Today's episode features Fallon Richey, a lifelong resident of Bowie, Texas, whose journey has led her through a unique path of love, self-realization, and acceptance. She takes us back to her roots, her decision to fast-track her nursing program at TCU, and the sweet tale of matchmaking love that set her on a life full of unexpected turns.
Living in a small town with a child with uniqueness can be quite an ordeal. Fallon dives into the struggles and isolation she encountered, the turning point of acceptance, and the immense impact her youngest son had on her family. She emphasizes the importance of transparency and advocacy for her son's unique needs. Listen closely as she recounts her experiences and shares how these struggles shaped her into the woman she is today.
What happens when you're approached to lead a Kids for Truth program at Central Baptist Church?
Fallon shares her initial hesitation, the ultimate decision to accept the role, and how it led to unforeseen growth and community outreach. Wrapping up, she implores us to embrace life's messes, find family in unexpected places, and accept the gifts life presents.
Tune in for a heartwarming, inspiring, and moving conversation with Fallon Richey, a woman who has truly embraced her uniqueness and turned life's curveballs into stepping stones.
Music by: Kim Cantwell
Bowie Mural: Located at Creative Cakes
Connect w/Aaron: www.aarondegler.com
Today's episode features Fallon Richey, a lifelong resident of Bowie, Texas, whose journey has led her through a unique path of love, self-realization, and acceptance. She takes us back to her roots, her decision to fast-track her nursing program at TCU, and the sweet tale of matchmaking love that set her on a life full of unexpected turns.
Living in a small town with a child with uniqueness can be quite an ordeal. Fallon dives into the struggles and isolation she encountered, the turning point of acceptance, and the immense impact her youngest son had on her family. She emphasizes the importance of transparency and advocacy for her son's unique needs. Listen closely as she recounts her experiences and shares how these struggles shaped her into the woman she is today.
What happens when you're approached to lead a Kids for Truth program at Central Baptist Church?
Fallon shares her initial hesitation, the ultimate decision to accept the role, and how it led to unforeseen growth and community outreach. Wrapping up, she implores us to embrace life's messes, find family in unexpected places, and accept the gifts life presents.
Tune in for a heartwarming, inspiring, and moving conversation with Fallon Richey, a woman who has truly embraced her uniqueness and turned life's curveballs into stepping stones.
Music by: Kim Cantwell
Bowie Mural: Located at Creative Cakes
Connect w/Aaron: www.aarondegler.com
What happened to my hometown. It seemed so different. When I look around, it's funny how things have changed since I was young. What I wouldn't give to go way back and take a long look into my past. I remember this town the way that it used to be. Welcome to my hometown, our little town on the map and home to the world's largest Jim Bowie. Knife. To show you around our beautiful town is our tour guide, erin Degler. Erin has a love for road trips, taking the opportunity to stop along the way in small towns across the US, just like our very own, bowie, texas. Spend a little time with Erin each week as he takes you around Bowie, sharing the value of the small businesses, the organizations, the history and, of course, the people that make up my hometown. After this podcast is over, make sure you give it a like, a share, and please subscribe and review this podcast. I would now like to introduce to you your tour guide for today in my hometown, erin Degler.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to my hometown. Thanks for taking the time to join me today. Please welcome my guest. She is a lifelong resident of Bowie, a graduate of Bowie ISD, of Texas, A&M and TCU. She is a wife, a mother of three energized boys and for the last five years has been the coordinator for Kids for Truth at Central Baptist Church. Please welcome my guest today, Ms Fallon Richie. Thank you, Fallon, for joining me today. Thank you, so we're going to kind of go back to graduating as a Jackrabbit. Bowie ISD Graduated. Did you know what you wanted to do when you left Bowie ISD when you graduated?
Speaker 3:I knew it was going to be medical. I mean, that was basically what I kind of went forward with was medical, but I wanted to do a nurse's anesthesis or something in that kind of direction.
Speaker 2:And graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science in Health.
Speaker 3:And so it was kind of midway through A&M that I was like, you know, I think I want to just go for nursing, and so at that time A&M did not have a nursing program there at that campus. Well, when you get to A&M you just kind of fall in love with A&M.
Speaker 2:And so.
Speaker 3:I didn't want to leave. My parents knew that, and so I just kind of carried on, and so that degree was formed for those that are going on to, like you know, therapy school, you know for PTOT, or for those that wanted to be a nurse, and so, anyway, so I stayed and I graduated from there and earned that Aggie ring. That's kind of a big deal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because Aggies are a little bit different breed than everybody else. Oh yes. So when did so? How long between A&M. Then did you go to TCU. What do you did you go right.
Speaker 3:Basically. So I graduated a semester early from A&M, and that was in December of 08. And then I had to take 15 more hours to get into TCU A lot of religious classes and so I had to take those, and I did that online. I stayed at A&M because obviously you know you fall in love with College Station too.
Speaker 2:You don't want to leave.
Speaker 3:No, and so I stayed there and did all the online classes and then applied to the TCU accelerated program for nursing, and that program was, for those that already have a degree, that it kind of fast tracks you through the nursing program. So it was started, let's say I graduated in December of 08 and I started May of 09.
