Until Delia Barragan moved into one of the Garden Apartments at Bethany Home, she had never heard of the town of Ripon.  Delia grew up in Texas, spent most of her married life in Union City, and just never had much reason to travel to these parts; that is until her daughter suggested she make the move.  That was 13 years ago, and Delia has never regretted having made the move.

“I moved to be nearby to my daughter who had just purchased a house in Ripon,” said Delia.  “I was recently widowed and felt a change would be good.  Bethany Home was nothing I’d ever heard about, but my daughter did the research and said it was ‘a good place.’  I told her I would make the move to be near her … but when I found out they had Bible studies and Church services … all the better!”

Delia and her late husband Joe raised three boys.  After the boys were raised, the two of them ran a foster home for young girls in Union City, taking up to 14 girls at one time.  The family was also very involved in prison ministry and other church work in Union City.  “My husband and boys are very musical people,” added Delia.  “They loved to play the guitar and sing gospel music.  My husband’s father was a minister in the Pentecostal Church, and that is how I really found the Lord.”

“Living at Bethany is such a blessing for me,” continued Delia.  “Everybody is so nice, I have the best neighbors, and I can’t say enough good things about the staff.  Every day I pray for my neighbors and the employees by name.”

Delia has felt God’s hand in every aspect of her life.  She fondly remembers several years back when she was questioning if her life was in alignment with God’s desires.  “I sat quietly and prayed for God to give me a sign, a tangible sign that I was doing the right thing,” she recalled.  “I never really did that before, but while I was sitting in silence, God sent a beautiful butterfly past my window, a big yellow and black butterfly, and not just once, but several times that butterfly flew past my open window.  A feeling of comfort and peace came over me, and I just knew it was God speaking to me!”

Delia’s commitment to nurturing others continues on a daily basis.  Not only does she pray for people, but she is a regular visitor to the residents in the nursing unit.  “I like to visit with them, pray with them, and even sing little songs with them,” she concluded with a tear in her eye.  “God has been so good to me.  I know I don’t deserve so many blessings, but they continue to come anyway.”