This past Saturday, a lay leader and I drove all the way up to Pinetta, FL, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Madison Youth Ranch. If you don’t know, or haven’t heard me mention it before, I am on the Board of the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home. We are now called Residing Hope and we have quite a story to tell. Starting back in 1908, we were an orphanage, but over the last 115 years, we have grown into something so much more. We recently changed our name to reflect the wide services that the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home provides and to help tell the story of Hope to our neighbors. Now, we have not only a home for at-risk youth, but we also offer counseling services, an Early Learning Preschool, Foster Care, Residential Group Homes, Equine Therapy, Independent Living, Legacy Academy, and Chapel and Religious Community Life. We accept Private and Public youth and we never say no to a youth, no matter how hard their situation is. You may know a little about the Children’s Home because of what you have heard said on 5th Sundays when we take up a special offering to support it, or maybe you made baskets with me on a Serve Day or maybe you have been on campus for a tour. I wanted to invite you to Residing Hope’s Day on Campus, in Enterprise on Saturday, March 8th from 10am until 2pm. I will be there and I would love to tell you more.
But back to Saturday. The event this Saturday was the 10th anniversary of the Madison Youth Ranch, which serves children in the northern part of our state, and I mean Northern, almost to Georgia. This area could not be more different from the bustling life of Central Florida, but what a gift it is to the 9 girls that currently reside there. There is room for 16 children and youth in the cottages, aging from 10-18 years old, but right now, because of therapist shortages, there are only 9. I got to meet a few of these remarkable ladies, their house parents and the staff of the Madison Youth Ranch. We got to tour the cottages, the Chapel, the office buildings, the pool, community garden, Stickey Stables, and the Equine Therapy Center. As I talked to a few of the teenage girls who are currently residents there, I was beyond thankful to be a part of this incredible ministry. I have attached a few photos of the event because it is a beautiful and safe space. I don’t know the situations or stories of the girls there, but who we met told us their story with confidence, joy and deep respect for the process and for the community that they were living in.
These girls grew up in a family different from my own, with challenges that I never faced. But with bravery, humor and creative determination, they are facing their new challenges with such a profound sense of knowing who they are and whose they are. I heard them share about how they are working hard in school, sending allowance money to a grandmother in Puerto Rico, or working to get her grades up so that she can pass the classes to one day be a CIA agent. One girl told me about her love of the Harry Potter books and how important time with the horses has been for her confidence. Another spoke about youth group and how they are reading the Bible with their house parent and growing in their faith. I am always blown away by what God is doing in the hearts of young people and I wanted to share with all of you, who have been giving sacrificially to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home for years, what your partnership with the Holy Spirit has done. Please know that I am here to answer any questions you have and to celebrate this ministry with you.