L I F E H O U S E

L I F E LE T T E RISSUE 20 | FALL 2019

LifeHouse is a Christ-centered ministry ensuring life for unborn children by providing opportunities for housing, help, and hope for young women during their pregnancies and beyond.

UPCOMING EVENTS

ALL IN FOR LIFE CASINO NIGHT FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2019 | 7PM | JUNIOR LEAGUE OF HOUSTON

Roulette | Blackjack | Texas Hold’em | CrapsSponsorships and tickets available at lifehousehouston.org

OCT

25

With a passion for the local church and a deep desire to make it more beautiful, Becka joined the LifeHouse team in the spring of 2019. Her position as Manager of Volunteer Services provided the ideal opportunity to mobilize the local body of believers to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the women and children of LifeHouse.

Becka was first introduced to the ministry as a volunteer herself and quickly saw an opportunity to connect her passions with her profession. The daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Becka has an innate value for home — a safe place, where one feels valued, seen and heard. After serving abroad on medical missions with refugees, Becka saw LifeHouse as a way to serve the displaced in her own backyard.

Becka currently attends Real Hope Community Church in Richmond with her husband Caleb, the worship pastor.

FUN FACT: BECKA IS A GIFTED CELLIST AND TALENTED CALLIGRAPHER!

MEET BECKASTAFF HIGHLIGHT

Earlier this summer, Brianna walked through the doors of LifeHouse anxious but excited about the new possibilities. As a 17-year-old, she had experienced more heartache and trauma than many adults could imagine. One year ago, she ran away from her foster home and spent months bouncing from one friend’s home to the next. When Brianna found out she was pregnant, her aunt referred her to LifeHouse, and she was welcomed into the LifeHouse home the next day.

Brianna connected with her housemother from the start and they began having casual conversations about who Jesus was and what He did for us. One day, an intentional conversation with her LifeLine Coach led to a moment of decision and Brianna decided to make Jesus the center of her life. They held hands, prayed, cried and Brianna felt free!

As a way to celebrate and make her newfound faith public, Brianna was baptized on the LifeHouse campus – her mother and her LifeHouse family rejoicing alongside her. Brianna said, “Everything has changed so much in just a few months.” Brianna is expecting her daughter, Ry’Niyha, in November.

JOIN US IN PRAYER FOR CONTINUED DISCIPLESHIP OF BRIANNA AND ALL OF THE WOMEN WHO ARE CHOOSING TO GIVE THEIR LIVES TO JESUS. PRAY FOR MORE RESIDENTS TO MAKE THE DECISION TO MAKE JESUS THE CENTER OF THEIR LIVES.

FREEDOM IN CHRIST BRIANNA’S STORY

A DAY IN THE LIFE, GROCERY SHOPPING FOR THE HOME

HOUSING

Between household chores and family meals, a home is created at LifeHouse. However, more than chores and meals, one seemingly insignificant family moment happens each week that bonds the women more than most other tasks – grocery shopping.

The house mothers at LifeHouse have mastered the art of grocery shopping and have perfected it into science. The grocery list is put together on Sunday evenings as the home gathers for family meetings. Each resident is responsible for leading one family dinner each week, so she is careful to include the items she needs on the list. The women take a simple inventory of which breakfast, lunch and snack items need to be replaced as well in the pantry and they add those too.

Mondays are designated for shopping. The women pile into the van with their house mother and the undertaking begins. As items are selected in the store, the life skills of budgeting, planning, respectful communication, and negotiating are learned. For women who once lived day to day, surrounded by trauma, these are new intangible skills that will be taken into parenthood, the workplace, and future relationships. Even more valuable to the overall healing of the woman than anything else is the trust that is built while this task takes place. One shopping trip leads to open conversations about life which leads to ministry to the heart. At LifeHouse, grocery shopping is so much more than a trip to the store – it is a place of connection and healing of the heart.

SUPPORT DAILY HOUSEHOLD NEEDS LIKE GROCERIES BY BECOMING A MONTHLY DONOR. $100 PER MONTH COVERS ONE DAY OF MEALS FOR ALL THREE RESIDENTIAL HOMES. TO SET UP YOUR EASY MONTHLY GIVING, VISIT LIFEHOUSEHOUSTON.ORG.

Homeless, abused, trafficked, addicted – these are just a few of the words that would describe Myleigh’s life before she found a new start at LifeHouse. As a child and teenager, Myleigh felt unwanted and alone – passed from home to home, seeking love and not finding it. When she did find love as a young adult, it was in unhealthy relationships that left her fighting to survive on her own. She idolized material things and worked for a variety of underhanded businesses to make money – waitressing, selling drugs and selling herself.

When her employer found out she was pregnant, she couldn’t continue working. She had no one to turn to – she felt empty.