Speaker 2:So and not working while you're in between.
Speaker 3:I did work, but just like at a tanning salon you know, Nothing. Nothing fabulous.
Speaker 2:And so I talked about you are married. So, when did you get married during that time after college?
Speaker 3:So it was after well, it was at the end of the nursing, so that was 15 months to get that degree at TCU? Yes, and so I knew who Chase was, but I didn't like we never, you know, like dated or anything. I was, you know, too focused on just having a great time at A&M.
Speaker 2:So he's still here in Bowie, right.
Speaker 3:Around, yes, working.
Speaker 2:Working, but and then you're down there. So how do you connect?
Speaker 3:I know because I said I would not marry, I would not probably come back to Bowie and we're going to marry. Bowie guy.
Speaker 2:So when you left the great town of Bowie, did you say I'm not coming back?
Speaker 3:I don't want to come back. I did.
Speaker 2:Why.
Speaker 3:Because I think you just have a lot of dreams.
Speaker 3:I guess you know dreams of like going, you know you have ideals of like the big city, you know and you think, oh, I'm going to go to the big city and I love the city life and my parents were, you know, big advocates of you know, get out there, experience. They never said, do not come back, but it was just get out there and experience the world. And so that's just kind of what they instilled in me and that's what I wanted to go out there and do. But but I did always look, love the city and stuff like that, so anyway. So when I moved back to Fort Worth and was attending TCU, it was toward the end of that program that my mom and Haley, my sister-in-law now, were both school teachers at the elementary and they both just discussed this little matchmaking and they exchanged numbers and of course we already kind of knew each other.
Speaker 2:But exchange numbers of you and Chase for each other.
Speaker 3:Yes, and so when I first said no, like no, I'm not, you know. I'm going to focus on this and but anyway, we just started texting and then we kind of had our first date, and one year to that first date we got married. So really. Um, but yeah, so around the time that we got engaged I was starting my career there at Cook Children's and so and then it was just a little bit into that that we so then you moved back when you got married, and then you were driving back and forth to.
Speaker 2:Cook's yes.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we debated kind of where to kind of, you know, purchase a home and stuff like that. But he was working within the county and so at that time and with his job, we knew that it might be where we would switch. But I just kept thinking well, you know, if we start a family, you know my family's here and so we debated you know, fort Worth and Bowie, um, but ultimately we decided on Bowie and I wasn't so sure for a very long time.
Speaker 2:I kind of, even after you decided and we're living here.
Speaker 3:And I had a lot of people that came up to me and said you know, I can't believe you're back in Bowie, or what are you doing now?
Speaker 2:And so what's your response when you're really unsure about being back in Bowie?
Speaker 3:I said good question you know I'm just, you know, um, but most of the time I just said good question. But I'm here, you know, and I'm still working in Fort Worth, and at that time I was kind of living the two lifestyles that I wanted to be, you know. You know, living here in Bowie and with my husband. He'll home every night. But then I was at the time was working night shift, and so then I was able to go to Fort Worth, which I loved, fort Worth and you know be a nurse there, and so I kind of was living both you know dreams and so no, it was fine it was just there for a while.
Speaker 3:I thought what am I doing? What am I doing here?
Speaker 2:Yeah, back here, when I said I'm not coming back. Yes, yeah. And so how long after you got married and start and you were working at Cook's, did you have your first child?
Speaker 3:So we got married in April of 2011 and our first one came in December of 2012. So it tastes a little bit older than me, so you? Know we.
Speaker 2:There's no wasting time? No, and so then do you stick, do you keep, even after the first one? Do you keep working at Cook's?
Speaker 3:I did. I worked up to the point we didn't know that I was pregnant with our second, but he was leaving to go work at China and so there was already like some things kind of evolving with our first and so thinking about him being there and what did our child need, and so I kind of I really was not wanting to resign, but I knew that that was probably the best decision for our family.
Speaker 3:And so I resigned and I'd already reduced kind of my days at that point, you know, after I had our first. But so I resigned and then he went to China.
Speaker 2:So is that a hard transition from wanting a career, starting a career, going through all the school you did then to resign and be a mom? Because I think sometimes when you're driven in a career mindset and then I think I think moms probably experience this way more than dads do, because they just keep working and moms take care of everything, but when a mom is really wants a career, but then there's also, as you said, there's things that require your attention at home and with Chase being gone, Was that some adjusting to get used to it?
Speaker 3:was.
Speaker 3:It was something we communicated a lot about because he was very supportive of me continuing at Cook Children's. But I'm also that type A personality that, like you said, very driven and wanting to be there at that career. But it ultimately came to what was most important and at that time our son was starting with therapy and then we just prayed about it and thought about it and I just at that time just really felt like my stress load was to that point where I was going to have to make a decision. But I had left it very open there at Cook's that I could easily come back in, which I did. But yes, it was very hard to just let it go and I'm kind of a planner and so I really had everything kind of you know, just detailed in your life of what you think it's the route you think you're going to go on.
Speaker 3:Yes, and there was a lot of you know potential of you know I'd become a charge nurse there at Cook's and a lot of you know things you could see. Well, I could really go in this direction here. But then you know, what I've learned is God takes you on some different turns and you can fight against it or you can go with it. And sometimes we fight against it.
