By Ron Riley, Executive Director As we close out 2025, I find myself filled with gratitude—and awe—as I reflect on the ways God has moved through the faithful prayers and generosity of our community. At the beginning of this year, we asked you to join us in praying boldly over several strategic needs. We knew…
In my early 20s, I was a day laborer on a construction crew. We did general contracting in private homes. It was hard and arduous work – but at the end of the day, you would leave the job site knowing that you had made a difference. You could literally see and touch the difference.…
“On behalf of the Killion and Cole Families, we are honored to be here. We are truly humbled by this counseling center dedication and ribbon-cutting event. Cookson Hills meant so much to my parents. It was an integral part of their lives, which also became a part of Carol’s and my life, then our spouses…
Mr. L, or Robb Lenardson, has been serving as the high school math teacher at Cookson Hills for thirteen years. He’s known around the school for his kindness, gentleness, math puns, love of trains, and love for his students as though they were his children. The class of 2023 invited Robb to deliver the commencement…
I remember gushing to my husband after the first day of practice with our girls in July. It was my 7th season as an assistant volleyball coach at Cookson Hills, and two things were immediately apparent: These girls had some serious potential They were the most coachable group of players I have ever worked with…
My name is Jorge. My wife and I have been houseparents at Cookson Hills since 2018, but God had been preparing my heart long before we arrived. Jorge’s Story I had a good early childhood. I thought we had a strong family, but in my adolescent years, things started crumbling. My dad left and abandoned…
I don’t get around at all. I stay well to myself. Some would say that I have no boundaries and let people walk all over me. And I would say you’re right! Because I’m a bridge, and that’s pretty much my job. I was built in 1968. You probably couldn’t tell by my looks because…
When I began working at the main office at Cookson Hills, I noticed an office mate had quilts stacked up in her office. Intrigued by the sight, I asked what all these quilts were for. She told me that a group of women make quilts for each of our kids! The quilts were so beautiful…
Surrender. It is not a word that comes easy for me in my walk with God. The biggest reason for this struggle is my mentality. Believing that my way is better than God’s way, that my plan is better than His plan for my life. Even though I surrender to God time and time again,…
1957 CHCS NEWSLETTER NOV-DEC ISSUE By Edwin L. Beem Some people choose to live entirely in a world of hard facts and realism, they accept only those things which they can contact with one or more of their five senses. Others choose to live in a dream world, refusing to accept the facts of life.…
We got goals, Yes we do, we got goals for 2022! Cookson Hills has been in existence for 65 years this year. That’s something to celebrate and cheer on. But with every year that has come and gone, so have the ministry’s goals. Last year our goals were to serve 49 children for an average…
It’s hard to believe that June of 2021 marked our 11th anniversary at Cookson Hills. Through these years, it has been a journey. A journey of learning trust, patience, and grace. But most of all, a journey of God’s grace, power, and love working through us. Like most of us serving our Heavenly Father, at…
I was asked to give a devotional thought on living a life of service for a community worship night, I quickly agreed but it didn’t take very long for me to question my decision… After all, how can I encourage or challenge a community of believers who are already living a life of service to live…
It was the last week of the school year and the campus was abuzz with all the end of the year activities; awards night, band concert, field day, and yearbook signing. I was sitting in my classroom chatting with my yearbook co-advisor after class; in bounced Kaytlin. With a grin from ear to ear, she…
Rod and Tina Johnson’s Story God moves and speaks in ways that are unique to each one of us. He is a God of persons as well as a God of people. He will always have a very individual relationship with you as well as your marriage, family, church, culture, and country. God uses unique…
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see…
As another trip around the sun has come to pass, we celebrate as 2020 is put to rest. Many take this time to look to the future and plan what steps are needed to reach the new levels of growth. Goals help us strive to be better. They give us landmarks to see where we…
