Blake
All children want and need a place to belong. Stability, love and care are essential for a child to thrive and know they are important. At Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC), children come from all walks of life, but have one thing in common - a place called home.
Many of us find ourselves experiencing dark days at some point in our lives, but not all of us can say those days came as early as 13-years-old. For one young man, after months of walking through hurtful close relationships, the grief of losing family members, and the stress of not fitting in at school, he began his journey with OBHC.
Blake believes his biggest challenge in life has been his negative opinion of himself. It left him with no passion or drive to accomplish anything. He had never thought about his future in a positive way. However, God has used living on OBHC’s campus as a tool to change the course of Blake’s life forever. His dark days began getting brighter.
“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t open to the idea of moving to OBHC at first. After a month of living here, things started making sense. I began making connections and a lot of the boys were very welcoming. They had been in my situation before and they understood what a tough time I was having. Suddenly, I had 34 siblings and it was a nice change.” Blake found a new family at OBHC and says his houseparents are some of the most influential people in his life. They have loved him and taught him so many lessons in his time there – their impact will not be forgotten.
“I feel like I have a purpose now. I am happier than I’ve ever been, I know there are people who care about me and each day matters.”
Blake genuinely enjoys life on campus, especially activities with his “brothers,” devotional time and church activities. At the top of the list? “The welding program is my favorite part of living here. It’s so fun learning a new skill and our teacher is great. He is always encouraging us to think bigger.” When Blake is not welding, he is studying for high school, playing guitar, piano, harmonica and practicing his German. Two years ago, Blake went on a church mission trip to Honduras. The experience changed many of his viewpoints. “Seeing the joy from people who have lived a lot worse than I do, really taught me to love the life I have. It opened my eyes to see others in a different way. I’ve been able to walk closer with the Lord and learn more about His love for people and for me.” He has a new outlook and as he faces his future, he stands on the promise of Joshua 1:9, that “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
OBHC holds a special place in Blake’s heart. “I have so much respect for the people here. Having the support of others who pray, volunteer and give is so important. Without them, those of us who are trying to find our way would be left without hope. Just when I think I am alone and no one cares or understands, this place has taught me there is always someone who wants to help. The good memories outweigh the negative every time.” Blake found a place to call home and hopes that no matter where life takes him, he can make a difference in the lives of other people just as OBHC has done for him.
