Parent Testimony

Parent 1

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a testimony is:

2 a: firsthand authentication of a fact : EVIDENCE b: an outward sign c: a solemn declaration usually made orally by a witness under oath in response to interrogation by a lawyer or authorized public official
3 a: an open acknowledgment b: a public profession of religious experience

The following are testimonies of past and present Lighthouse Christian Academy parents. The names of the students have been redacted to insure their privacy. All testimonies are on file at Lighthouse Christian Academy.

Without a doubt our daughter and family are in a far greater condition today for having known you, we are so thankful for your ministry and staff there at Lighthouse. Our wonderful, loving daughter was doing fine it seemed until she got into high school. There is where the trouble began; skipping school, hanging out with older people, and finally simply not returning home one day. We were devastated, unsure as to whether or not she was kidnapped or had run away. Thankfully within a week she was home again! It wasn't until she got to Lighthouse that we discovered how truly frightening a life she was actually leading. Skipping school was just the tip of the iceberg; late night activities that we never would have condoned (all done under the pretense that she was spending the night with a friend), drugs/alcohol and gang involvement. We knew something had to be done and done quickly to save our daughters life! "Quickly" wasn't how it went; although it all went according to God's timing. We wondered for a bit if anyone would accept her; and then God lead us to Lighthouse, they were willing to give her a shot.

Our daughter attended for 10 months, graduated and returned home a completely different person. We knew she couldn't come home to the family as it was and we definitely wanted to see her succeed. So while she was away we began to get our lives back on track with the Lord. Upon her return she readily and eagerly joined in the cause of becoming an intricate part of a God centered family.

For me as the Dad, I felt great conviction upon our daughter's return home because of the wonderful habits she learned while at Lighthouse. She reads her Bible on a daily basis, being polite and saying yes sir and no sir, and responding with ok instead of mumbling under her breath. What a new girl we have now, such a contrast from the one we sent to Lighthouse in the beginning. We have back the daughter we remembered when she was much younger, respectful, and eager to listen, ready to obey, able to work and accept responsibility.

From my perspective as her Mom, the opportunity granted to our daughter was most definitely a life changing one. It was difficult to be away from her as she attended Lighthouse but the reward was well worth it. An angry teenager left our home but a young lady with new goals to serve our Lord and keep her priorities straight returned. Things were made right, there was a humility and kindness about her that had never been forgotten but was being overshadowed by anger. What a true blessing to be able to once again be at peace as a family and enjoy one another's company! The results were much more than we could have hoped for or imagined and we are eternally grateful.