Speaker 2:He's still going to get us in line eventually. Yes, so with you mentioned that there were some issues with your son, and how does that? You know, when you experienced those in a small town, Small town, everybody knows pretty much everybody. Everybody wants to know your business. They may not know your business, but they may want to. So how is that? Are there struggles there when that happens? Yes.
Speaker 2:And how do you deal with those and how did you overcome that? Because I'm sure there's a lot of wanting to close off, not say anything, keep quiet, just ignore people. If I don't go in public places, I don't have to address anything. So how do you overcome those issues?
Speaker 3:Well, I definitely went about it the wrong way. And now, looking back, there's things I kind of wish, now that you're older and you really look back and what you know now, I wish I would have done differently. But at that time again, I was kind of a planner. And when you have your first, you think this is how this year is gonna go, and then toddler years are gonna go, and then we're gonna start here at preschool and you just have this in your mind and my husband and I we just kind of were. Everything was going along like we thought.
Speaker 3:And then it was just kind of like one day we woke up and it was just like a switch had turned and it just took a very long time I would say a few years to kind of go through the process of what was occurring. But basically it was just kind of overnight. We had major regression and so it started with doctor visits and then us both just going what's going on? And I'm the medical person, so I should know and I had no clue what was going on and how to approach it. And so we did have our family support here, which was wonderful, but even then some of our family didn't understand and, like my grandparents, it was very upsetting to them.
Speaker 3:And so I just started kind of like shutting down and it was kind of I didn't realize how much I'd shut down until just kind of one day you're like, wow, I've really just pulled away completely. But I did, I pulled away from everyone. And I think it's when you're in a hometown people are always. I hear a lot of people say, oh, they come from a good family, or I have expectations. Everybody sets expectations. It's like expectations and assumptions, and so I felt like I always tend to put a lot of pressure on myself and I just felt like here's a girl, comes from a good family, has a great husband, and she was really smart. And then here, what is happening and their situation, how we would go out in public, and we weren't for sure how things would go in public with our kid at that time.
Speaker 2:What was gonna happen?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. And so it was just, and we'd have people ask he did lose all of his hair eyebrows. A lot of people thought he had cancer and at that time we just didn't have all of the answers to the questions that we were being asked. And there was a couple of times that I would try to go to church and it was just like everywhere I went, whether it was to his preschool or to church, I would be pulled out to address something.
Speaker 3:And it just got to where you felt very defeated and, like I said at that time, my husband really he's my backbone and he wasn't here because he was in China working or on a rig somewhere else. So it just made it to where it was like the best option is for me to just escape reality and just stay closed up, or on those days I would just kind of push myself to like take him to school.
Speaker 3:But then you're kind of on pins and needles am I gonna get a call? And so it just kind of really reshapes you from being yourself.
Speaker 2:What was, what thing changed that made you say I'm not gonna pull away anymore, I'm gonna embrace the difference. Was there a moment that?
Speaker 3:There was a moment, but it was a few years in. So at the time all this was occurring I didn't know I was pregnant and I was already pregnant with her second and I call him my little ray of sunshine because when he came he was so happy and just everything was wonderful and he's always kept us laughing and he was the best medicine for the oldest.
Speaker 2:Was. That was part of you. I don't know if I can do this at times too.
Speaker 3:Oh, we discussed that before we found out. It was all like in one weekend basically, that I resigned. On a Friday, saturday, he woke up and was picking up handfuls of his hair off his pillow and I called my friend at the time and I said you're gonna have to come shave it, I can't do it. And that day was Halloween, so we had it all like he was a little superhero, so we banded it up had him a little cape in the hat.
Speaker 3:And then it was Sunday that I was like, oh my gosh here comes number two and this was just not expected.
Speaker 3:But again, god had a plan and we went with it and I mean he's been the biggest blessing to me and to my oldest and my husband and our family and all of that. But yeah, I basically even though so many people have seen it at work, I've seen it in this town go through much more than what we were going through. But for me I kind of hit the grief process and I had to go through those stages of being mad, blaming myself, just not understanding and then finally accepting it. And I think the turning point that I finally just accepted it was one day that somebody just said have you ever thought that not only did God bring him to you, but he chose you to be there for him? You know, if you look from both directions and I just thought, oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:You know I'd always looked at it just the one way of the process and it was just when I kind of looked at both ways, I was just like you know what? That's right, you were brought to me and I was brought to you and we're gonna do this and we're gonna get through it together. And I remember specifically looking at him and saying that, like, let's do this.
Speaker 2:And so as a team we got through it and and so then did you start sharing more about what was going on with people.
Speaker 3:I just started as you went back to doing things.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, I was a little bit more open. I was still kind of closed off a little bit on really verbalizing what was going on, but at that time we had, you know, encountered situations with people close to us that we were just realizing, you know, wow, this is just a lot more than what we're going through. And finally we just had to say, you know, we're advocating minutes for our kid, and so here we go. And so there we went with it and I just kind of gradually, would just show up to school more and being like you know, this is the way it is, we can do this had more of a backbone, I guess, just and would start coming to church. At that time it was like the Awanas.
