Pinehaven Missions Trip

Aloha mi familia! (Yes, I'm tri-lingual.)
I just got back from a week-long mission's trip with my church. It was to a little town called St. Ignatiaus, Montana. Actually, it was to a ranch called Pinehaven in this town. This ranch is ginormous! I don't remember how many acres it was, but it was large and in charge. Anyways, it's a ranch for mostly Jr. High-Highschool ages. Although, there were some that were younger than that too. It was set up by a Christian missionary and his wife that came to Montana to preach to the Native Americans. They then set up this ranch for kids who are not doing so hot in their home situations. It's now run by this couple and their son and his wife. So, the kids come from all over the country and stay here, work on the ranch, live on the ranch, and go to school on the ranch until the people in charge feel that they're ready to return home. Some stay till they graduate, others leave earlier. There are about 6 houses right now with about 12 students in each. These become their families while at the ranch. Each house has house parents (who usually have their own biological children). They get up early, do chores, go to school, at 12:00 everyone stops and comes home for lunch, then go back to either work or school, then come home at 6:00 for dinner. It's really great! It gives these students a routine, and family life. They were held responsible for their actions, which is what a lot of kids need.
You could tell that God was working in this place. The staff and parents there had such a caring and loving attitude. And it was all for the kids. It was so awesome! Even the way the ranch is run is totally blessed by God. People donate things all the time, tractors, heavy machinery, even fire trucks! They milk their own cows, (yes, I got to milk a cow and even hand feed a baby cow!!) and someone was going to donate the milking machine, but Bob Larson (the head hancho) wanted the kids to continue doing it themselves because it was good discipline. It was amazing to see God's work in this place.
This was a different kind of missions trip for me. The other missions trips I've been on have been to third world countries where they're so excited for the missionaries to come and put on their show! But, it wasn't like that at all here. We were just another church coming to work. To work hard! In the summer they have all different churches come to help out on the ranch. So some of us picked berries (with the bears), built drawers, built fences, put up siding on the new barn, and chopped and stacked firewood. I was on the firewood committee. I was a logger for a week. Yep, I'm tough!! We would go up into the woods and chop down the trees. Ok, I didn't chop any trees, but I watched them fall! Then we ran it through a wood chomper! So, I didn't chop wood either. But, I got to run the machine a couple times. Rick, the head of our team, told me I was turning into a real wilderness woman. (What can I say, ladies is p.... too, go'on brush ya shoulda's off!) So, we threw wood to each other (or at each other as I often was being thrown at), and stacked it, unloaded it, stacked it. We stocked them up through the winter and into 2007. (I think) I got the dirtiest, I've ever been in my entire life! My face was so gross! At lunch (or supper) we would come in and wash our face and arms and hands, and still be so dirty. Then at dinner we would be even dirtier! My toes would be black through my socks and shoes. My arms were constantly scratched and had pitch on them. I am so HARDCORE! :)
It was great fun! I also got to drive a tractor, I'm a born natural! And run the wood chomper and was given the nickname Chomper Chick! (Why do I always get nicknames on mission trips?) We also got to go on a horse ride! I was very, very nervous. I did not want to go down hill, and it freaked me out! But, I had a really good horse that went nice and slow. Everyone tried to get me to make her go faster, but hello! I didn't want her to go faster, are they crazy! But, at the end of the trip I did trot her and now I'm a professional horse rider as well. (Just jokin' :)
It was an awesome trip and I would love to go back someday. Montana is a beautiful state. God, is so cool! We live in an awesome country that has so much diversity! Every state I've been in (I'm so diverse) is so different and amazing in it's own ways. I'm so thankful for where I live and that God cares about us and made this awesome creation!
E Hui Hou!