Pizzas, pools, and picnics at the Ark

The Ark is an oasis for at-risk children and youth, and even more so during this pandemic. The children have been quarantined with their house parents since March 19th. Amazingly, the vast majority of children are grateful, with older youth stepping into doing chores at home as well as serving as house assistants and groundskeepers. Many are also growing spiritually and relationally with their peers.

The ministry has invested in making the children’s life a little more fun during their quarantine by providing supplies for making special foods like pizza and donuts, and using a blow-up pool and board games to facilitate family bonding time and on-campus picnics. The house moms have enjoyed cooking out together, and house dads stay on top of the grounds team, along with lots of playtimes. House dad Albert is a tailor, and with two borrowed sewing machines and some of the older boys as apprentices, he is sewing high-quality masks for the entire Ark family.

Birthdays are celebrated in creative ways, valuing each child as a unique gift from God. A week early, the older youth planned a surprise Mother’s Day afternoon which the house moms enjoyed, complete with pool time and special foods. On the last Sunday of May, the moms enjoyed breakfast in bed courtesy of the kids!