|
|
Circle of Care's United Methodist Boys' Ranch
Fall 2010 – September 9 to 12, 2010
BACKGROUND
The United Methodist Boys’ Ranch in Gore, OK is part of a family of ministries in Oklahoma known as Circle of Care. Circle of Care believes each child has promise and each family has potential. They focus on this promise and potential. You can learn more at www.circleofcare.org .
They serve children and families from across Oklahoma with their Children’s Home in Tahlequah, the Holsinger Home in Enid, Pearl’s Hope in Tulsa, and their Child SHARE foster and adoptive program serving the Greater Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas.
One of their other ministries is the United Methodist Boys’ Ranch (UMBR) near Gore, OK. It is a residential campus providing care for up to 22 young men ages 13 through high school graduation. These young men have experienced problems that prevent them from living at home or in foster care such as physical or sexual abuse, experiential drug or alcohol use, minor gang involvement, involvement with law enforcement, depression, and/or out of control behavior.
There are two separate cottages on the Boys’ Ranch campus, Spencer and McFall. Each cottage is supervised by a married couple called Family Counselors who live in the home with up to 10 youth. The couples serve as teachers and mentors to the young men. They also provide a family-like atmosphere in the home. An Assistant Family Counselor works closely with each of the couples. The program provides a structured environment for the boys and focuses on their progress within the cottage.
The boys of UMBR attend either the Boys’ Ranch Alternative Learning Center or Gore Public Schools. The Educational Coordinator and Teaching Assistant work closely with ranch staff, school administration, and teachers to ensure that the youth have the best educational opportunities to help them be successful in school.
Circle of Care does not view the boys as "at-risk" but "at-promise" because they believe that every child has received special gifts from God. They believe that being loved and accepted heals hurts that can be healed by no other means.
The youth are provided with a loving, nurturing environment to help them understand a better way of life. They are taught skills to help them with real life situations, can receive a quality education, and can receive counseling as needed to help them move to more positive behaviors. UMBR staff work individually with each resident to help him understand the program and opportunities for success. The youth have the opportunity to learn how to maintain positive relationships in the home, at school, and in their community. The youth are also given opportunities to discover and nurture their spirituality. Weekly youth fellowship services, devotions in the homes, and Sunday services at Gore United Methodist Church are available. The youth and staff are encouraged to be actively involved in church youth groups, choirs, and other church activities.
One unique component of UMBR is the Animal Therapy Program. Each resident attends weekly animal therapy sessions where they care for animals, assist in ranching operations, and learn of agricultural issues related to the care of animals. Sessions, under the supervision of the Ranch Manager, include roping, riding, feeding, building fences, providing medical attention, and classroom instruction. The youth demonstrate learned skills through a traveling Petting Zoo, a Livestock Show, and the annual Circle of Care Rodeo.
UMBR is located in the rolling, tree-covered hills of east central Oklahoma at the south end of Lake Tenkiller.
THE NEED
Dave Cotten and Kathy Shirley have spent some time visiting with Larry Swafford who works for Circle of Care at the UMBR. Larry has shared that the ranch is rather large covering several hundred acres; however, there are limited maintenance staff to care for the property. Larry says there is always work to do! This work includes:
- Light construction and painting on the two cottages where the boys stay as well as the guest residences and learning center.
- Fence building and maintenance.
- Horse trail building and maintenance.
- Lawn, shrub, and tree maintenance.
- Other general maintenance.
THE TRIP
We will depart the FMUMC parking lot on Thursday afternoon, September 9th, returning Sunday evening, September 12th. We will travel via rented 15-passenger vans. It is not anticipated that we will be taking supplies; however, we will be taking donations in advance. These donations will be used to fund the purchase of any required supplies by UMBR prior to us arriving onsite to work.
It is intended for this trip to be a family mission trip. Depending upon the child, it is anticipated that anyone in the 3rd grade or above should be able to attend and add value.
We will be accommodated on the ranch in separate boys and girls bunk houses. Each bunk house can accommodate up to 20; therefore, we will be able to accommodate 40 people on the trip. Each bunk house has two showers. There is also a common kitchen and dining area for us to prepare and share meals together.
The Location
The UMBR is located near Gore, OK on the shores of Lake Tenkiller. Larry has encouraged us to bring our fishing poles! In addition, there are basketball and volleyball courts for family recreation.
The UMBR is located approximately seven miles from Gore, OK where the closest restaurants are located. The closest Wal-Mart is approximately 30-minutes away.
Other Details
During our first, to-be-announced organizational meeting, we will discuss exact logistics to include anticipated costs, exact departure / arrival times, what to pack, division of responsibilities around meal preparation, fellowship plans, and the like.
SIGN UP NOW!
Please sign up by emailing Dave Cotten. Should you have any questions, please feel free to give Dave a call on his mobile phone at 214 - 914 - 4051 or send him an email.
