Hephzibah Stories

Celebrating God’s faithfulness, past and present, to be encouraged for the future!

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Rev. Edward Parker Buck, Superintendent of Hephzibah Children’s Home, 1947-1949

In Touching Tomorrow, The Story of Hephzibah Children’s Home, a 1950 Booklet about Hephzibah, written by J.R. Swauger, records these words by Rev. Buck, of his time at Hephzibah: One day while the problems of management were heavy, the calls from the outside may, the...

Shirley Duncan, Former Resident and Staff Member of Hephzibah Children’s Home

Once a vulnerable child removed from an alcoholic and abusive family, Shirley Duncan came to Hephzibah as a 13-year-old and eventually became the devoted and much-loved Director of Church and Public Relations there for over 30 years. Shirley recalls a day when she was...

Dr. Larry Freels, Director of Hephzibah Children’s Home, 1993-2008

Dr. Freels recounts in Touching Tomorrow, The Story of Hephzibah Children’s Home, “My personal chapter in this chronicle began in the fall of 1993. I stood on the edge of the timbered 180-acre land to which Hephzibah Children’s Home purposed to relocate. The site was...

Carol Gage, Former Foster Youth and Staff Member of Hephzibah Children’s Home, 1997-2001

Carol was the youngest of four children who lost her mother as a toddler and whose father suffered from alcoholism and was unable to parent. Carol’s chaotic early years were marked by frequent transition as she moved from home to home, first with an aunt and uncle,...

Mi’Shae, Former Resident of Hephzibah Children’s Home

I was pregnant when I was first put in foster care. I was moved between two different group homes before I had my baby girl. After I got out of the hospital, I was shipped to Hephzibah Children’s Home. There I met multiple strong women who helped guide me. Now I also...

Hubbard Family

Our family wanted to grow through adoption. We wanted to invest our lives in something that matters – and we wanted to do it as a family. Hephzibah62:4 understood our heart and partnered with our family to make our dreams become a reality. When God called us to adopt,...

Thebo Family

When we adopted our first son from China, we felt God at every turn. God provided in the big things as well as in the little details, things which clearly were no coincidence. Theo is such a blessing, that we decided to adopt again. With our second adoption our...

Elder Family

Though we knew the Lord was pressing us to give our yes to adoption, the financial responsibility that comes with adoption was overwhelming to us. The wonderful people at Hephzibah62:4 became part of our adoption journey early on as we were awarded a grant, and they...

LeMay Family

These Hephzibah62:4 Adoption Grant Recipients adopted a sibling group from Liberia in the Spring of 2022, forming a beautiful family of eight. "(Adopting siblings) has been harder than hard and good and frustrating and stressful and beautiful.” - LeMay Family,...

Abril, SWU Student

This Southern Wesleyan University Student received our OVC Essentials Course Grant in the Summer of 2022. “This course opened my eyes to better understand orphans, vulnerable children, foster parents, systems, but also myself. This course fed the fire of true religion...

Directory of Stories:

Rev. Edward Parker Buck, Superintendent of Hephzibah Children’s Home, 1947-1949

Shirley Duncan, Former Resident and Staff Member of Hephzibah Children’s Home

Dr. Larry Freels, Director of Hephzibah Children’s Home, 1993-2008

Carol Gage, Former Foster Youth and Staff Member of Hephzibah Children’s Home, 1997-2001

Mi’Shae, Former Resident of Hephzibah Children’s Home

Hubbard Family, Hephzibah62:4 Adoption Grant recipient, 2019

Thebo Family, Hephzibah62:4 Adoption Grant recipient, 2019

Elder Family, Hephzibah62:4 Adoption Grant recipient, 2019

LeMay Family, Hephzibah62:4 Adoption Grant recipient, 2022

Abril, OVC Essentials Course Grant recipient, 2022

Pastor Emma, Hephzibah62:4 Church Plant Grant recipient, 2022

Pastor Blake, CAFO Grant recipient, 2022