Blazing Hope Ranch July 2024 Newsletter

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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)


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July

A visitor to the ranch, seeing our old truck with flowers growing in the back, commented that it was a perfect metaphor for God’s work of restoration in our residents. 1st Peter 5:10 says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” Whatever you have suffered, I pray that you will see God’s transforming work of restoration in your own life.

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

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Rhea County Camp Run Free Impacts Volunteers!

This year, we had volunteers from the Christ Covenant PCA church youth group helping with the camp. We expect Camp Run Free to have an impact on the campers, but it’s exciting to watch our volunteers realize how important this message is to their own lives. This year we also saw previous campers come back as volunteers, which is so gratifying. But one of our older camp helpers took the leap and joined us as an employee. Once she started working with our residents, she got a whole new perspective on our camps. See Beth’s story below.


The Camps Are Just As Important as the Ranch!

I first met Beth as a mom of one of our campers three years ago. The year after that first camp, Beth did some volunteering and community events and got exposed to the ranch. While she wasn’t looking for a job, she found out that we were looking for a case manager last year and joined the ranch as an employee. Meanwhile, not only is her daughter, now 11, attending her third camp; her son, now 9, is attending for his second year. She recently told me that working with the ladies has given her a new perspective on the importance of the camps, and I asked her if she’d be willing to share her story in her own words.

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Beth: I found out about Camp Run Free because my daughter just loves horses; it’s her favorite animal. And here’s a free day camp that gives kids access to horses! She loved the camp and started quoting something she’d learned there: “Choices have consequences.” She’ll say that all year, and now her brother says it, too.

Once I started working with the ladies at the ranch, I got a whole new perspective on those camps. These ladies have been so traumatized, and the work they need to do to get past that and be restored is very hard. I NEVER want my kids to end up on this side of things! My husband, who is a firefighter and goes into schools to teach kids not to play with matches, said it best: “It’s so much easier to teach kids and prevent a fire than it is to go in and put out a fire.” 

It’s the kids who are the most vulnerable, who don’t believe that they have any value, who can fall victim to the deception of traffickers. But the camps show kids their true value in the Lord, to help make sure they’ll never end up in my care. “Choices have consequences!”


Welcome, Bonnie!

Welcome to Bonnie, our newest rescue! Thanks to Megan of the Chattanooga Carriage Company for sending Bonnie our way.

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Mark Your Calendars!

The 2024 Hootenanny for Hope is on September 27th in Soddy-Daisy, TN. Last year’s Hootenanny sold out! You can get tickets for the event here. Hope to see you there!

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We praise God for the volunteers from Canvas Community Church who were here earlier this month doing much-needed work around the ranch.

Answered Prayer: Praise God, our roof is fixed! We recently asked for prayer after a roof on our property was damaged by a fallen tree. We are pleased to report that we found a contractor to handle the repairs, and the room will soon be occupied by a resident.

We thank God for the gift of respite. David and I were generously gifted a week on Tybee Island for our whole family. 


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Progress IS Being Made

Traffickers DO get caught, and victims DO get rescued. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that progress is being made. Check out the number of cases identified for 2021 (the latest year for which statistics exist) compiled by The National Human Trafficking Hotline. You can also see statistics for previous years going back to 2007. Cases are broken down by type of trafficking; sex trafficking is far and away the largest category.


Prayer Pardn'rs

Please pray that the local Red Sands project we held on the Rhea County courthouse lawn raises awareness of human trafficking. 

Please pray for the Board of Directors as they make the final decision for an Executive Director for the ranch. We hope to have an announcement by our August issue. Stay tuned!

Please pray for my upcoming knee replacement surgery next month, and then for a quick recovery, as I will not be very mobile for a few weeks. Please also pray that my braces will do their work quickly and with as little discomfort as possible.


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.

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Become a Freedom Wrangler and Free Her to Hope

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!

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