Serving in Family
AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSUE
Introduce yourself, your wife, and your kids.
Josue: “Hello my name is Josue, this is my wife Rossy, and we have two sons named Andres and Marcos, and one daughter named Stefany.”
How did you find out about Casa Bernabé?
Josue: “Right before we started at Casa Bernabé we dreamed of working with children, which was more Rossy’s dream than mine. To go to church we would pass Casa Bernabé, and it always stuck out to us. Rossy even stopped by one day to check it out but never heard anything back. Months later we visited as a family, without touring the campus, and during the interview, Stefany (our daughter) prayed and said, “I give thanks for being in the Promise Land.” When we finally got offered to serve as house parents, we walked up to our new home, and outside on the side of the house it read “Promise Land.”
Did you know that you wanted to serve as house parents as soon as you discovered the ministry, or did the Lord foster that desire in your heart?
Rossy: “We didn’t know exactly how serving with children would look like at first. However, after going through a very tough time as a family, and seeing how God got us through those hard times, we decided to be obedient to Him in thankfulness, and that led us to becoming house parents.”
What year did you come to Casa Bernabé?
Rossy: “We first started in 2017, and have been serving for 7 years.”
Have you always been over Casa David?
Rossy: “We actually started in a girls house, Casa Ester, and moved to a boys house, Casa David, during the pandemic.”
What were some of the challenges you faced initially? Are they the same ones you face now?
Josue: “When we first started, there was a lot of jealousy between the girls and the house helper, because they felt that we took away their previous house parents and took their place. We didn’t feel a connection with the girls, but by the grace of God in His timing, we were able to create a family in the house. Now, working with boys is different because these boys all have very different cases, whether that be hyperactivity, educational problems, or behavior issues. We have to always have many activities taking place, and have to be creative in order to keep them calm and focused.”
In facing those, were there specific Bible passages that you clung to or were an encouragement to your heart?
Josue: “Joshua 1:9 has always helped me get through obstacles. It says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
I have always had a hard time having hope that things will turn out for good, and this verse helped us as a family know that the Lord would get us through rough times in the house.”
Are there specific examples of growth in your biological family that you saw that really encouraged your heart, whether small or big?
Rossy: “Having our biological kids grow up in Casa Bernabé has its difficulties, however, seeing them serve just as we do has been the biggest blessing. The boys have been helping Tony in the garden since they were little, and Stefany will join any trip to the airport on the bus with her dad. In our family, we have many great examples of people who have persevered, and seeing that same perseverance in our kids has encouraged us to continue forward as well.”