Speaker 3:And so my sister-in-laws were like do not let this slow you down, get up here you know, and so I just started coming and even though I might have to go back and forth to that classroom to address things we brought him and we did it and it was finally when I just let go of the situation, because, like again I'm, when I hold onto things, I want to fix things, but when I let go and I remember the day that it happened and I was just said you take it.
Speaker 3:I'm done with trying, and it was kind of at a clinical trial that they told us that it would do wonders and it would fix everything. And we barely made it five minutes in and we were just like we're done. And when you know, you just get that look from your child and it was a look of why is this? You know, why are we going through this? And just not understanding. And it was just kind of a moment that just as a family, we were just like we're done, we're going to give up on trying to fix this ourselves and do things Didn't mean we just stopped advocating.
Speaker 3:Didn't mean we stopped doing therapy and going places, but we were done with just dwelling on trying to fix and there's so many other details that I'm just skipping over. But for the most part I gave it over to God.
Speaker 2:And how it was when that transition happened, when you said you know, I'm here for you, you're here for me. When? How old was he when?
Speaker 3:When that happened, I would say that was probably the that was the summer before he started kindergarten, and it was within two weeks that we started saying mom again, and I hadn't heard that since I was like he was 15 months when he stopped saying mom and he's just saying mom again and it was like we had, you know, started some other things at home and it was just like a huge difference. And it may have been right before His pre-k year, maybe a year before that, I'm trying to. It's just a lot.
Speaker 2:So so we're telling three, three to four years that you're going through this, yes, with him.
Speaker 3:Yes, but when I gave it over to God and I mean I just said I'm done. And you know, I think it's at it. I always tell some people it's okay to share your anger with God, mm-hmm, and I had to do that. And then I thought, oh my gosh, I might get struck down tomorrow. But I did.
Speaker 3:I just had to really share my anger and I then I just had to say you know what? You gave this to us and you take it now. You know, or you know maybe not, you gave it to, but you know you, we're here, now you take it. And it was just like when I did that and when my husband and I just you know, pried about and stuff, that is just when the doors just started opening and I'm pretty sure that was right before we had him at the pre-k and buoy, and I got a phone call from the principal that just said I don't know what you've done over the summer, but you know he was in ppcd. He doesn't really, you know, need to be there anymore, like he needs to be full-blown, you know pre-k and we were just going okay.
Speaker 3:You know and and we've hit a couple more bumps along the way, but ever since that moment we have just made one step forward, one step forward. And I've had, since that moment, so many people come to me and say you know, I have one say my career changed because of him. I, my involvement with him In a school setting has now shifted me to go this direction, and I've had others come to me and say you know, he has been and a change in my life. And so To me I've always said that through this he was my greatest testimony. I would not be the woman I am today, I would not be the mother that I am today, if I would not have went through that. Up to that point my life was pretty easy.
Speaker 3:I mean really growing up my life was pretty easy here and it was Fun and you know all of that. And my first time to really meet a trial and really find out what faith was was us enduring that.
Speaker 2:And you're, and during that time you're held at that time. Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 3:In my 20s, but In your 20s.
Speaker 2:But that's a long time to go without any real Challenge yes and how old is he now?
Speaker 3:He's 10.
Speaker 2:He's 10 and life looks a lot different.
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm, it is now then we're told over and over. We cannot believe that. This is when y'all are you know and that where he is, and it's just amazing because it's just over and over. We are told like Wow, or you know, this kid means so much to us and you know he you know it's just uh, you know he's just special, and we are more open with him now that you know you were sick at one point and this is what occurred, and this is why you have to work harder.
Speaker 3:You know at this, and so, little by little, as he gets older, we share more and more and you know, have some explanations that are Middle one now has you know, asked and things like that. But no, he, he definitely has a Bright future but, no matter what, I Will one day and do tell him at times, but you know he, you're you're the one that saved me because I thought I was a Christian, thought I knew what faith was, but he built me up and built our marriage up, and I think his dad would sit here and probably say the same and sometimes we don't realize Sometimes the lack of faith we have until we are challenged.
Speaker 2:We can sit in a in a sanctuary and say we have all kinds of faith, we can live a good life, so we have all kinds of faith, and but then when we get challenged, it's it, uh, it questions that. And then we look back and go do we really have the faith we thought we did Um and I think. I think God puts those things in our path, sometimes because of that Um and, and we grow from it.
Speaker 3:Yes, and and I think it, you know, opens your eyes to. You know, sometimes, maybe, living in a small town, you see a lot of what you would classify as norm and I really don't like that word. But you know, it's just norm, what is norm? And when you go through a walk like this, you're just like throw out the norm, like let's just be unique, let's all just be ourselves. And Then that's what I got, to the point where I was just like listen, this is who we are, this is what's going on. And you know, here we are and Just had to be transparent. I mean, that is my biggest thing that I continue to tell people is just be transparent, just say this is what's going on. That's one thing I love about this church Is there's so many of us that are very transparent about what we're going through right now or through the past or anything like that, and we're, you know, able to help others that are, you know, going through similar situations and.
Speaker 3:But but yeah, it's been a journey, it's uh.
