My name is Donna and my son was a student at New Beginnings in the Boys Academy. He was actually the first boy that Bro. Mac took in at the school. The boys’ school was not quite ready to open its doors yet and I had been in contact with Bro. Mac about the crisis that was going on for my son and our family. Bro. Mac graciously called me and said that he felt there was something about "this boy" and that God was saying to take him in. It was truly a miracle in my life and for my child that was in so much pain and turmoil...all the pieces began to truly miraculously fit together and within one month my son was placed in Bro. Mac's care. I didn't know that my son had been praying that if God would get him out of the situations he was in, he would give himself completely to God. God answered his prayers on May 12th and my son recognized it as God's hand and indeed within a few weeks at New Beginnings, he rededicated his heart back to Jesus.

I went to visit my son with his brother and sister after he had been at the school for six months. We were all completely amazed at the transformation that God was accomplishing in and for my son. He had that peace and joy back that he had as a young boy, loving Jesus. We spent the three days we got to visit him singing hymns and songs that we had sung together when he was young as we drove around Missouri together.

I am in awe of God and the work He is so faithfully completing in Taylor. I am forever grateful for the godly men the God has placed in Taylor's life at New Beginnings. When my son left California, he was a 15 year old that struggled with entitlement, disrespect, lying, and anger. He now is a young man that has a passion for God's Word and actually is able to take responsibility for his actions. As a mom whose deepest desire is that my children will have personal relationships with God...He has granted me the desires of my heart as I hear what He is doing in my son's life. I knew that my son needed to be removed from his environment and family dynamics to have a chance to hear God's call. To God be the glory for the things He hath done for my son and thanks be to God for the family at New Beginnings and their willingness to give their lives for our children in service to God.

My name is Buggs. Eleven years ago on Father's Day I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I wish that I had done this so many years ago. I would have brought my family up in a more Christian home environment, but you live and learn. No matter how hard you try, the Devil has ways of getting in and trying to steal your glory. I have a son that was 17 years old. All and all, he has always been a good son. I kept him in church and he went to the altar and asked Jesus to be his personal Savior, but I did not believe that it was from the heart. Only God knows the heart. My son got into a little trouble in June of 2008.

The church that we attend supports New Beginnings, so I prayed about the matter and in just a little time the Lord spoke to me about sending my son there. I called Bro. Mac at the home and spoke to him about the matter and asked if he would consider taking my son. He told me that he would love to have him in the program. It was the best thing that I could do for my son. At 8:45 on September 10, 2008, my son asked the Lord Jesus to be his personal Savior and this time it was from the heart. The difference that the staff has made in my son's life is like day and night. Just in the first few weeks, I could tell the difference in my son. It is so good to set down and have a conversation about God with my son and listen to him bring Bible verses out in to the conversation.

The staff at New Beginnings is a God fearing King James 1611 Bible believing ministry. Only the true Word of God is spoken. I have seen the difference that the ministry has made in my son and would encourage anyone that has had a teen male or female that needs a second chance or a parent who wants to help their child get a better start even in their education to contact New Beginnings.

I would like to thank the staff at New Beginnings and all of the wives of these great men who have devoted their lives to changing boys and girls into respectable young men and ladies. God bless you all.

 My husband and I want to personally thank you for helping our son to change his life and get him back on track. Last year was a tough year with our son becoming more defiant, getting angry a lot and losing his relationship with God. In a short period of time you helped change his life around. My son was not doing drugs or getting in trouble with the law but he was angry and destructive in our home, not caring about school, our family or God. Before it was too late for him and he started getting involved with drugs or the law, we wanted to send him somewhere so he could change. New Beginnings was the right fit for our son. He was able to get right with God, which is what he says has helped him change the most. Further, the structure and support helped him break out of his angry demeanor. Being away, helped our family heal and helped our son understand what is important in life. He now wants to do well in school and is repeating the classes he failed. He is taking pride in himself and his life. He now has a relationship again with God and wants to be a part of church several times a week; this has been a huge blessing.

