Wednesday, February 21, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
13
Love on a mission for a Sisters couple
By Eileen M. Chambers
Correspondent
“I will never forget what
my kindergarten teacher wrote
on my report card. ‘Rachel
marches to the beat of a differ-
ent drummer.’”
Sitting in Suttle Tea, with
talkative students bustling
around us, Rachel Shultz, the
Similar Ministries Coordinator
at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch,
described how she and her
U.S. Marine officer husband,
Brad, ended up in Central
Oregon.
“Coming from a broken
home, my teacher’s words
only reinforced the awkward-
ness I felt. As a child, I never
knew quite where I fit in.
Now, because of that experi-
ence, I am able to mentor kids
who feel the same way.”
Perhaps Rachel’s kin-
dergarten teacher was onto
something.
People come to Sisters for
many reasons. The outdoors.
Family. To retire. Work. Not
Rachel and Brad. They came
all the way from Missouri to
be a part of an organization
that seeks to show uncon-
ditional love to troubled
children.
“When Crystal Peaks
approached me in 2011 about
joining their staff, it was life-
changing,” Rachel said. “I
was selling insurance at the
time, and Brad was about to
be deployed to Afghanistan
for 15 months. Sure. The
job at CYPR looked like my
dream job but I wasn’t sure if
the time was right to make that
kind of transition into full-
time ministry.
“Brad’s response was with-
out hesitation, ‘Absolutely
you should apply. If it is God’s
plan, it will happen. And, if
you get the job, I will leave
active duty.’ Now, I knew how
much Brad loved being in the
military but, right then and
there, he was willing to give up
what he loved for our shared
dream of helping children in
a meaningful, lasting way.”
Called “The Ranch of
Rescued Dreams,” Crystal
Peaks, located on Innes
Market Road, began in 1995
when Kim Meeder and her
husband, Troy, purchased an
abandoned cinder mine. As
they restored the land, the
Meeders rescued their first
two horses. Soon local chil-
dren began to stop by to help
care for the animals.
Seeing the impact that
the horses were having with
the children, Kim and Troy
decided to make the ranch a
place where children, horses
and families might be loved
and cared for. With a four-
pillar mission of “Rescue the
Equine. Mentor the Child.
Offer Hope for the Family.
Empower the Ministry,”
Crystal Peaks has earned a
world-wide reputation for its
vibrant mentoring program
that welcomes all children,
disadvantaged or not, at no
charge whatsoever.
“Sometimes folks are sur-
prised to learn that, in a com-
munity as beautiful as ours,
we have troubled children,”
Rachel said. “But in this day
and age, what child isn’t at
risk? Many look great on the
outside but are a wreck inside.
Others have been bullied or
abused. Some have no paren-
tal presence at home. Low
self-worth. Anxiety. Lack of
a healthy identity. Then there
are the predators that, sadly,
exist here in Central Oregon.
“We have seen it all and
that’s OK. Helping them is
why Brad and I are here. Along
with the many who make
the ranch possible, including
organizations such as Central
Oregon Partnerships for Youth
and Circle of Friends who
refer children to us, we are
here to be present with every
child, to listen and be a source
of hope.
“Horses are
so great with
kids. They are
naturally curi-
ous, honest
and don’t hide
their emotions.
So, horses are
a great mir-
ror for a child,
especially
PHOTO BY JULIE MILLER
those kids who
have deeply Brad & Rachel Shultz are on mission to help children.
retreated
within themselves or oth- having to say ‘No’ to any child
ers who don’t see how their because they can’t afford it.
aggressive behavior impacts Although, at times, we have
waiting lists, we are usually
those around them.”
After Afghanistan, Brad able to fulfill each request
followed through with his each month. Again, our intent
transition from active duty to is that we might be a consis-
the Marine Corps Reserves in tent positive in the lives of
order to join Rachel at Crystal children who want to come
Peaks in 2013. Session work, here.”
As the Similar Ministries
now overseen by Brad, the
ranch’s program director, is coordinator, Rachel provides
the core of the March-October support to 200 “similar min-
mentorship program in which istries” spread throughout the
a child is paired with a mentor world including managing two
conferences held at the ranch.
for 90 minutes.
“Brad and I love what we
“The distinction with
Crystal Peaks is that we are do. Our lives revolve around
not a riding program per se this big, wonderful purpose of
but, instead, we are a relation- loving on kids in the name of
ship-based program,” Rachel Jesus Christ. It’s the best.”
For more information, visit
said. “Moreover, because we
are completely donor-sup- crystalpeaksyouthranch.org or
ported, I have the joy of never call 541-330-0123.