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Stewardship
Operating with no debt and no government assistance means that we depend on the Lord to continue this ministry to children. Since 1992, God has faithfully provided for the Ranch through the generosity of people who felt led to give. We do not use high pressure appeals, and we strive to be careful stewards of what is entrusted to us. At this point, we are more than halfway through our operating cash reserves for the year. If you are able to help, we would be grateful to hear from you. God bless you!
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Summer Fun
Swimming is a huge part of summer fun at the Ranch! The Christopher House boys made a trip to Seth Doran's grandparents' house in Fort Myers, Florida earlier this month. The boys enjoyed swimming every day, and Michael got to see the beach for the first time in his life! Just a week earlier, Javante had told another staff member, "Every day I feel like I'm drowning in God's love!" We want every child to experience and be immersed in the love God has for them in Christ:
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. --Ephesians 3:18-19
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Meeting Pen Pals
During the past school year, our students partnered with the 8th grade class of Lititz Christian School in Lititz, Pennsylvania as they sent pen pal letters back and forth to each other. Ross McCracken, a former mentor at the Ranch, currently serves as the 8th grade Bible teacher at Lititz Christian, and, as he still desires to stay connected with the ministry of the Ranch, he challenged his students to pray for and establish relationships with the Ranch students through letter-writing.
Through the letters, our students were given the opportunity to get to know kids similar to their age, and they discovered that, although states away, the students they were writing to were not much different from them. They shared their interests, their stories, and prayer requests. The Lititz 8th graders learned about life here at the Ranch, and our students were blessed with friendships found through the unique communication that only a letter can provide.
Litiz Christian School's goal from the very beginning of the pen pal project was to make a trip down to the Ranch in order to meet the pen pals face to face and to complete various work projects around the Ranch. After fundraisers and a long wait, the 8th graders of Lititz arrived on May 23rd, and our students were finally able to meet the friends they had been writing to for the previous 7 months. Both groups of students had a great time as the worshiped, ate, and played together. While the Ranch students were in class, Lititz students worked hard cleaning, landscaping, and trail clearing. We are so grateful for groups like Lititz.
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Greetings!
 When I was a teenager working at a camp in Virginia, I was once bitten by a large "cotton mouth" water moccasin that had climbed up onto my bunk. It wasn't hunting humans. I believe it was after mice. The story of my many stupid mistakes leading up to the moment I was bitten and, I'm sorry to say, in the moments that followed, are quite humorous in hindsight. At the time, however, I was startled by the discovery that what I had thought would make a great pet was actually poisonous.
We have only had two individuals bitten by snakes in more than twenty years of working on this property at the Ranch. Given the fact that we have over a hundred acres of woodland adjoining a half million acres of nature preserve, I regard that as a marvelous answer to prayer. It is not as if we don't encounter snakes from time to time. I've killed numerous copperheads and rattlesnakes on the property. I would never assault one that I came across in the Park. But when they venture into my garage or my wife's flower garden, they commit a capital offense.
A recent national news story told of the death of a country preacher whose misunderstanding of Mark 16 caused him to handle poisonous snakes. His mistake made headlines. There are multitudes of preachers and pew sitters who either misunderstand the Bible or simply don't believe it. They may not be trying to handle actual snakes, but, like Eve, they have failed to understand the intent of the ancient serpent. Tragically, many of them will discover too late that the Bible is true and that sin is deadly.
I'm actually glad I had the experience of that snake bite forty-two summers ago. It taught me several lessons I'd like to share: - Something that looks like fun can hide a danger that will be painful and could prove deadly.
- Just because you don't get hurt when you first start messing around with something doesn't mean you won't get hurt later.
- Everything can change in a split second.
- Once you get bitten, you can't get unbitten.
- If you get hurt, admit your mistake and seek help from others.
- Don't try harder to tame the snake; get away from the snake.
At various times, we are painfully reminded that spiritual warfare is real. Thankfully, Jesus has overcome the serpent, and He has shared that victory with those who walk in obedience to Him. Please continue to pray for us, and know that we pray that you will have a great summer as well!
Jim Wood
Wears Valley Ranch
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Reward for Highest Honors Andrew and Hannah Wood took three students (Jessi, Sydney, and Rachel) to Atlanta a few weeks ago as a reward for their getting Highest Honors in every subject during the winter quarter. They stayed with a donor near Atlanta. They went to the Bible Passages Museum first. This is a collection of artifacts and general history proving the Truth of Scripture. Some of the highlights in the museum were a fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls, some of the earliest surviving Greek Scriptures including part of what was likely a copy of the original book of John, and an Indulgence from the time of Luther. The next day the group went to the Georgia Aquarium to see the display of God's creativity living in the waters.  "My favorites [at the aquarium] were the dolphins. They showed God's talent because they were trained to do tricks." Rachel "My favorite animals were the otters. They are so cute and cuddly! God made them talented and playful." -- Sydney "The Passages exhibit was awesome. It was so cool to see that really old fragment of the book of John. To think about the fact that I was probably looking at a copy of the original was mind blowing. I also thought it was really neat to see the indulgence! All those Reformation papers [written at the Ranch] gave me a greater understanding of the evil of indulgences. The aquarium was awesome!!!! You know I loved that Whale Shark and the pregnant Beluga Whale! The whale shark showed the glory of God because it was so huge and yet so docile." --Jessi |
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Thank You Volunteers!
Each year, over 400 adults and youth from churches, civic organizations, and families come to the Ranch to help out. Several have made the trip to the Ranch an annual event, and they have been coming for over a decade. Crossroads Church in Libertyville, Illinois, and Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia are among the groups who have been making a difference for over a decade.
A third such group, Grace Fellowship Church, from Greensboro, Georgia has been helping for over a decade themselves. This May, they teamed up to tackle their biggest projects yet: an addition to the Counselor Bunkhouse, hardwood flooring in Laurel Ridge and Kirkland Hollow, along with a variety of painting, landscaping, and sewing projects.
We thank God for the long-term relationships we have with these churches and others, and we pray that He will richly reward every volunteer who has served at the Ranch over the past 20 years.
"Whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers of mine, you did for me."
Matthew 25:40
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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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