Four Rivers Ranch: A Place of Wholeness and Healing
Eden Wholeness in a Broken World
In the Garden of Eden, four rivers flowed out to water the earth; a picture of abundance, beauty, and complete wholeness. Our dream for Four Rivers Ranch is to become a modern-day reflection of that wholeness. A Christ-centered refuge where families facing chronic pain and illness can experience rest, hope, and healing in Jesus. It will be a ministry of presence, compassion, and discipleship. Visitors will find a space where the weary can breathe again, encounter God’s love, and rediscover that He still has a future for them.
My Story: From Despair to Hope with a Horse Named Little John
In the second year of my journey with Lyme Disease, I was physically, emotionally, spiritually exhausted. We were paying over $2,000 a month in medications, and I could not see past the daily fight to survive. The idea of adding any more cost to our lives felt impossible.
Then the phone rang. The caller asked, “Do you want a horse?”
Everything in me wanted to say yes, but it didn’t make sense. How could we afford it? How could I care for a horse when I could barely care for myself?
Then came the next words:
“He’s free. And we have a free place where you can keep him.”
Before I ever met him, I was still in a place of deep despair. I couldn’t imagine life beyond Lyme Disease. But the moment I first saw Little John, something shifted. For the first time in a long time, I could envision myself doing something simple and life-giving, brushing him, being near him, breathing in the smell of hay and horse and open air. I accepted this precious gift.
In that moment, the Lord allowed me to see past my brokenness to what was possible through this horse. As I began a slow journey of healing, my time with Little John became a place of refuge and hope. The anxiety that gripped my heart started to loosen its hold as I spent quiet moments with him. I sensed the Lord inviting me to dream again, inviting me to believe that He still had good plans for my life.
Soon, I didn’t want to keep this to myself. I wanted to share my horse with others so they, too, could experience a taste of new hope. That simple desire, to let others meet Little John and feel that same spark of life, has grown into the larger vision for Four Rivers Ranch.
The Ranch: A Three-Phase Vision
Phase One: Laying the Foundation
Continuing Ministry While Preparing the Land
Phase One is about faithfulness in the present and preparation for the future. As we keep gathering as a missional community and digging deep into Scripture through our Monday Bible study, we are also actively praying and working toward acquiring the land the ranch will call home.
Our Phase One vision includes:
- 20+ acres of land in beautiful Montana
- On-site living space for those serving on the ranch
- An outdoor arena for safe, intentional interaction with horses
- Horse shelters to care well for the animals in all seasons
- A barn that will later be transformed into a worship and ministry center
While we continue to pour into people through our missional community and Bible study, we’re asking the Lord to provide this specific kind of property; land that will become a place of rest, healing, and discipleship for families facing chronic illness.
Once this land and infrastructure are in place, Phase One will also include what is at the heart of the ranch: welcoming families and individuals to experience healing encounters with horses and with Jesus.
Phase One Ministry on the Ranch (Once Established)
- Gentle, supervised interactions with horses for children and adults affected by chronic illness
- Quiet spaces for reflection, prayer, and worship
- Opportunities for families to relax, slow down, and be together without pressure
- A ministry of listening, encouragement, and Christ-centered hope
We are offering presence. The presence of loving people, of God’s creation, and most importantly, of Jesus Himself.
Phase Two: Worship Center and Guest Cabins
A Barn Turned Sanctuary and a Place for Families to Stay
In Phase Two, we envision a barn transformed into a dedicated worship and ministry center; a place where we can gather for services, pray teach, and have times of refreshing in God’s presence right in the heart of the ranch.
Phase Two includes:
- Renovating the barn into a warm, functional worship center with a living room feel. Couches not pews.
- Adding a couple of guest cabins designed specifically for families impacted by chronic illness
- Welcoming these families to vacation for a week in Montana at no cost
On the ranch, these families will:
- Rest in a peaceful, Christ-centered environment
- Spend unhurried time with horses and nature
- Receive prayer, encouragement, and pastoral care as needed
- Be invited into deeper discipleship and a renewed walk with Jesus
Imagine a family who has been fighting illness for years. Their lives are full of appointments, bills, treatments, exhaustion. Stepping into a quiet place where they are welcomed, cared for, and reminded that God sees them. That is the heart of Phase Two.
Phase Three: Year-Round Ministry Expansion
Heated Arena and Additional Cabins
Phase Three is about making the ranch a place of ministry in every season and expanding our capacity to serve more families.
We envision:
- A heated indoor arena so that horse ministry and gatherings can continue year-round, regardless of Montana winters
- More guest cabins to host additional families walking through chronic illness
- Expanded programs and retreats focused on healing, discipleship, and rest in Christ
With these additions, Four Rivers Ranch can welcome more people, in more seasons, for more intentional times of ministry, always with Jesus at the center.
Jesus At The Center
Living Out the Great Commission
This ranch is about healing and discipleship. Everything we do must be Jesus-centered and disciple-making. Our commitment is to live out the Great Commission,“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:19–20
Partner With Us
You Can Help Bring the Ranch to Life
This vision is bigger than us. It will take prayer, resources, land, horses, cabins, and a team of people who share this heart. If the story of Four Rivers Ranch stirs something in you, we invite you to partner with us.
Your partnership can help:
- Acquire and develop the land needed for the ranch
- Provide and care for horses that minister hope to weary hearts
- Renovate the barn into a worship center
- Build cabins and expand our capacity to host families
- Support ongoing discipleship, pastoral care, and ministry operations
Ways to Get Involved
- Pray: Ask the Lord to guide, provide, and protect every step of this journey.
- Give: Help lay the foundation for each phase through one-time or monthly financial gifts.
- Share: Tell others about Four Rivers Ministries and the ranch vision.
- Serve (as we grow): Offer your time, skills, or resources—especially if you have experience with horses, counseling, construction, or hospitality.
We are a 501(c)3 EIN 393813411