Testimonies of Praise from Parents (www.hephzibahhouse.org) - Page 2

FreedomSoar · #11 09-08-2009, 04:17 PM

Loving and
Decent people...
In regards to the Williams’, staff at Hephzibah House, and also their procedures and rules; I have found them to be the finest, most loving and decent people I have ever met. Yes, they teach the Bible, and are so caring that they devoted their lives to caring for these wayward, rebellious girls from “so called” Christian homes. Some are, but some unfortunately are as I was, a little too liberal in my thinking.

My daughter was there, and unfortunately I had to bring her home because I could not afford medical needs for her unless she was in my home. This was the requirement of our insurance company. It certainly was not because I felt she was being abused. The Williams’ and staff gave her more love and patience and Biblical training than she got at home.

I was a young Christian and had an anger issue. They never corrected her in anger. She still has the utmost respect and love for them. She’s not a success story only because she lived in a sinful home for all of her early years and saw and heard way to much before she was sent there.

She thought she wanted to change and live for God but got back out into the world and her true colors surfaced. However, I’ll never regret the time of learning she spent there.

FreedomSoar · #12 09-08-2009, 04:18 PM

My daughter

was bent on
self-destruction...
Sending my daughter to Hephzibah House was one of the hardest things I ever did, and it was one of the best things I ever did .

As a parent I take pride in being able to raise my own children. It was very hard to face the reality that my daughter was bent on self destruction and that I couldn't help her. I felt that I had failed as her mother. It was then that we chose to send her to Hephzibah House. Like I said earlier it was a very hard decision.

This ministry was different than any that I knew of and the way it had to be run was for a good reason. I am so thankful for Hephzibah House giving me back my daughter in better health, better spirit, better work ethics and much more.

My daughter does not hold grudges against Hephzibah House for having to do exercises or pulling weeds. There's nothing wrong with staying healthy. So what if you had to do some work, do your really think you should be able to just eat and sleep and play all day?

FreedomSoar · #13 09-08-2009, 04:19 PM

We noticed a
real change in her...

We are writing this letter concerning our daughter, and the influence Hepzibah House has had on her life.
Our daughter was in public school from third grade up until 10th grade. We had her in a private school and a church school before the third grade. She had always been a very compliant child until about junior high when we noticed a decline in grades and hanging around with the wrong crowd. By the wrong crowd, we mean those that were smoking, drinking and doing drugs. We brought up our children in a Christian home and were faithful in attending a Bible believing church so the kids she was hanging out with were not the ones we wanted to influence our child. We felt like we still had somewhat of a handle on things for the next few years as none of her friends were driving and were still “checking in” with their parents as to their whereabouts. But then at about age 15 she started working at a fast food restaurant, and her friends would pick her up for work. It was so easy to fulfill their work obligation and then have money to use for having fun after work. She had always come home every night so we were still not too concerned. But we knew in our hearts that the time we were spending wondering where she was and whom she was with and what she was doing was taking a toll on the rest of the family. We didn’t have the time or the strength to devote time to her other siblings. We had heard about Hephzibah House from some friends of ours from church and knew that if we needed a correctional school at some point that was definitely where we would send her.

Every time we as a family went on vacation our daughter was so relaxed and carefree and was like a different person. She was away from the influence of her friends. When she started her junior year in high school things seemed to go okay for awhile. She had stayed out late occasionally without us knowing where she was and we would lay in bed and pray for her safety. Then one night she did not come home after work and stayed out all night. That was when we decided to go to the high school and have her brought to the counselors’ office so we could see that she was okay. That weekend the decision was made that we needed to do something for her or she would be a high school dropout or be harmed in some way and we did not want either of those things for our daughter. We had consulted with our pastor about our situation for a couple of years also and his advice was to get her away from the bad influences of her friends. So we, along with our pastor and our daughter, drove to Indiana straight through the night and enrolled her in Hephzibah House.

She was there for several months and was able to complete her high school diploma. When she was first enrolled in Hephzibah House she was tested to see where she was in her studies. She was at a fifth grade level in almost all her subjects. For the time that she was there our pastor called her every Saturday night faithfully and wrote to her weekly and even made a visit to her. We as her parents wrote her once a week and talked to her on the phone once a month. We made one trip by ourselves to see her and her siblings went along for another trip in the summer. She wrote to us once a week also and sent us a list of what she ate each day and what she was doing which included church, volleyball, and chores. It wasn’t until several months into her stay at Hephzibah House that we noticed a real change in her as it was at that time that she accepted Jesus Christ as her Saviour and made Him the Lord of her life. From that time on you could see a real change in her attitude and her countenance. She wanted to be pleasing to us as her parents and to those in authority over her.