He is pleasant and polite. He does work around the house in a cooperative manner. He has gotten his temper under control. He learned so many new skills while at New Beginnings, such as planting, harvesting, carpentry, laying cement, etc. These skills are a source of pride for him and he really enjoyed doing these things while he was there. He has learned how to take responsibility of his life and build his self-esteem. It was such a hard decision to put him on the plane and send him away but I knew it was what he needed. There were many days I cried and prayed for comfort but I would do it again in a heartbeat because the change in him is incredible, he is a young man now. The months he was gone were hard for me but seeing him happy and in control of himself is a blessing from God. He grew up so much with your program and God’s support.



If you are considering placement for your child, I would highly recommend New Beginnings. It clearly changed our son’s future.

I had a great childhood & loving parents. As a teen I started to get into trouble; defiant to my parents, smoked pot, drank, and entered the ‘party’ lifestyle. Dated a gang member/drug dealer. The drugs got worse & so did my behavior. I skipped high school, got into fights & failed my classes. My parents tried counseling, grounding me, everything they could to help me. Finally they decided to send me to a Christian girls home. I wasn’t too happy about that; especially leaving my friends and boyfriend behind. They took my jeans & cigarettes and gave me a Bible. As time went on & hearing the Word, The Holy Spirit spoke to me in Aug 98 in Corpus Christi TX. I knew I needed God desperatley so I gave my life to Him. 13 years later here I am writing this testimonial looking back on how my life has changed since that moment and it’s been an awesome ride. After the home I got my GED & took a job as a preschool teacher at a Christian school. I met my husband (a pastor’s son) a few years later. 8 years later we had our daughter who is now turning 2 and I’ve been blessed to stay home with her & run my own business. I thank God for my parents who got me help before it was too late, for the McNamaras who’ve dedicated their lives to this ministry, and to the One who loved me enough to hang from that tree and die for me, I will forever be grateful.

Hello I am Meghan Waldo. Before going into the home i went to a good christian school and a great baptist church.I was raised in a good home but always wanted what i wanted. I would do whatever it took to get what i wanted no matter what it took. My parents did all they could do for me and i never took the help that they were giving me I wanted what i wanted and wanted to do what i wanted. When i got to the home i knew that's where i needed to be. I had been in the home for a while before i got saved thought i was but one day realized i had not been truly saved but on may8,1990 i got truly saved.That was the best day of my life. I learned a lot of things in the home that i needed and they were the best 4 years of my life. I would not be where i am today if i had not went to the home. To this day i regret what made me have to go to the home but i do not regret the help that i got from being in the home.You get what you want from the home and it is up to you to take it or leave it , and i am glad that i wanted to take it. When i left the home i felt like i was leaving a second home but i know that i will always have a home there if i need it.I came home and meet my husband at our baptist church and the Lord really has blessed us in a GREAT way. I will be forever grateful for what the Lord did through the Macs for me and i hope many other boys and girls can get the help i did. JESUS FIRST OTHERS SECOND THEN ME.

I came to the home on May 25, 2008. I was living in a way that was leading to a life without purpose. I was happy on the outside, but really miserable inside. My parents foresaw miserable lives for both my sister and I if we continued to go on as we were living. They knew we needed help, they just didn’t know exactly how to get it. They later found New Beginnings online. My Dad flew from California to Missouri to see if it would be a good place to send his girls. Needless to say, a month later we came to NBGA.

The second night I was in the home, I realized for the first time how much I personally needed God and that I couldn’t live my life without Him. That night, May 26, 2008, I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart and save me from Hell and He did! Five days later, my sister got saved too! Still, at 16, I had no idea what God had in store. That summer I learned how to garden and can.

