Currently I am in homes large enough to serve 50
people and as small as to serve just 6 people. However, each
home will vary in size greatly concerning the number of residents
that they serve.
I believe the state mandates that there is 1 staff per 10 residents
depending on the type and functionality of the residents that are served
by a particular home.
Our service is broken into 3 periods of 15 minutes each. For
the first 15 minutes we worship with prayer and song, for the next 15 minutes
is worship through the proclamation of the Bible, and the final 15 minutes
is reserved for fellowship.
Residents do go on field trips but I have noticed that these
field trips are labor intensive and do not happen all the time - however,
it seems to me that the residents who are mobile do get out at least once
a month.
Some residents get to go out for a daily workshop while most
stay at their homes. There is a need for a general activity center for many
residents who do not qualify for other workshops but as of right now no such
activity center exists. Many people's daily lives revolve around the television
and snack time.
The best part are the relationships that I am able to develop
with the residents and the staff. I am able to visit with them and present
a God to them that loves them and is not at all petty as is too often how
God is portrayed.
Most of the residents do verbalize their
appreciation to me for coming in each week and visiting with them. Early
on there was one lady (who was the volunteer usher of the service) thanked
me for coming because doing
so helped
her to remember what day of the week that it was.
I have very few residents who are completely unable to communicate.
It may be as slight as a hint of recognition in a person's eye or as imperceptible
as something other than a grimace but as I build relationships with the
residents each week I learn how they communicate -sort of like how my wife
knows that one of my children is not feeling well by just how their eyes
sparkle a little less on a certain day.
My vision is that the people of
God would take the love of Jesus to
the residents who are unable to get out of their homes to go
to their local church.
