Grace Brodersen’s parents were teenagers, caught in the cycle of broken homes. They never got the help or     support they needed, and as addiction swallowed their lives, Grace and her two siblings were caught in the wake. The foster care system that stepped in to protect and keep them safe became a different kind of nightmare.

As a small child, Grace endured all kinds of abuse —physical, emotional, and sexual. Each new home brought more uncertainty. Every time she started to believe things might get better, another promise fell apart. “I learned early that words can’t be trusted,” Grace said. “The people who say they love you can still hurt you.”

Over time, she began to believe the lies whispered to her — that she was the problem, that she wasn’t worth loving, that she was doomed to repeat the same broken patterns as her parents.

“I felt unwanted, damaged, ugly, and unloved,” Grace said. “I couldn’t even picture a future because all I was trying to do was survive each day. I was so full of hate and hurt that I just shut down. I stopped feeling anything at all.”

The Family That Chose Me

At ten years old, Grace arrived at Show-Me Christian Youth Home — alone, hurt, and certain this would be just another stop. She and her two siblings had been adopted together, a promise that was supposed to be their happily-ever-after. But it hadn’t lasted. Grace was the one sent away, and the rejection cut deep. She figured this place wouldn’t last long, either.

The Partons — her Show-Me family — didn’t preach about love; they proved it every day. When she slammed doors, rolled her eyes, or shut down in silence, they stayed. When she pulled away, they drew her in.

Family life with the Partons was made of simple, ordinary moments — family chores, Friday pizza nights, road trips, concerts, holiday traditions, and evening devotions. Their family became her family. It was a family that wasn’t perfect, but real — a family where everyone was a little broken, yet love still held them together.

At Show-Me, Grace found herself surrounded by people — kids and adults — who had known the same kind of pain. They didn’t just understand or accept; they forgave and came together to support one another. When Grace stood up to testify against her abuser, they were there to give her courage. When she cried because her adoptive parents didn’t want her back, they reminded her that she was wanted here.

“There was such a sense of community,” Grace said. “Everyone made me feel safe. I finally saw it — I was in my family. Not the family I was born into, not the family that adopted me, but the family that chose me, even on the hardest of days.”

As the walls around her heart lowered, Grace began to discover who she really was. She joined sports, found a gift for art, and began doing well in school. “I went from being the kid with no self-esteem, who couldn’t do anything right, to one proudly holding an MVP trophy,” said Grace.

Adulting Ain’t Easy

At eighteen, Grace graduated with her diploma in hand, ready to take on the world. But adulthood proved much harder than she imagined. Without the structure of Show-Me, and wanting to fit in and be liked, she drifted toward the wrong friends and made poor choices. Those decisions led to trouble — even with the law.

“Instead of being ashamed, angry, or judgmental,” Grace said, “my Show-Me family stepped in with advice, help, and love to help me get steady again.”

Path to Purpose helped her regain her footing — cutting ties with unhealthy influences, finding work, and paying the down payment on a rental home for her and her Show-Me sister to share. Life seemed to be coming together again. And then… she fell in love with a boy.

Love, Distance, and Two Blue Lines

Grace fell in love fast. Infatuated and hopeful, they rushed into things — moving to Texas to start fresh and reconnect with some of her biological family. For a while, it felt like the beginning of the life she had always wanted. But as months passed, she realized that even though she had grown and changed, the pain and insecurity underneath never truly healed. With her Show-Me family now several states away, she had no one nearby to ground her when life got hard. Over the next year and a half, the cracks widened. When COVID hit, the isolation deepened, the relationship unraveled, and life felt like too much to carry.

Grace knew she needed to leave — but then came the pregnancy test. Two faint blue lines changed everything. “The fear of the unknown, the fear of judgment, the fear of raising a baby alone — it all hit at once,” she said. Unsure what to do, she called her Show-Me mom. On the other end came a calm, steady voice: “It’s going to be fine. You’re not alone.” Once again, Show-Me came to the rescue — helping her move back to Missouri and connect with a Christian maternity home in Kansas City, giving her and her baby a safe place to start over.

Building a Family, Losing Her Way

Back in Missouri, Grace gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She and the child’s father wanted to give their daughter what neither of them had growing up — a stable home and a family. Determined to break the cycle, they got married. He enlisted in the military, and Grace worked to build a steady foundation for their little family. Path to Purpose helped her find a job at a daycare where she could work and care for her daughter, and she earned her certificate in phlebotomy to begin a career in healthcare.

