and I have never know such fulfillment. His mercy, love, grace and forgiveness is mine. My craving for drugs is gone, I crave Jesus now!!

I look back with sadness at all the time I wasted serving sin instead of God. I marvel at the Lord's awesomeness. Every day I have hope though him and he is mending my heart. I see my daughter once a year and I have a great relationship with her adoptive parents. I am involved with an incredible church and plan on walking with the Lord every day of my life.

Education at Bethany House

Without education, it is difficult to succeed in today's world. With fewer jobs and a very competitive market, "getting ahead" takes at the very least a high school diploma and some specialized training program.



Unfortunately, many teen or young pregnant women have not completed high school, let alone college. Even with more supportive services within high schools, often times, these girls still feel out of place, or judged by their peers. As their bodies change their shame increases, leading them to choices they later regret. They quickly discover as they seek employment that opportunities are not easily available for uneducated individuals. They find themselves stuck in dead end jobs with little room for advancement. We all know that in this era a minimum wage job does not provide enough for a mother and her child. Not to mention, the added financial stress of daycare and health insurance, benefits that these women often lose by working full time in a low-paying job.



Talk about a catch 22! Thankfully, one of the areas that Bethany House puts such great emphasis on is education. This included education about parenting, the birth process, motherhood, life skills, and so much more. It also means helping residents return to school to obtain a GED or diploma and making plans for future education goals.



At times, financial supporters have partnered with Bethany House to pay for advanced learning for residents. These generous providers realize the impact an educated woman will have on the workforce and the community, and, of course, in her own home. Breaking the cycle of poverty is process. It takes community partners, organizations, and individuals that care, working together to help young mothers achieve success. In turn, their successes touch the lives of their children, leading to future change -- for the better.



If you care about young, pregnant women and their futures, you will want to learn more about partnering with Bethany House. There's a great opportunity to do just that in the upcoming month. On November 14, that's a Friday, Bethany House is presenting a "Keep the Dream Alive" Fundraiser. The cost to attend is FREE. Yep. Free. You come and eat, learn, and enjoy an evening of fellowship and fun, while learning about the amazing life saving and life changing work of Bethany House.



To learn more visit: http://www.bethanyhousenet.org/. You can make a secure donation online at the website. Help us educate women allowing them to become the women they were created to be. Thank you!

Tough Times

When you look at the above photo, what do you see? An adorable newborn and her tired, but proud mother. Without Bethany House, this baby would not have received proper prenatal care, nor would she have a solid start on life. I'd like to share Tonya's story with you and let you judge just how much change took place in her life.

Baby Blessing for Tonya – A Modern Miracle - as told by Tonya

I was born and raised in Idaho. The first few years of my life were very lonely. My real mom was a meth addict, as was my dad, when he wasn’t in jail or prison. Unfortunately, my loneliness wasn’t replaced with something better. Instead, I was taken by the state and placed in one abusive foster home after another.

Finally, when I was 8, I got the wonderful news I was finally going to be adopted. Was it possible that the nightmare I had been living would soon come to an end? Little did I know, that my so-called dream-come-true was just the beginning of a nightmare that would last 8 long years. The abuse I endured from the adoptive parents made those 18 foster homes look like heaven. One afternoon, I was late returning home and was hit with an object so hard that I only remember the first blow. When I worked I was being rushed to the hospital. After this incident, I was placed back in the foster system where I went to four more homes and a group home.

After I turned 18, my read dad got out of prison, found me and we moved in together. I honestly thought that this was my chance to have a real family. This was not the case; instead we did drugs together, and committed crimes right up until I was arrested. Then my dad was locked up again, this time for murder. Lost and confused, I jumped head first into the drug world.

A lifeline was thrown out to me by a high-school friend, who invited me to move to Portland. The offer came with a job and housing. Since I was 5 months pregnant, homeless, jobless, and hopeless, I agreed and hopped on the first bus I could, but discovered that due to my criminal history, I was not allowed to live in the place I had planned to call home. I was ready to just give up, but this friend had already donated to Bethany House and knew about their ministry. She asked me to give it a try.

Well, that was in November of 2007, and thanks to Bethany House giving me a chance at a different life, I am now the proud mom of a beautiful baby girl named Jozlyn Marie. Jozlyn was born on February 26th 2008. While living here at Bethany House, I’ve learned the importance of living a life that includes God, making wise choices, and I am working on building healthy relationships with trustworthy people. I honestly believe if it weren’t for Bethany House I would be neck deep in the drug world, and my daughter would be in state care. I can’t find the words to properly describe how incredibly grateful I am and will always be to Bethany House and their supporters.
-Tonya

Just recently, Tonya and her beautiful, healthy, girl moved out of Bethany House into their own cozy apartment close by. Tonya has found awesome daycare nearby allowing her to work in retail management at a local kitchen supply store. This is just another "miracle story" from the pages of Bethany House's book of changed lives.

