The vis​ion for Hearts Haven Ranch has multiple layers.

 

The first layer began with our animal rescue and rehabilitation work.  This was not really in the original plan for any of us, but without a doubt it became somewhat of a foundation for the rest of what we do at Hearts Haven.  The more we saw and the more we witnessed, the more times our hearts were broken by the cruelty that exists in this world towards animals of all kinds.  But through that heartbreak, God revealed pieces of His own heart to us.  In rescuing and rehabilitating these animals, we saw the reflection of how God rescues us, and how He mends our broken hearts, piece by piece, until we are transformed into new creations.

 

There is a fair amount of loss in animal rescue work.  Not every animal can be rehabilitated, not every animal comes out the other side, mended with healing and restoration.  We have lost far more than we ever could have imagined.  But with each loss, we began to see how God works in the heartbreak.  Each time we welcome a new rescue, and are filled with immense love for them, a new 'piece' is added to our hearts.  When we lose one of the animals, our hearts truly shatter.  But they shatter with that new piece having been added to all the rest.  So as God puts our broken hearts back together again, those new pieces are what transform us into a new creation.  Each and every time.  Each new piece that grows within our hearts, brings new beauty and dimension to the mosaic that God is creating. 

 

There is much to be learned about our Father, and His ways, through caring for His creation.

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The second layer has incorporated community outreach programs, connecting local people with the animals we rescue.   We are able to share the animals at after school programs, local summer camps, weekly community dinners, churches, care facilities, and private gatherings.  Animals, especially those from hard places, have a unique ability to reach the hearts of people from hard places, even if it is simply offering a brief moment of joy in the midst of their day.  These animals have brought countless smiles to children and adults from all walks of life, and are beacons of God's love everywhere they go.  

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The third layer of this bigger picture is the implementation of Animal Assisted Therapeutic Services here at the ranch, and also within the community at large.  In addition to day programs at Hearts Haven, we are building a Crisis Intervention program utilizing specially trained animals to help children and adults, who are in acute crisis situations, reach safety and stabilization.  Often times, in these crisis situations, what is needed first and foremost is de-escalation.  People need help regulating themselves before they spiral more and more out of control.  Animals can be an incredible tool in that process.  The mere presence of an animal can  lower people's heart rates, lower the levels of cortisol and other stress hormones, increase the level of serotonin and dopamine, assisting in calming them from the inside out.  Physically touching and interacting with animals significantly enhances those calming effects.  From years of experience with our son who struggles with mental illness, we have become keenly aware of the great need for crisis intervention services in our area.  God has used those years to train and equip us, and has called us to help meet that growing need in our community.  A daunting, but truly life-changing task.  

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The fourth, and perhaps biggest, layer is a long-term  residential program here at the ranch, for adults living with mental illness and/or disabilities.  God placed this part of the vision on our hearts many years ago.  We had no idea what it would really look like or how it would come to be.  We still don't have all those answers.  But over the years, as our own family has grown and as the other layers of our work have unfolded, God has revealed more of His plans here, painting a picture of the future Homestead and Hearts Haven Ranch.  In addition to the Homestead, we also offer interim housing to individuals in need. 

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