Life at the Hill Country Youth Ranch

So if you didn't know already for the past few weeks I have been in training at Hill Country Youth Ranch for the Live in Youth Care Worker/House Parent position.  Hill Country Youth Ranch (HCYR) is a residential child care facility nestled in the beautiful Texas hills, a little outside of the Kerrville/Ingram Texas area.  There is also a facility located outside of Leaky TX.

The position that I'm in training for is pretty self explanatory.  In the Live in Youth Care Worker/Houseparent position you literally live with and experience life with the at risk youth and act as a christ centered role model that the kids can look up to.  It is the responsibility and mission of the House Parent and the other staff to provide a safe, loving, and life enhancing Christian environment for the children we work with.

The training and the job itself has been pretty amazing already.  The job isn't for everyone though, there is a lot of burnout in the field.  For this job you invest a lot of time and energy into the kids lives.  You literally give and invest part of your life into the job.  I was talking with one of the individuals that will be over me and he told me that he hadn't been on a date in years.  Getting to know people out side of the life of HCYR is hard and is something that has to be worked at.

After the training the fist ninety days will be the hardest.  I will have to work to gain the respect and the trust of the kids. So to conclude this post the I'm excited to get started with the job.  It will be something that I enjoy and something that will be very stressful at times.  Ones I get more settled in to the position I would like to open up a PO box and possibly do snail mail.  The job can be lonely at times I have been told so I am trying to find the best way to keep in contact and interact with others outside of the facility.


Until next time Sincerely.

Gregory Martin

Life as of now.

So I thought I would try the whole blogging thing ones again for two main reasons.  Reason one being the main reason blogs are started up. To simply keep people up to date in whats going on in my life share ideas, thoughts, random things, etc.  Second reason I am blogging again is because I just found it to be a good way for me to reflect over things that are going on in my life.  No reflecting and typing it all up means a wasted blog page... don't want that!

So for the past six months I have been working at JCPenny's at the Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio TX.  I worked replenishment, and customer service and cash register when necessary in the home department.  Not what I had in mind for after graduation, but theres that old saying money makes the world go round.

Pros of working at Jcpenny for six months-It wasn't bad most days but I defiantly couldn't do retail long term.  I got to interact with people, which is something that I enjoy doing!  If you don't know I am a major people person for the most part.  I got along with everyone in that I worked with, and all the managers haver already told me that there would be a place for me should I ever need or want to work for the company again.  Lastly there was the associate discount which I made sure to take full advantage of!

Cons-The schedule was inconstant, constant replenishing and organizing of merchandise was repetitive, and lastly the few rude, difficult and inconsiderate people that had to be dealt with time to time.

This up coming Monday, February 7th I will start training for my position at the Hill Country Youth ranch as a live in Youth care Worker.  It is something that I am excited about and anxious about all at the same time.

So to concluded on this post I'll just be real honest, the place were I am at now in life isn't really were I had pictured myself to be right after graduation from ACU. This in turn has left me with some frustration, bitterness, disappointment and a lot of questions and things I am trying to work through.  Life however is not easy. There is often, if not always some sort of dilemma that must be wrestled with.  However through wrestling through the dilemmas that come our way in life we can often, not always, but often end up in a better place in life and grows as individuals and maybe even touch the lives of others through the process.

“I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our own power, it's an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I've learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them.” 

Sasha Azevedo

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." 

Mary Anne Radmacher

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." 

Winston Churchill

Sincerely 

Gregogo