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02-17-08...There is currently a great article and
slideshow about Hope House and our girl's basketball team that can be accessed
via The Idaho Statesman website. I'm not sure how long it will be on their
website, but check the article here:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/story/298006.html
Check the slideshow here:
http://legacy.idahostatesman.com/media/2008/hopehouse/
02-12-08...One of our male staff is working on
putting an electric train set together for our younger boys. If, by
chance, you happen to have an old train set boxed up in the attic or garage and
no children have been enjoying it, we have some boys that would. Thanks.
Chris
01-11-08...Our latest
newsletter
is now available online! Hope you enjoy it.
12-25-07...I've added a page of Christmas photos
HERE.
Merry Christmas!
12-04-07...Today an anonymous Santa showed up at
Hope House and blessed one and all. More pictures are available on the
pictures
page.
12-02-07...It's starting to look a lot like
Christmas...all around Hope House. Today the whole family got together and
decorated our community tree. Check out our
pictures
page for a smiley face or two.
09-08-07...Yesterday was the start of our sports
season. Both our flag football team (boys), and our volleyball team
(girls), played their first regular season games. As usual, it was great
fun. For those interested, you can catch a few pictures of the activities
on our
PICTURES page.
08-02-07...Yesterday we returned from our family
camp trip to Goose Lake. It was a great trip! Please check our
'pictures' page to catch a glimpse of the fun. All Goose Lake camping
photos courtesy of Kraig Hamilton and Steve Friendt.
06-28-07...Hope House student ministries have put
together their own website. You can check it out
HERE.
05-19-07...Today we had our annual motorcycle rally.
There were lots of great adults, great kids, great bikes, great rides, great
t-shirts, great fellowship, and great food to be had by all. You might say
that it was a GREAT time! Check out our
pictures
page for more images.
04-04-07...The pictures above all came from our
youth group meetings. You might say that they have some interesting
competitions during these meetings!
12-25-06...I just uploaded our brand new December
newsletter. You can access it
HERE, or
you can use the Newsletter link at the bottom of the page.
12-25-06...For the last 17 years the Hope House
tradition has been to take the whole family out bowling on Christmas Eve.
Last night was no exception, and once again a great time was had by all.
Thanks go out to those who have made this possible and have been such a blessing
to so many children and staff at Hope House. Once again, you have helped
to make our Christmas one to remember. God bless you.
12-13-06...I'll just go ahead and say it...THE KIDS
ARE READY FOR CHRISTMAS! They are ready because preparations for the
holidays really begin when our choirs first start practicing, and that began
shortly after school started in September. Then comes trips to local
churches and other places where they perform. Then comes the Christmas
card list, the filling out of the cards, the trips to stores to see what's out
there as far as gifts, then the stocking list, and finally the gift list itself.
This has all taken place at this point. Yes, the kids are ready...and
waiting. The energy in the dorms is palpable, the excitement visible in
the gleam in their eyes. What a rare thing indeed to be showered in gifts
and goodies! And yet that is what Jesus has done for us all. The
King of all gift giving! The question is...are we ready for Him...and
waiting for Him like the little children wait for man made presents? Is
the gleam in our eyes still there...the anticipation...and excitement?
Have we been keeping our eyes on Jesus?
10-29-06...Yesterday we finished up our flag
football season...and what a season it was! Our boys gave 110%, and with
the Lord's blessing, took home the FIRST place trophy! Talk about
excitement! If you missed the playoffs, you missed some great games.
In the final game, we won by ONE point!
Though our girl's volleyball team didn't win the
league championship this year, they still played like champions. We are
very proud of them. I would not be at all surprised if next year they
brought home the trophy.
09-09-06...Our school year and sports season has
begun! School officially started on the 5th, and yesterday we had our
annual sports 'jamboree' where all the teams in our Christian league get
together for the purpose of fellowship and fun. Each team gets to play all
the other teams for short 10 minute games. The boys play flag football,
and the girls play volleyball. It's really a lot of fun for all.
With school starting, we try to outfit all of the
kids that are in 10-12th grade with a used (donated) personal computer. We
need computers that are at least a Pentium 2 or above. We can always use
old operating systems as well (Windows 98se, Windows Millennium, Windows XP).
06-05-06...Our high school graduation took place
this last Saturday. They are always quite special. Each graduate
gives a little speech, and a number of others speak about them, and to them.
There are many laughs, but also tears. After the service, we fellowship
and enjoy a meal together.
05-21-06...Yesterday was our annual motorcycle
rally. There must have been at least 30 cyclists that showed up and
blessed the Hope House family with rides and more. The kids absolutely
love it! Thanks go out to all of those that gave of themselves to bless
this family.
04-28-06...We thought you might enjoy a short story
written by one of our high school boys. You can access it by clicking
HERE.
04-26-06...Time is flying over here. I can't
believe it's almost May. What May means is that June is on the horizon.
