Crystal Peaks-The Arrival

The day had finally come. We were going to return to a place were it all began. A place where the Lord called Troy and Kim Meeder to build a ranch for children. I remember the first year we visited this breathtaking property in Bend, Oregon. Three years ago, Lauren and I arrived a little early for the informational conference and gazed at the pristine landscaping, feeling a tinge of discouragement. "Look at this place," we said. "How in the world were we going to build something at all worthy to even be considered a SIMILAR ministry?" We walked up the wood chipped driveway and were greeted by joyful and friendly faces. We were led into a large meeting room full of others like us . . . strangers . . . but not for long. Kim Meeder led the first sessions beginning with the history of their property. She explained how their cinder pit acreage started as a blank slate and the Lord provided. We quickly realized that WE were not going to do this. God was.

Fast forward a few years and Mike and I have the opportunity to return to this inspirational place. We planned the departure carefully and quickly realized just how much responsibility we actually have:

Make list of ranch chores (check)
Refill all critter feed bins (check)
Water garden (check)
Drop off kids (check)
Drop puppy off at dog boarder (check)
Drop Gus off at Reesy's (check)

A few hours later, we were on our way. When we arrived at the ranch, we were greeted with the same joyful faces but this time there were many hugs from our friends.

Crystal Peaks breathes God's love. This is the only way I can describe it. One feels safe here, protected from the world. Even all the animals are peaceful.

This was the view from my quiet time spot today.
Every morning we are given one hour to go to anywhere we choose on the property to sit, read and pray. I traveled to the highest point I could find. The silence was intoxicating. I could only hear the horses "clop" along the rocky hill.


We attended sessions throughout the rest of the day, learning the ins and outs of everything from community outreach to how to develop a wood shop for children not interested in horses. And THEN they feed us this incredible lunch! I am pretty sure I ate more today than I do in a week!

But we are being fed with SO MUCH MORE than this amazing lunch spread. The Spirit is here and filling us all! We are so blessed to have the opportunity to know these beautiful people who we now consider lifelong friends.

Tomorrow, we will return at 8:00am for worship time and a day full of knowledge, Truth and fellowship. We CANNOT wait!.

Thank you all for shouldering with us through this journey. Reesy Hone, we wish you were here! NEXT YEAR SISTER!

Blessings!

Tanya

www.sreyr.org

Gallop into Season 3

  "The spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ." -Romans 8:16

With God's will and grace, this ranch was founded. With His hand, this ranch grows and reaches into this community. With His love, we have the capacity to continue to do this work. 

We consider our Sun River Family as God's earthly hands. We COULD NOT continue without the help of, not only our AMAZING family but also all of our supporters and friends whom we consider our church family. 

We are into the first month of season 3 at Sun River Equine Youth Ranch. We have experienced challenges, heartbreaks and all out attacks from the enemy. But through all of this, God has never forsaken us. His hand has been our guide and His love our strength. He continues to empower this ministry.

Thank you to all who participated, donated and attended our "Gallop Into Spring Fundraiser." This is a view of our street, full of cars on that beautiful night.

Sessions!!!

Thank you for sharing this Divine Journey with us!! Stay tuned for more updates as Mike and I are in Bend, Oregon, visiting Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch for their "Similar Ministries Leadership Conference." Love to all of you and thank you for your grace and friendship!

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

www.sreyr.org

Sun River Season 3 Sessions

Oh how we have miss everyone over these cold months! It does give us the opportunity to reflect and revise how best to implement our mentoring program. This year has been especially exciting as we prepare our new location for events, volunteers and our families!

There are many important dates coming up here at the ranch:

March 22nd (This Saturday)-Volunteer Orientation 10:00-11:30AM

March 29th, April 5th, and April 12th-Volunteer Training/Meet the Herd

April 12th-Volunteer cleanup and Season Preparation Day beginning at 1:00PM

April 26th-"Gallop Into Spring" Season Opener Fundraiser 5-7PM

May 1st-Mentor sessions begin!!

 As you can imagine, we have a list of fun projects in store. Our new round pen, named: "The Horse Play Pen," is located at the far corner of our property, away from distractions and noise.

Stay tuned for fireside worship evenings as the weather changes. Mike and Ranch Pastor Sam will head up the music as we gather for fellowship around the fire.

 S

 Just a funny picture of Scrapper hanging out with Alley ( :

This is such a creative idea! Thank you Mom (Gail Stearns) for sending it over. We think it will make a perfect home for our goats, Seymore and Merle and for Hammy. 

Some of the changes to our youth program will be the following:

-Morning and afternoon session times available
-Saturday sessions offered
-Special event days
-Junior Volunteer Program Additions

We are so excited to have Mrs. Marisa (Reesy) Hone as part of our Sun River Family. This has been a dream of hers ever since she read Kim Meeder's books as a little girl. As program Coordinator, Reesy will be on site during sessions to help with any tasks and to answer questions. 





