As we look to the future of the Ranch, one of my continual prayers and priorities has been increasing organizational strength and resilience to be able to withstand whatever trouble comes in future years and decades.  

     To this end, the Ranch family has accomplished a tremendous amount over the past few years. We’ve invested substantially in projects with a view to long term benefits. We’ve renovated many buildings, including seven residences. We’ve been blessed with help developing infrastructure including a paved road, an outdoor kitchen, and other projects underway at Angels’ Meadow. 

     Last month we received full approval from the Nevada County Building Department to move forward with the extensive duplex remodel job, and we promptly initiated that project. We’ve implemented large scale updates to our use of technology and branding, and we’re developing our digital presence. 

     We’ve reduced overheads, streamlined tasks and procedures, and worked hard to establish efficient and effective processes undergirding the ministry. 
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     Despite all this investment, we also paid off a mortgage and are completely debt-free. We continue to be committed to receiving no government funding as well. It is essential that we be free to minister as a church, for the church, not neutralized and impoverished by the regulations that come with government money. This stance has defended and preserved the ministry both before my time and again during my time. 

     When Kayla arrived, she was an older student at 20. She was profusely grateful simply for somewhere to stay. She was agreeable and compliant, willing to do what was asked of her. Kayla had graduated high school at 19 having worked hard to catch up after missing four years of school in her pre-teen years. A year later, she had hoped to be farther along on her way to asserting her own independence. She had worked different jobs, including management at a chain restaurant.

     However, outside of work, Kayla’s life was vastly unpredictable. She felt the most in control when she was at work. She knew what to expect and what was expected of her. She could maintain a sense of order and cleanliness and check off the boxes. Outside of those double doors, chaos reigned. 

     Kayla was introduced to a guy a couple years ago by someone she trusted. As time passed, his lifestyle became her lifestyle, and the choices she was making were unrecognizable to herself. The relationship eventually became abusive. Kayla was stuck and she didn’t know where to turn. 

     When Kayla was at a pregnancy care center in town, the woman at the desk recognized her. She saw her need for support and presented her with options to get help. The application process went quickly, and in July 2020 Kayla set foot at Christian Encounter. 

     Kayla had bounced around from place to place so often in the past year that it seemed this may also only be a temporary situation. The people seemed genuinely kind and caring, but Kayla kept her guard up. Her aloof demeanor caused division between her and the other students. Then came time for everyone to don their backpacks and head into the wilderness for two weeks. 

As told by Jim Parker 

Marion and I had taken a trip to visit churches and donors. We were on our way back to the Ranch, coming north through Modesto.

​I called an old friend, Earl Voiles, to see if we could take him to lunch. He was an interesting "strange" bachelor. Earl was our very first houseguest when we were newlyweds living in San Jose. He made silly little jokes like, "I just hate the Devil! She is so mean!" He was also very poor. He lived in a little three-room shack of a house on a large plot of land where he grew carrots to sell at growers’ markets. He existed on a small social security check and the money he earned from the carrots.

After lunch we took him home. I went with him to an old out-building filled with boxes and yard tools. There was a small suitcase all covered with dirt. "This has money I have been saving for the Ranch from my carrot sales. I think I might have $600.00 in there! I’ve been putting it away for quite awhile." "Let’s take it inside and count it," I told him gratefully. "Naw, count it on the way to the Ranch and let me know how much it was." We said our goodbyes and started home.

As I drove, Marion opened the tattered little suitcase and started saying, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" She said that over and over. She counted more than $10,000.00 in that little suitcase!

When we got to the Ranch we had the business department count it, and then I called Tim Salter – a Christian lawyer living in Modesto. He knew old, eccentric Earl Voiles. I told him Earl had no idea how much money he had given. I asked Tim to go see Earl and explain what he did and tell him we will happily give it back or share it with other ministries, or do whatever he wants. Tim called back later that day. "Know what Earl did when I told him how much he had given? He jumped up in the air and said, ‘Praise The Lord! Hallelujah!’ I asked him what he wanted done with it, and he said, ‘Well, I want it to go to the Ranch, of course!"

Several years later Earl died and left his property to the Ranch. We sold it to his next-door neighbor. They tore the cabin and outbuildings down and built a new house. The Ranch still has that little suitcase (pictured). ​