Speaker 2:Because growing up in this town and just like you say, well, you come from this family. Those are norms that that people are Maybe stuck with. That it's well, I'm not. I'm supposed to act a certain way. I'm supposed to do a certain thing. I'm supposed to go to this college.
Speaker 3:I'm supposed to go to this.
Speaker 2:Yes, I'm supposed to get this career yes and and I think we need to be a community full of uniqueness. Yes, yeah and not of the norms and.
Speaker 3:I was often told, like I remember specifically where I was and when I was. As I or said I cannot believe you know. You moved back here. We figured you'd go do big things and I'm like well, who said I'm not going to like, why can't I do that?
Speaker 2:right here. You know what I mean, it's just like. But I think that's a good point, that sometimes we don't think we can do big things when we are right, yeah, and and now I have no, I mean honestly, I have no regret being back here.
Speaker 3:When people say, I mean it's just the other day at the carnival, somebody said so you're back here, you know you live here and it's like I sure do and I am proud of it and I have a little different tone now.
Speaker 3:Yes, and I know my god brought me back here and that's because, you know, in any other school my kid would be just a number. Here he is viewed as an individual, you know, and a part of a family, you know. And I mean just you know, and I mean just To me. His journey has been better, being here, surrounded by family that has his back and friendships that we formed and just advocates.
Speaker 3:I feel like here it's just the more transparent we got, the more advocates we got for him and friendships for us and advocates for us, and that we can turn around and be for others, and so, yeah, my viewpoint is definitely different and yeah, and being brought back here, being married, staying here, life changing.
Speaker 2:You see, you can connect dots and see why you're brought here, the difference it's made for your family and a difference that's made for our community, our difference for our community. As in, you talked about Awanas, which was before Kids for Truth. My girls went to Awanas when they were little. It's the best program they'd ever been in and, hands down, I still think it is. They learned so much and that program has transitioned into Kids for Truth at Central Baptist, and we were talking in 2018, there was 30 kids and we're now 2023 and just recently, but 170, 180 kids.
Speaker 3:So we have 188 registered right now, and our first night we had 169. That's what we collectively think. It's kind of a funny among all of us, kind of a joke, but we take attendance on our iPads that we have, and so I have this number. Well then, the guys at the front they have a clicker and they do a great job in every kid, but they have a different number.
Speaker 3:And then the kitchen ladies they keep up with the plate count well then they have a different number, so we just take the highest number and we're like there you go. So anyway, 169 is what we came up with for our first night, and that's the biggest we have ever had.
Speaker 2:And so you've been coordinator about five years. So when you were approached with taking that position, what was your initial reaction? Was it like yes, I'll do that. Or was it like no?
Speaker 3:I just looked right at my sister-in-law and said no, she said it very passively. She got up and was saying how she wanted to kind of change and she was the one that had brought in a one has done amazing and she was wanting to kind of shift and to be in there more for her children that had grown up. And anyway she said I kind of vote Fallon. And I just looked up and said no, like what are you thinking? So I said no for about a year.
Speaker 2:And what was your reasoning?
Speaker 3:That was the time I was leaving Cook Children's for the second time it was around that time and it was a little bit longer, but that was kind of when I was starting to kind of transition again. But I just didn't really think that I was worthy enough. I mean that I was. I'd only been kind of helping with the, you know, coming back into the program on Wednesdays for about two years at that point maybe, and I just didn't feel like there's no way I can teach. I mean I haven't even read the whole Bible yet.
Speaker 3:You know like how can I do this? And I had been helping teach, but it was just like.
Speaker 2:I just felt like Because everybody that teaches has read the whole Bible right.
Speaker 3:Right, you know, I mean that's a prerequisite, I've been told that so many times since then and I laugh about it because I'm like it's okay, these kids are gonna teach you more about their questions, you know. So, anyway, but I just prayed about it. That's when I resigned again at Cooks and decided to stay home full time with my boys, and that time was a little bit easier to make that decision.
Speaker 3:I knew at that point this is where I need to be, and so I just enjoyed doing vents. I love doing, you know, birthday parties and all of that and I thought you know what. I'm gonna give this a try. And my husband was just like no, do not do this. And I just looked at him and thought well, I'm really gonna do it now. You said no, yeah, but I think he was just. You know, he was just joking with me.
Speaker 3:He knew I would stress you know and all of that with it and so, but I think also he knew, by telling me no, that I was probably definitely gonna do it.
Speaker 2:So anyway, and so in the last five years the program has really grown. What would you contribute to it growing? I might have an idea from the outside, looking in, but what would your?
Speaker 3:I would. We ask ourselves this quite often and I give it all back to the volunteers. I mean, I come up with ideas at times. Some of them have come up with ideas and we go with it, but it is truly the volunteers that have stuck with me that still are being added to right now. We have a great team and they build this program and so I would give it back to them as, yeah, I may post on Facebook and, you know, come up with theme nods and you know different things that we can do, but it is truly the team that we have here at Central Baptist that really makes the program into what it is. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:And when you say team, I wanna commend Central Baptist because you say team and volunteers. But for me I look at it as the whole church is all in Wednesday night. There's no Wednesday night service for the adults. It's all focused on the kids. It's, you know, all hands on deck. There's no sermons, preachers, no, they're. The kitchen is full of ladies that are cooking, making desserts. There's your planning. There's teachers that teach, people that have activities and it's just amazing that the whole church pours into the kids and I think that isn't seen very often and it makes such a huge difference that they're the focus. It's not, they're a little part of the church, they're a big part of the church because those kids will grow and they will come back to the church. And do you find that they bring their parents into? Because some of these kiddos, their parents probably don't come to church, right, Right, their parents drop them off.
