From Florida or Michigan, We Come to Serve

Lynne Mullen, Katie Martin - mission trip

Katie and Lynne

“Do what you can while you still have time to do it.”
This is the motivator for Lynne Mullen, grandmother to three and a retired nurse who brought this message all the way from Tampa Bay, Florida. This the second mission trip she’s taken with a granddaughter to Missouri. This time Katie, 17, an upcoming high school senior, joined her. Both came to serve for nearly a week; both left fulfilled. That is the marvel of serving and giving. Lynne shares her experience this way, “You want to do God’s will; to be a blessing to others, and it ends up blessing you in return.”

Lynne and Katie spent their week bouncing from home to home deep cleaning freezers, laundry rooms, the Education Center, Overton Arena, and sharing a meal with the Hubbell Home. What stood out during their time at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries? Our Home Parents. Our kind and persevering couples whose lives are dedicated to serving children. Both said they were happy to do their part. “Your homes are huge! Without the help of volunteers, there’s no way Home Parents can clean the way they want when children are the priority.”

Lynne and Katie’s time at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries is one we won’t soon forget. Both left with a better understanding of our ministry, but more importantly our mission:

“If children find the Lord here, that’s all that matters. We all will still have struggles, but God gives you a peace you wouldn’t have otherwise. This is all that matters.”

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LtoR: Malik, Mady, Kristi, Hudson, Janet, Belle, Laura, Hunter, Richard, Evelyn, Tim

A family of seven, a teenager, two seasoned mission-trip volunteers, and some newbies headed south from northern Michigan to central Missouri. Armed with open hearts and household tools, they descended upon Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries for a week.

Shortly after Lynne & Katie flew back to Florida, former Home Parents and other members of Gateway Church came ready to continue serving our families.

Tim & Kristi Hughes (former Parents in the Hubbell Home) brought their family, knowledge of Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries, and some friends to assist their work. They spent the week cleaning sheds, folding laundry, sorting school supplies, and cooking a BBQ for everyone! Again the group was struck by the selflessness of our Home Parents and the changing hearts of our children. “They spoke so kindly, using calm words. That’s not an easy thing to do in a home of eight to ten people.” Laura also shared a moment that touched her heart after serving in the Zimmer Home,

“A sweet five year old asked me if I liked hugs? I said yes and she said ‘I do, too!’”

Janet shared her favorite thing about Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries is the location. “You don’t have to worry about bothering neighbors here. Kids can be kids. They’re safe, but they get to have a lot of fun.”

We are so grateful for our visitors from Florida and Michigan! If you or your church group would like to visit Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries for your next mission trip, contact our office today.

We Need Your Intervention

Let’s be honest. Loving broken people can be exhausting at times. Yet that is what we, as the hands and feet of Jesus, are supposed to do. It’s what we strive for each and every moment at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries…loving some of the most broken of “the least of these.”

Blast from the Past – Summer Camp, Then and Now

We can’t put a specific year on this, since attending camp has been a big part of many Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries children’s summer experiences over the years. One camp that Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries has been sending children and youth to for most of our 25 years is Mt. Zion Youth Camp.