The children at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch have had to navigate a great deal of dishonesty in their lives.
Those who were to protect them, didn’t. Those who were to lift them up, squashed them down. Those who were to love them, used them. It can be hard to be hopeful when your trust has been so often betrayed.
Still, these children are looking for something or someone to lean on. They would like to have people in their lives who want nothing from them, but care about them. Truly, we all want that. Of course, building trust is a huge focus of their healing treatment with the professionals at the Ranch.
But, this is also where our blessed “Hope Notes” writers step in. People all across the country have signed up to write “Hope Notes” to a child at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. It is such a selfless task. The writers know little about the child, due to privacy laws. They don’t know where they are from or what they’ve been through. They may get, or may never get, a note in response. They may never know if their words have been read. It is an act of faith simply to be a “Hope Notes” writer. Yet, people write the notes because they care. When someone signs up for the “Hope Notes” program, they know that their letters and any responses, for safety reasons, will be read by Deaconess Kelly Bristow before they are passed on. When one child leaves the Ranch, another child may be the recipient of the note. These volunteer writers believe that telling a child they are valued and prayed for and important will aid in their healing, and it does.
We have one young lady in care who is completely “unchurched.” She has no relationship with Jesus, and before coming to the Ranch, had no role models who lived in faith. She has been open about her skepticism.
Her “Hope Notes” pal struck a tone of truth with her. As Chaplain Rick Jones said when he shared the excerpt, “These connections with our kids matter! It can be intimidating to share our faith with others, but it can be as simple as sharing a helpful experience. I thought this moment with our Hope Notes Pen Pal was beautiful in its simplicity and compassion.”
The note read in part, “It is hard to trust if you have been betrayed before. I just pray that you find someone you CAN trust to talk to about your feelings, goals, and challenges. And, if you don’t believe, that is okay. It is just where you are at this point in your life. It may change, it may not. It’s okay. Can I tell you one of the things I really value about my faith? It is the idea that God is in control of things even when I don’t feel like I have any control, or I am not sure what tomorrow will bring. If you want to understand this more, try reading Psalm 139. It is poetry, so you might like it. And it helps me see that I am valued and loved, that I was created for a purpose, and gives me hope.”
That level of acceptance and encouragement, coming from someone who gains nothing, wants nothing, needs nothing from this child, will be with her for the rest of her life. May God bless those who share hope with those most vulnerable.
Please keep our staff and children in your prayers.
In His love,
Joy Ryan, President/CEO
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
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