Kansas City Maternity Services Adoption Services

IT’S ALMOST HERE… Walk for Life 2010

Click HERE to see more information about how you can join us as we Walk for Life on Saturday, May 15th!

The Light House is on Facebook!

Are you a Facebook user? The Light House is on Facebook and we want to spread the news (and our reach!). If you aren’t currently a friend of the Light House, you should be!

Plus, did you know that in addition to our Light House page, we are also registered as a Cause on the Facebook network? This means that we can recruit people to our cause, send updates to all our members, and even receive donations! If you haven’t already, you need to sign up to be a Light House friend AND a Light House Cause member. Think of the amazing reach we can have if we spread the word and invite our friends to join our network!

See you soon on Facebook!

Click HERE to go to our Cause page, and HERE to go to our Fan Page.

The Light House has been blessed by the talents and energies of many volunteers throughout its quarter century of existence.  Without this dedicated group of individuals, the Light House would not have endured for so many years, and, subsequently, might not have been around to save the lives of so many babies.

Volunteering for any non-profit requires an investment of time and energy, but, most importantly, it demands a desire on the part of a volunteer, to improve the lives of others, even through the completion of seemingly mundane tasks like stuffing envelopes or filing. Volunteers are not paid employees and as such, are typically assigned the less glamorous projects and responsiblities within an organization.

Some volunteers log an hour of service with an organization, while others devote thousands of hours to non-profits, and maybe only occasionally hear a ‘thank you’ or ‘good job’. Volunteering is supposed to be a reward in and of itself, but if there is no gratitude expressed for a job well done the incentive for a volunteer to continue investing his or her time and energies  in a particular organization is eclipsed by this lack of appreciation. 

That being said, we at the Light House would like to reiterate how very thankful we are to all of our volunteers, who have and do contribute to the success of this ministry. Without your help, we might not have survived to celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2009. With your help, we will not only survive, but thrive during the next 25 years of ministry.

Jennifer

As the month of January wanes and thoughts of spring replace already stagnating intentions to achieve New Year’s resolutions, those of us at the  Light House also look ahead in the year to May, when the grass will be freshly mowed and hundreds of walkers will descend upon the MidAmerica Nazarene University campus for a ‘Walk for Life’.

The walk will raise funds that will directly benefit Light House clients. The event will also emphasize the importance of the preservation and protection of innocent, unborn life. It will be celebrate and honor life in all phases of development.

Currently, we are in the beginning stages of planning this event and like anything in its infancy, this process is still unsteady in most details.  There are volunteers to recruit and committees to organize, and amidst this seemingly ceaseless barrage of activity it’s easy to forget that God should be the true navigator of every ministry and His will should be the tail fire of every push toward each goal.

So, please pray for sunshine and for God’s blessing upon the walk in May, because no matter how much planning we do ourselves, the end result will always rest in His hands.

Jennifer

“[We] want to take this opportunity to let you know how much we appreciate all that the Light House has done for ‘Mary’ and us. 

“Mary’s story began two weeks before her 18th birthday. She had been working at her first job at Taco Bell and had started a relationship with her 29-year-old boss. Later, on her 18th birthday, she dropped out of high school and again moved in with this man. 

“During the course of the next three months she became pregnant and realized her mistakes. When she begged to move home, we refused. In the period she was gone we had connected with a parent support group at our church. That organization along with the Light House helped us deal with her situation. We gave Mary a choice… find a friend to move in with or call the Light House. She briefly moved in with friends and soon realized she needed serious support. 

“When Mary was in 2nd or 3rd grade, we as a family volunteered at the Benedictine location of the Light House to remodel a room. We knew that it was a loving, caring place and it’s staff was the best. Mary was accepted and moved in; she was enrolled in high school and Medicaid, and was given counseling and much information and education about her impending pregnancy. It was difficult for her to be there for such a long time but she grew as a person, from child to adult. Mary had chosen adoption from the very beginning; no one forced her to make that decision. Being adopted herself, she had grown to understand what adoption can mean to all parties involved.  With the help of the Light House, Mary picked a family for her child and has had no regrets.  

“We let Mary move back into our home. She will start Junior College in the spring, she’s looking for a job and will be buying a car. She is back dating her 18 year old boyfriend and planning a future. None of this would have been possible without the love and help of the Light House staff. My wife and I feel that we have our daughter back; she’s more respectful, helpful and kind. I asked Mary what she learned from the Light House, and she said it has helped her be a better person.  Again, many thanks to all of you.”

