My Father's House is a place where young women can learn to restructure their lives so their futures and those of their children can be lived to their fullest potential.

The month of November 1997 neared with great anticipation as we prepared for the parade of state and local building inspectors who would decide whether we could finally open our doors.

We want to share with you some of the things one of them told us during his inspection. First, he said that in his five years of licensing group facilities of all kinds, he has worked with many small independent groups wanting to set up homes for many different types of young people. We are the first such group to actually succeed!

He also said that he doesn't know of any other licensed group home that is not financed by the state, and that ours is the best layout of space for our purpose that he has ever seen.

He also told us that according to a supervisor with many years of experience at the Department of Social Services (DSS), group homes are needed because having pregnant and parenting teens live in foster homes never works. He said the fact that we have been successful working with girls in shepherding homes was miraculous.

What this inspector didn't understand, and what I never want to lose sight of, is that this entire ministry is a miracle of God.