Our Sight Restored

—Have you ever experienced a dream so vivid, so real, that it must have had a deeper spiritual meaning and application? Have you ever been lost in prayer while visions pass through your mind, illuminating what the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart? Have you heard the call of Jesus through the utterance of a good word, which is then confirmed by the Voice of Truth? Have you ever stepped onto a path, either literally or figuratively, and the Spirit of Truth prevents you from stepping out further? Have you entered a room, either a literal or figurative room, sensing the spirit of darkness, and so you withdraw from that place to pray? Have you ever entered a place, either a literal or figurative place, sensing the authority of the Holy Spirit, and are compelled to stay? This is the spiritual insight God gives each one who is born again and walks by the Spirit. That which was unseen is now seen by the eyes of the Spirit in you. The more I see Jesus, who is the Word of Truth, I am convinced all are given eyes to see when we walk by the Holy Spirit.

His Grace Is Enough…

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

~ 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Over the past several weeks, our patience, strength and calling have been put to the test. As one might imagine with this many teenage boys under one roof (9 boys, 13-years and up), things are bound to go wrong from time to time. Now, add backgrounds of abuse, abandonment and being a child of the social service system to that mix, and problems are inevitable.




We’ve been going through some strong opposition from the older boys of late, which is trickling down to our youngest boys fast. The enemy knows what he’s doing, and he does it well in the lives of these boys. They often do not want to comply with rules and are often disobedient, doing what they want and what they will. Bad attitudes and strong personalities have been pushing us harder than we’ve ever been pushed before in our lives. This has brought us through several difficult discussions and very long nights, sometimes sleepless nights, and several tears. However, God continues to work through us and show us things about ourselves and about these children that move us forward and gives us insight and strength to keep going.

Here with us...

The last time we updated you, Matthew wrote about God’s unconditional love for us. Since then, we continue to daily learn more about God’s love and the responsibilities of being a “House Parent”, “Tutor,” “Tio/Tia” or “Papa/Mama”. We continue to learn how this love and these responsibilities go way beyond just the physical; they go into the spiritual and they get very real. We deal with a very real battle daily for these boys’ souls.


No matter the length of time God might have us here, these boys will always hold a place in our hearts. We have already been here for 3 months the 10th February. During these past months, we have dealt with a lot of attitudes. We know that these come from very heartbroken, wounded hearts and souls. These boys have been through so much change and each change has affected them profoundly. We have seen many days recently of obedience, hope, love, laughter and fun. They seem to now be adjusting quite well.

While we were sinners...

I would be lying if I said being a parent figure to 15 boys is an easy task. If you’ve ever had or worked with preadolescent or teenage boys, you know that easy is far from the truth. The array of emotion and spontaneous anger that at times emanates from any one of our boys is enough to keep a father and a mother busy and on their knees in prayer at all hours of the night. Multiplying that by fifteen allows one to learn very quickly that the strength it takes to keep such emotion in-check and to prevent one’s own sanity from flying out of control requires both a close relationship with the Father and continuous prayer.

This Next Season of Life

As the temperatures cool, leaves begin to change and the new season approaches us, calming stirs the air. I absolutely cherish each moment spent with the ones I love. Spending time with my beautiful wife and lovely children is what brings me great joy, overflowing. This time of year is a favorite for our family, and we are more than blessed to be enjoying one last fall together in Missouri before approaching this next season of life.



Family Fun... and a little romance
As Tiffany and I have contemplated this ministry these past several months, we have had so many emotions cross through our conversations together. There are times we feel very much inadequate, but God continues to draw us back to himself. As Tiffany and I draw nearer to one another, allowing God to work in us, we find great peace in knowing he will equip us with everything we need, and is equipping us already. Tough times may approach us, but also times of great blessing and joy.

My Father’s Love

From my very earliest memories, I don’t recall a time when I ever felt unloved or unappreciated by my father. I would be dishonest to say my father was perfect, but I can say my father was and is one of the best of fathers that God has ever created. It’s odd to think about really; I’m sure there are things he wishes he had done differently, but if my children ever say of me what I think about my father, what an honor that would be! Despite any forgotten shortcomings, I am proud and honored to call him my father. His name is David Carmichael, and it’s because of his legacy I am the father I am today.

To Be With Us...

I will never grow tired of seeing such pure joy in my children’s eyes as they experience the simple pleasures of childhood. All too often I find myself getting “caught up” in the stresses and responsibilities of life and adulthood. I forget to slow down and enjoy life through the eyes of my children.

For example – my little Ale just turned two a few days back and then experienced his first Easter in the United States this past weekend. The Easter bunny had come! The baskets were ready, and… man alive! You should have seen his face when he went in for the peeps and dug his teeth right in without a single hesitation! His face lit up with overwhelming excitement when he found his first Easter egg, and life was so sweet and so perfect, as we enjoyed a brief moment of carelessness together and watched our little ones participate in the simple joys of life. These are the things of life our Heavenly Father preordained for us from the beginning.