“I am a mother of a child who gave birth and chose adoption. Or should I say I am a mother whose baby had a baby. That is the only thing that went through my mind for a long time… that MY baby was going to have a baby. How could this be? She was fifteen [when] she gave birth. 

“Choosing adoption may be the ‘responsible’ decision to make, but that doesn’t make it an easy decision to make. It wasn’t a question of, ‘Could my daughter be a good mother?’ I knew she could. But, it was a question of, ‘Is it the best time for my daughter to be a mother?’ But, after all we have been through, I can honestly tell you now that I rest each night without guilt, worry or anxiety. I am actually at complete peace. With God’s help of course. 

“One of the most promising things that God showed me was that we were not losing a baby, but rather we were gaining an entire family. I know that some day we will not only be reunited with our grandchild, but also with her entire adoptive family who loves her just as much as we do. God has just chosen them to be a sort of permanent babysitter for us until the timing is right for our daughter and her daughter to meet. I cannot say enough about how much I love our adoptive family we chose. They are precious to our family; not just to my daughter, but to our entire family. We really bonded with them.  

“There is a HAPPY ending to all of this. It has only been four months since the adoption, but I can say that we made it through ok and we are moving forward.  My daughter is back to herself again. She is moving forward with school and sports and regaining her social life that she abandoned. I truly think we are moving on to the ‘better place’ we focused on during the entire process.”

“I enjoyed staying at the Light House. It was a great experience where they taught me how to be a great mother.

 ”One of the things I enjoyed most was the College Coaches. If not for [them] I would never have dreamed of a college career. They helped me with financial aid and class selection and all the issues related to going to college. I know that my college degree will change my life forever. 

“Now for the big news! My baby was a real Light House baby. You see, my baby was not born at the hospital like the other thousands of Light House babies. No, my baby was born AT the Light House! 

“After a trip to the hospital and careful monitoring by health care professionals, I was instructed to return to the Light House for the evening. Later that night, my baby chose to be born, and to be born very quickly! 

“I cried out for help and in seconds the trained Light House staff was right there with me, helping me and calling 911. Within minutes, before the ambulance arrived, my little baby came into the world. 

“My baby and I are just fine! I have no idea what might have happened to me and my baby if I had not been at the Light House. I can’t imagine what would have happened if the Light House staff weren’t seconds away when I needed them. 

“Thanks to your support of the Light House I had a place to live, and my baby was born safe and healthy! So you see, my baby is a real Light House baby! 

“Please continue to support the Light House so young moms like me can always have a safe place to live when they need it most.”

Another Life Being Impacted by God Through the Light House
Barb’s Story

“Have you ever dreaded something with all your being to learn that it was one of the best things you could have ever done? I felt that in full force during my experience with The Light House. If asked now, I would say my time at The Light House impacted me greatly. However, when I first came to the maternity home at 17 years old, things were a little rough. I didn’t want to be at the house. I spent many of my first days crying and kept to myself. Within two to three weeks, I got into trouble, which made me not want to be there even more. I just wanted to be home so I refused to participate—I was not going to give in.

“All the other girls kept telling me that things would get better so I finally decided to stop being mad and just have fun. Within a few days, I began to see changes in myself. I began to see how much the staff and the other girls really cared about me so I let my guard down a bit and began to participate in the daily devotions and prayer time. I enjoyed it. I began to make friends and worked with my therapist, Nicole, to help me with the issues I was dealing with. In time, I met many of my goals, including getting a job. I had a great job which I really liked.

“In addition to my job, the Light House helped me find a great doctor. He was the same doctor that so many other Light House mom’s used and that made me feel comfortable. I really liked him and liked that I was getting such great care—both for myself and my baby.

“When my baby was born, I was so overjoyed to know that I had a healthy baby. Even now that my baby is born, I still attend the Outreach Program at The Light House. Because I met the goals Nicole and I laid out for me, I was able to return home and  I continue to grow as a person and as a mother. I recommend The Light House to others I know who may need a place that provides unconditional love and support during their pregnancy.”

-Barb, age 17

Due to the assistance she received through the College Coach program, Barb received a full-ride scholarship to Avila University. She began classes in the fall of 2009; despite a tough courseload, she finished with a 3.8 GPA! Barb was also gifted a car to drive to and from work and school, thanks to one of our generous donors.

