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Harmony Happenings

Hello friends! We've had a lot of blessings this spring and summer, and we hope the same is true for all of you. Jeff made a comment at work in March or April that led to one of God's great provisions for us this spring: a big tractor! He mentioned off hand how nice it would be to have a tractor, and one of his colleagues asked “How big?” Jeff answered, “Big enough to not get stuck in the mud.” Well, this man had one plenty big for that, lives only a short distance away, didn't need the tractor, and is letting us borrow it without charge!

Other blessings include enough dry weather to get some relief from mud, yet enough rain to keep everything growing. God used these weather conditions to provide the hay needed for this year.

Two huge blessings arrived at the end of May and beginning of June: Sarah and Marilyn, full time volunteers who came to serve the ranch for more than a month! Marilyn brought her dad along for a day and a half, and we were floored with the incredible landscaping transformation that took place in that short time, not to mention the overflowing encouragement and joy he brought with him.

By means of the above blessings and a few more, we have finished our new pastures, taken down and relocated a horse shelter, put down a lot of geotextile liner and gravel in our main corral, and had some significant times of prayer and decision making.

There are two important blessings we can't fail to mention. In May, we brought home two new horses! The plan was to get one more horse who was well trained and of good health and temperament, because several of our current horses were not ready to use with children. Somehow, we managed to get two instead of one...if you have horses, you might understand. :) But now we need to find good homes for two of the other less useful but still loveable horses.

The extension to the main corral is almost finished and work on a new shelter will be starting soon. Horsemanship lessons increased and intensified for Christiana and Abigail, culminating in a rewarding and inspiring two day clinic June 15 and 16.

Also in June, we had a week of camp for several family friends. The children enjoyed participating in Bible lessons, singing, games, crafts, horsemanship lessons, and other outdoor activities. It was a huge success thanks to our wonderful volunteers. :)

God has been teaching us to wait on His perfect timing, but has encouraged us with many answers to prayer. We look forward to His continued guidance and provision as we learn to rest in Him.

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him: fret not...” Psalm 37:7a

By Jeanne Burks