What a joyful and long awaited reunion it was when we picked her up from Hephzibah! When we arrived home there was a young man in our church whom we had become well acquainted with us while our daughter was at school, and he showed an interest in her of which we approved. They were married shortly thereafter. They are raising their children in church and are home schooling them. Their children are a joy to be around as they seek to raise them to be responsible adults. They are very much in love with each other and if it were not for Hephzibah House and the Lord intervening we are sure our daughter would not have the wonderful and caring husband that she has. Our relationship with our daughter and son-in-law is very close now. Our daughter keeps in touch with the Williams family on a regular basis and loves each one of them dearly. Her life would have taken a different turn if we had not taken her to Hephzibah House when we did and away from the influence of her friends. Hephzibah House was exactly what we all needed to get our daughter on the right track and we thank the Lord for the school and the influence it has had on troubled teenage girls over the years.

FreedomSoar · #14 09-08-2009, 04:20 PM

Now a devoted
wife and mother...

Looking back on our memories of the period of time that our daughter spent at Hephzibah House, I can honestly say that we have only positive recollections. At no time did we ever have any reason to believe that our daughter was abused either physically or mentally, nor has she ever alluded to such treatment.

We are so grateful for the time that she spent at Hephzibah House. When we took her to the ministry we were beside ourselves as to what to do with her. She had a rebellious attitude, and behavior.

When she returned to us after her stay there, her overall attitude and demeanor had changed drastically in a positive way. She is now a devoted wife and mother, as well as a practicing nurse practitioner. We shudder to think what would have become of her had she not spent the time at Hephzibah House.

In closing, we would just like to express our heartfelt thanks to Pastor Williams, and his staff for their Godly influence in our daughter’s life. We will be eternally grateful for all they did for our daughter, and our family.

FreedomSoar · #15 09-08-2009, 04:20 PM

When our daughter was a teenager, she began to rebel against our authority. She started associating with other rebellious teens and got into trouble with the law. Not wishing her to be placed in juvenile detention, we counseled with our Pastor who recommended we enroll her at Hephzibah House in Winona Lake, Indiana where she would be in a well structured environment and receive Spiritual counseling. We were made aware of all the rules and regulations of the school by Pastor Ron Williams, including corporal punishment if necessary. He demonstrated how this was done and we did not feel that it was abusive in any way.

Since leaving Hephzibah House, she has never complained to us about the treatment she received while she was there. She has told us numerous times over the years that sending her there was the best thing we could have done for her as it demonstrated our love and concern for her. In addition, she has often defended our decision of sending her to Hephzibah House to others who have been critical of our decision. Just recently, she made a comment that the staff at Hephzibah House loved her.

While the rules at Hephzibah House are strict and perhaps a bit unorthodox, we do not believe them to be abusive in any way. This is a statement of our experience and our opinion, for what it is worth.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/COLOR]

FreedomSoar · #16 09-08-2009, 04:22 PM

The purpose of this letter is to speak on behalf of Ron and Patti Williams and the Hephzibah House Boarding School. Bro. Ron is a stately, well educated, godly, sacrificial man, who opened his home, along with his wife Patti, (a mom in every sense of the word) to help troubled teen girls. They did not have to reach out and be available to help others, they had at that time 9 children of their own. The Williams could have lived quietly and happily without taking on others burdens. They are doing what they believe is God's will for their lives by the establishing of Hephzibah House to help parents with their troubled teen daughters. I believe they have been in operation approximately 37 years. Keep in mind that this is not "Miss Ellie's School of Etiquette", but a live-in school for troubled girls. Girls who have varying degrees of problems, problems that make it necessary to seek help. Some girls just couldn't seem to get along at home, they kept everyone in turmoil all the time. Other girls were in much worse condition, sneaking out at night to meet with boys for sex, doing drugs, drinking alcohol, running away from home, in general self destructive behavior and everything in between. These are girls between the ages of 13yr. - 17 yr. of age. My daughter’s behavior was somewhere in between, and her father and I sought help for her, we were just not willing to give up on her.

Our Pastor knew the William's well and had been to the school on numerous occasions. Bro. Ron had been to our church to preach. The Hephzibah House ministry does not seek students for their school. Enrollment standards are very high and applications can only be obtained thru a local Pastor and by request of the parents. We, as parents, sought them out for help with our girl. This ministry not only helps the students focus on their education, but character building and biblical principal. Yes, as Christians we adhere to God's Word, (I think we still have freedom of religion in America).

As we pulled into the drive I was quite impressed at the well kept home, immaculate lawn and beautiful flower gardens. We were given a tour of the facilities. I found everything to be orderly and clean. The downstairs quarters where the students lived and slept are like a walk out basement, fully furnished, light and airy, with lots of windows and tastefully decorated. We met staff ladies who would be working with our daughter, they were very helpful and congenial. The house rules and requirements are lovingly set forth for the health and well being of all students, keeping in mind that these are not your well adjusted, truthful, cooperative students. We enrolled our daughter. We drove away, broken hearted at our separation, but thankful and hopeful for some help. I pretty much sobbed all the way home. Tough love is not easy.

