HPM Survival Skills 2020 “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome”
(Bear Grylls)
Thank you for your generosity and team effort to Champion for the hurting and vulnerable children that Hitching Post Ministries serves. You’re donations have Impacted lives for the Kingdom of God. Your support makes a way for HPM to mentor the Child and provide hope for families that have been affected by trauma. Together, we are empowering community, building bridges between weak and strong. We were never meant to “do life” alone. You are making a way for these kids to feel at home at HPM.
January - August 2020 Update
The Kids:
5 Mentors • 27 Kids • 114 Sessions Sessions are 90 minutes long, mentor engages with the child to build trust, boundaries, leadership and communication. Our goal is to build a positive relationship with the child, and provide a safe place for hope and healing. Story from a session: I should have known better than to introduce something new to a horse with a kid present. It takes time to make a horse trust a new object in their environment. I had brought out a pool noodle with Oreo as he was tied to the Hitching Post. He FREAKED OUT! I quickly put the pool noodle away. My thought was for the young boy to use it as a sword or balance as he rode bareback. The next day, another session kid came to the ranch after a really hard weekend. It had just been Father’s Day. And the fact is, Dad’s not in her life, and it flat out hurts. Here at HPM we rely on the Holy Spirit’s guiding to give us words of encouragement, direction and action. I simply prayed “Jesus, be alive to her!” I asked her if she’d help me with Oreo to trust us with the pool noodles. I first had her walk with Oreo around the arena, and to talk openly and honestly about how she was feeling. Horses can sense if you are being truthful. Oreo finally blew out and lowered his head, which is a sign of surrender and acceptance. I then had the session kid come back over to me and take 5 pool noodles and lay them all over the arena. I held one in my lap, and we started the slow game of introducing the pool noodle. I reached toward Oreo & he reached towards me and then quickly pulled away, but interestingly pulled into the session kid to rescue him each time. We continued this game 4 or 5 more times each lingering a little longer, and each time he felt comfort with our session kid. She then turned to walk Oreo over one of the pool noodles. He side swiped and made his way around without touching it. The Session Kid encouraged him and tried again. The strength he felt coming from her reassuring him that together, they could do anything overwhelms me as I type. Oreo with our fearless young session kid overcame fear. Together they walked over each pool noodle, she helped him replace the negative memory of fear with trust. As we sat and pondered what just happened, I reminded her that Jesus actually loves her so deeply that he wants her to run to him each time she’s afraid. That he is safe and trustworthy and together with HIM she can overcome any fear.
Financial Update:
HPM budget for 2020 = $60,000 (need $5,000 a month)
28 Monthly Recurring Donors = $2,316 a month
126 one time givers
100% volunteer based
We were able to have a Fundraiser in July - HPM’s 2nd Birthday. Your gifts allowed us to be on budget for year and we were able to purchase a used Ranch Truck to use in case of emergency to pull the horse trailer.
Ranch Activities
Serve Days every Saturday from 9 am - 1 pm
Retreats Available to small groups
Special Events
HPM is open 9 months out of the year. Seasonally Closed November 22, 2020 - February 15, 2021. We are open for Sessions Wednesday - Saturdays.
HPM Needs
• Ranch Hands (people to serve daily with chores). This helps keep the ranch working for families were serving. • Office Help • Mentors - Interested in becoming a Mentor? Training Available • Tree Trimmer - If you’d like to donate towards saving our trees - Contact Erica
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