Blazing Hope Ranch October 2023 Newsletter

He works justice for those who are pressed down by the world, providing food for those who are hungry. He frees those who are imprisoned; He makes the blind see. He lifts up those whose backs are bent in labor; He cherishes those who do what is right. (Psalm 146:7-8)

October

As David and I were celebrating 22 years of marriage on October 20th, I reflected on the importance of remembering God's many miracles on our behalf. Psalm 78 says, "...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done." I pray that when God feels far away, you will take a moment to remember His praiseworthy deeds.

Now grab a cup of coffee and find out what we've been up to!

The Auction Was The Star of the 8th Hootenanny

This year's auction raised more money than the entire amount raised in the 1st Hootenanny, according to our treasurer, Bill Kellaris. This year's auction was truly special, with unprecedented donations of vacation getaways and other experiences, as well as unique items for bid (see story below). This painting by artist, Karis Feezell, was painted during the Hootenanny for the auction. If you aren't familiar with Karis, be sure to check out her website, ashes2beautyart.com; she has an amazing story of overcoming adversity in order to make her paintings. Fifteen percent of every print she sells goes to support our ranch.

The auction alone brought in $6800. While the Hootenanny as a whole fell short of our goal to raise $75,000 (the entire amount raised was approximately $60,000), we are grateful for every dollar that was donated, knowing that it was the perfect amount for us to receive in God's eyes.

The Story of the Fender Guitar

Justin Mark Richards, guitarist for the country band, Dan+Shay, convinced Fender, the famous guitar maker, to donate a Fender guitar for the auction--and in a fun twist, it got purchased by Richards’ childhood Sunday School teacher, Randy Dunn, who lives in Oroville, California. One of our volunteers met up with Justin to get the guitar signed for Randy, who is himself a musician. He plays guitar and keyboards at his home church in Chico, California (which is also a supporter of Blazing Hope Ranch).

Graduating Resident Receives Car!

Praise God that our resident, graduating this December, now has a reliable car to help her get to work and appointments. To maintain her privacy we are not showing you the actual car that she received, but we are extremely grateful to TJ and the late Vernon Steele for their generosity. So far, EVERY GRADUATE has left with a car to her name. Please pray that the other elements needed for our resident's successful graduation will fall into place by the time she departs. Keep an eye out for a wish list next month to help her set up a new household.

Family Corner - Updates

The day after David's and my anniversary, we celebrated by participating in the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) One Walk to raise money that will go to helping find a cure for Type 1 diabetes. Our son, Josiah, was diagnosed with this condition nearly a year ago, on Thanksgiving Day.

I was recently referred to an orthopedic surgeon for issues with my knees.

Our daughter, Jordyn, has surgery scheduled on her other foot for November 17, 2023.

The Perfect Christmas Gift?

Show your loved one how much you care about human trafficking with a gift of a Blazing Hope Ranch sweatshirt or ball cap. You can order your gift at this link. Shipping is free!

If you’d like to make a more significant impact, consider giving a horse sponsorship in the name of your loved one for $3084. This covers the cost of supporting one of our horses for the whole year. Click here to donate or for more information.

Answered Prayer: Praise God that our staff is back to full strength. This not only helps our residents, but it also frees me up to spend more time with my family.

Praise God for the car that was donated to our graduating resident.

Praises that, in spite of Satan's attempted interference, our 8th Annual Hootenanny came together in a way that blessed both our attendees and our residents.

How Victims Are Groomed

As we highlighted in a recent Facebook post, victims of trafficking are often psychologically abused as well as physically threatened. Read more at this link.

Prayer Pardn'rs

Please pray for my family's health concerns. Between Josiah's diabetes, my knees and Jordyn's foot surgery, we are having to deal with a lot of medical issues this year. Please pray for our doctors to have wisdom and for us to have a manageable financial burden.

Please pray for our graduating resident. She is ready to step into a more independent life; please pray as we support her in that transition. Keep an eye out for an Amazon Wish List to help her set up her new household.

Please pray that people will be moved to support us. David and I were interviewed by Christian Television Network (CTN/WTNB), to be aired on Tuesday, 11/7/2023, at 2pm EST, under the title, "Let's Talk." You can listen online at this link.

Help us in our mission!

Would you be willing to join our Freedom Wranglers? Freedom Wranglers support our mission with monthly donations. Please click on the Donate button to support the important work we do to restore wholeness to female survivors of human trafficking, and to weaken the sex trade through the power of Christ. Your monthly donation of as little as $10 per month can help a resident begin a new life.

Would you consider hosting a meeting with your philanthropically-minded friends? We would be happy to visit your home and make a brief presentation about our mission to people you think would like to support us financially.

Do you have a friend (or friends) who would also be willing to pray for us? If so, please forward this email to them or post this email on your social media account.

Want to read a past newsletter? You can find them all here.

Finally, let us know what you think (and please feel free to unsubscribe using the link below if you don't want future newsletters). We'll look forward to hearing from you!

Donate

This email has been sent to you, because you are a customer or subscriber of Blazing Hope Ranch. Unsubscribe

Sent via