While I was in the home, I went on 8 tours to over 15 different states, which was awesome because I hadn’t been to the east coast before. In August 2009, Bro. and Mrs. Mac took my sister and I on a week vacation to Universal Studios in Florida. That was a lot of fun. I learned how to fish, cook, mow, and all sorts of things while I was at the home. My sister and I joined the girls’ quartet after 6 months. We enjoyed a lot of “sister time” and got to minister to several different churches. Before I knew it, my 18th birthday was coming up and I could choose if I wanted to stay or not. The Lord worked on my heart and I decided to stay. My sister also decided to stay. At the time we weren’t even thinking about graduating, we just knew it was where God wanted us to be. A year and a half later we both received our High School diplomas with high-B averages.

In three years, Good took my hard heart and made it soft; He gave me a conscience again. Over time, God took all my old desires and gave me His. I love my family very much and thank God for giving me such loving parents. I love the Lord with all my heart. I am grateful for this home. This home is where I learned to be a hard worker, to have honest character, and to have a servant’s heart. Bro. and Mrs. Mac have been so encouraging. They are people who are the “real deal.” Their hearts are too big for this world. They are my heroes.

The staff members at New Beginnings have been a blessing from day one. What I like about this ministry is that they have nothing to hide. They love what they do because they love the Lord. They are sincere and genuine; there is nothing I could do to repay the love I have received from them. This home changed my life, inside and out, and has given me a new purpose in life and that is to live everyday for Jesus; a life without regrets.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”  Philippians 3:13

I can’t exactly put into words all the good things the Girls’ Home has done for me. Although I got saved in another home, this home has helped me and led me in a closer walk with the Lord. Bro. and Mrs. Mac (plus all of the staff) have helped me through my trials.

While at the home, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, another man who played the role of my father (and my hero) suddenly passed away, and my brother was shot in the head and has been at death’s fingertips.

Through all of this, they have encouraged me to keep going in the narrow way, even though life crumbles around me. Without the Macs’ prayers, support, and comfort, I would have given up completely! Every year we get to travel and participate in lots of fun stuff.

At the home, we have Friday Fun Nights. On those nights we get to watch a movie or play games. We also get a special treat. We have P.E. where we exercise and play games. Sometimes we go outside just for the fun of it and play kickball or volleyball. Last summer we went to Unionville, MO. Unionville is an Extreme Teen Weekend Camp-meeting. We got to participate in every event. Paintball, Capture the Flag, Dodgeball, giant slip ‘n’ slides, and fun obstacle courses are some of the fun things that we did. We got to do a lot.

We also got to go on October tour. This tour was 6 weeks long. During tour, we got to go to 20 different churches. In between singing and traveling, we got to play softball, dodgeball, kickball, four men on a couch, and basketball. The Macs participated in all of those. We had lots of fun with them. We got to go to a “Trunk or treat” at a church in Maryland. We ate tons of candy. Sometimes Bro. Mac would walk in with a box of candy and start passing it out!

My favorite time here is the preaching. I love to listen to Bro. Mac and Bro. Gary’s preaching because it really helps me. They tell us what the Bible says. They don’t water it down like so many other people do.

 At our church, two other girls and I get to play our instruments with the congregational hymns. We have a lot of fun trying to figure out songs and cd’s we listen to. I definitely wouldn’t get to do that at home. My mother and father would agree that this home has done more for me than they could, spiritually and morally.

The home made graduating High School possible for me. They taught me to seek God for council, not friends. They taught me that reading me Bible is the best thing for me. This home has helped me build a better relationship with my family. I am so thankful for them.

Before I came to New Beginnings I was miserable, bitter, and lost in my sin. I looked for happiness in the wrong places when happiness was in front of me. My family did all they could do. They took me to church, summer camps, Bible studies, church conferences but nothing seemed to help. It was easy for me to look good on the outside because I knew what people wanted to hear. As I got older I got worse and had no desire to go to church anymore. I began to make the excuse "I'm not chosen so why waste my time going to church?" Things got worse at home. I stopped going to school and thought I could make it. Things stared to get worse and worse and the real Amanda started to come out. Many people at church tried to help me see my need for Salvation but I continued to live in sin. One day my mom asked me, "do you think you're a believer?" That question stuck with me and I couldn't help but think about Hell. When my family could see I was not going to change they found New Beginnings online.