Speaker 2:Their parents go out for a date because they know their kiddos gonna be fed and get to play and get to learn a little bit about Jesus and they're gonna come back while parents go do whatever they wanna do. Do you find that those parents, some parents come to church because their kids have come here.
Speaker 3:We have definitely grown on Sundays and it is a lot from what we see and what we gather is from Kids For Truth that their kids enjoy coming. Then they kinda might come on a Sunday or watch online and then they've started coming. So we have seen a growth in the members that have joined and then end up being volunteers for Kids For Truth. But we're very open. Like I've had some people that don't attend here on Sundays that have asked hey, can I help with Kids For Truth? I'm just like sure, like come on, this is really. It was not planned this way, it just evolved kinda like this. But it's really just a community program. It may be based here at Central and we supply it, but it has really become just so much more and so we always refer to it as a community outreach kids ministry program, so so it's members, maybe non-members, volunteering.
Speaker 2:It's just now. I like it, but it is all hands on deck.
Speaker 3:It is, and it's right now. I think I've already been looking at Christmas items to give back to them, and so I think it was like 50. And that's including the men at the front to the kitchen, ladies, to all the ones that are involved in the classrooms, and we have-.
Speaker 2:And these are 50 volunteers that are helping on a regular basis each week, cause it takes a lot of people to handle that many.
Speaker 3:And we have floaters and so I mean I would say maybe more like 40 that are up here every Wednesday. But, yes, it does, we can. Yeah, our numbers have continued to just grow and that is probably the biggest obstacle that the program has had is the numbers, but it's the biggest blessing. But again, at times we all just go, oh my gosh, how are we gonna do this? But then I'm like you know what's fine, they'll be away, we will be shown away, we will make this work and we've had to kind of change, you know, the schedule, up summer switch rooms or add another volunteer, but we're still making it work.
Speaker 3:And just continue to pray for maybe a bigger building or something that we can continue to expand, but anyway it just. It thrills us just seeing all the kids come in and the excitement that they have. You know you walked elementary schools when I subbed there or you know the teachers there that will tell me. You know these kids are like is it church day? Is it church day? You know we're wearing their kids for true shirts, and so it's a pretty amazing.
Speaker 2:They're excited. They wanna come.
Speaker 2:They wanna be and all the volunteers are great help while the kids coming. But I wanna commend you because I talked to some of your sister-in-laws and there's others that are involved in the program and they say that you are an amazing organizer, you have great ideas and it's the growth is also because of what you've done to offer them great material, to help them be better teachers, to help them be better volunteers. So that is also to you too, to help the community and to help the program. It makes a difference, makes a difference. And in coming up in March, right, you were having a and I think this is great. You're having a community wide event, but that'll include other churches, correct?
Speaker 3:So what kind of.
Speaker 3:So last year for one of our theme nights, we brought in and it was a dog show, but it was like an entertainer that came in with a message that we had watched at camp and so we had it for just our kids and it was a great success. Well then this year I was like, well, what could we do? Well, we saw somebody else at camp, you know, this summer, and we were like, well, let's try to bring this one in, but it was pretty pricey. And I've always said that I would love to see like one big VBS, but that's just trying to find the place that that would work is just almost impossible. But for all churches just to come in with such a small community, like how awesome would that be.
Speaker 3:So when Rick and I and a couple of others started talking, I was just like, let's go bigger, let's go bigger. And they were like, okay, let's do this. And so Rick is the coordinator for that, but she's been really piecing it together, and so she reached out to some churches and right now we've got, I believe, four main churches, with others that are interested or have called her and kind of inquired about it. But yes, it's gonna be, we're gonna have it at the community center and they were gracious enough to just donate the building for us.
Speaker 3:And we're inviting other. It's not like public drop off, you know, because of the safety of kids and everything. But it's like other church ministry, kids ministry programs come and we're gonna watch this chemistry show that I think the kids will really love, but just all be there together, just in one house together. And so Lot House has gotten with us First Baptist Southside, and so yeah we're excited.
Speaker 3:So we're still inviting any other church within the community. We even had somebody reach out from Nokona. They would like to come over, and so we're like okay, and so we are reaching out to businesses within the community that if they would like to donate to this so that no church is out any cost to provide this for our kids. And we've already had quite a response and so that's great.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So we're kind of excited that you know, and more than anything is it may be hard on us, but we want the kids to see.
Speaker 3:We want to see the kids you know, see all the churches and their friends from other churches you know, coming in together and saying, you know, like we can be all together in one house praising the one God, and so and it kind of from there expanded to where, like some of us, those four are coming together to do work together on CU at the pole, and so I mean it's kind of started something where we're all joining up together. So I love that.