The greatest lessons of my life have come through the difficult seasons. As 2019 closed and we headed into 2020, I was praying for God to lead us boldly into a new season of ministry and growth at Cookson Hills. We had made a smooth transition in leadership, we were seeing amazing stories written in…
“Remember, what you do matters; the work has never been easy; it’s not supposed to be easy, but it is SIGNIFICANT in God’s Kingdom.” John Stumbo, Christian Missionary Alliance We believe each of our employees is in ministry – whether they are houseparents, or maintenance staff, teachers, or cooks. When a family chooses to…
“Our horses are special because they listen to the anger, fears, hurts, uncertainty, and joys of our kids without telling a soul the secrets entrusted to them.” Amanda Zamarron, Cookson Hills Housemom Equine Program Update Since July 2019, students have flocked to the barn for horsemanship classes. Every time students come to the barn for…
He spoke barely above a whisper, and I almost missed it. On the first day of school, I had asked my 6th-grade math class to calculate how much money they could save by the time they graduated from Cookson Hills. Students at Cookson Hills are able to earn money in several ways during their time…
People often ask what brings kids to Cookson Hills. Each child’s story is different and unique, but sometimes a child’s path to Cookson Hills begins the day they are born, due to choices made by the adult caregivers in their life. You see, when parents abandon their children, they are bruising an innocent child, inflicting…
Having dealt with foster care in three different states, I know the system and where it fails—and I know that what Cookson Hills offers kids is unique and extremely valuable.
Nothing evokes feelings of home and family quite like Thanksgiving. In our experience, “home” is less about a physical place and more about being with your tribe. Likewise, “family” is less about shared DNA but more about bonds of the heart. Our Thanksgiving table reflects these values, where an ever-varied cast of relatives, Cookson Hills…
Much of who I am today can be attributed to my childhood years of growing up at Cookson Hills. I accepted the role of Executive Director at Cookson Hills for a couple reasons. First of all, I wanted to give back. It was at Cookson Hills that I learned to work hard, live a disciplined…
Occasionally I catch a quiet moment with my children. A moment when I know their ears can hear and their heart is especially open to me. In those rare moments I always speak this truth. “Son, there are many voices in this world. Which ones can you trust?” He replies, “God, mom and dad.” “That…
At the age of 50 (with my husband 54), I was enjoying some empty nester years, running two international organizations from my home, had a flexible schedule, good friends, great home and property, could help my husband in ministry, had time to eat right, exercise and be healthy. We went for motorcycle rides, played golf…and…
Just off a gravel road on the outskirts of Sheridan, Wyoming sits a plain white house on a 3-acre plot. If I close my eyes, I can see my granny’s flower garden, abuzz with giddy bees, and the row of deep purple pansies in the shade of the garage. Pansies always make me think of…
Dear Friends, The family unit is the primary tool by which God seeks to accomplish his purposes on this earth. It is God’s built-in support system for life. It shapes our identity and who we become. It is our living example of how to connect with God the Father. Family is the training ground; the…
From current ideas about nutrition to parenting techniques to budgeting, organization, and every other kind of self-improvement, we seem to be fascinated with attempts at bettering ourselves. But as much as we want to improve, it’s not easy to talk about the reason we’re not okay in the first place. Sin is an increasingly…
My husband and I have had the privilege of ministering as houseparents at Cookson Hills for about two years. For the better part of the last eight years, we have served in roles as houseparents and foster parents. It never gets any easier to walk through the things life has dealt these precious students. …
Where were you in 1967? Some of you may be thinking, “I wasn’t even BORN yet!” Back then, I was a baby believer heading to Bible College to learn about this newfound Savior, Jesus Christ. Little did I know what an adventure the Lord was taking me on! Right away, I joined the college…
I had lived in the same house in Joplin, Missouri all fourteen years of my life until my parents felt a stirring that God was sending them elsewhere. My parents had always thought about being houseparents, even before I was born, but they thought they should raise their own four kids first. My parents…
I stepped into the interview. Butterflies in my stomach. I was greeted with familiar, calming, faces. “The only position we have open right now is a janitorial position at the school.” I was thrilled to be considered for a job and it was one that I had skills in. “But we expect that there…
