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Come and See...
What God has done! Psalm 66:5
Homecoming/Open House Celebration!
Saturday-- May 12, 2012
Worship: 11:00 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00-1:00
Tours, Recreational Activities, Fellowship: 1:00-4:00
Wears Valley Ranch, 3601 Lyon Springs Rd., Sevierville, TN 37862
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With thankfulness to God for twenty years of His provision...
Wears Valley Ranch exists to promote the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and physical development of children in need of a stronger family support system through Christ-centered home settings. 
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"The Word of Their Testimonies"
... a new video from Wears Valley Ranch is now available for viewing!
As part of our 20-year celebration, we put together a collection of testimonies that we think you will find encouraging and refreshing. We pray that you, too, will be amazed at the miracles and faithfulness of our loving God! To see it, click here.
"Like so many of us kids at the Ranch, my story starts out very, very rough... I came to know Jesus because of the love that they consistently showed me... I felt safe for the first time in my life... The cycle is being broken. My family will be different because of the Ranch." -- Johnna, 2000 graduate
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Help us by displaying a Wears Valley Ranch poster in your church or business this fall
 This beautiful 20th anniversary poster will be available this summer. In August and September, we would love to have hundreds of these posters on display in churches and businesses around the country. We'll also send a brief testimony video and brochures that you can use to introduce the Ranch to friends and co-workers. Let us know if you can place one or more posters in your business or church. Please contact Marybeth Tynik at 865-429-5437 or mtynik@wvr.org to reserve yours today.
Click here for enlarged view.
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Greetings!
 New life abounds at the Ranch! The mountainsides have erupted with the colors of Spring, and the bees are swarming over a profusion of fragrant blossoms. Our lambs are bearing twins. The rooster that was killed by a bobcat has been replaced, and the hens are producing lots of eggs. The cattle are carrying offspring, and the Aquaponics program has produced its first crop. All this is wonderful, but the real joy is seeing children come to know the Lord!
Since Susan and I started the Ranch in 1991 we've seen countless miraculous answers to prayer. This year we are celebrating 20 years of caring for children! It is a very happy milestone. As we hear from former students and staff who plan to attend the homecoming celebration in May, we are delighted to hear how God has worked in the lives of so many folks since they left WVR. God promises that His word will not return void but will accomplish that for which He sent it. Not all of our students surrender their lives to Christ while at the Ranch. But there is no way they can stand before God and say that no one ever told them or that no one ever loved them. And when we hear that they are walking with the Lord we are deeply grateful!
Susan and I recently attended the wedding of a former student who left the Ranch fifteen years ago at age thirteen. We were honored that when it was time to marry, he and his bride chose to invite us and to have the wedding right here in beautiful Wears Valley.
The donors who supply the funds to operate this ministry come from all sorts of backgrounds, attend a variety of churches, and send gifts of various sizes. What they have in common is the desire to make a difference in the life of a child. The testimonies of our students give solid evidence that those gifts have made a difference that will last for eternity and have a multiplied impact in the lives of others. The impact of God's grace displayed through the sacrificial love of countless staff across the years is enormous. And all of you who pray for us and give as the Lord directs are vital to our success.
Please know that the challenges are greater than ever. Inflation has impacted our household budgets just as it has yours. Groceries and gasoline are just two of the areas where we are feeling the pain. Still as we seek to conserve (and grow a lot of our own food) we are trusting in God to provide as He has in the past. With no debt and no government money, we are a prime example of God's faithfulness and power to miraculously answer prayer. Keep up the prayers! Keep giving as God allows! And know that we are praying that He will reward you just as He promised!
Jim Wood
Wears Valley Ranch
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Sevier County Right to Life Speech Contest
In April, Sevier County Right to Life held its annual oratory contest for high school students. Four students-- James, Jessie, Tori, and Caryn-- from St. Andrew's School at WVR participated. Several students and staff joined them to show their support. Caryn, a junior at SAS, placed third. Each student had a distinct and entirely unique message to share on the topics of abortion and infanticide. We thank God that these students are passionate about the sanctity of life and that they know that life begins at conception.
From Caryn's speech, "The Holy Bible on which this country was founded makes evident the point at which life begins. In Psalm 139, King David sings about God's watchful eye on the unborn, '13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.... 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.' "
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Visits from author Kay Arthur and Congressman Phil Roe
To the right are Ranch founders Jim & Susan Wood with best-selling author and internationally known Bible teacher, Kay Arthur.
Mrs. Arthur recently spent the day at the Ranch and remarked, "I've known about the Ranch for years, but I feel like the Queen of Sheba after visiting Solomon, 'The half had not been told.' "
Students at the Ranch also enjoyed an afternoon visit from Representative Phil Roe, of Tennessee District One. Rep. Roe visited Mr. Andrew's history class and gave a brief civics lesson, toured the campus, and addressed the entire student body.
 Before serving in Congress, Representative Roe was an Obstetrician who delivered over 5,000 children. In the month that our students were participating in the Right to Life Oratory contest, it was a privilege to have an ardent supporter of life visit with us.
Along with many photos and words of wisdom, Rep. Roe left behind an autographed copy of the United States Constitution which he carried in the Supreme Court while the court deliberated the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Another year of God's faithfulness
Every year we thank God for providing what is needed to care for children at the Ranch. Last December, the Ranch needed $480 thousand to match the previous year's Q4 revenue. We needed even more to match the previous year's ending operating cash. As of December 29, of the $480 thousand, we had received $254 thousand. Please do the math. We needed $226 thousand in two days. We did not send an urgent email appeal, but we were certainly praying. In answer, God prompted his people to give. During that last two days of December, we received $229 thousand and began the year on solid footing. Thanks be to God!
Since 1992, the Ranch has cared for children from difficult family situations, while incurring no debt and accepting no government assistance. Experts told Pastor and Mrs. Wood that their vision for tutorial education in a family atmosphere could not be done. Thankfully, we remember Jesus' words to His disciples: "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
This year, as we celebrate 20 years of the impossible, we look back and marvel at the grace of God expressed through the kindness of friends like you. At some point every year (and some years, at every point) we are reminded that we are entirely dependent on the Lord. He has never failed. Thank you to all of you who have obediently given in response to his prompting, whether in December or at any time of the year. Every gift counts. May God richly reward you!
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About Us
Wears Valley Ranch provides Christian homes, education, and counseling to children from families in crisis. Our vision is to see every child inspired to follow Christ, healed from the past, and equipped to reach their full potential.Learn more at our website, www.wvr.org, or call us at 865-429-KIDS.
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