May 2016 - Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children

NOTES:
May 2016
WEDNESDAY
1
4
SUNDAY
Kara, OWA,
Special Request
MONDAY
2
Alivvia, BHG,
Special Request
TUESDAY
3
Corrie, OKC,
Special Request
Jacob, Age 22, BRT
THURSDAY
5
Naomi, Age 1,
Children’s Hope
FRIDAY
6
Aizjon, Age 7,
Children’s Hope
SATURDAY
7
Breonna, OKC,
Special Request
Austin, Age 23, BRT
Stephanie Jessup,
Staff, OWA
8
Michaela,
Children’s Hope,
Special Request
15
Stephanie, BHG,
Special Request
9
Riley, BRT,
Special Request
16
Zayden, OWA,
Special Request
10
Otis, Age 15, OWA
Tim Jones, Staff, BHG
17
Sylas, Age 5,
Children’s Hope
11
Michael Williams,
Staff, BRT
12
Nathan, OWA,
Special Request
April, OWA,
Special Request
The mission of Oklahoma Baptist Homes
for Children is to help children become
capable, caring Christian adults by
sharing Christ’s love and providing hope
and homes for children.
29
Art Brown,
Staff, BHG
23
Thomas, OWA,
Special Request
30
Denise Adams,
Staff, Home Office
Joshua Keele,
Staff, OKC
24
Alexis,
Children’s Hope
Special Request
31
Linda, BHG,
Special Request
Kaleb, Age 12, OKC
Cathy Rangel,
Staff, OKC
14
19
20
21
25
26
27
28
Dashawn, BRT,
Special Request
Carrie Egert,
Staff, Home Office
Kalee, Age 16,
Children’s Hope
Please pray
for Maleya
this month.
Sarenady, BHG,
Special Request
Kaylee,
Children’s Hope
Special Request
April Bacorn,
Staff, Home Office
Marquese,
Age 14, BRT
Sara Keele, Staff, OKC
18
Kelly Meridth,
Staff, BHG
22
13
Paul, BRT,
Special Request
Amy, Children’s Hope
Lori Stewart,
Staff, OKC
Mother’s Day Offering
May 8
Benefiting Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children
and Baptist Village Communities.
www.obhc.org
Working Hard
and Loving it
By Angela Sanders
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it
with all your might…”
Eccesiastes 9:10
Fourteen-year-old Maleya is a walking
attitude adjustment. To spend just a few
minutes with her is to walk away encouraged
and mindful of the blessings you might
have taken for granted just a short time
before. A busy schedule, homework, shifts in
infrastructure, drama, Maleya takes all of these
things and more in stride with a smile that
rarely vanishes, her faith and perspective intact.
“Well, God keeps sending people to
encourage me,” Maleya explains. “I have a
bunch of friends who are Christians. That’s
good for me.”
This spring, Maleya will participate in
the Special Olympics and hopes that some of
her friends will be able to watch her compete.
“I’m not worried,” she confesses. “I’m not even
practicing right now because I’m always busy
in my room or doing something for school.
I do bocce, and I already won second, third,
and first place before, so no big deal.”
Maleya is just as confident in her singing
ability. “I can totally sing the high part,” says
Maleya, convinced, “and I feel very lucky
about it. Music is my favorite class. Dr. Jones
is like a mother or grandmother to me. When
I don’t have my family with me, my choir
is like a family to me. Dr. Jones says that’s
because what we do in choir is share ourselves
to cheer other people up. I like that!”
This past summer, Maleya had a chance
to attend Camp Perfect Wings for the
second time. She sang there as well. “I was
frightened, but I sang anyway. All the people
looked at me and were like, ‘Wow! She can
sing!’” Maleya smiles.
Maleya puts just as much effort into her
schoolwork as she does her music. “I think
I’m doing very well,” she says, puffing her
chest out a bit.
When asked if she likes school, Maleya
responds, “Why would someone not like
school? It’s interesting to work hard and learn
things and get to use computers and make
presentations and important things like that.
Today, I used an iPad and a computer in the
same day. I have a project that is due. I did
some here and some there.” Maleya types and
swivels and types in pantomime for a few
moments, lost in imagined industry, before
remembering my presence. When she does,
she giggles. “Hard work feels good, doesn’t it?”
Maleya doesn’t mind the hard work of
spiritual growth either. In the two years that
she has been attending Capitol Hill Baptist
Church with the rest of her cottage, Maleya
has learned much that will serve her well in the
future. “We have been talking about character
traits,” says Maleya, “like how you should treat
someone. It’s good because when I say or do
things around people, I remember what they
said at church and know what I should be
acting like. It helps. I’m being good.”
Maleya’s houseparents reinforce
everything that Maleya is learning at church
in practical ways. “We have seven girls in
the cottage right now,” Maleya announces,
eyes big. “That’s like opening the door and
saying, ‘Come in, Mr. Drama!’” Maleya
giggles at her own joke. “We get along good.
Well, sometimes we get along bad, but that’s
just because we are all girls!” Maleya shrugs.
“They help us figure it out and talk through
it. It helps because I figure out some things
that I shouldn’t do so I can stop doing them.”
Maleya is serious about growing as a
Christian. “Did you know that Satan can
control you without you knowing it?” she
asks. “It’s real, but you can stop that by
accepting Jesus into your heart and trying to
know Him more. You just pray what you feel
all the time, tell Him your emotions. If you
are afraid, you can pray about that. If you
want knowledge, you can pray about that,
but you have to read your Bible, too, so you
can learn from it. That’s how it works.”
Maleya is thriving at OBHC and blessing
everyone with whom she comes in contact.
To those who have freed her to do so by
supporting OBHC financially, Maleya says
with her biggest smile yet, “Thank you for
my home!”
Home Office
3800 N. May Ave
Oklahoma City, OK
73112-6506
PlaceForHope.com
Prayer
Calendar
Sponsorship Update
May 2016
www.obhc.org