What June means is that the kids are out of school for the summer. What
that means is it's time for the staff to go running for the hills. ;-)
Chris
02-22-06...I just uploaded our latest newsletter and
you can view it by selecting the newsletter link at the bottom of the page or by
clicking HERE.
We hope you enjoy it and are encouraged by it.
Basketball playoffs begin this Friday. Both
our boys and girls teams are doing a great job again this year. We are
very proud of them all. Chris
02-02-06...It's basketball season here at Hope
House, and once again, our kids are making us all proud. They played a
game on Tuesday night, in which they lost, but they played like champions.
They had that 'never say die' attitude that is a must if you are ever to be a
champion.
If you notice any new faces, it's because a few new
children have arrived. The boys dorm has three new faces...ages 11, 9, and
7...and the girl's dorm has one new face, age 11 (I think). So far, they
all appear to be doing well and seem to be enjoying this new experience.
A few of our kids are excited about the prospect of
going to Teen Missions International this summer for training and preparation
for overseas mission trips. They just received their packets and are
processing the paperwork and doing the things necessary to meet the requirements
that will enable them to go. Please keep them in your prayers as they
prepare for what typically is a life changing experience.
One of our high school graduates from last
year...Chad Dillard...just returned from a 6 month mission trip to Zimbabwe.
Please also keep him in your prayers as he re-adjusts to the homeland, and
prepares to further his education.
12-26-05...It's the day after Christmas...and all
through Hope House...you are going to find a bunch of excited and happy kids.
Thanks to the support we receive from so many, our kids have a great Christmas
each year...and this one was no exception. These kids may be deprived of a
conventional home, but they sure aren't deprived when it comes to being blessed
by others at Christmas time. Thanks goes out to all that have contributed
to their joy and well being, not only during the holidays, but throughout the
year. May God bless you all.
12-03-05...We are happy to announce that
Thanksgiving Day dinner was served in our new dining room! It was the
'grand opening', and what an opening it was. The entire Hope House family
was able to gather together in one place to give thanks and enjoy the blessings
provided by so many. As many of you may know, the dining room building
itself is not new. It was the same building that the Job Corp used as
their dining facility. When we arrived, though, it was in sad shape and
has required much work and dedication to get it back in useable order.
Today, we gathered together in our church to thank
the Lion's Club for their loving support of this family. It was a day to
say 'thank you' to them for helping to get our school facility up and running.
What a wonderful organization! Thanks again Lion's Club!
Christmas is just around the corner and the kids are
starting to get excited. Our Christmas choir has been practicing for a few
weeks now and today they entertained the Lion's Club and the rest of our family.
It's always a blessing to see these kids working together, as a team, as a
family, to accomplish something.
Speaking of which...it's basketball season again!
The kids have been practicing hard for a few weeks now, and have their first
regular season game in early January. It's going to be exciting!
We hope your Thanksgiving was as great as ours was,
and we also hope that the rest of this holiday season is a blessing to you,
"pressed down, and shaken together, and running over" with good things.
May the Lord be close to you all. Chris 10-16-05...It's that 'yard sale' time of the year here at Hope House. As many of you
know, we receive donations of all sorts all year long. Those donations are used in a variety of specific ways, but ultimately, they all end up supporting the children and this ministry. Currently we are having a big sale on the corner of Orchard and Midland in Nampa. The funds generated by this sale
are earmarked for filling up our pantry and freezers for the coming winter months. We are so blessed to be supported by so many! Please continue to keep us all in your prayers. 08-01-05...On Saturday we returned from our annual camp trip on the Selway River. The kids
and staff had a great time playing in the water, playing in camp, eating, drinking, and just generally enjoying the great outdoors. By departure day, 19 days after we arrived, there were still many that were not ready to come home. I was not of that group. ;-) Chris 06-27-05...The big news is that we have our latest newsletter online now! Check it out HERE or use the link at the
bottom of the page. 05-22-05...I updated the 'pictures' page today with a bunch of shots I took yesterday at our annual motorcycle rally. Every year this Christian motorcycle club comes to bless us in
numerous ways. They take the kids (and the staff who are willing) on rides, provide T-Shirts, as well as contribute financially to the Hope House ministry. This year, in traditional fashion, we capped off their visit with an outdoor barbeque. The local band and friends that make up the group called
BOB (band of believers) also performed. It was great fun for all. Our school year comes to an end on the 2nd of June, with graduation on the 4th. We are already doing some preliminary preparations for our summer camp trip! The kids are excited.