Sometimes God calls us to places we don’t expect. He asks us to trust Him and have faith to serve in the Kingdom. The serving is always for the Lord, but He has ways of working in our own hearts as much as He works in the hearts of those we are ministering to. After…
Have you ever felt inspired? Inspiration is such a powerful word and even more so, a powerful feeling. In Greek, it means God-breathed/life. In Hebrew, it means spirit/wind, and in our common dictionary, it means to stir/motivate. First, inspiration is God-breathed. It is received as a desire directly from God. Secondly, when we are…
It seems a little surreal sometimes that five years has already passed since I joined the teaching staff at Cookson Hills. It seems even more surreal when I consider where I was mentally, emotionally, and physically in my life as I moved here versus where I’m at now. In 2013, I was a hot…
For many years, we tried to have children of our own. After four years of marriage, we had a miracle baby that we have thanked God for every day. Before his birth, we had struggled through four devastating miscarriages, wondering why we couldn’t have children. We prayed and prayed, asking God for answers. One morning…
Over the past six years, we have said hello and goodbye to over forty different children while being foster parents or houseparents. We affectionately call our home ”The Nest.” The dictionary defines a nest as: “a retreat or refuge, a resting place, a home.” This is the picture-perfect idea of what we want our…
Before coming to Cookson Hills, I was not the best person and I knew I could be better. When my mom first told me about going, I felt like I was just being sent away again because she didn’t love me or that my family didn’t want me anymore. While on my tour, I…
A lot of times, being the Bible teacher means you have to push past the eye rolls and arguments; you have to remember where the students are coming from and respect it. You get a lot of dozing, irritated students – the ‘shields up student’ if you will. It can be pretty defeating if…
I’m pretty sure I have the best job on the planet. As school secretary/librarian here at Cookson Hills I get to interact daily with all of our kids on campus. My prayer is always that the kids see the library as a warm and inviting safe place. Whether it’s to get a book, a…
It started with a simple letter. In 1971, I wrote to Cookson Hills to see if they needed any photography teachers. They wrote back, “No, but we need houseparents. Come and visit!” So we came to check it out. And now, 47 years later, we’re still here. When Barb and I first moved to Cookson…
What is it like being a houseparent? Imagine for a moment that you have been challenged to put together a million piece jigsaw puzzle. You have one to two years to complete it and help from all of the people you work with. Sounds easy enough, right? There’s one more catch…the picture side of…
There came a moment in our lives where we knew we needed a change. I had spent 22 years working at a savings and loan association. I had worked my way up to vice president and was very successful, but Bobbie and I both knew we needed something different. The company was going in a…
My goal throughout my life has been to try and be the best servant I can be. I believe that your ministry starts with availability and a heart that says “yes.” If you’re not available to take care of people’s needs or to see the needs of those around you, then how can you…
My husband and I have always loved children. His love for and skill with children were the first qualities that drew me to him. The passages in the Bible commanding us to care for orphans always seemed to leap from the page and into my heart. So we told God that we would be willing…
Cookson Hills takes an integrated approach that is much like a greenhouse, providing a safe place for tender seedlings to grow. If successful, the child develops a growth mindset and a toolkit to enable him or her to leave behind a story of a wounded heart and begin creating a better story. Teachers and…
I optimistically volunteered to sponsor the school bulletin board for term four; you know, the one that’s in the middle of everything that everyone can see, no pressure. I envisioned a detailed timeline of the Civil War complete with pictures and dates and original artwork. Unfortunately, the project never materialized the way I envisioned it.…
Nicky was so mad. It was the third time I called him back to fix the corrections on his math test. Each time he handed me the test, he scurried over to play with the other kids who’d finished. The distraction was obviously more than he could handle. “Hey, why don’t you come over…
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