Our First Year Behind, A New Year to Come...

With one year behind us, what a blessed first year it was. It exceeded ALL our expectations. From the amazing children we served, to the financial and monetary donations. We are grateful and so so excited for next year!

Thank you to all our families for bearing with us as we figured our way through the first year! We ended the season with a joyous Harvest Party! This event was held as a thank you to all our families and supporters as well as a way to raise some money going into the winter months. We sat back in awe of the people who came and reflected on our whole year in a few hours of both fun and chaos. I wished I could have bottled those few hours and have it all fresh in my memory. We were amazed at all the support. It brought tears to our eyes, tears of thankfulness, tears of joy and tears of hope for the seasons to come. We all got so caught up in the 'to do's' of the party we didn't take pictures of all the fun and activities!

However, the day after the party, we did get some pictures of our horses. They were decked out in paint, bells and ribbons thanks to Megan and Kelsey!  Thanks you two SO much for helping bless us, our kids and our guests! Here are a few pictures of how our sweet horses were dressed for the occassion!

Each of the words on the horses holds a special meaning as to their story and what/who they were for a handful of the kids that came to the ranch this summer. That to me, is perhaps my most favorite part of the whole party and season.

If I were to speak for Mike, Tanya and I, I would say a few of the most valuable things we learned this year are:

1. With God, ANYTHING is possible. God has given us an amazing family. Without our families, we could not have gotten through our first year. Without eachother, and grace and hope, we could not have gotten through it all. Without GOD, we could not have grown and learned how much he loves us, fights for us, and is there every time we seek Him. We are proud to say that we are stronger in our faith, stronger in our friendship and stronger for eachother than ever. We know that when God calls us to something, there will be trials and bumps in the road. This year, and the years to come, there will be. But we know we can get through ANYTHING with God as our leader and guide, and with eachother by our side.

2. God answers prayers. Yes. He. Does. There are numberous prayers that He answered this year. From providing food for our horses, to bringing us amazing people to serve along our side. We also have been praying for Him to orchestrate our board of directors. And, though it took a while, He answered. He answered on his timing. I've been learning to crave His timing.... because it is always the perfect timing, not always what I think it should be, but I would rather have his timing than mine, because He has a perfect plan. All of the people on our board are God loving, fearing and passionate people who have a love for our calling and support us in every way. As we sat down the other day to our first official board meeting with all our members, an analogy came to mind that describes what our purpose, goal and hope for the board members is. The vision was, Mike, Tanya and I in the front seat of a pick up truck driving along, steering the program (as we follow God down the road), and our amazing board members guiding the pick-up on each side, holding us accountable to follow our mission and keep us on track, spiritually and financially, lest we ever veer off track.
One of our first prayers as we started this adventure was to find a vet who would be completely on board and believe in our passion and purpose. Someone who would help us at some point when we would have the opportunity and blessing to rescue horses. Well, we're so thankful to say, through an amazing and unexpected first rescue situation, we met Dr. Becca, and she is on board! We are rejoicing in the fact she is excited to help and be a part of the program and board.

3. 'Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.' 2 Cor. 3:17
Oh the freedom we have felt and seen..... words can hardly explain. Many days we would start the day off with a circle of prayer. Prayer for protection over the little ones and horses, prayer for His light to fill the place... and if I so humbly may say, He did. He came and filled the ranch with Him. Here are a few pictures of our sweet kids that we were blessed to spend time with and the joy that is in their eyes and on their face - says it all.

A work of art!



Practice makes perfect!

A fine balancing act..

Joy - pure joy. We love you!

 This sweet girl below, was told she would never walk or crawl again. At the end of the summer, she was riding almost on her own and CRAWLED up this rock hill with me. It was an amazing moment - I'm so proud of you girl!!!!! Her joy and giggles filled our hearts each week. I miss her so much and can hardly wait to see her next spring!

As we prepare for another year, 2013, we are praying for each of the kids God has for us. We are working diligently to make next year another fun filled year! Thank you more than words can say to each of you who have been a part of our first year, and hopefully the years to come. We cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store!

So, as we continue to enjoy the quiet winter months, though they are cold, we want to wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and holidy season. We are rejoicing in the birth of our Savior and the reason for the season!

Merry Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families!

Blessings,

Your Sun River Family 

Summer 2012

 Summer 2012 has been so amazing and full of many blessings! We never could have even dreamed to touch as many children's lives in just the few months we have been open to children and their family. 

Some come for sessions and others to help volunteer during sessions. Our children are learning kindness, acceptance and values of friendship from watching this all unfold.

Alisha brought her Dad out to meet the Sun River Family and her favorite animals.

Sun River held a fundraiser car wash at Legacy Feed and Fuel in July. Thank you to all our supporters who came out to help and donate!

