Learning to Listen - Riding with my Sons - Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries

We’d like to introduce you to Lisa Kitchens, a local mid-Missouri foster parent who is now able to use Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries’s equine program to help her children. About ten years ago, after completing a few years in the United States Army that involved tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, she became licensed and has been fostering ever since.

“I have known about Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries since I became a foster parent several years ago. Until now, it’s always been its own little community. Now, with foster parents and children from the community being invited to come in and make use of the services and activities, we are loving the chance to come out. I brought my boys out for the ice-skating day in February. Then, when Larry announced that he was beginning a horse-riding program for a few teens this spring, I told him I could fill his class if he wanted!

“With my military background, I do my best to run my home in a very structured way,” Lisa said. “I like things to be organized and think it’s important to keep the kids busy.

“Over the years, I’ve cared for a wide range of children. My first kids were all teen boys, and as a new foster parent that overwhelmed me for a while. So then I switched to caring for small children and babies, and I had 12 children at one point! They ranged in age from two years to 16-years-old. Nine of them were a sibling group. I’ve now decided that I prefer caring for older children, but 12 kids was actually really fun during that time! I love a busy family.

“Adoption has never been my goal. I just provide a loving, structured home for them while they need it, until reunification or adoption into another home happens. But God threw an unexpected miracle my way, and I’ve now adopted 10-year-old twin boys. I also have seven kids who have aged out and are young adults living on their own. They come back for holidays and other activities, and to them, I’m still their mom. I love that feeling.

“Currently, I’m employed as a school bus driver. It gives me more time with my boys. I am a licensed respiratory therapist, so I could be, and have been, employed in the medical field. But working those 12-hour shifts took me away from home for too long, and left me feeling exhausted when I was at home. I wanted to spend time with my kids! My babies are my life. I currently have six boys in my home, including my two adopted boys. Two 17-year-olds, one 16-year-old, one 13-year-old and the twins.”

Lisa heads to the outdoor arena to practice riding with her boys.

“We LOVE doing stuff together, but it’s just so hard to find things to do that are affordable for a large family. Horseback riding for my two special needs children was going to cost almost $5,000 elsewhere. And that wasn’t doing anything for my four other boys. Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries allows all of us to come, free of charge, and enjoy learning about and riding horses.

“When I heard about Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries’s Veterans’ riding program a few months ago, I considered joining in a session. But I just really love to do everything with my kids, so I didn’t sign up. I’m so glad to now have the chance for all of us to do this!”

When Lisa’s boys were asked what they most enjoyed about their weekly visits to Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries, they didn’t hesitate to reply, “The horses!”

*names changed for sake of confidentiality

“We groom them, then we get to ride them,” James* explained. “After we ride them, we groom them again. We’ve learned how to watch the horses and understand what they’re trying to tell us. We watch to make sure their ears aren’t laid back. We know if their eyes get wide, then they are feeling threatened or maybe angry. Those were the very first things we learned.”

“Roy is the horse I work with,” Brian said. “He’s not a very good listener. Sometimes I don’t listen very well, either. So I think I’m teaching him to listen better, and maybe I’m learning to listen better, too.”

Roy is busy teaching some listening skills!

“My kids look forward to this every week and are excited to interact with the horses and learn new things,” Lisa concluded. “And so am I. I have never had this opportunity before and it is just made 100 times better because I get to do it WITH my kids. Larry, Rebecca, Denise, and Logan are awesome and so patient.”
~~Lisa Kitchens

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