Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to the things of old. Look, I am about to do something new: even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43: 18 & 19

We continue to be amazed at how gracious and merciful our Lord is! God continues to provide staff with just the right skills at just the right time.

Grace Ruegsegger grew up in Auburn, Indiana. She graduated in 2011 from Indiana Wesleyan with a BA in Psychology and Addictions Counseling. In the course of her time at Indiana Wesleyan, Grace took some time off from school to serve as a mentor to students at Wears Valley Ranch. She is currently working toward her MA in Biblical Counseling from Faith Bible Seminary in Lafayette, Indiana.

While seeking her degree from Indiana Wesleyan, Grace served as an intern at Vision of Hope in Lafayette. Vision of Hope is a ministry of Faith Church. VOH provides residential biblical counseling for women seeking hope in the face of life-altering challenges like addiction, self-harm, abuse, eating disorders and unplanned pregnancy. They uphold the worth and sanctity of human life by ministering to women ages 14 and over with the vision of helping them find permanent and lasting change through Christ.

After obtaining her BA, Grace accepted the position of Biblical Counselor to the girls at Wears Valley Ranch.

Vision of Hope also provided an internship opportunity for Pennsylvanian, Ashley Beaman. While gaining valuable counseling experience at VOH, Ashley heard about the mentoring opportunity at Wears Valley Ranch. Ashley now lives in the home with a houseparent couple and six girls who come from various challenging backgrounds.

Both Grace and Ashley agree that their experiences at Vision of Hope was the Lord’s providence in preparing them to counsel girls at the Ranch. Each gained greater insight and biblical compassion in working with the families served at Wears Valley Ranch. Grace shares, “Whether adult or child, I am more certain that all of the problems we face in life can only be rightly understood when we know who God is and who we are. I also have seen that true healing only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. True biblical compassion begins when we help families (parents and children) understand what God says about their crisis, and come alongside them as they work to follow Him in their parent/child relationships.”

Grace continues, “Many of the women I met at VOH were struggling with life-controlling sins that they had initially chosen as a way to cope with or escape painful circumstances or to try and fulfill their unmet desires. At VOH, these women were given the opportunity to address the root of their struggle, heal from their past, and experience that only through a relationship with Christ are we truly satisfied. The mission of WVR is the same! However, at WVR we seek to help kids understand and grow through their circumstances and teach them Who really satisfies before they have the opportunity to fall into life-controlling sin. We also pray that as we teach kids these biblical Truths, God will transform their lives and equip them to become people who disciple others – including their own families, Lord willing!”

Ashley agrees stating, “In this way, the work at Wears Valley Ranch is primarily preventative. We seek to help students understand the affects of their sin and to teach them how to rightly respond to the suffering they experience, before they are so entangled by sinful habits. The goal is to change the trajectory of a child’s life with the hope of the Gospel! We do this by regularly proclaiming the Good News of Jesus, confronting unbiblical behavior, speaking truth, and addressing heart issues. The Ranch uniquely provides an environment where we have the opportunity to do this in the day to day routine of home life, school, and extra-curriculars. We pray continually for the Holy Spirit to change hearts, knowing Jesus is the only one that can bring hope and lasting change.”

In addition to impacting the lives of the children here, God is showing these ladies that they need the same Truth that the children need to hear. At the root, the struggles of our staff are the same as the struggles of our students and their families. God is working to show us more of His greatness, our need, and hope that comes only through Him.

The vision of Wears Valley Ranch is to see each child INSPIRED to follow Christ, HEALED from their past, and EQUIPPED to reach their full potential. We are grateful that the Lord works through us to accomplish His purpose.

We would ask you to please pray for Grace and Ashley as they continue to serve these children. We are grateful for all of the wonderful staff the Lord sends. We desire prayers for God’s wisdom, grace, courage, and help.

If you know a parent struggling with any of the issues shared in this story who needs a safe haven for their children ages 6-18, please let them know about Wears Valley Ranch. We would love to talk with them about options for their children while parents get the help they need. https://wvr.org/applications/

If you know a woman who is struggling, Vision of Hope may be able to help. You can learn more about at www.faithlafayette.org/voh.

Click here to donate if you want to help provide a safe haven for children in crisis.