Jamesha’s Story: ‘With God All Things Are Possible’
The first day of kindergarten was approaching and Jamesha was running out of time. The preschooler, who lives at O.U.R. Mission Home with her mother and five siblings, couldn’t recognize her name — let alone spell it. She could sing the alphabet song but couldn’t identify the letters out of sequence. She didn’t know her shapes or colors.
Sadly, most of the children who come to the Mission are lagging behind their peers academically because of the emotional stress of homelessness. Jamesha was a prime example.
“She was way behind where she needed to be,” recalls Bernesdean Graham, a teacher in the Mission’s Early Learning Center. “We just kept working with her and praying for a miracle. Then, one day, it happened!”
Three weeks before school started, as Jamesha began reviewing her letters, she recognized the first one, then the second one, and then the third — all the way to Z! Before long she knew her colors and shapes, and she could repeat the Bible verses she learned in the ELC. By the first day of school, she could even write her name!
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mrs. Graham says. “There’s no doubt that God touched her mind and allowed her to learn. I give Him all the glory.”
Jamesha hasn’t stopped progressing. Halfway through kindergarten, she is performing at grade level in both reading and math. In fact, her mother says all of her children’s grades have improved thanks to the help they receive daily through the children’s and youth programs in the Family Life Center.
Jamesha is an example of Matthew 19:26: “With God all things are possible,” and that’s the theme we are following during the renovation of the Family Life Center this year. With the help of friends like you, we are creating a comfortable home-like environment where our youngest residents are able to overcome the emotional, behavioral and spiritual scars of homelessness.
Helping our children develop into well-adjusted Christian students is one of the most important ways we can break the cycle of homelessness. That’s why we are completely renovating our Family Life Center into a safe and fun, yet purposeful, haven of development. But we need your help. Would you consider a generous donation today?
