Testimonies

Survivor Stories

Impacting Teen Boys

The Power of Volunteering

Support the Ongoing Ministry

The Power of Partnerships

One of the keys to success at Abundant Life Ranch has been our partnerships. By coming alongside other ministries we are able to multiply the impact we have with our guests.

For privacy reasons, we can’t share the names or full stories of those in the program, but hearing snippets of their stories is powerful.

What is your favorite thing about coming to the Ranch?

“Spending time with animals. They calm me and brighten my moods”
“Engaging with the horses is wonderful but my favorite part is bible study. Planting seeds, different seasons, and in his masterpiece-these things stuck with me. Also setting boundaries with the horse- telling Hoss “no” when he pushes my boundaries and not giving in. No matter how repetitive it seems.”
“Working with the animals. Learning how to offer, ask, require techniques with the horses”

What is one thing you've learned about God?

“We are all chosen ones and he loves us. And he has a plan for us.”
“He prepared us for what’s to come, he prepares us for different seasons so we’re equipped. Also, God is always on our sides. We don’t need to know how just believe he fights our battles for us.”
“He wants us to trust in Him alone. Nothing we can do can make Him love us any more or less.”

What is one thing you've learned about yourself?

“I go from passive to aggressive really fast”
“I can work through any situation as long as I have the confidence to do it”
“I’m a sensitive people pleaser”

What was your greatest challenge with the horse?

“Not getting frustrated and giving up”
“Being assertive, confident, a leader”
“Not letting my anxiety run me. I felt more relaxed whenever I was out on the ranch”

What is one thing you learned about communication?

“I need to be less sheepish when I communicate”
“You need to stop and listen and watch the body language of the horses”
“Body language is a big deal. Self-awareness is hand in hand in communication.”

What is one thing you learned about respect and/ or boundaries?

“It is ok to have boundaries because that’s how you keep yourself from being respected”
“That you have to have clear boundaries that you won’t compromise and give respect and get it”
“My voice and my needs are mandatory and mean something. It’s healthy and it’s safe.”

What is one thing you learned about trust?

“It is a two-way street developed by time and togetherness”
“It is gained over time. It’s worth the investment”
“It is earned, not given immediately”

What is one thing you'd change about your time at the ranch?

“Having to leave”
“I’d be there longer”
“I need more chocolate or brownies for dessert”

Stories of Impact

Manuel

Often, the team at Abundant Life Ranch sees a different side of a child than others see outside our gates. Manuel (not his real name) was no exception.

Barely passing grade level, and doing summer school to keep up, Manuel struggled to communicate in Spanish or English. On his first visit, his mentor encouraged us to keep explanations short and simple because his comprehension was low.

But the Manuel we worked with in sessions was very different. He grasped things after one explanation and exhibited an amazing memory. Gifted with an excellent ability to learn by observation, he mastered complex skills within a couple attempts.

While his answers were short and basic, his overall understanding and comprehension blossomed during his time at the Ranch. An earnest listener and quick learner, Manuel said little during his sessions.

Part of our curriculum teaches how to communicate through more than just words, using non-verbal communication to direct the horse while using a halter. Done correctly, a horse will move in sync with the child, taking their lead to walk, stop, turn or run.

The key to this connection is taking time to establish the needed trust and understanding. During one session, Manuel was working on this task. He caught on quickly, successfully working with a couple horses to complete the skill.

When asked about the experience, he shot a huge grin, stuck out his chest, and stated he felt “Like the man!” Quite the change from the quiet, unassuming boy who had first entered our gates.

Bree

Grace is our rescue horse, she came to us because her previous owner said she was worthless and “as good as dead.” Her story connects with many of our guests, and with work, she has proven to be a great fit for our program. During one particular evening session, we saw this firsthand.

Bree (not her real name) came to the Ranch with her new adoptive mom and a love for horses. While she had ridden before, Bree had very little knowledge about horses and was a sponge to learn more. At every visit she eagerly asked questions and wanted to hear about each horse.

One evening, she got to work with Grace in the round pen. As they worked, our volunteer explained the need to tune in to Grace’s non-verbal cues and be sensitive to her needs. The conversation lead to Grace’s story and and how we’ve worked to help her recover physically and mentally from her past.

Quietly watching the whole process, Bree’s adoptive mom stood to the side listening. She eventually asked Bree if she could relate to Grace’s story.

Bree’s reply, “Yes, that’s my story too.”

Grace’s story was Bree’s story. In that moment she realized that even though something has made you feel worthless, you still have a value and worth in society.

This truth is something we want every women and child who visits the Ranch to understand.

Anthony

Anthony (not his real name) was 14 years old and the oldest of four boys. Despite both his parents working, they were still evicted from their home.

When a family becomes homeless, the younger children are often taken in by family, but preteen and teenagers are not. This was the case for Anthony. Extended family took his brothers in, but not him.

A friend allowed him to stay for a while, but they were moving, and when Anthony left to come to the Ranch, he didn’t know where he would sleep that night.

Anthony arrived that day, with everything he owned in tow. Understandably, it took a while for him to engage with the group, but slowly he warmed up and joined in.

The theme of our devotional time that day was “you are chosen, not rejected.” Using his own life as an example, the leader explained how he didn’t have anyone when he was their age, and it had led to addictions and time behind bars. As he shared, the group leader let the children know they had someone there for them, and the leaders who had come to the Ranch with them cared and were available to help.

As the day went on, you could see Anthony calculating the time he had left at the Ranch, and the reality of the story the leader had shared with them. Before dinner, it came rushing to the surface. Scared, and feeling alone he walked away from the group and broke down.

What Anthony didn’t know at that time, was that his leaders had been working behind the scenes, all day long, to find him a place to stay. They wanted him to understand the reality of the devotion from that day and that someone did care for him.

Six months later, Anthony returned with the group for another session. Not much had changed with his family and living situation, but his attitude had. He now joined in the group, carried himself differently and had the confidence that people on his team would help him out.

Jenn

Rusty is our 18-year old sorrel and favorite introvert. Internalizing his emotions, he will pretend to be fine when he’s secretly having a hard time. When stressed or afraid, he will freeze, or mentally check out and just go through the motions.

This tendency to internalize fear and distress connects with many of the children we work with. Jenn (not her real name), a young girl at our multi-day camp, was no exception.

She had come to our camps before and always been bubbly and confident in all she did. But one camp in particular was different. Her behavior was more timid, fearful and lacked the spunk we had seen in the past. Something had changed and we were uncertain why, until one of our volunteers spoke up. Jenn had suffered two traumatic horse accidents since her previous visit to the ranch, leaving her uncertain of what would happen with us.

With a better understanding of the fear Jenn was facing, our team was able to help. She confessed she was very scared around horses, but willing to try.

Because horses are prey animals, they have strong powerful hind legs built for protection from predators. When they trust you, walking behind them is not an issue, but without trust, it can be dangerous.

Working with our most docile horses, we worked together in the round pen, starting at the horse’s head to build trust. As we worked to develop an equal trust, Jenn was able to walk alongside them. Eventually, we asked if she was willing to walk behind the horse with a team member who had an established trust with the horse.

This exercise allowed us to address how life can make us fearful, but we need someone we can trust to help navigate the scary parts again.

It took a while to make it all the way around the back, but the smile on Jenn’s face at the end was worth it. Confidence radiated out of her beaming smile. From that time on she was the girl we had seen during her initial visits, full of confidence and courage.