Hi Moms! I pray your school year kicked off with great anticipation for what God has planned for you and your children this year! It has been such a blessing to see how God has utilized SkyMom’s to minister to so many women. I wanted to take a moment and tell you how grateful I am to serve each one of you and all of the families of Sky Ranch.
Wrapping up summer camp 2010 and kicking off recruiting last weekend…yes, already, to ensure that we once again have amazing Godly character role models to love on your children summer 2011. The results of summer 2010 are phenomenal…the evidence of God’s work was clear in our conversations with families and the surveys. Well over 400 young people made decisions to trust Christ as their Lord and savior for the first time. Over 2,000 other kids made a decision during their week of camp, to follow Christ. Praise God!
Many ask what we do the rest of the year at Sky Ranch. Well, when we closed the last session of camp 2010, within an hour we had 700 people show up to utilize our facilities for retreats. Each year about 57,000 people, mostly youth pass through our gates. We hold retreats, deliver school programs, host rodeo camps, and minister to families through out parent child retreats. Hope you are all planning to visit Sky Ranch before summer 2011. Visit skyranch.org for more information.
Moms…with the rising statistics of the devastating results of the intense pressures our kids face today, we cannot do enough to pour into our kids, partner with organizations like Sky Ranch and other youth ministries that reinforce the hope and love we have in Christ and positively impact the results of these pressures. Eating disorders, substance addictions, sexual activity, teen pregnancies, cutting, and so many other manifestations of depression…Let me just encourage you Moms…Don’t give up…you can and will make a difference. We serve a God that answers all prayers, we serve a God that brings possible to the word impossible, and we can do ALL things through Christ who provides us with our strength!
I want to share just one of the hundreds of stories from summer – Her name was Holly. Holly came to Sky Ranch for the first time and was very apprehensive about coming. Her parents had just gotten a divorce, she was at a point where she was questioning whether there was even a God that exists, she was drinking and even started to experiment with drugs. Holly was even wondering whether she wanted to continue existing in this world herself. The first couple of days she was quiet and almost despondent, but through prayer and pursuit of her counselors in the cabin, she opened up and shared what was going on in her life. As she opened up and shared, one of her counselors was able to share the love of Christ, give her hope through God’s promises and evidence in God’s word, the truth. During this time God worked in Holly’s heart, she had an intense desire to know more about how much God loved her and what He did for her. Holly shares that, "When I came to Sky Ranch I was sad, broken, and depressed. I had no one to talk to about what I was going on in my life. At Sky Ranch, I found a God who loves me no matter what…that I can trust no matter what…and that created me with purpose". "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Jeremiah 29:11
Until next time…let us know if there is anything at all we can do for you here at Sky Ranch. We are here to serve you and your family!
Linda Paulk
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