Our Inspiration 

There are many reasons for a young girl to become pregnant…rape, incest, promiscuity, lack of attention, no boundaries, momentary lapse of judgment, to name a few. The fact of the matter is, in the United States, “roughly 200,000 teenage girls under the age of 18 become pregnant each year.”1 Furthermore, “the impoverished circumstances of teenage mothers are exacerbated by the fact that many have limited academic skills, have dropped out of high school, and come from backgrounds with few role models or opportunities for improving their livelihoods.”2 "For youth within the child welfare system, teen pregnancy is an even greater challenge. Teen girls in foster care are 2.5 times more likely to become pregnant by age 19 compared to their peers not in foster care. Early pregnancy and childbearing can exacerbate the challenges faced by youth in care – particularly for youth who age out of care. (These young mothers) face increased challenges related to educational attainment and employment, often affecting their ability to become self-sufficient."3 Let me share with you the stories of a few of the children born to young mothers. These stories, among others, are the inspiration to open a place for these young mothers to go, where they can develop healthy babies and be under no judgment, where love and acceptance will abound and for these girls to have the opportunity to learn self-discipline, get an education along with respite and spiritual guidance…a place called Jericho. Jonathon’s Story Jonathon was born to a 14 year old victim of rape. He was not a mistake…God does not make mistakes. God had and has wonderful plans for him. God blessed him with the best adoptive parents and again as an adult with a beautiful family and a very successful career. His biological mother did not have an option to keep him. She had no support and was not allowed to even discuss him with her family. Having a child at such a young age damaged her body to the point that she could not have any more children of her own. Since she had no support, releasing her son was a good decision and Jonathon has had an amazing life, lots of support, and lots of love. If she had had the support she needed, if she had had a Jericho, maybe SHE could have been the one to have given him an amazing life. Julio’s Story Julio was born to a young mother who had three children by the time she was 21. She was in an abusive relationship and surrounded by bad influence. Child welfare removed the three children from her home. She went to court several times to fight for them…she loved them so much; however, she never had enough support to prove to the courts that she would start making the right choices for the children. Her rights were eventually severed, as was the fathers. Two of the children were adopted by a family member; however, the youngest had been neglected to the point of being deemed unadoptable. He was in and out of therapy and foster homes for four years. He was almost seven when he was finally successfully adopted. This home was his tenth home. After much brain therapy and a whole lot of love, he is a happy, thriving teenager now. In his case adoption was the best choice. If his mother had found a Jericho, maybe SHE would have made better choices for her family and would still be able to enjoy watching her boys grow up today. Baby AJ’s Story Baby AJ would be eleven now. Baby AJ’s mother was 16 when she became pregnant. There was no support at home to bring her baby into the world…no support…no joy…no hope. Baby AJ was terminated at nine weeks. Baby AJ’s mother still aches for her child. The abortion did irreparable damage and now Baby AJ’s mother is unable to have any more children of her own. If Baby AJ’s mother had had a place to go, where no judgment would fall, where unconditional love and acceptance resided, where self-discipline was taught and education was encouraged, where childcare and spiritual guidance were offered…if Baby AJ’s mother had a Jericho…would abortion have been her choice? Allison’s Story Allison is three. Allison’s mother was 17 when she was born. While they did not have the best support, they did have some support, enough support to allow Allison’s young mother to keep her. Allison has a new step dad now who loves her very much and considers her his own. Allison also just became a big sister. Their life has been a roller coaster and very unsettling along the way; however, since Allison’s mother was adamant about keeping her, they continue to persevere though the tough times and are making it work. If Allison’s mother had known about Jericho, a place where love and support are given freely and unconditionally, would SHE have chosen to come stay a while to reap the benefits of Jericho? Samantha’s Story Samantha just turned one. She is loved, she is healthy and she is very happy. Sam’s mother is now 18. While it has not been easy and her mom had to change her plans two or three times – they are making it. The difference between Sam’s story and the stories above, you ask? Samantha’s young mother had good solid support. Grandpa was there to help and had strict rules on what needed to happen while they were living in his home. Sam’s dad also stuck around and is there to love and support the two of them. The high school made special accommodations for Sam’s mother so she could finish her Senior year early, prior to giving birth. It was hard but she had family and friends that encouraged her and stood by her. There are 200,000+ of these stories every year in the United States. Some young mothers get the support they need and are able to keep their children. Some young mothers choose to release their child to older more experienced parents where they know their child will have a good life. Some mothers try but do not have the support they need and end up losing their children – left heart broken and desperate. Some never take their precious child to full term, knowing they do not have the support and feeling they are not capable of dealing with the situation at all…they just want it to go away…it never really goes away.