Speaker 2:And it has a bigger impact. And I think when kids see that, see, well, that's not well, you go to church here, you go to church here. We're gonna see each other because we're gonna do things together as church, because every church has one goal in mind. And they all share. You know learning about Jesus and God and what they have to offer, and so why not do it collectively and have a bigger impact on our community? Yes.
Speaker 2:Because each church can do amazing things, but putting them all together can radically change the way our community looks.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah. So we're excited and I think it'll be quite the success and maybe something we can continue to do every year.
Speaker 2:So and what for Kids? For Truth, it starts at what grade level.
Speaker 3:Three year olds.
Speaker 2:Three year olds.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we start at three year olds and we go to fifth grade, and then from there they move on to our youth swag.
Speaker 2:And so youth is swag, and so those numbers include Kids for Truth, and swag that's just Kids for Truth.
Speaker 3:Just Kids for Truth.
Speaker 2:Okay, so that doesn't include the junior high and high school.
Speaker 3:No. So what's happened is they've built too, they've got a Bayesian Leaders too, and every year we're pushing them now pretty much like 25 kids, and so they continue to just grow and grow and grow. And so I could be so wrong on this, but I think they were around like 75 on that first night, or they've been kind of around the 70s, I feel like. And so that is not. Our 169 was not including their 70.
Speaker 2:So we're talking close to 250. Yeah, wow that come here. Yeah, that's on one night, on a Wednesday night, on a normal Wednesday night that's a lot, yes, and that's a big impact.
Speaker 3:Yes, and they I mean kudos to the kitchen, ladies because, Vicki and Luanne. She does all of the cookies.
Speaker 3:She bakes the cookie for each kiddo and I mean, yeah, it's just incredible, it's. It has just been an amazing thing to watch and see, just every year, just grow. And I've had people come up to me that have said, you know, I can't teach Fallon, what are you thinking? And I'm like, oh, but you can, you know I'll help you and you can do this. And then just to see how those individuals have just blossomed. So it's just all the way around. This program has not only been there for children, but it has reshaped or, you know, molded in, you know, these teachers and you know, all the way to the kitchen and then all the way to the youth, and so it's just.
Speaker 3:You know, we're just letting God take us and we're just rolling with it, and he can do a lot more than we ever think possible.
Speaker 2:Yes, and it's all the different lives that are touched, from teachers to kids, to parents, to the community.
Speaker 3:Yes, and so I think my like what we talked about earlier, about what we went through with, you know, our son and everything is. I've had numerous parents that have come to me and said, you know well, I want it to come, but I'm not for sure if this setting, would you know, work for my child. And. I'm like, come, like, just come, we'll figure it out. Well, this is a very overstimulating place, obviously with that many kids, yeah many kids.
Speaker 3:But we'll figure it out and if we have to do baby steps at first, we will, but like the doors are open and do not let this keep you from shutting out like we did. And so I've really met a lot of parents, share that with me, that, and they don't even know my story, but it's like it's in those moments that you know, okay, god took me through that so that I can get that kid here and that one here, and we will make this work.
Speaker 3:And we've done that for a lot here and I love seeing them being able to come and my team being able to, you know, just embrace those kids and they get through it and we get through it together and so it's. It's just amazing. Yeah just a.
Speaker 2:And I think it's important that we know that sometimes we have to. It's so hard to be patient through a mess, but that one day our mess will be our message and we can make all the difference because of that mess, that if we never went through that we couldn't serve someone else.
Speaker 3:Right, I agree on a percent, and I had somebody once asked me if you could go back to that time when there was that switch, you know, and you could change whatever occurred for your son, for him, you know. For none of this to happen, would you?
Speaker 3:And I mean, that seems like a very easy answer you know, but I just sat there and I just said, man, to save him from going through any of this. You know all of the needles and all the doctors and all the tests and all that. Oh yeah, absolutely. You know I would go back for him but for me and what it did for our family and for me as an individual, my husband as an individual. I just don't know, because I would not be where I'm at. I don't even know if I would be doing this program.
Speaker 3:You know, I'd probably still be there to cook children's, you know doing that dream.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just go in that direction. But it's just like man, no, like I feel like again greatest testimony and he was, you know, my greatest testimony and so it's just hard to look back because you know, I feel like this is you know where God has carried us and brought us to and been there right with us as we went the different turns, and so right now everybody's like you know, when I had my latest, they said you're not gonna leave, are you? And I was like. Just a few months ago.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And so they're like you're not going to leave, are you? And I was like, well, I mean, right now I'm just. I'd never dreamed this is where I would be. I never dreamed I'd be doing something like this, you know again. I thought, I'd be doing nursing and working my way up there, but right now I'm just long for the ride and enjoying it and just trying to, you know, make a difference in the kids' lives right now and other people, and just be their advocates and their supporters. And so yeah.
Speaker 2:And changing lives in Bowie, texas. Yeah, doesn't have to be in the city.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:Doesn't have to be a college station.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:Doesn't have to be somewhere fancy. It can be out of the norm and you can change lives.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:What makes you call Bowie my hometown Raised, grown up here, but what's it mean to you when you say Bowie's my hometown?