International Habitat for Humanity – Puerto Lempira, Honduras
Summer 2011 – June 17 to 26, 2011
BACKGROUND
Flower Mound United Methodist Church (FMUMC) will be traveling to Puerto Lempira, Honduras in June 2011 to build homes through International Habitat for Humanity! Please join us!!!
International Habitat for Humanity has been building homes across the globe for many years including Honduras. In Puerto Lempira, Honduras, they have recently aligned themselves with a local ministry entitled Send Hope: www.send-hope.org.
Send Hope is a 501c-3 non-profit organization founded by Dr. Tom Brian in Allen, Texas. Tom is a member of First United Methodist Church (FUMC) Allen. He started Send Hope to help the people on the Moskito Coast of Honduras. Send Hope focuses on four main areas:
- Short term medical, dental, and construction trips
- Providing items such as food, school supplies, and clothing
- Helping children with medical needs in Honduras and the United States
- Helping students achieve their educational goals
The Miskitos are a group of Native Americans in Central America. Their territory extends from Cape Camarón, Honduras, to Rio Grande, Nicaragua along the Mosquito Coast. There is a native Miskito language, but large groups speak Miskito creole English, Spanish, and other languages. The creole English came about through frequent contact with the British. Many are Christians. The name "Miskito" derives from the Miskito language ethnonym Mískitu and is not related to the Spanish word "mosquito," which derives from the word mosca, meaning "fly", also used in Spanish for the insect.
This area is extremely isolated as there are not roads leading to the east coast of Honduras. The only way to travel to Puerto Lempira is by plane or boat. Learn more about Miskito here at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miskito
International Habitat for Humanity will be breaking ground on a new project in Puerto Lempira this fall in conjunction with Send Hope! They hope to build 25 homes this fall and 25 in the spring. We will visit shortly after these initial 50 homes are built. FMUMC will coordinate our trip through Ms. Charis Johnson in the Dallas International Habitat for Humanity office.
A few years back, Tom brought a young girl back to the United States from Puerto Lempira named Chelma. Chelma had two club feet. She was operated on here in the United States and is now a healthy, 13-year old girl. In August of this year, Chelma will be coming to live with Tom and his family for two years. It is quite possible we will be able to have Tom and Chelma come to FMUMC this fall to share firsthand what life is like in Puerto Lempira.
You can learn more about Habitat Honduras at http://www.habitat.org/gv/catalog/lac/honduras_focus.aspx.
THE TRIP
On Friday, June 17, 2011, we will depart from DFW through either Miami or Houston to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. From there, we will board a chartered plane that will stop in La Ceiba on our way to the final destination of Puerto Lempira. Puerto Lempira is located on an island in the middle of a large lake just off the east coast of Honduras. We will return on Sunday, June 26, 2011.
We will be staying at the Send Hope children’s home where they have 16 beds. The children’s home is near the airport. Should the trip grow beyond 16, there are other accommodations available in the town of Puerto Lempira. It should be noted that the children’s home is not air conditioned.
Other Details
Charis recently returned from Puerto Lempira. She has been on several International Habitat for Humanity trips. When she goes, she typically packs a suitcase full of food. She said that she brought back a suitcase full of food from Puerto Lempira as the food there was quite good! The diet mainly consists of tortillas, rice, beans, and fruit.
Houses are built off of the ground to prevent termites. This type of construction also provides shelter for animals underneath the house. The homes are built from mahogany given that the country is rich with this wood, and there are export restrictions. International Habitat for Humanity is working a deal with the government to provide the wood for free and deliver it to the worksites.
The work day will start early in Puerto Lempira…6am! The purpose is to beat the heat of the day. Typically works stops at 11am, and then we will siesta. Work will resume in the late afternoon until dinner time.
Age Restrictions
There are no restrictions on the numbert of children we bring that are ages 13 to 18. If they are younger than 13, they are accepted on a case by case basis. Children will be asked to get a reference form filled out by a teacher from school and will need to fill out an application to be approved that asks simple questions such as:
- Will their parents accompany them on the trip?
- What experience have they had with mission trips?
All this is done to guarantee that the child is mature enough to handle international travel and actively participate in, instead of detract from, the group’s mission experience.
COSTS
It is anticipated that trip costs will range from $1,000 to $1,500 per person not including airfare. Airfare is estimated at $500 per person.
Our goal is to take at least 16 individuals to Puerto Lempira; therefore, total trip costs will likely range from $24,000 to $32,000 including airfare.
FMUMC is currently applying for a scholarship through International Habitat for Humanity to defray the cost of the trip for individuals and FMUMC. Furthermore, we will undertake fundraising campaigns to assist in defraying the cost of the trip. It is our goal to get the trip costs to at or below $500 per person.
During our first, to-be-announced organizational meeting, we will discuss more details including fundraising plans.
SIGN UP NOW!
Please sign up by emailing Dave Cotten . Should you have any questions, please feel free to give Dave a call on his mobile phone at 214 - 914 - 4051 or send him an email.
|