The Mission | Mysite

Over the years, God has given us various ways of understanding what the mission and vision of Hearts Haven Ranch is supposed to be. One of those ways is through the image of a surgeon performing a heart transplant. When a donor heart is taken out of the donor's body, the surgeon holds that heart in their hands with the utmost care and caution, so as not to bruise it, drop it, or damage it in any way. They carry it like they are literally carrying someone's life in their hands. Because they are. They carefully and gently place this donor heart into the transplant recipient's body, carefully restoring each connection, one by one. And then they wait, with baited breath, to see that heart begin pumping.

The Mission

"The mission of Hearts Haven Ranch is to provide a safe haven for people, and animals, living with histories of trauma, abuse, neglect, and disabilities; offering an integrated approach to Animal Assisted Therapeutic Services and Animal Rescue work. Within the unique connections between the people and the animals that we serve, wounded hearts find healing, and the love of God is made known."

God showed us that as believers, we are like the surgeons and He is the heart donor. He created us as vessels, to carry His heart wherever we go. And we must carry It with the utmost care and caution, as if we are carrying someone's very life within our hands. Because we are. Every single one of us was created to reflect God's nature to the rest of the world. To transfer whatever parts of Him that we carry, to other people. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are literally carrying the very Heart of God in our hands. That is a sobering thought. But that is exactly what Jesus did. Except He was all in One. He was the donor. He was the heart. He was the surgeon. He was the vessel. And He carried God's heart all the way to the cross, dying so that we might have life. His was the ultimate heart transplant. Once we receive Jesus' heart as our own, that's when we become a vessel.

Satan wants nothing more than to see God's heart dropped on the ground, trampled, rejected, and broken. He has been hard at work trying to make people drop God's heart since the beginning of time. And he is still hard at work. He wants to see us broken, beyond repair, unable and unworthy of carrying God's heart in our hands. He whispers lies of guilt, shame, hopelessness, doubt, fear, and pride into our souls. But the truth is, we are made able and worthy by the blood of Jesus Christ, by His Spirit alive within us, by the mercy and grace of our Father. All of us. No matter where we come from, no matter what we have been through, no matter what we have done, no matter how broken we are, no matter what lies have been spoken over us. No matter what. He offers each of us a complete and total heart transplant. Replacing our sinful, broken hearts with the perfect heart of Christ. He restores the connections between our heart and His Spirit. He repairs our broken vessels, piece by piece, so that we might carry His heart wherever we go and to whomever we meet. We become vessels that God can use to serve as aa haven for others. A place of safety and refuge for wounded hearts, where God's love flows freely.

We believe that not only are we to be used in this way, but everyone is to be used by God as His vessels. Everyone. Including those who struggle with mental illness and disability, and those who come from hard places, bearing the scars of all they have endured.

John 9 tells us that, "As Jesus went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' Jesus answered, 'Niether this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.' " Illness and disability do not prevent anyone from being used by God as one of His unique vessels; created by Him to display His heart, His strength, His power, and His love. This is foundational to what we do here at Hearts Haven. This is the cornerstone of what God is building here. He is creating a place where all who come are seen and valued for who they were created to be. Where they are encouraged, edified, and assisted in walking out the unique calling on each and every one of their lives. Where God's strength is made perfect in all of our weaknesses. A place where all can learn to be okay, even when everything around is not okay. That's what a true haven is.

Another way that God has shown us what Hearts Haven Ranch is to be, is through song. The lyrics of "Where Joy and Sorrow Meet", performed by The Zoe Group, speak of the sacred space where our sorrows meet with God's redeeming love. A haven is not necessarily a place where there is no pain or suffering. It's a place where the pain and suffering exist along with joy and hope, where there is redemption and restoration, where all things are worked for the glory of God and for the good of those who love Him. It's a place where we never walk alone. Where we are never in the fire or the storm or the lions' den without God right there with us. A place where not only are we okay when things around us aren't; but also a place where God's goodness truly pours out from within the pain and suffering.

It is from within the sacred space between the cries of "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" and "He is risen" that we come face to face with the healing, redeeming, sovereign love of God.

Where Joy and Sorrow Meet

There's a place of quiet stillness between the light and shadows reach
Where the hurting and the hopeless seek everlasting peace
Words of men and songs of angels whisper comfort bittersweet
Mending grief and life eternal where joy and sorrow meet

There is a place where hope remains
In crowns of thorns and crimson stains
And tears that fall on Jesus' feet
Where joy and sorrow meet

There's a place the lost surrender and the weary will retreat
Full of grace and mercy tender in times of unbelief
For the wounded there is healing, strength is given to the weak
Broken hearts find love redeeming where joy and sorrow meet

There's a place of thirst and hunger where the roots of faith grow deep
And there is rain and rolling thunder when the road is rough and steep
There is hope in desperation, there is victory in defeat
At the cross of restoration where joy and sorrow meet