Transforming Refuge Ranch Project

Well, this is the official announcement of the launching of the Project: Transforming Refuge Ranch. This project consists of raising the $20,000.00 in funding needed to bring 220 power to Refuge Ranch!

This is the official announcement of the END of the Transforming Refuge Ranch Project because God has provided all the funds - all $20,000!

Wow!

Praise God!

He is amazing and His people are too!

Here's the story: When we moved to Refuge Ranch seven years ago it was no more than an overgrown hillside. We cleared the land and the Lord provided for the building of our one-story home. At that point, in order to have electricity, Victor built our own wooden electrical poles leading from our house and up the hill about a 1/4 of a mile to our closest neighbor's house. The neighbor kindly allowed us to tap into his electricity and we would pay a portion of his bill each month. However, since the transformer was about a 1/4 of a mile from the neighbor's house, then he and his two sons' homes pulled electricity before the wires traveled another 1/4 of a mile to our house - by the time the electricity got to our house there was nearly no electricity to speak of. We could not read after dark and we would run the washing machine off of a gas generator.

Then, several years later we were able to get an actual contract with the electric company and have our own meter and electrical connection. However, the meter is now about a 1/4 of a mile down the hill and our electrical service is still very weak and undependable. We have three buildings running off this connection: Cirino's house, our two-story house and the main house, which includes the Marshall's apartment, the school, the dining room/warehouse and staff quarters. This means that the Marshalls do not have a refrigerator, their computer shuts down numerous times throughout the day, if the milk pasteurizer is running then nothing else electrical works, the washing machine cannot spin at full speed due to the lack of electricity, etc., etc., etc., - you get the idea!

Finally, this past year we were able to contact a Mexican contractor and begin the process of getting an estimate of the cost of purchasing our own private transformer and bringing 220 power up to Refuge Ranch. In the meantime, several individuals began donating towards the unannounced project and Ashleigh Weis organized the Refuge Ranch Cookbook fundraiser. We had not officially launched the 'Transforming Refuge Ranch" project to raise the funds, as we were waiting for the final estimate for the project and also wanted to assure that the proper permits were in place before we began promoting the project.

However, the Lord had other plans in mind! Within two weeks time, we received the final estimate, the permits were secured and the work team from Upper Deer Creek Church, who will arrive at Refuge Ranch on January 31st, expressed their passion and willingness to do all the on-site electrical preparations needed in order to hook into the new 220 system. We were so grateful for how the project was progressing, but were still in need of a little over $15,000 in order to complete the project. We did not even have the chance to officially launch the fund raising campaign, when we received a phone call from a donor who committed to providing the $15,000! How do you respond to something like that?! Thank you just does not seem like enough! When I asked to whom I should give the credit, the donor's response was: "Give God the credit!"

So, thank you, Lord Jesus, for your undeserved faithfulness and generosity! May our lives bring you honor and glory!

The goal is for the transformer, new wiring and electrical posts to be installed before or while the Upper Deer Creek work team is here from January 31 to February 6 so that they can have the honor and joy of "flipping the switch" and giving Refuge Ranch the electrical power that we need so that, with God's power, we can continue to transform lives!

We appreciate your prayers throughout this month that the Mexican contractor can get his part of the work done and ready for the Upper Deer Creek team's arrival on January 31st!

To God be the Glory!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21