 Throughout the summer, our volunteers attended weekly training sessions. This is our newest session leader, Miss Shannah!!! Isn't she so beautiful!

Fireside worship is a new event we offer the 1st Friday of every month. The next scheduled night will be Friday September 7th. Please join us for good music, fellowship and a potluck dinner.

 Babe was our first patient of the season. Thankfully, her wound healed up nicely and she is off "medical leave." Thank you to Dr. Val for your urgency and advice! She really didn't like her medicine though ( ;

Kuna Days 2012 

Special thanks to Tammy and Lauren for your time and talent in putting together crafts and for designing this beautiful booth! 

 

 

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
-2 Corinthians 3:17
 

Weekly Sessions

Our weeks are full of blessings here at the ranch. Many wonderful children have been referred to our program and attend weekly sessions with our Sun River Family volunteers. 

Safety is our top priority. All volunteers attend training meetings focused on equine behavior and safety measures. 

We are currently working toward insuring the program. This is our next BIG goal as this type of insurance is difficult to find and extremely expensive.

 We cannot describe the environment while watching a child work toward a goal, enjoy the animals and connect with volunteers. We look forward to seeing our kids weekly!

 The families are so encouraging and supportive. We are starting to see little horse people evolve ( ;

 Equine therapy is so beneficial in the development of all children, not just those with physical disabilities. The trust between a horse and a child is a powerful thing to watch. There is absolutely NO logical reason that these enormous animals should drop their head and follow a child, other than they are a gift from God.

Please let us know if you know anyone who would be interested in joining our volunteer staff. We are filling up quickly and need sidewalkers and session leaders. 

Thank you God for blessing us with these families and their amazing children! They brighten our days and fill our hearts with love. 

"An equine youth
ranch where hope,
love and peace
abound. Where
horses and children
alike can be healed,
renewed and set free."

Please visit us at www.sunriverequineranch.org

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
-2 Corinthians 3:17

The Kids

"Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
(Luke 18:15-17 ESV)

 

Sun River had the opportunity to meet and serve some amazing children this week. We can see the passion in each of them as they eagerly tended to their chores and as we set future goals.

 Makiah worked with Lauren and mentioned how much she enjoyed being up so high! She felt a connection to Beauty and said she would like to ride independently one day.

 On Skyler's last day for the summer, he rode independently, reaching his ultimate goal. Then he and Mike rocked out with the guitar and sang for all of us. We will miss you Skyman!


We would like to thank Melody Edwards (PT) for her referrals. Sun River looks forward to a long partnership.









Thank you to our junior volunteers who joined us this week in picking weeds, mucking stalls and moving rocks ( ; A special thanks to Marisa Hone who joined us and helped with sessions.

 Micki and Grant Hibbs generously donated this beautiful saddle and a corner feeder to our program! We cannot thank them enough for this amazing gift!

To all of our supporters, thank you for believing in us and for your prayers as we move forward with this new ministry. We are already changing lives and we cannot be more thankful for all of you.

Please visit www.sunriverequineranch.org for more information on how you can partner with us ( :

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."-2 Corinthians 3:17

Crystal Peaks Day 3

 They say it never rains in Central Oregon 
( : Our last day at Crystal Peaks was a VERY wet one.

 Best way to start a new day on the ranch. Fireside Fellowship and Worship time. We loved how all the ranch guys played and sung together. Such a strong feeling of family and community.

Both Troy and Kim presented TRU Horsemanship and safety skills throughout the day. When going over safety, we were able to see sample sessions with some of Crystal Peaks kiddos.

 In following many of these principles, this youth ranch has never had a substantial injury. Crystal Peaks is truly blessed!

On our last night we were served country BBQ and sat around the fire roasting marshmallows. The food was delicious and always followed by some kind of irresistible dessert / : Ask Lauren!

This past week renewed my faith both in GOD and in His people. Kim Meeder stressed, "if you want a successful ministry, you PRAY, you LISTEN, and then you DO. When we arrived at the ranch our last morning of Fireside Fellowship, there was a chip on each of our seats. It says, "I'm all-in."

Lauren, Mike and I are putting all of this, our vision, mission and lives into God's hands to do as he will. We feel called to this ministry and we WILL PRAY, LISTEN, and then DO. 

Please visit www.sunriverequineranch.org for more information on how you can partner with us ( :

Crystal Peaks Day 2

 Crystal Peaks Day Two:


Lauren and I arrived at the ranch at 8:00am for Fireside Worship. 

Chapstick has been a great mystery this week as it seems to disappear each day and Lauren needs her Aquaphor ( ;

 An amazing morning of fellowship with all participants, staff and the Meeder Family.

