Meet Roger and Deb Tews, the newest house parents in the Gillespie House. They believe, as part of a house parents job, they can help change the guys with loving confrontation. Roger and Deb stress with their house staff that speaking the truth in love is the best way to create a healthy home environment. The guys who come to Rawhide need to hear the truth, but that does not mean it has to be harsh and unjust. Telling the guys the truth when they need to hear it with love and kindness can only impact the guy’s life positively and help them overcome their weaknesses. They consider it part of their house parents job.

“Being a houseparent here at Rawhide is not a job, it’s a lifestyle,” Roger says. The duties of a house mother and house father are very extensive and time consuming but also very rewarding.  Deb expressed how much fun they are having being houseparents to all of the guys who temporarily live with them in the Gillespie House.

Deb confessed her favorite part about being a housemother is being able to be the loving mother figure to the guys. Having the opportunity “to be able to be with the guys and talk to them about their struggles and to love them like a mom is an amazing feeling.” Along with being a mom Deb also has responsibilities like making sure the guys get correct medications, scheduling doctors’ appointments, and making sure the guys have the necessities. Deb also helps her husband Roger with some of the administrative duties. Roger manages the house staff to make sure that the house is running properly and is a father figure to the guys. “Being a loving authority figure that listens to them but speaks truth to them is only part of my job,” Roger explains.

He continues “The biggest thing in the midst of all the details and scheduling is remembering that the most important thing you are training is the heart. Don’t lose sight of the mission to impact their hearts.” Impacting the heart is the reason why they follow their motto of loving confrontation. Most of the guys who come to Rawhide have had a lack of family support or normal family interaction. The idea of loving confrontation shows the guys that they are here because someone loves them and wants them to succeed in life.

Roger and Deb love watching how God works in a guy’s life and how much they grow during their time here. It is the most rewarding part of being houseparents. “Rawhide changes everyone, not just the guys who come here,” stated Deb as she expressed how much Roger and her have changed over the time period they have worked here. They both are so thankful to be working at Rawhide and believe that this is their life’s work. “This is the ultimate job. We can’t think of any other job we would like to do other than this. Rawhide changes everyone; this is a special place it is unique. God’s work here is so big, it is amazing.”