When he was stationed in California, Grace moved with him — half a country away from her Show-Me support system. With him gone for long stretches of training, the loneliness deepened. She did everything she could to make it work, especially after learning they had a son on the way. In August 2024, she gave birth to their handsome baby boy — a moment that should have brought them closer.

But almost immediately, her husband left for additional job training in Florida. The distance between them grew wider. Calls were short, sometimes cruel, and the warmth that once held them together had turned painfully cold. Grace said, “That’s when I knew the marriage was over. He didn’t want to try anymore.”

Even though the realization broke her heart, she knew what she had to do. “Maybe I thought I deserved it,” she said softly, “but my kids didn’t. They deserved stability — and a love that wouldn’t disappear.”

At her lowest point, Grace called her Show-Me family. Once again, they showed up — driving to California, helping her load a U-Haul, and bringing her and her two young children safely home to Missouri.

“I was so scared of the judgment I’d face coming back,” Grace said. “Everyone once had such high hopes for me when I graduated, and I felt like I’d let them all down. But to my surprise, when I got here, it was like nothing had changed. These people still loved me for me — not for the choices I did or didn’t make.”

First Mom

Safe back in Missouri, Grace soon learned that the world isn’t built for single parents. Even with determination, the daily weight of childcare, bills, and starting over still felt impossible. That’s when Show-Me’s Family Care Ministry stepped in — and Grace became its first mom.

Her experience helped shape what the program would become: a place where moms could find both shelter and steady, practical support. During her maternity leave, Show-Me gave her time to heal and breathe. They enrolled her daughter in preschool and arranged transportation so she could have the companionship and routine every child needs. They helped cover costs when money was tight, provided daycare so Grace could return to work, and connected her with a job that fit around her kids’ schedules.

When her car’s brakes went out, they fixed them. When she needed baby supplies or guidance, they quietly made sure she had what she needed. And when the emotional weight of everything threatened to overwhelm her, counseling and therapy helped her keep moving forward.

Family Care built on the lessons she’d first learned in Path to Purpose, meeting real-life challenges — the unexpected expenses, the long nights, the balance of work and parenting alone. “It gave me time to breathe,” Grace said. “Time to heal, focus on my kids, and build something solid again.”

Even with everything coming together, Grace felt something stirring inside. She had everything she thought she needed, but her heart still felt restless.

You – Not the Perfect You

“I grew up in church,” Grace said, “but I never wanted to sacrifice the world. I always told myself one day I’d give my life to Jesus — once I was better, once I was ready to be the good Christian I was supposed to be.”

Then came the message that broke her. Someone reached out over social media to tell her that her husband had fathered another child in Florida. The news hit like a punch to the chest. The betrayal and rejection sent her spiraling.

Grace went back to counseling, where her counselor, Linda, shared how she had once tried to carry everything alone until she finally surrendered it to Christ. “You’ll never be deserving,” Linda told her. “That’s the beauty of it. Jesus died for who you are today — not the perfect version you’re trying to become.”

That night, sitting on the front steps of her home, Grace wept and cried out to God. “I sat in my sadness and looked back at my life and realized this was the life I gave myself,” she said. “I couldn’t even imagine the life I could have lived if I had given it to God.”

So she did. Grace asked her Show-Me sister, Jerrica — a friend she’d looked up to since she was a little girl — to baptize her. Surrounded by her friends and Show-Me family, Grace was baptized in the pool on campus.

That day, as she came up from the water, the old voices were silent. The girl who once believed she was unlovable finally knew she was chosen — by family, by grace, and by God.” 

A Prayer for Moms

Today, Grace is a light to others — living proof of what restoration looks like when love and faith take root. She’s raising her children in the love she once longed for — not a perfect life, but a redeemed one. The same hands that once reached out to rescue her are now teaching her how to reach others.

Her next dream is already rising in the oven. Grace is building a small baking business she calls Gracee’s Goodies, selling her treats at local farmers markets and community events. Each brownie and cookie is more than a recipe — it’s a reminder of how far she’s come and the sweetness that can come from a once-broken life. One day, she hopes it will grow into a full bakery that can provide for her family and be a witness to what can happen when Christ is in control of your life.

“My prayer,” Grace said, “is that moms who need a hand up off the ground can come and find safety in the Family Care program. They have a chance to become the best versions of themselves, break the cycle so many of us came from, and find their true identity in Christ.”

Boys to Men

Becoming a man is not simply a matter of age or physical strength—it is about integrity. A boy does not become a man overnight, nor does it happen without struggle. It is through personal responsibility, determination, faith, and perseverance that he transforms, shapes his character, and defines his future. The journey of the four young men of the Show-Me Christian School (SMCS) Class of 2025 has been one of challenges faced and overcome. These principles mold boys into men of integrity, who will build a life not just for themself, but for those they will one day lead, serve, and protect.