On May 25, 2008 my sister and I were sent to New Beginnings. We had no clue our parents had planned this all out. I was angry at them and thought they gave up on me and no longer loved me.

When we got to Missouri we went straight to Bible Believers Baptist Church. I was in total shock to see all the girls and listening to Bro. Friesen  preach was something I was not used to.

May 31, 2008 was a day I'll never forget! The night before Bro. Armstrong was preaching on Hell. It scared me to think I was headed there. That whole night I couldn't sleep and I couldn't stop thinking about his message but I still wanted to keep my sin. The next day a new girl came with her family and i could see her parents just wanted to see her change her life and get saved. That whole day I couldn't stop thinking about my family and hell. Then that night Bro, Mac was preaching on pride. I felt like he knew what I was thinking. Conviction was strong, but I didn't understand how to get saved so I started to cry. Then this girl next to me asked me "do you want to get saved?" So we went to the back of the cafeteria and Mrs. Mac explained to me what Salvation was and showed me Scripture in Romans. So that night i asked Jesus to come into my heart and to forgive me for all the wrong things I did.

After getting saved I still struggled alot in school, following rules, my relationship with my parents and having a hard time getting over my addictions. but i believe it gave me a chance to trust God and stay on my knees. During those 3 years of being at New Beginnings I was taught how to be a Slave for Christ, I was taught to stay in His Word, to find comfort in His promises, to understand that all things work together for good, to be content, to never give up, and also how to do dishes (:

I was able to finish my school at New beginnings and i give all the glory to God and God only!i am so thankful that out of everyone in the world He chose me to go to New Beginnings and to get saved and to give my life completely to God! I'm also thankful for the MacNamara family they made it possible for me to graduate and for the encouraging words. And of course Bro. Armstrong for the counsel he gave me while I was in the Home and for Mrs. Armstrong and her hugs (: And for Bro. Friesen and his family staying faithful to the church! And for Miss Laura my forever dorm staff and for Miss Heather.

I came back home to sunny California June 21st and I could honestly tell you I have one of the best relationships with my family! I love them and I thank them for everything they do for me. I have been able to find better friends and be a testimony to the old. Of course coming back home was not easy because of temptations and memories but staying close to the cross and the right people has helped tremendously!

I am so undeserving of Gods love and grace!

To God be the glory!

As a parent, I have witnessed, first hand, the destruction of drug use of my son, Alex. He began experimenting with marijuana at the age of 14 and then progressed to prescription drugs with full blown addiction in his later teens. By the time he reached 20 he began stealing valuables from our home to pay for the drugs. Out of money, in and out of jail, in debt, with no place to go, Alex was in a pit of darkness, a lost soul without hope, wasting away. We tried two separate drug rehab centers where he learned more about how to use drugs than stay off them.

Then we found a place in southwest Missouri which allowed Alex a “safe refuge” away from the evil world influences to get his feet planted on solid ground.  Teenagers today live in a world subject to the oppression of lies and deceit which can lead a young person to destruction. What attracted me as a father to this place for my son is the constitution adopted by the founders and staff which is the King James Bible AV 1611, the word of the living God. This is the most valuable substance on the face of the earth known to mankind. We as parents have a total responsibility to know the Truth and give our children the means to seek and receive it when they are ready to receive. This place simply stands on the Book with the leadership of Brother McNamara.

With a dedicated and committed staff, my son has been allowed the privilege of getting re-established in his life on a solid biblical foundation. I’ve seen a lost soul in darkness pulled out of a pit into the light. I am deeply grateful to the staff for allowing Alex a safe refuge and to grow solidly in the Truth. I am also deeply grateful for the grace of Almighty God. This place is New Beginnings Ministries in La Russell Missouri.

D.W. Lovell

Henderson, Kentucky