Editor’s Note: For privacy reasons, names and certain details have been changed. These stories are shared by former houseparents who have served at various children’s homes to offer insight, encouragement, and prayer for those considering this role. To respect the privacy of the children in these stories, we use artistic depictions rather than real photos.

Listening All Along: Kelly’s Story

Kelly was the oldest of the girls in the home, and she was a great role model for the younger ones—except for one thing. She was adamant that she was an atheist.

She went to church every Sunday with us without complaint, even attended Bible camp, but she never wavered in her belief that God wasn’t real. I assumed she tuned everything out.

I was wrong.

One evening, Kelly asked my husband to explain some things she had heard in church. I was surprised, but he sat with her for hours, answering her questions while she challenged everything the scriptures taught.

And then, just like that, everything changed.

She looked at him seriously and asked, “Do you have a key to the church?”

When he told her yes and asked why, she simply said, “I need to be baptized. And I want to do it tonight.”

She had been listening all along.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the seeds that are planted, even when we can’t see them growing. We pray for children like Kelly, who wrestle with questions of faith, that they may find truth, grace, and understanding. Lord, we ask that You bring new houseparents to fill the empty homes in children’s ministries across the country—people willing to have the hard conversations, to listen, and to love. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.