Our Missionaries
Jerry and Pam Kramer
Cookson Hills
Cookson Hills
Missionaries and Forwarding Agents:
Thank you for the support you provide for the work of Cookson Hills Christian Ministry, 100 miles south of Joplin, in rural northeast Oklahoma. We started receiving support from Christ’s Church when we were in the Alba Unit of Cookson Hills, but moved to “Green Country” when the unit was closed in 1996.
We have been house-parents since 1990. We recently moved from a “big house” with a capacity of 10 kids to a foster care house with room for 5 plus us. Despite the changes, we have been focused on the purpose of Cookson Hills to Serve God by serving children. We carry out this mission in a variety of ways.
Cookson has eight “big houses” and six foster care homes, each using a family model of childcare with Christ at the center of each home and every program. We have our own K-12 school on grounds and many of the teachers live here in our community supporting the raising of needy children. Our children come from a variety of circumstances. Placement is voluntary and is often the last hope for families before the government would intervene. We believe that “it takes a community to raise a child,” but we believe that community needs to follow the pattern God established in the family.
Thanks to the support we get from churches and individuals across the country, we are able to provide the structure and nurturing these kids need without having to charge their families the full price (about $3,000/month/child) that it costs to operate. In fact, some parents cannot afford to pay anything. We also offer training to the natural family to reinforce the lessons we teach the kids in the two years we hope to have them. Our goal: break the cycle of dysfunctional families producing the next generation of unequipped parents.
Counseling plays a significant role in breaking the cycle. Our athletic program gives some students an opportunity to succeed in an activity that many have never experienced. We use horses to help the children form bonds after they may have learned that you cannot trust adults. For Him projects expose kids to a wide range of activities that help them discover how God uniquely created them. The Summer Work Program gives juniors and seniors the chance to work a job and budget their hard-earned dollars. Bible classes in every grade support the families’ regular church attendance and daily devotions to apply God’s word to hurting hearts. After all, Jesus Christ is the healer, the finisher, the way, the truth and the life. Anything that is accomplished here is through Him.
Birthdays:We have been house-parents since 1990. We recently moved from a “big house” with a capacity of 10 kids to a foster care house with room for 5 plus us. Despite the changes, we have been focused on the purpose of Cookson Hills to Serve God by serving children. We carry out this mission in a variety of ways.
Cookson has eight “big houses” and six foster care homes, each using a family model of childcare with Christ at the center of each home and every program. We have our own K-12 school on grounds and many of the teachers live here in our community supporting the raising of needy children. Our children come from a variety of circumstances. Placement is voluntary and is often the last hope for families before the government would intervene. We believe that “it takes a community to raise a child,” but we believe that community needs to follow the pattern God established in the family.
Thanks to the support we get from churches and individuals across the country, we are able to provide the structure and nurturing these kids need without having to charge their families the full price (about $3,000/month/child) that it costs to operate. In fact, some parents cannot afford to pay anything. We also offer training to the natural family to reinforce the lessons we teach the kids in the two years we hope to have them. Our goal: break the cycle of dysfunctional families producing the next generation of unequipped parents.
Counseling plays a significant role in breaking the cycle. Our athletic program gives some students an opportunity to succeed in an activity that many have never experienced. We use horses to help the children form bonds after they may have learned that you cannot trust adults. For Him projects expose kids to a wide range of activities that help them discover how God uniquely created them. The Summer Work Program gives juniors and seniors the chance to work a job and budget their hard-earned dollars. Bible classes in every grade support the families’ regular church attendance and daily devotions to apply God’s word to hurting hearts. After all, Jesus Christ is the healer, the finisher, the way, the truth and the life. Anything that is accomplished here is through Him.
May 20- Pam
June 5- Jerry
Special Notes:June 5- Jerry
All correspondence can go directly to the Kramer’s.