Buckner Children's Village celebrated it's 40 reunion in June. In preparation we received permission to do a Buckner Beaumont Face book page to try and reconnect with people in the new age of computer connections. The response was wonderful and we have 167 former staff and residents who responded to our site. In anticipation of a large family reunion we planned activities for all ages, had a worship service, a big meal and lots of pictures and memories to share.

We had close to 200 former resident's with their children and family as well as former staff and some foster families. We had community volunteers that ran craft and activity Boothe's as well as served the meal. We had a local dance studio that brought their scared dance team to be a part of our worship service.

As so many kids from their early 20's to mid 60's returned and brought their own children to the place they feel is home it was pure joy. So many faces lite up as they saw foster brothers and sisters and adults who had taken part in raising them. It was so good to see them holding each others children sharing their stories of what they did as kids while living at Buckner.

So many God things happened that day when "Boomer" brought the message of God's people crossing into the promise land and picking up a stone to remind them from where they had come and he talked of all the places they had come through as individuals and to leave with the memories and lessons that came from that journey. Afterward I carried up our youngest Buckner baby that was just a few weeks old and as I handed her to the oldest Buckner boy there (Daddy Dave who is 68), as I handed the baby to him to hold I told him her name and tears came to his eyes and he said “that was my wife's name”. We talked about how no matter what their age we claim them and Christ has always claimed them.

The best part of Buckner is being able to share in their spiritual life as well and during the worship service they were given an opportunity to give testimony. It was a moving time for all as we listened to each one share what Buckner had meant in their lives and what a great impact it had made. As Jeff Edmond's and I stood together at the front of the room he made the statement that looking around the room not any of the kids that were there had their own children in the CPS system. We both realized then how many had broken the cycle of abuse that had been passed down to them. It was so awe inspiring to see them hugging their kids and playing with them all at a place that many of them still call home.

I think their words can say it so much better so here are a few comments from them...

  "Thank you for being there when I needed you most, you were my family"

Valerie

" God is good! I can sit bk and remember when I was 8 yrs old and tell you everything about Buckner, that place is the biggest family I ever had. Thank you God for a loving place like that!"

Ashley

"...I spent the besy yrs of my life in this place"

Patrick