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Healing & Hope Retreats
Promise Land Ranch for 18 months, rented the Patterson's
home in Charlotte, TN. Close to 500 guests found healing
and hope at this tranquill ranch. We were blessed with couples
who wanted God to refresh their marriage, pastors or missionaries
needing the gentle renewal of God's touch, a team of Deacons
learning how to become a "Team of Deacons", soldiers
and their families after a long deployment and some special
guests that had been through unspeakable trauma or tragedy
in their lives seeking healing in a safe environment. A
common thread was individuals who needed what Isaiah 61
describes as...hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted,
freedom for those who feel imprisoned, release to those
who are bound, comfort for those who mourn, beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy to sooth the ache of saddness and words of
encouragement for the spirit of heaviness.
Tsunami Mission Trip
This year will be another anniversary of the
tsunami. When I went to India two weeks after this catastrophe
I had the honor of hugging and loving individuals that had
endured tragedy unlike any I even had a capacity to fathom.
As I took a picture with each child I would say, "I'm
taking this back to the United States and I'm going to show
it to people there so they know who you are." Sometimes
I look up at the stars and God reminds me that across the
world there are kids looking up at the same stars and wondering
if anyone cares about the horrific life they live. Thank
you for remembering. (pictures)
Operation Christmas Child
This past Christmas Promise Land Ranch joined with "Operation
Christmas Child" a worldwide program that sends shoe
box size boxes filled with necessities and age appropriate
gifts to less fortunate children around the globe. It is
a wonderful way to let them know they are not alone and
that there are individuals thousands of miles away that
are thinking about them. We had college age young adults
gather at the Ranch and we filled 20 boxes to send it was
a incredible experience for all of us.
Lwowek, Slaski Poland Mission Trip
Two summers now we have taken a group of young adults to
Baumholder, Germany to join up with the youth of the US
Military base there, many had parent's deployed to Iraq.
We then proceeded to Poland to the Elim Mission. We spent
a week as their work crew painting, drywalling, building,
fixing and cleaning the mission and some of the homes of
the missionaries that run Elim. The government run children's
home and school next to Elim was our ministry to those without
parents and families. The trip was unbelievable. It's incredible
to watch our youth give of themselves to others and see
what they learn about themselves in the process. Every young
adult would benefit from such a trip.
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