God in the Everyday
When Betsy Eash and her family decided to become a Host Family with New Mercies Ministries in July, they had no idea how many people God would bring together to make their first hosting possible.
The Hosting Begins
During the first week of July, Betsy was asked if her family would consider providing daytime hosting for two little girls, 3-year-old Zariah* and 1-year-old Aaliyah*, while their mom, Jasmine*, worked toward stability.
The girls had already been hosted by New Mercies, but changing schedules meant another Host Family was needed. Betsy and her family agreed to help, expecting the arrangement to last just a few weeks. But a few weeks turned into a month. Then another few weeks. Before long, volleyball season was approaching, and Betsy began wondering how everything would work out.
God in the Details
Thankfully, she had already brought that concern to God.
“If You want me to do this, God, You have to make a way,” she remembers praying, knowing she could not manage all the responsibilities on her own. And God did make a way, often through normal things just happening to line up.
As volleyball season began, Betsy kept noticing how perfectly the schedules seemed to line up. Jasmine would get off work on time, allowing Betsy to get her own daughter where she needed to be. Other times, a fellow volunteer was available to step in for a few hours.
“I could not have planned it any better,” Betsy shared.
Whenever one person was unavailable, someone else was ready to help. What could have become an overwhelming responsibility for one family became a beautiful example of believers caring for one another while supporting a mother and her children.
Hosting in Community
For Betsy, that support made all the difference. “It's been a good experience just knowing that if I can't, someone can cover for me," she said.
Looking back, Betsy sees God's hand throughout the experience, especially in moments that might otherwise have seemed ordinary. “I find it amazing that even in the little everyday things, God is there,” she told us.
Her encouragement to anyone considering becoming a Host Family is simple: “If you are willing to just open your home and love on the kids, the little things will get taken care of.”
This hosting is a reminder that saying yes doesn't mean having every answer or being available all the time. Sometimes it means welcoming children for a few days or weeks and knowing another family can step in if needed. And sometimes, God brings together a whole community to make one family's yes possible.
*Names changed to protect privacy.