The following is yet another story of lives changed through an experience at the Light House. The best part is that there were THREE lives changed - a beautiful young woman, her loving mother… and this young woman’s baby, who was welcomed into a wonderful adoptive family.

Andrea’s Story
“My experience at the Light House has been life-changing.  I’ve learned to love myself but most importantly, I’ve learned to love God.  Being here helps you to respect yourself as well as others.  Also learning to get along with different people that have different personalities.  I have learned how to appreciate my home and my family.  I think God put me here for a reason and put these wonderful people in my life for a reason.

“I missed home a lot and thought I was alone until I finally realized that God was here with me all along.  It just took me some time to realize it.  I’m thankful for having a chance to be here and meet all the new people.  If I have learned anything valuable at all, it’s to love God and have faith in all things are possible through Christ.”

Andrea’s Mom’s Story
“To me, The Light House is exactly what the names reads: the light.

“When I found out that my sixteen-year-old daughter was pregnant by a boy that I had forbidden her to see, a shadow of darkness fell upon my life.  I prayed day in and day out for an answer on what to do about my situation.  Being a single, ill parent, I could not support two children and a grandchild.  So the thought of adoption (for my grandchild) and an all-Christian, girls’ home (for my daughter) came to mind; actually I know that God put it on my mind.  I went on the internet and searched for a place like this.  I did research on several homes before deciding on The Light House.

“I called and spoke with representatives of The Light House.  After talking to them, I knew this was the place.  The staff was and still is a group of very friendly, Christian people.  They let me take my time on deciding what to do.  They did not try to force anything upon me.  I hate to imagine what would have happened to me or my child if I had not found them.  This was to be a learning process for my daughter, but they helped me also.  They were always there for me.  I now believe that I have a transformed child.  I wish this on no family (single or two-parented), but should it happen to you, please try The Light House. Along with God, they put the light back into my house.  I owe them my life.”

Did you know that Missouri has a special Tax Credit for Maternity Homes?
If you have Missouri income, you may be able to get back 50% of your qualified donation to the Light House, AND still deduct the donation from both your state and federal taxes. Call us for more information at 816-361-2233 x208.

Just a reminder: To count as a qualified donation for your 2009 tax return, your donation must be postmarked by December 31, 2009. You may also donate right here on our website, or call us to make a credit card donation over the phone!

December 2009

Dear Friends,

“Hi! I’m the Delivery Boy.” How often have I responded this way to people when they ask what I do at the Light House. But, that is exactly what I have done for the last 25 years. Wow! TWENTY-FIVE years!

Because of donors like you, I have had the privilege of delivering the babies of mothers who were desperate and considering abortion as their only option. It is still a thrill after all these years to be involved in God’s plan. Since that first baby miraculously arrived on July 2nd, 1985, more than 1,200 young women have discovered the Light House despite the odds against this discovery. Like many other women in the same situation, the mother of the first Light House baby was referred to an abortionist by her own doctor before she found the Light House.

Because of you, young women find compassion and hope at the Light House at a critical juncture in their lives. They are provided for materially, emotionally, and more importantly they are offered spiritual nourishment. Your support has delivered young women from as far away as Brazil and as close as the apartment next door to the Light House. Some are already homeless or on the verge of homelessness. Their vulnerability is embaced by Godly house parents, counselors, nurses, administrative persons, and hundreds of volunteers and supporters like you.

Because of you, young women have chosen to place their babies in Godly, Christian homes through adoption. Others have chosen to take the lifelong journey with their babies and learned important life skills that emphasized parenting through the Light House program. Meeting some of those mothers and babies, some of whom are fully grown, has been a special privilege for me. It is more than gratifying to hear about the life-altering experiences of these young women, who experience the love of their neighbor and God, sometimes for the first time, because of you, our generous donor.

What does the future hold for the Light House? Another 25 years of the Holy Spirit working through this ministry to benefit desperate young women? I certainly hope this is the case. Because of you, I know that I can continue to work to relieve the societal wound. I can only do so much, though. I need your support as I continue to bring new life into the world. Without you, my hands can only do what two hands can do. Please consider a gift of $25, $50, $100, or even more if you are capable. The need is great. Please ask God to guide you in your decision to continue your support of young women and their babies. I am only a “delivery boy,” but I am honored to deliver this message to you and hope you will renew your support of the cause of LIFE!

Please send a gift today. Your help is needed!

In Christ’s Love for Young Women and Babies,

Donald E. Philgreen, MD
“The Delivery Boy”