2:25 Kim begins sharing her story
“I never knew safety as a child.”
“We weren’t allowed to talk about it inside [father’s alcoholism] our home and especially outside our home, but I had one confidant I shared my secrets with and that was a horse.”
I didn’t know the Lord. My self-worth came from a successful career. My value came from my performance in my job.
5:22 “After accepting Christ, I was just voracious for the Lord.”
I had attended a women’s retreat and the woman asked the question, ‘What is something in your life you used to love to do that you never do anymore?’…. That is when God brought this dream and reminder to me that I loved horses.”
Hope Rising by Kim Meeder; A book about
Chrystal Peaks Youth Ranch.
8:44 We begin discussing
Hope Reins
“I totally get horses and healing.”
The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes. –
Psalm 118: 23
110 pound Micro-miniature named
Twinkle, rescued by Hope Reins farrier Lisa.
16:20 We discuss how the children are paired up with the horses.
“We pair kids who are going through trauma and life crisis with our
rescued horses. What they receive, our main service is a free of charge, ninety-minute session where a child is paired with a trained leader and one of our rescued horses.”
When kids come to the ranch for the first time
- Go on our tour, because we want them to feel comfortable in their environment
- We share the story of the horse and that helps kids open up and connect their story with the horse’s story.
19:05 “That’s what we find with these kids. They will repeat the story of the horse, but they’re really talking about their story. And for her, it was really the first time she had talked about what she had been through.”
“God what are you doing? What happened, and this is where you have to trust God in everything, because she ended up coming out for her session and we told her about Mercy passing away and she started talking about her baby brother. She had been in therapy and she had never, ever, ever talked about what she had been through. So God used this moment, this loss of this horse to actually have her start talking about what she went through…that is the kind of stuff we can’t make happen, but we’re there to facilitate… God has a plan for every one of these kids and we just get the privilege of being there to watch it unfold.”
20:22 Kim describes what takes place during a session
22:29 We discuss Hope Reins Core Values
- Jesus Heals
- Grace is our default
- Be authentic
- Share your story
- Make it better
“I know when I share my story, or a session leader shares their story, it creates this open space for people to feel like, WOW, I can share my story too…and feel safe.”
In addition to session leaders,
Hope Reins has listeners and play pals which minister to the rest of the family, as needed.
27:05 We discuss the book
Joey by
Jennifer Bleakley, which is about the early days of Hope Reins and the relationship between some of their first horses and children.
Joey, Appoloosa horse: one of their first rescued horses who was blind.
It has been optioned as a movie.
We are getting letters from around the country about how it is impacting people.
31:00 If the men in here were to have something like Hope Reins when they were kids they probably wouldn’t be in prison.
Hope Reins is beginning to incorporate trauma informed care into their sessions.
“If a child in crisis has one safe adult relationship that can turn things around for them, provide resilience for them”
–
Hope Reins surpassed the 10,000 session mark in October 2018
34:18 We discuss Hope Reins
volunteers
True hope and real healing for every child
What we have realized is, we are all a session kid.
36:03 “The biggest thing the enemy does is he LIES. He says, ‘Nobody understands. Nobody else is going through what you have gone through.’….So for kids who are all depressed and suicidal to be together, to be able to look at each other and go, ‘Oh, you feel the same way? I’m not alone.’ ….It helps to walk with somebody who has been through what you have been through.”
Open to the public on Saturdays from 8:30-11 a.m. to volunteer for barn chores and take a tour of
Hope Reins.