Thank you Gail Stearns (My Mama) for volunteering to do the volunteer schedule! This is quite the task and takes a very organized individual . . . not a gift I inherited. 

Please check out our new website for all upcoming dates and information. Spring is ALMOST HERE!

www.sreyr.org

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

SREYR 2013 Season Review in Photos

"All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl." –Author Unknown.

Destiny and Belle

"Horses lend us the wings we lack."  ~Author Unknown

Sammy and Beauty

"Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity."  ~Lindley Karstens

"Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven."-Unknown

"Horses and children, I often think, have a lot of the good sense there is in the world."  ~Josephine Demott Robinson

"He knows when you're happy
He knows when you're comfortable
He knows when you're confident
And he always knows when you have carrots."
~Author Unknown

"A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence."  ~Pam Brown



Shannah and Belle

Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch exists to Rescue the Equine, Mentor the Child, offer Hope for the Family and Empower the Ministry.

"The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others."
DeAnn Hollis

The idea of kids helping other kids is such a great way to introduce children to being involved in charitable causes and volunteer work, setting them on the path to doing good for others throughout their lives.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/volunteer.html#7lQYuvzMR4KT6Bw2.99

The idea of kids helping other kids is such a great way to introduce children to being involved in charitable causes and volunteer work, setting them on the path to doing good for others throughout their lives.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/volunteer.html#7lQYuvzMR4KT6Bw2.99

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

         Makiah and Belle

Maddie and Willie

  

“When we come together to play and be we are truly ourselves When we are truly ourselves it is wonderful and when we act collectively in that wonder we do transformative work for our community and our world.”-Brad Colby

"The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire."  ~Sharon Ralls Lemon

Malieha and Willie

"A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot."  ~John Steinbeck

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."  ~Abraham Lincoln

Issac and Ty

Ty and Shadow

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."-Maya Angelou
u

"A dog may be man's best friend, but the horse wrote history."  ~Author Unknown


Grandma Louise and Dude

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."-Seneca

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"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM."

2 Corinthians 3:17

http://www.sunriverequineranch.org/how_to_help/

Healing

There are many natural remedies that we have found to be helpful when working with our horses and in aiding their illnesses. This is not to say that we do not consult a veterinarian first. When considering natural remedies:

-Are they truly "natural" or do they include additives?
-Are there any side effects?
-Cost?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a favorite in our household and for our animals. Not only is the vinegar an aid in fly prevention, but it is also excellent for the digestive system. One of our horses benefited from ACV with his bladder issues.

http://gerson.org/gerpress/8-amazing-uses-for-apple-cider-vinegar/

Essential Oils: Herbs

Essential oils can be expensive but are very potent in small doses. Because they are completely natural, we have used a few on a number of our horses.

Lavender Oil: Often used for anxiety and nerves.
Peppermint Oil: Aids in digestion and respiratory issues.

These are just a few that we have tried on our animals as they have little or NO side effects. They are often overlooked because they are not regulated through the FDA. However, there are many personal  testimonies on how essential oils have both prevented and healed even the most complicated diagnosis.

http://www.essentialanimals.com/articles/how-use-essential-oils-horses

**We highly recommend discussing options with an experienced veterinarian. Many are very open to the benefits of natural medicine, along with modern medicine.

Goldilox Update #2

Goldie began limping a few weeks ago. We were unsure the cause but treated it as a soft tissue injury. The pain seemed to be in her shoulder. We gave her some Bute and separated her from the herd so she could rest. The limp continued into last week, despite our efforts.

Sometimes love and attention is the best medicine. Goldie is spoiled by our eager little girls. They brush her, feed her treats, and whisper in her ear. She lowers her head to their level, closes her eyes and soaks up the affection. Yesterday,  I took her out of her stall and the limp was gone.

I realize her injury could very well have been healed with rest and time but I like to think that perhaps it's been a while since she has been loved by little girls.

Goldilocks (Goldie) Update

Goldie is a registered Arabian/Quarter Horse mare who came to us last week. She was scheduled to be euthanized because her owner could no longer care for her. The phone call came in around noon and we had minutes to make a decision. Sun River Equine believes in second chances . . . so . . . we went to pick her up at the vet. Goldie had a clean vet check on Friday and is very gentle and loving. Yesterday we tested her in the round pen with a saddle. Even though she is 21 years old, she still has a lot of spirit and her show quality came out. She holds her head beautifully and she maintains a slow steady trot. We are thrilled with her progress after only a week!


http://www.sunriverequineranch.org/how_to_help/

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM."

2 Corinthians 3:17