Harbor Life Ministries

Many Crisis Pregnancy Centers struggle with getting clients to come back, EPS on the other hand is blessed with clients who continue to come back to take advantage of EPS’s services.  One service is the Basic Parenting Class – a class that helps parents learn to be good and godly parents.

Five teen couples just graduated from attending nine months of Basic Parenting Class. The class made a hugh impact in the lives of the students:

•  All students successfully completed their high school degree

•  All began attending church

•  All are working hard at being good parents

• 9 out of 10 graduates have secured jobs

•  All are seeking to honor their parents

Thank God for how he worked through the Basic Parenting Class to help these young parents.  All the couples have indicated that they will be attending the Advanced Parenting Class in the Fall.

What a blessing it is to share in communion with the residents in our home.  Praise God that we get to see her spiritual growth.

The little one that we have with us, 20 months old, decided that during her bath tonight she would poop in the tub.  She was then scared to death at seeing the poop floating around near her and just screamed.  While all the adults tried not to laugh.  Everyone poops, sometime, and someplace.

Lots of tears today,  many BIG decisions need to be made today for mom and baby.

A resident receives her GED certificate today!!  Congratulations  way to go,  now moving on to college in the fall.

Recently, HLM received the following letter from a former client.

“Hello.  I was a pregnant teen who stayed with Karla and Doug (house parents). I didn’t stay at the Harbor House, I stayed with them in their home along with their children. (This was because HH was being remodeled.) It was the summer of 1993, I was 16 at the time and was only there for a few months. I gave birth to a baby boy, which I had decided to put up for adoption. However, before it could go through, the biological father of my son and his parents found out and so I made the decision along with my parents that I would bring my son home.”

“It has been tough at times, I was very young when I had my son. My mother, father and my sisters and brother were all supportive and helped through out the rest of my high school days. The biological father was never around. I had to financially provide for my son, even though my parents helped, I still was responsible for him. I decided to go to the Vocational Center because they had a program for unwed mom’s in which they could take their child there for the daycare for little to no cost, while they continued to finish high school. In the fall of 1995 I met a boy at the Vocational Center. He took me for who I was as well as my son. We have been together now almost 15 years. We have been married for almost 13 years. My husband adopted my son in 1998, for which my son has only known him as his father. Our son is now 16 and we have a daughter and she is 12. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and children.”

“Although my life is great now, I always think about what Karla and Doug did for me. I think about the fun we had while I was there, the support I received from them. They are good people, who would do anything to help you.”

Katie, an EPS client, recently said; “My experience with EPS has been wonderful. EPS is great! EPS helped me get through my pregnancy and learn how to be a parent. The ‘Baby Bucks’ I’ve earned have provided things I couldn’t afford for my baby.”

Even though Katie has recently graduated from the program, she continues to meet with EPS staff.  She said;  “I keep on coming back to EPS because the staff is always willing to talk and listen to me.”

I recently met with a judge and two probation officers who had asked HLM to help some delinquent pregnant teens. The judge wanted to share with me the impact that HLM had on the teens. He said that HLM had an outstanding program. The results were incredible. He said that the teens lives were changed for the better. He encouraged us to keep up the good work and said that he would be seeking our help in the future.
We thank God for His help and the opportunity to make real, lasting and eternal changes in the lives of troubled teens.

Chelsy and her new daughter Adelynne Joelle are both doing well after the baby’s arrival at 3:15 pm this afternoon, Friday, February 5.

Adelynne weighed a healthy 6 lb. 14 ounces.

Chelsy checked in at the hospital last evening. The induction meds were administered this morning and 2 pm, Chelsy was fully dilated and ready to push.

Chelsy’s most recent estimated due date was February 2. Possibly little Adelynne wanted to leave the job of predicting winter’s length to Buckeye Chuck and his associates. Whatever the reason, Chelsy didn’t miss her due date by much but she was definitely ready to get past pregnancy and on with parenting.

Chelsy’s mother (and Adelynne’s proud grandmother) Lena said she would get photos ASAP. Even so, it doesn’t require anything but a little imagination to see the smile on both Chelsy and Lena’s faces.

Please keep little Adelynne and Chelsy along with her family in your prayers.

Induction is scheduled at 9pm tonight, Feb. 4, for Chelsy, whose due date was two days ago.

The sex of the baby is undetermined, so even though an induction takes some of the surprise out of the birth, the baby’s name could be Carson Zavier or Adelynn Joelle.

Chelsy will be parenting her child, boy or girl. Her mother Lena will assist her.

Please pray for Chelsy to have a healthy baby, and remember to check back tomorrow. Subscribing to our feed is a good way to keep on top of news from HLM.