Who wouldn't be? Out of school, no homework, less worries, more play time? The staff on the other hand are less excited. Who wouldn't be? After all, the kids will be out of school....which means far more work, many more hours, way more worries, and a lot less play time. ;-) Chris
04-25-05...The above pictures were taken yesterday as the boys prepared to leave on a week long
trip to Montana. It's kind of a second 'spring break' for them. The reason for the break is that our school teachers will be working on 'individual educational programs' (IEP). This is a scheduled annual, or semi-annual, event here. Chris 03-29-05...It's spring break here and the kids are out of school for the week. During
this time, we've been both working and playing. As you may note from the pictures, today we managed a trip to Given's Hot Springs! It was great...except Luke wouldn't let anyone sink a shot at the pool. :-) Chris 03-15-05...Spring is in the air around here as the temperatures are on the rise...and the
plants are beginning to sprout. I spoke with Grandpa Sam yesterday and he told me that they would probably start up the sprinklers today! Looks like we made it through another Idaho winter. :-) With spring, also comes work. We've had
some blustery days here...and with the wind comes the tumbleweeds. They tumbled right onto our grounds and collected themselves into some fairly large communities here and there (see picture). We've begun the process of collecting and
depositing them for burning...but there is much left to do. Weeds in general are starting to make their appearance...and soon we will be starting the annual ritual of weed abatement. Chris 03-05-05...Basketball playoffs ended yesterday with our boys finishing 4th and our girls
finishing 2nd in the league! We are very proud of them. Every year they not only get better at playing the actual game, but they also seem to become better human beings in general. I believe they have indeed raised the bar on their sportsmanship another notch again this season. How much better
does it get than that? These kids are great! I hope you enjoy the pictures above of the teams, the kids, and Coach Mark. Chris 02-25-05...The girls won...and the boys lost today in their final regular season games.
The playoffs start on Tuesday and end on Friday. It's a process of elimination. If you lose two games, you are out. 02-19-05...Yesterday in Ontario, Oregon our basketball teams played. We didn't
fare so well...both our boys and girls teams lost...but it was still fun to watch...and I hope those that played at least enjoyed the playing. We got a tiny amount of snow here last night in Marsing. I'm happy about that as I predicted it would snow today, and
one of our young girls bet me it wouldn't. ;-) The bet was that if it did snow, she would allow me to take 4 uncontested pictures of her...and if it didn't snow...I couldn't take any of her for one day. That was a win/win bet for me as weeks can go by without a picture of many of the girls.
Often times pulling out my camera seems akin to pulling out a machine gun...as a whole group of mostly girls go ducking behind things and under things and go scurrying around corners. haha! 02-17-05...As you may note, I've attempted to redesign our website. It's optimized for a screen resolution of 800x600, but should work with other resolutions as well....it just won't be as pretty. ;-) You may
note that it has been trimmed down quite a bit....with fewer photos. That will probably change over time. You may need to update your bookmarks that point to any pages other than the home page. Please let me know if you notice any glitches or have any comments or recommendations at cjcory@earthlink.net . Thanks! The boys lost another hard fought basketball game last Friday...but the girls
came out on top once again. Please, please...keep us all...children and staff...in your prayers. Chris 02-05-05...Another basketball update. The boys lost their first game of the season yesterday, but the girls came out on top. Chris 01-30-05...Since my last entry, the boys
have won two more basketball games, and the girls one. So far the boys are undefeated, and the girls have only lost one very close...down to the wire game. It's been fun! 01-16-05...We won our first basketball game! :-) The team we played didn't have a girls
team, so only the boys played. A nice start for them. Our next game is this Thursday (January 20th). I think both the girls and boys play this time around.
Professional football playoffs are in focus in the boy's dorm currently. Our flag football coaches (who are also full time staff
here) are big fans of the game and at this point, many of our boys are too! We have quite a few budding stars. :-) Chris 01-04-05...It was a great holiday season here! A big 'thank you' to all that contributed. At
this point, the lights have come down...the trees have come down...the kids are back in school...and we are working back into a normal routine.
The kids continue to practice basketball...and their basketball 'jamboree' is scheduled for this Friday. I believe their first regular season game is scheduled for
the Friday following (Jan 14th). I always love basketball season here. It is such fun to see the kids get out there on the court working as a team. It's wonderful to see them win games, but it's just as wonderful to see them handle defeat with grace and courage. That makes me even more proud. Chris
12-23-04...Just as Santa's workshop gets real busy this time of year, so it is with Hope House. Everyone is scurrying about like little elves. Some do their scurrying in preparation for the big day, but when it comes to the kids, it is the excitement and anticipation of what the big day
holds that fuels them. Some of the kids can barely contain themselves at this point, and some of the staff look like they need a nap. ;-)
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has blessed us this holiday season...and for that matter...all year long. Your prayers, and gifts, and words of
encouragement are all greatly appreciated. We thank God for each and every one of you! Chris 12-13-04...I received a copy of our December Newsletter on disc a couple of days ago and have it for you here online. Those of you who are on our mailing list should be
receiving the 'hard' copy in a week or so. Our children contributed much of the content of this one...and we hope you find it especially interesting and enjoyable. I know I did. :-) |