Myleigh was referred to LifeHouse by a caseworker at a pregnancy center and moved in the next day. She immediately felt like she had broken free from her old life. She was accepted into LifeHouse’s Aftercare Program and is looking forward to spending her first year of motherhood with the guidance and love of her house parents. Since coming to the home, Myleigh chose to make God first in her life. She says, “I’ve been given a clean slate and a brand-new start.”

PRAY FOR MYLEIGH AS SHE CONTINUES TO BOND WITH HER HOUSE PARENTS AND LIFEHOUSE FAMILY.

MYLEIGH’S NEW START

HELP

When Jasmine first moved into LifeHouse, she was quiet and timid. She had been abused as a child and adopted into a Christian family, but still struggled with the impacts of her childhood. As a teenager, she experienced bouts of homelessness, was lured into being sex-trafficked and spent time in jail for prostitution. She found herself pregnant and reached out to LifeHouse. She loved her time at the home and connected with her house parents quickly.

Since leaving the home and giving birth to her baby boy, Maliki, Jasmine has found community through the monthly meetings of LifeLine. Each meeting sets her attitude for the rest of the month and reassures her that there are people in her life who care about her.

Most recently, Jasmine joined a church community at Houston’s First Baptist Church and chose to give her life to Christ. She celebrated publicly at a joyful baptism on the LifeHouse residential campus. She said, “I needed to accept God in my life and let Jesus be the center of my life.” The shy young woman that entered the LifeHouse home over a year ago now radiates confidence with the joy of the Lord.

JOIN LIFEHOUSE IN PRAYER FOR WOMEN LIKE JASMINE WHO ATTEND THE LIFELINE ALUMNAE EVENTS EACH MONTH. PRAY THAT THEY WILL CHOOSE TO MAKE JESUS THE CENTER OF THEIR LIVES!

ALUMNAE, JASMINE FINDS NEW LIFE

HOPE

CAMPUS NEEDSJACKETS• NEW CHRISTMAS TOYS • NEW WHITE TWIN SHEET SET

Schedule your donation drop-off today by emailing becka.petticrew@lifehousehouston.orgAccepted donations list available at lifehousehouston.org/accepted-donations

Nurse and mom, Evie Mitchell wanted to spend her free time investing in the lives of other women. When she found LifeHouse online she found a great opportunity to combine her heart for supporting moms and her passion for scrapbooking. Since the first day of volunteering, Evie has seen God use this hobby to bless her and the residents more than she could have imagined.

Scrapbooking has been a therapeutic and creative outlet for the residents. Working with their hands and having a productive project to work on has been a stress reliever for the residents as they await the arrival of their babies. Evie’s scrapbooking class has also created opportunities for meaningful conversation as they scrapbook about parenting and future personal goals.

Residents look forward to Tuesday mornings with Evie. Where words may be hard to express, arts and crafts provide a tool for LifeHouse residents to process their thoughts and emotions. We are grateful for Evie’s investment in the lives of the women by faithfully sharing her time and presence to build meaningful relationships!

VOLUNTEER TO TEACH A CREATIVE ART CLASS LIKE EVIE! VISIT LIFEHOUSEHOUSTON.ORG TO SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER.

EVIE MITCHELLCREATIVE ARTS VOLUNTEER TEACHER

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORSCason White, PRESIDENTTom Rourick, TREASURERAdam Roark, SECRETARY Sue Baumgarten Shenille Engelhart-Skopik Jason GeorgeStacey Lamb Lesley Lilly

JaNae LyonStephanie PriceYvette Simpson Darren Smith

ADVISORY COUNCILCourtney & Doug Abernethy Brock C. AkersRev. Tom AllenBuzz BakerDr. Voddie Baucham Hon. Jane BlandLaurence & Henry Bragg, Sr. Jane CostelloBen CowartJeff CranfordDean CrossRod DesrochesBill DonovanBarbara ElliotRobert FinchBeth FlinnPhillip Franshaw Dr. Celeste GarbarinoCathy HaleAshley HannaTrey HendershotMindy & Jeff HildebrandEmily Kelley Kristi & Robert KincannonMatt KurylaHouston Lane

Susan & David LightKevin Lilly Danielle MitchellCandace Mullervy Michael J. O’DonnelAnn P. Makris PolandLara PringlePaul Rasplicka Nathaniel RichardsOralia Rios-Nuñez James Marshall Rorie, Jr.Leiselle Sadler Chris SegerRobert ShultsCharles SimpsonMatthew Slataper Rev. Jeff SmithRev. Rufus SmithAllison & Spencer StasneyNicole StelivanMark StrangeElizabeth Taaffe Kerr TaylorJim WeatherallLaura & William M. Wheless IV

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORMeredith Phillips

@LIFEHOUSEHOUSTON

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