 "TRU Horsemanship" with Clint Surplus and Troy Meeder. 
T-Trust
R-Respect
U-Understanding


Hmm . . . sounds like something we could use day to day with all we come in contact with ( :

 Posted ranch rules . . .

 When Kim Meeder speaks, everything and everyone is quiet. The only way I can describe this is that it's like a tunnel. She is able to describe events and feelings and she makes one feel they were there, witnessing first hand.

Here is picture of Troy, Marshall and Jeff playing together before sessions. We hope to have Lauren and Mike rocking out in our great meeting room someday!

 Natural horsemanship and herd management. All horses are calm and in their element during feeding time.

Dinner spread for day two . . . Italian night, complete with Frank Sinatra music. Sigh. Does it get better than this? 


At the end of Day 2, we had spent almost 12 hours on the ranch in classes, in fellowship and with God. What an OPPORTUNITY!

Please visit www.sunriverequineranch.org for more information on how you can partner with us ( :

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Crystal Peaks Day 1

 Crystal Peaks Day One:


Where to begin . . . 
Disclaimer: There is no way I could ever fully describe the spirit of this ranch and the people involved. It is truly something we should all experience within our lifetime. These people "WALK THE WALK." They inspire, encourage, love and accept, all in Jesus's name.


Lauren and I began our journey early Wednesday morning. We hoped to arrive in Bend at 1:00pm to check in during the scheduled time. The final turn toward the ranch was surreal as we both have envisioned this day and the opportunity to witness what this ranch has done in the name of Jesus and HOW they do it! We are finally here!

      
We were welcomed by a group of volunteers/staff members as we pulled in the first gate and along the way to the check in area. We were in awe at the beauty of the ranch, the view and the buildings. In those beginning moments, I personally felt overwhelmed. How can we possibly get to this point in our Sun River ministry. My question was answered.
 
The picture at the left was how Crystal Peaks started. It was literally a pit with no trees, buildings, vegetation, etc. When Kim and Troy brought in their first two rescue horses, all they had were 2 halters, a rock they used to hang them on, and a hitching rail. Slowly and deliberately, Kim and Troy started building. Kim told a story of a day Troy called her from work and said there had been a fire and a bunch of small pine trees were badly burned. They were tossed aside to be taken to the dump. Troy could see that these trees still had life within them and asked Kim if he could bring them home. These solid beautiful trees now shade their house on the ranch and are a testament of how EVERYTHING deserves a second chance and that nothing is impossible with Jesus.

One of the MOST encouraging and helpful pieces of information we received was, "BE SLOW AND DELIBERATE. BE PATIENT." Kim spoke about how in the beginning, Troy would bring home a can full of old bent nails from job sites and they would spend their evenings hammering them straight with a rock. They started with NOTHING and simply followed their calling.

Troy welcomed us with a very moving version of Amazing Grace and then Kim followed with their "story." If anyone has not heard their story, we encourage you to do so. It is very inspiring.

 What an amazing round pen!

 If you look closely at the picture to the right, you will read "hope." The staff introduced us to all the horses and described the story behind each and every rescue.

 DREAM BIG!

After an afternoon of AMAZING information, we all gathered for a ranch style dinner and ranch style it was! YUM! 

Words cannot describe the passion and love surrounding this ranch. All the people who are participating in this informational clinic have had a similar calling. There were people from South Africa, England, Pennsylvania, etc. 

From the words of Kim Meeder:

"Pray, listen and DO."

"Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is there is freedom."

2 Corinthians 3:17

Please visit www.sunriverequineranch.org for more information on how you can partner with us ( :

The Children

 
The Sun River grounds are almost finished just as we are welcoming new families to the ranch. Thanks to the recent mention of our program in the Idaho Statesman, we have some children ready to get started!

Team Sun River Equine will participate in The Dirty Dash on August 25, 2012. We even have a mascot! Hamlet, our program's own Pot Bellied Pig, will be joining us on race day! Please let us know if you would like to be a part of this team as this should be a fun-filled filthy day!

Taken from the Official Dirty Dash website, "The Dirty Dash gives you a mud-run obstacle course that will put you in touch with nature in a way your mom would have grounded you for in grade school. You’ll scale mountains, chug beers, and crawl through muddy slop so thick that, unlike Andy Dufrane, there’s no way you’re coming out clean on the other side. 

 
This lava flow of dark brown goodness goes down easier than a 24 pack of Diet Coke or a double-order of Chili’s Molten Lava Cake, but there ain’t no drive-thru or Hamburglar here to make it easy on you. You’ve got to work to make this course your personal Playplace."

Stay tuned to www.sunriverequineranch.com for information about upcoming events! Thank you all for your continued support in making this Youth Ranch an essential part of this community.

Please visit www.sunriverequineranch.org for more information on how you can partner with us ( :