As time passed we received weekly letters from our girl and she from us. We received regular phone calls and went to see her on regularly scheduled visits. I could call and talk to Bro. Ron, Mrs. Williams or a staff lady at any time to check in on her and did so. Her letters included a weekly food chart, so I knew what and how much she was eating. At regular intervals the girls were taken to a local steak house for a treat and had monthly birthday parties so that everyone was included. She told me sometimes there was more than a student could eat so half portions could be requested. If she had need of any supplies or clothing a list was sent home by her and we would meet those needs. We were notified of any medical needs she had and those needs were met as well. We also paid a monthly tuition to help with the cost of her stay.

Our daughter seemed to prosper at Hephzibah House. She was trusted by the staff and family and Bro. Williams talked highly of her. She was even given extra privileges. We were proud of her for doing so well. We always received good reports and she was catching up in her school work. She's always been a good worker and was a great help in the ministry there.

The time for High School Graduation came and we made preparation for the occasion. This was not only an academic accomplishment, but the conclusion of her program in general. We love our daughter very much and were anticipating that she would go on as a happy, mature young woman with a fresh start. She gave every indication to that end. We came home and had her graduation open house.

We have since discussed her stay at Hephzibah House Boarding School many times. She has commented on how she doesn't know what would have happened to her life without the help of Hephzibah House. She acknowledged that her choices were the reason we had to make our choices and she accepted responsibility. We've talked about how hard a decision it was for her dad and I and how hard the separation was, but she knew it was for her good.

FreedomSoar · #17 09-08-2009, 04:23 PM

Our daughter attended Hephzibah House. During her time there, she went from testing barely above a fifth grade level to almost completing 9th grade in English! She also gained a vast amount of Biblical knowledge as well as keeping up with current events, both national and international.

Throughout her stay, she was provided three full meals a day plus a night time dessert. She has informed us that there was not a single meal that she missed; although she was given a light breakfast one morning due to the fact that they went out for pizza 1 hour and 45 minutes after breakfast time.

She spent some of her free time at Hephzibah learning how to crochet. She stated it was something she wanted to learn to do, and the staff was extremely helpful in helping her learn. Since her return back home, there are several crafts and projects she has shown great pride in and has kept up with until now.

We have heard terrible stories about Hephzibah House. She has also heard these stories and has related that she did not ever witness the actions portrayed by these claims. She has told us as clear as possible that nobody ever had laid a hand of her or any of the other students during her stay, nor did she ever hear any of the staff raise their voice at the students or at each other.

The results we have seen from our daughter’s stay at Hephzibah House are a higher moral standard, respect for authority, self-confidence, self-motivation to complete her education, very high standards of cleanliness, appreciation for her family, and an undeniable cheerful attitude.
I would, without hesitation, recommend Hephzibah House for other teens who are struggling with the pressures of “fitting in.” Our daughter has learned how to have self-confidence without compromising the moral values we uphold in our household. When asked how she viewed her time at Hephzibah House, she stated without question that it was worth it. She went on to state that she too would recommend the school for any rebellious girl who has the slightest desire to change, no matter what their past.

FreedomSoar · #18 09-08-2009, 04:25 PM

We are parents of a young lady that was enrolled at the Hephzibah House. First of all, let me state that the decision was not one that was taken lightly. We agonized over sending our daughter to a boarding school. We did not want to do this. We did not plan on doing this. But we soon realized that we had to either let her do what she wanted to do or take drastic measures to stop her downward spiral. We definitely felt that we were responsible for her and for her actions since she was still a minor.

She had been lying to us for about two years. She was able with the help of her friends to cover all of her lies up, but after two years of lying it gets harder and harder to cover things up. Things finally came to a head and we contacted Hephzibah House. Our lawyer had advised us that we needed to find a facility that was a lock down facility. Because of our daughter's history, even an unsaved lawyer knew she would try to run again. The lawyer also advised us that we needed to find a facility that would monitor calls and letters so that these friends would not be able to contact her or know where she was. Hephzibah House met all of these requirements. Our hearts were broken. We never wanted this for our daughter, but here we were. Dr. Williams said that there was an opening so we loaded up and took her. We stayed in a hotel and in the morning we told her why she was there. It was absolutely the hardest thing that we have ever done in our lives. We wept all the way home. Our hearts were broken.

Our daughter stayed at the Hephzibah House until about a month after her 18th birthday. She graduated from high school - a very big accomplishment for her. She had wanted to drop out, but by the grace of God she was able to get her diploma from Believer's Baptist Academy. She also got saved during her last month there. She attended Bible college for a semester and Jr. College. There are still ups and downs with our daughter, but without the Hephzibah House, I have no idea where she would be.

Because we did all that we could for our daughter when she was a minor, we will never have to look back with regrets. We appreciate very much the sacrifices of those that work at the home. Without your efforts, our daughter would have been lost at a very young age.

FreedomSoar · #19 09-09-2009, 08:04 AM

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unknowing · #20 09-09-2009, 08:39 AM

Freedomsoar is a good fiction writer. She should make a good living writing stories.

i.e. Anonymous "testimonies" are useless. You wrote them. No one cares.