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818-Uncasfcr Farming, Saturday, Hay 14, 1988
House
BY PAT PURCELL
LITITZ (Lancaster) As
spring arrives and delivers the
green lush new life to fields, pas
tures and forests, the rebirth of
land is evident and a welcomed
sight The signs of new life of birth
and rebirth are joyful times full of
hope for the future.
Many expectant mothers greet
the news of new life with happi
ness which spreads contagiously
among family members, but for
thousands of teenage girls each
year who become pregnant,
unwed, forsaken by family mem
bers, and unable or incapable of
caring for themselves and their
child, there is little happiness. The
news of birth brings sadness, hope
lessness and frustration.
At the heart of the one of the
most fertile and productive garden
spots of the world is a home and
refuge and a chance for a new life
for unwed mothers between the
“We all must take
time to talk with our
kids. By doing that you
are showing them you
love them. This is really
important for us,”
added Donna.
ages of 11 to 25. And while some
of these troubled young girls come
from broken homes, big cities and
are victims of abuse and neglect,
for the most part those girls who
call the House of His Creation
home are from all walks of life.
‘The girls who come to us are
from wealthy families, poor fami
lies, troubled familes and just nor
mal homes, but when they become
pregnant either they chose not to
stay at home or their family won’t
allow them to,” explained Donna
Pry, house mom at the the Lititz
House of His Creation. “ And
that’s why we’re here. To love
them where they are at in their
lives now. We have them for such a
short. lime. Their minds have
already been plowed by the things
which have happened to them in
the past and we can’t do anything
about that. But maybe we can plant
brought warmth and welcome to the spacious House of His
Creation Home In LlUta. Individual mailboxes line the wall
along the staircase to keep.the lines of communication
always open among family members.
Of His Creati
Giving
some seeds and hope they have a
better life for being with us.”
The House of His Creation with
a home in Lititz and in Coatesville,
Chester County, was begun in
1973 by a couple from Washing
ton, D.C. who were concerned
with the lack of care facilities for
young women who found them
selves pregnant, unwed, some
times unwanted and unable to care
for themselves. It was the first of
its kind in this country and since
then has served nearly 400 young
women between the ages of 11 and
25 from 34 states and several other
nations.
This is a Christian home where
the girls are encouraged to learn
more about Jesus and come to meet
Jesus in a personal way. Bible
study is required of every girl once
a week. It is non-denominational
and girls of the Jewish, Moslem,
Buddhism and even the New Age
faiths have been family members
at one time. One member of the
family was from an Abut’habi’, an
Islamic country where pregnancy
outside of marriage is punishable
by death.
“We have had girls who have
never walked in a church in their
whole lives. We have had girls
who have no idea who Jesus is,”
explained Barbara Pizzarelli,
House of His Creation Director.
“We had a little girl in here once.
She had just gotten in and I was
talking to her about the family life
here and the way we like the girls
to feel about their new home and in
the discussion 1 said to her, ‘Do
you know who Jesus is?’ and she
turned and said to me, ‘Look, I
don’t know who nobody is, I just
got here.’”
“Well, when the girls leave here
we want them to know who Jesus
is,” added Barbara.
Robert and Donna Pry joined
the Lititz home in March as house
parents. The house belongs to the
organization and most of the furn
ishings have been donated, but the
Prys have added their own brand of
warmth and welcome to make this
house a home that says, “Welcome
to our family.” Each home is oper
ated by a Christian married couple
who serve as role models and
parents and teach the girls how to
take care of themselves and a babv.
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on
Birth To A New Life
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House of His Creation was the first Christian, maternity home of its kind In the coun
try for young women up to the ages of 25. The home In Lititz sits on a hill overlooking
the beautiful and fertile farmland which surrounds It. Nearly 400 girls have called the
House of His Creation home since it was begun in 1973.
Teenagers. The mention of the
word usually inflates moans and
groans and stories from parents
who have one, had one or is going
to have one. The teen years are full
of emotional changes and upheav
al, frustrations, heartbreak, and
sometimes immense feelings of
hopelessness and sadness. There is
no parent which needs to be
reminded of the changes teenage
girls go through. In the most lov
ing and secure family relation
ships, it is a difficult time for both
parents and daughter.
But for a distressed, displaced,
teenager under the stress of pre
gnancy and her situation, emotions
“The girls who come
to us are from wealthy
families, poor families,
troubled familes and
just normal homes, but
when they become pre
gnant either they chose
not to stay at home or
their family won’t allow
them to. And that’s why
we’re here. To love
them where they are at
in their lives
now.” Donna Pry
must be at the breaking point,
when she is suddenly thrust into a
home with strangers, without the
comfort of familiar faces or sur
roundings. The strain on both the
surrogate parents and other mem
bers of the extended family is
increased.
“We just have to let the love of
Christ show through all the time.
We must react the way Christ
would have us react,” said Donna.
“What has worked for our children
I feel will work for these children.
When you are coming in as substi
tute parents you are coming in
without their love. You might have
ones who are hard to love and
some that need more loving than
others.”
Added Robert, “We are having a
closer walk with God ourselves.”
Robert and Donna raised five of
their own children and have eight
grand children, but even with all
that experience, being housepa-
fy ■/> •: i M ? \IJ
r
God to touch the hearts of people and lead them to support
ing the homes through their donations and contributions
and said the homes have been very blessed.
rents is a brand new ball game for everything as a family. They go to
them. It is a challenge and one they church, go bowling or to the
aren’t always sure they can meet, movies or shopping together. Each
“When our kids were at home girl is interviewed before being
we always had a lot of kids around permitted to live at the home and
the house and I guess I kind of she must agree to abide by certain
mothered them all. I read a news- j-u-u-u-u-u-u-ij-u-. -
paper article about so many of the
girls getting abortions years ago. It
upset me,” explained Donna. “And
I felt this was something that I
wanted to be involved in.”
“But as we got closer and closer
to becomming involved with the
actual program, I thought ‘God, I
don’t know if this is for me,” said
Donna. “I prayed a lot. Then an
inner voice said to me, ‘Donna, its
only for a year.’ I know we were
called by God. I’d rather be doing
what is God’s will. We are totally
dependant upon God.”
Added Robert, “God is still
training us, everyday.”
Only twelve girls live at the
home at one time. The Prys are
there fulltime with one evening off
a week, one weekend off a month
and two months annual vacation.
They live there around the clock
and when they are not there some
one from the extended family is
there with the girls.
“The girls never have to won
der, ‘who will be on shift when I
have my baby?’ This is not an
agency. This is a home and their
(the houseparents’) whole heart is
there with the girls to love them
and care for them,” said Barbara.
The girls and house parents do
\ .M
*
“We have these girls
for such a short time.
Their minds have
already been plowed by
the things which have
happened to them in the
past and we can’t do
anything about that.
But maybe we can plant
some seeds and hope
they have a better life
for being with
us.” Donna Pry
written rules. Most girls stay.
Some do not.
“We had one girl who couldn’t
make the adjustment to life here,”
explained Barbara. “She broke
some rules several times and 1
finally had to sit down with her and
tell her that she couldn’t stay with
us anymore. After she left, she
called me up one time to say that a
friend of hers needed to live here.
She said that although she could
not accept the love she was given
(Turn to Pago B 19)
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