Speaker 3:Family, and I don't mean just my immediate family, my entire family's here for the most part.
Speaker 3:Besides, a few cousins and my husband's family is here, so our kids are surrounded by cousins and their grandparents and then they got to know my you know great grandparents before I, you know, lost some of them and so that family makes it my home, but also the family once I kind of, because when you move back you have to believe it or not build other relationships because all of your friends that you grew up with in high school they kind of go different directions.
Speaker 3:Some are here but they're kind of doing their life and so you have to rebuild those relationships with you know new people and stuff and man, you know we've got an amazing group and here is everybody at Kids for Truth is like an extended family to me and I think my husband would say the same thing in my kids, but even though half of them are family, but it's just, it's just a family connections. I mean, right now Rick is in the other room watching my little one and she's, like you know, an extended sister to me and so I, just when I think of Bowie and hometown, it's our family, it's our family, from our church family to my own family, to you know, my friends, that I count as family.
Speaker 3:And so and I think if you interviewed every volunteer here that helped the Kids for Truth, I think they would say this is my family, more than they would say you know, these are my peers you know, I think they would say the same so when. I think of hometown and I think of Bowie, it's family.
Speaker 2:And I think with family, we're generally interested in more invested.
Speaker 2:And I think that's what makes the difference is you're invested in them doing that, being better, being better, and when. I think when we do that, it's different than just being a peer or just a kid that comes to visit, that will leave and we don't see them. One thing you did mention family when I sent you a little form to fill out little, but you gave me great detail. But I just want to read one thing that you wrote that I want to share with everybody because I think it's important to leave them with. It says you said all in all, bowie is family. So if there's one advice I can give anyone within or moving to our community, it is be you. There is no norm, there is no perfection. Be transparent, stand tall with what God has carried you through and shine with your uniqueness.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:And I think so many people come to our community and don't share their uniqueness and don't share what God has brought them through. We shine. We try to hide our uniqueness, I think, and I hope that people come to our community and I hope that community members allow others to allow their uniqueness to shine. That's a challenge to us as individuals to let our uniqueness shine. That's also a challenge to allow others uniqueness to shine, because that's sometimes harder, I think, to let others be unique and still be accepting, as Christians should be accepting. Yes, are we Not always?
Speaker 3:And we've yes, we've learned that.
Speaker 2:In a perfect world. The Bible says, yes, we should be accepting, but we are human and we don't always follow that. Bible says we should be faithful. Sometimes we're not always faithful, so he has to challenge us sometimes to say how faithful are you? Sometimes he has to put somebody super unique in our path to say how accepting are you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's exactly right.
Speaker 2:And those are things just as you've learned all these years your son was a gift to you. You look, maybe how are we going to get through this? This is a burden, this is a challenge. This is tough. Why would God do this? But one day you said this is a gift and it radically changed your life.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And changed his life.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there was a time when I was in a very dark hole and depressed, and it was a strain even on our marriage and everything. And it's just, you know, chase and I just now look back and we look at it differently at times, but there's just so much that we do just look back and go, wow, god has this journey and I hope one day that Cannon, you know, listens to this, or he, because I've wrote some things down and I hope that he is never ashamed and that he is never embarrassed, you know, or anything like that. Because, man, kiddo, without you where would I be, like, how lost would I be? How many others that you have touched in your special way that you didn't even know what?
Speaker 3:you were doing and so yeah, like it's just amazing of I just look at it this way, man, I'm not even to 40 and. God, you've already took me through all this what else do you have in store? So?
Speaker 2:I sure hope I can make it through it.
Speaker 3:But I will definitely say we've got more of a support system and I just for a long time I didn't want to, you know, share a story and, like you said, hide behind. But then I thought, okay, how many others? I don't want anybody to go through what we did and to shut off. You know, I want people to be, you know, accepting and just open of like, hey, this is what we're going through, this is what we got, and it's okay, and it's there's nothing wrong with it, it's okay, yeah, so yeah, be you.
Speaker 2:Be you Again. All kids are welcome to be themselves to come. All their parents, all those that aren't parents, are more than welcome to come. Be you, be unique and central Baptist, and the community will support you.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 2:That's our challenge to ourselves, that's our challenge to our community is to be that uniqueness and support that uniqueness. Yes, I agree. So thank you so much, fallon, for being on today. I appreciate it so much. I appreciate you sharing your story and sharing the heart of Kids for Truth and the church for our community, because it's so important that our hometown has those in our community that do that, because we are our community and if we want change, we have to be the change and that starts with us. So thank you so much and thank you for taking the time to do that, because I know it's a lot of work to make that program run with over 200 kids. I just can't believe that.
Speaker 3:Oh, we can't either.
Speaker 2:That's a lot of kids. So thank you, I appreciate it Absolutely. Thank you, and thank you to each of you for stopping by and joining us today, looking forward to seeing you around my hometown.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to today's podcast. If you would like to connect with Erin, you can do so by going to erendeglercom or find him on social media as Erin Degler on Instagram, facebook and YouTube. Once again, we greatly appreciate you tuning in. If you have enjoyed this show, please feel free to rate, subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcast. We greatly appreciate that effort and we will see you around in my hometown.