Evangelhouse Christian Academy - Edu (LA)

5 /5 Jeff Hogg: They say the only guarantees in life are death and taxes. Well, I personally can add one more because I firmly believe and guarantee that my daughter would not be who she is today without having had ECA being a part of her (and my wife and Is) lives. We were in desperate need for a safe and spiritual haven for our daughter to heal from beginning down a path of self-destruction. And no one wants to have to make a decision about where to send a loved one for help in this regard, let alone their 14 year old daughter. But here we were. And for us, we were willing to go anywhere. Searching for therapeutic boarding school was not an easy endeavor. Internet searches led us all across the country. And then by Gods grace, we literally stumbled upon one about 100 miles from our home here in Louisiana. Who knew? Our daughter is set to graduate in less than two weeks. Were there ups and downs in our time there? Of course. Did we hear over phone calls and home visits how she hated being there and that she just wanted us to come and get her or just not bring her back. Yep. But as I picked her up this week for her holiday visit, knowing it would be the last time she would be on campus before we come back for her graduation ceremony, the tears in her eyes as she said her good-byes was all the testimony I really needed. A testimony of how God used this program to transform this young lady, this daughter of mine, back on a right course and to establish for her an example of what healthy relationships in life can do. Our relationship is better. Her peer relationships are better. Her spiritual relationship is as well. Another final word of encouragement for me going through this process came at our first Parents Weekend. When out of the 18 or so girls enrolled, only 2 were from the state, and that 16 other families saw (or rather trusted and believed) that ECA could provide the hope and possibilities they were looking for, that they chose to send their daughters to a small little community town in rural southeast Louisiana from all across the country (and even from countries abroad). Making a decision about residential is tough. ECA made it just a little bit easier.

5 /5 Julie Morris: Our daughter is currently enrolled here, and we’re really thankful for this school. They have an educated and well trained staff. They’re super professional. The school is in a beautiful location, and the girls are treated gently and with much love rather than harshly as in another school we tried. Our daughter has made great strides since coming here, and even she agrees that she’s well loved and cared for at Evangelhouse. When she first arrived we weren’t sure if we’d ever see or speak to her again—things had been so awful between us for almost a decade. The director, Mr. Mark, has long standing positive relationships in the community and his church. He’s been married to the same person, seemingly happily, for over 30 years. These facts speak to me as a parent and reassure me that he isn’t a Lone Ranger without accountability flexing his power in and over the school (we encountered this horrifically in a previous program). We’ve grown to actually miss and enjoy our daughter since she enrolled at Evangelhouse, and I highly recommend this school for struggling teens. I don’t say any of this lightly because I’ve very much been in the shoes of a traumatized and terrified parent trying to figure out what to do about a 16 year old daughter headed for disaster and maybe even death. There is peace and safety at Evangelhouse. It may be expensive but consider the expense of a girl not getting the help she needs and the long term tragedy.

5 /5 Jennifer Meadows: The realization that your daughter needs intervention and the paralyzing search for competent providers can be overwhelming. I thank God everyday for Evangelhouse and every member of their team. Their treatment program is remarkable and well thought out. They informed and communicated with us every step of the way, and even predicted the highs and lows during our daughter’s treatment. If you are looking for a Christian based effective program, search no further. Your daughter will be loved and cared for.

5 /5 Joanna Mitchell: I’m so very thankful for this place. Mark and his staff lead with grace, structure, love And self discipline and intentionality. Everything they do is intentional and intended to create a culture where the girls can grow, heal and change. It is Miraculous blend of therapeutic care while setting the bar high for these girls to learn what it means to take ownership of their choices. I love how parents are a part of the journey and are given a space to be in community with one another because God knows, as parents of kids who struggle , we can often feel isolated. I am watching my girl learn to communicate appropriately, learn to to contend for connection with others, learn to take pride in her school work, chores and hygiene but most important she is doing the hard work to begin healing from core wounds and toxic beliefs about herself… that healing and mind work is now what is driving her to change.. it is Not simply just behavior modification . I am so thankful for how God is blessing and using this place to bring healing to our whole family. Thank you evangelhouse for your faithful service to these girls!!

5 /5 Celestina Barile: We were broken and I didn’t realize how broken we were. God used ECA as a vessel to for His love and His word. He used ECA to save our daughter and mend our family. With everything that is going on in the world it hurts my heart to think that ECA or institutions like it wouldn’t be around. This place has changed our daughter’s life and our life for the better. The road that we were headed down was less than certain but our direction changed since being at ECA. This place not only saved our child and brought her back to us but it changed our whole family. It will give you the tools and confidence you need to put the pieces of your broken puzzle back together. The staff is extremely intelligent, strong, and professional. The environment is conducive for a peaceful change. God is definitely present here. What is one year of it can change the rest of your family’s life? We cannot thank God enough for ECA. It so sad to know that there is such a need for such a place but so grateful and blessed we were able to be apart of it. I want to jump off this page and grasp you with any words to show you how much ECA has impacted our daughter and family. I know when we were hopeless and searching any little thing that would call out to me in familiarity helped me closer to making the decision of sending our daughter to ECA. I can’t tell you how many of these God winks God sent down to my husband and I during this decisions and the months to follow. So many times I looked up to the sky and said, “Thank you Lord! I get the message. I know you are there and we feel your presence.” God was and continues to be present through all of it.