An Answer for Everything

Learning to take personal responsibility is an essential part of becoming a man. A boy blames others for his mistakes, but a man accepts them, learns from them, and strives to do better. “Tony used to have an answer for everything, and it was never his fault,” recounted his housedad. With an abundance of energy, Tony struggled to focus at school and at home. Rather than facing his problems, he would avoid them. The sweet, adorable, caring boy would try to charm his way out of trouble to escape any consequences. “I used my smile and cuteness to get what I wanted,” confessed Tony.

Hidden underneath that smile was anger and frustration that he did not even realize. “I don’t remember much of my life before I was three and came to Show-Me with my (five) siblings, but it was bad,” stated Tony. “I didn’t trust people or want to let them in.”

Meeting with the counselors helped him to understand and talk about his past. Slowly, he became honest with himself about his struggles. Admitting it was not a sign of weakness, but of strength; now, he could get help. Sports and additional breaks helped him to get out some of his extra energy to be able to focus better. He put his energy towards sports and became a state champion in cross country.

Tony realized that the routine, discipline, and structure at
Show-Me helped him, not hurt him. He worked with his teachers to get the extra help he needed to turn his struggles into success in school. A boy may run from consequences, Tony determined to face them head-on and grow in the process.

Going Nowhere

No one succeeds alone. Learning to identify and use the resources God has placed around you is a crucial lesson a man must learn. Chayvin knew that he faced an uphill battle when he arrived at Show-Me. Skipping school and hanging out with the wrong crowd had left this 17-year-old with only a 5th-grade education. Graduating in two years seemed impossible. But he was determined. “I knew if I didn’t have my education, I was going to go nowhere,” stated Chayvin.

His Show-Me family explained to him that it wasn’t going to be easy, but they committed to helping him with every step. The next two years required twice the effort and endless sacrifices, but he refused to give up. Late nights, extra tutoring, and sheer determination brought Chayvin back on track to graduate in May. “Show-Me gave me a faith and will to push myself in every circumstance,” stated Chayvin.

Only One Savior

Becoming a man requires faith – faith in himself, in others, and most importantly, in God. He trusts that every trial has a purpose and that God has a plan for his life. For Drew, his senior year was supposed to be the culmination of years of hard work. His basketball teammates had named him captain. They looked to him for everything – on and off the court. He was their leading scorer, and after years of struggling, it finally looked like they might have a winning team. It was a lot of pressure, but Drew could handle it. He had big shoulders.

Early in the season, a broken leg shattered that dream. Suddenly, Drew could no longer do it on his own. He tried to carry their burdens as usual, but the physical and mental strain was exhausting him. “Their struggles and mine were killing me,” admits Drew. “Why would God allow this? I thought I was doing good with how hard I was working.”

In his helplessness, Drew’s perspective changed as he realized the “why” this setback was allowed to happen. His team needed the opportunity to find independence and learn to rely on each other. He needed to learn dependence on God and not rely on himself. It was ok to slow down and give himself time. Only Christ could be his teammates’ savior.

From Defiance to Determination

Becoming a man means learning to channel emotions into purpose. Tynnir arrived at Show-Me as an 11-year-old boy who didn’t talk much. He seemed frazzled and scattered in his new surroundings. “I didn’t want to be here,” remembered Tynnir. Angry and feeling like he had no control over his situation, he came across as stubborn and defiant. But in time, he found his footing. He made friends, learned the structure, and began to focus – not on the past or the future – but on what he could control: the present. His stubbornness shifted into determination.

Tynnir had always dreamed of becoming a soldier. Now, he was all in. He was willing to put in the work to make it happen. He poured himself into learning new talents like playing guitar, trained through sports to build his physical strength, joined the Criminal Justice program at the local college to earn extra certifications, and balanced a part-time job – all while staying on track to graduation. “Never once do we have to remind Tynnir of his responsibilities,” said SMCS Administrator Robin Blake. “He does it, and he does it well.” A man turns emotion into purpose—and purpose into progress.

Fuel to Success

The men of the Class of 2025 came from different struggles, but their stories share a common thread: resilience. They refused to be defined by their hardships and instead used them as fuel to succeed. As they take their next steps into the future, they carry not just diplomas but the hard-earned lessons of perseverance, responsibility, and the unwavering belief that if God is with them, they are capable of overcoming anything.