A couple from Norwalk have opened their home to Mindy and daughter Emily so that Mindy can focus on completing her schooling and getting a job.

Luke 15:10 says, “…there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Recently, God’s angels had a reason to doubly rejoice as two Harbor House teen girls became Followers of Jesus Christ.

Thank the Lord for how He makes an eternal impact through the ministry of HLM!

Bill Rieth, HLM Interim Executive Director

For approximately 20 years I have had the privilege of serving HLM on the board. Now, God has given me the opportunity to assist HLM by being the interim Executive Director.

In this capacity I hope that the Lord can use me to expand and improve the life changing ministry of HLM.

Please pray for one of our residents (who we will call “Felicia”) as she may be going home today.

Felicia is 16 and due in February but has completed all the program requirements, and her mother and family would love to see her return to home so that they can be close in this final month before the birth.

While at Harbor House Felicia realized that God would forgive her sins if she asked, so just recently she prayed for forgiveness and asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior. She is seeking a deeper relationship with God and wanting to know all of what it means to follow Christ.

Please pray that Felicia will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” as she reintegrates into her home, her family, her school and eventually into another new experience…motherhood!

Chelsy, 15, is from west-central Ohio, and arrived Monday, September 28, 2009.

Her baby is due to arrive in February 2010.

Chelsy is a freshman and has already gotten back into the swing of school as she’s enrolled in Ohio Virtual Academy.

Chelsy is hoping to parent her baby but will begin looking at the alternative choice of making an adoption plan, so that she can plot a course for herself that gives both her and the baby the best life possible.

Please keep Chelsy and her baby in your prayers.

            Hannah meets Samuel

Samuel Andrew, at 7 lb. 1 oz. and 21 inches long, arrived yesterday at 3:21 pm. Mom and baby are both doing well.

Her delivery was great. I was so impressed with her. She did such a great job.

Hannah’s mother could not get to Ohio for the delivery but should arrive Saturday, and then they plan to head back home on Monday to start school on Tuesday.

There were a few God things that happened at the hospital which I would love to share if anyone wants to hear.

Thanks again for all your love and prayers.

He’s finally here!

Hannah gave birth at 3:21 pm EDT to a baby boy weighing 7 lb. 1 oz., and 21 inches in length.

“She did great!” was Karla’s comment on the birth.

He has 10 fingers and 10 toes, but no name yet apparently. We’ll keep you posted. Check back or subscribe to our feed.

The day started at 5:30. Hannah woke Kirsten, our 18-year-old leaving for college in a few days who has become good friends in a short time with Hannah.

“Kirsten,” she said in her soft voice, “I think I’m really in labor now. The contractions hurt.”

The contractions were occurring about every two-to-three minutes. Kirsten and Hannah “hung out for awhile” (in Kirsten’s words), then woke Karla around 6:45 am. After showering and pulling everything together, they left for the hospital around 8.

The nurses checked her and found her cervix to be around 5 cm. dilated, half the distance to full dilation needed for childbirth.

They notified the doctor, who said she be in as soon as she could to break Hannah’s water. In the meantime, Hannah got comfortable–or as comfortable as she could get–in bed. The nurses wouldn’t allow her to get up and walk around until her water had been broken.

She tried out a few different positions as the contractions continued to get stronger.

The nurses did allow her to get onto the birthing ball for a short time. The birthing ball is air-filled plastic vinyl, about 3 feet in diameter, like a giant kickball. It helps stretch the muscles around the vaginal opening, loosening and relaxing them. It also takes some of the edge off the labor pains.

The doctor, who as it turned out had patients booked all day today at the office, stopped in on her lunch hour and broke the water. There had been speculation that Hannah would not have much water but that proved untrue.

With the water broken Hannah is able to get up and move around more, taking walks down the hall if she wishes.

The adoptive parents and their little 4-year-old daughter have been by Hannah’s side this morning, although they decided to send their daughter home at lunch with Grandma.

Please keep praying. Hopefully we’ll be able to announce soon, “it’s a boy!“

She arrived in early March from sunny southern California, and her time here in north central Ohio is almost at an end.

The contractions are five minutes apart. Some are painful, some are moderate and some are really light and quick.

It’s been a full day so rest, even sleep if possible, is necessary to give her energy to make it through the delivery.

The adoptive parents are certainly waiting by the phone for news, but nighttime is upon us and…who knows when the little boy Hannah has carried for nearly 38 weeks will make his appearance.

While we all wait, we sleep and rest. Good night.

Hannah has started having contractions but is still at home. If you would like to keep up on Hannah’s progress, you can follow Harbor Life Ministries on Twitter.