the middle.

february the 18th. if one asks google what day sits exactly in the middle of july 5 2023 & october 5 2024 it would respond with the above date. february 18, 2024. so this day would mark the middle of my 15 month term at Raising Hope Ranch & writing that down really leaves my mind spinning. 

i have been wishing i had great things to write down for you to read but everything seems to be hitting me as quite boring. so who knows what you will end up reading below :) 

here we are nearing the end of the second month of the year 2024. time has a way of just dissappearing here at the ranch. something we say : " a day can feel like a week, a week like a month, but the months, the months fly by like a day." 

some ranch life happenings the last 2 months.  

Ms. Brooke bid farewell to this place. on the 19th of january, after a round of hugs she drove off in her little car stuffed with all her plants. closing this chapter of her life. opening another. 

we had a lot of time just to do just normal ranch things without any interuptions. except. i found myself back in the classroom doing trading post with the girls on thursdays. so not completely normal but i really enjoyed this little 'teaching' experience. 

what is trading post? a great program that is teaching these girls a little bit of money managing. each week the ranchers recieve a 5 dollar allowance. 10% goes in their pouch labeled tithe. another 10% into savings. they get to choose how they split up the other 80% between wants & needs. we have a cupboard filled with all things cosmetics; shampoo, body wash, hair ties, brushes, toothpaste, ect. and another filled with all things extra. wants are extra fun things that the ranchers can purchase. each thursday every rancher has the oppurtunity to go "shopping". one of the favourite school days:) 

on the 2nd of february a very familiar pickup drove up the driveway. the dogs enjoyed making it known that mom & dad had arrived in time for supper. saturday the 3rd the ranchers, ms. sam, mr. doug's & mr. todd's loaded into the chariot by 11:00 to head out for a bit of a fieldtrip. destination Osage Pottery. a little pottery shop located a little over 2 hours from here. the reports of this trip seem to leave me with the impression they really enjoyed it. i also really enjoyed my day. filling it with antiquing with mom & just hanging out in their RV at the trailer park. it was a nice day. sunday was filled with socializing & then monday after lunch i had to give those hugs again & say good bye. i really feel so lucky that i have seen mom & dad so much during my ranch time. 

the next three weeks were filled with getting these ranchers ready for homestay. i really could not comprehend that another session was nearing its end. 

MS JERA ARRIVED !!!!! much excitement. a lovely human who has come with much enthusiasm to teach our ranchers for the next 6 months. i like that i have known ms. jera from before her arrival here. also she volunteered here a few years back, so she kind of knows the way this place works. o AND she's from manitoba so i have a canadian pal here now :) 

the 14th of february. we mentors had off in the evening for it was a wednesday. we found that IHOP was a very good option for our supper this eveing. & then a trip to walmart where we watched a whole lot of men walking around with wilted rose boquets & buying a few last minute gifts. i think we may have enjoyed that a little too much. 

the 16th of february. its a friday, but we clean the house this morning. packing is the afternoon activity. by the end of the day ms. sam & i feel accomplished. the day which we were nervous for really was a good one. we had never done packing without ms. katie around ;)  

the 17th of february. the day where we take the ranchers to find their parents. by 9:30 we had the chariot loaded. 2 mentors, 1 teacher & 5 ranchers with their stuffed suitcases. there i was behind the wheel of our big ole 12 passenger nissan. our journey to walker missouri began. (parent workshop had taken place here) we filled the 2 hour drive with singing, conversation & quietness. it was pleasant. i alway love to see the ranchers & their parents re-unite with great big hugs. this time i noticed how much i felt like i transformed from mentor of 6 teenage girls back to me, a 20 year old with not that big responsibility. after lunch, ms jera, ms. sam & i loaded into our now empty chariot & headed back towards the ranch. we took a bit of a detour ending up in Joplin at the cutest coffee shop where we sat & chatted for a decent amount of time. now, you may have noticed that i have used two different numbers when refering to how many ranchers, where was number 6 when we loaded up this morning? well one of our ranchers is headed to Brazil for a 4 month stay with her uncle & aunt, so ms. katie, who is traveling with her, stayed at the ranch with this rancher & prepared their bags for the big travel day that would begin sunday. ms. sam & i took this rancher into town for a quick supper with mr. dougs at freddy's then it was time for our beds. 

& just like that another session was over. each session i just feel more comfortable here. each session things happens that i never ever once thought i would be facing but o this was a good one. 

the next two weeks hold things like: horse chores, team training, a trip to goltry, sleeping & coffee shops. i think this might be nice. 

& then when the two weeks of home visit are over we will go back to the life of sitting beside the one that doesn't want to talk. hugging the one that is shaking. wiping the tears from the face of the crying one. listening to the one that needs to share. knowing that God is here in it all. 

thank you for all the prayers that you send up for this place. i say it over & over & i will say it again. this life here would be impossible without God. 

stay safe. & notice the light in your chaos :) 

till next time 

ms. tif.