We want to keep our doors open and make sure that every young woman seeking maternity services will have them available. Unfortunately, due to the economy, for the first time in twenty years, this past year as brought this program to the verge of closing.

Bethany House needs financial partners to keep its program alive and families thriving. Is our mission important to you? If so, put your investment where your beliefs are and give. If radical giving does not happen within the next month, we will close. Three other local maternity homes have had to shut their doors in the past year making keeping ours open even more critical. As pregnancy rates again rise, women who choose to have their children need a safe place to embrace motherhood or consider adoption. Won't you help?

You can donate safely online at: http://www.bethanyhousenet.org/.

Watch for yet another dramatic story soon.

God bless you!

Teen Pregnancies on the Rise ... again

The statistics are in. Teen pregnancies are again up. There is a new surge of young, single, expecting women in our country. For years, the USA has remained at the top of the list for teen pregnancies. That is one result that hasn’t changed.

So, what’s happening? There are a number of theories floating around out there. Some point to Hollywood and the popular films like Juno and Knocked Up. Others believe teaching abstinence has failed and that more sex education is required to combat this increasing trend. While another group points back to Hollywood and the growing number of single, famous, stars, many very young, who are choosing motherhood.

Another group believes all the accommodations made for single mothers has made the option more attractive for school-aged teens who now have options like onsite school daycare at their disposal.

Okay, I’m no statistical expert, but I’ve worked with single, pregnant women for some time now, and there is one thing in common. These girls are heart hungry. At Bethany House, we have monitored this situation for close to twenty years. Over 90% of our residents come from some form of past abuse. Many are missing a healthy father’s love and a majority lacked strong guidance and love from their mothers. They also falsely believe that a baby will magically “fix” their problems. Here’s a sampling of statements that we’ve heard over the years:

I didn’t think I could get pregnant.
I thought he’d (the boyfriend) would stay with me.
I thought he’d stop hurting me.
I wanted someone to love and need me. Me!
I was using drugs (or drinking) and didn’t take care of myself. I got pregnant.
I thought he’d marry me.
I wanted to start a family, not like my family, but better.

As you can see, these statements reflect a very self-centered ideal. Somehow, someway, a baby will be the glue that holds things together, the one thing that will truly love and make the woman feel better. Others have somehow believed the age-old teenage lie: it won’t happen to me! While many, caught up in the party life have failed to plan for much of anything, let alone a pregnancy.

Recently, I read about a group of girls at a small high school that purposefully tried to get pregnant. They somehow believed that a baby would be the answer to life’s problems, their problems.

When we see stars like Nicole Richie and Jamie Lynn Spears plastered on magazine covers holding their swaddled little darlings close, well, it looks good. It makes motherhood appear glamorous, even easy. For those of us longtime moms we can attest that glamour is not a big part of the parenting process.

I believe the best way for readers to learn about why’s, what’s, and because’s of teen pregnancy is to hear from the mom’s themselves. Check back soon. We will begin posting stories about the Bethany House girls and what led them to motherhood.

New and Improved Bethany House Journal

Welcome to the new Bethany House Blog!

For those of you who are new to our site, welcome. Bethany House is one of oldest maternity programs in the Pacific Northwest. For over twenty years, we have been serving single, pregnant, girls who have nowhere to turn.

For many women, a pregnancy is an exciting moment. It's like receiving a special delivery in your mailbox. You can't wait for the gift to arrive.

Unfortunately, this incredible blessing is more like a nightmare for an unprepared woman who sees her pregancy as an unexpected detour in life.

Bethany House helps women make the transition from confused girl to mature mom.

We help women embrace the tangible skills needed to raise a child, as well as, help them manage those other not-so-concreate things -- emotions. Many of our residents have been abused, neglected, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. Often times, these young women have been homeless or have lived in poverty. They have been forced to halt their educations. Bethany House gives these young women a safe place away from any abusive relationships, allowing them to make better choices and set goals for their futures.

You may not agree with their past decisions, but the fact remains that single moms make up a huge percentage of our population. These women need our help and support. Their children deserve a future filled with love, protection, and hope. Bethany House helps provide those very things.

We hope you will visit regularly to learn more about our program and the personal stories of our women. You will amazed by the miraculous changes that take place in these women's hearts and ultimately in their lives.

Please take a peek at our previous blog (we will not be posting there any longer) and our website.

http://bethanyhousegresham.wordpress.com/

http://www.bethanyhousenet.org/index.html