Blog by Erin Austin

Working with traumatized, abused children is one of the hardest things a person can do. It is heartbreaking, exhausting, and at times, intense. It is not easy. The things we hear and see are mind-boggling. A well-meaning person once told me after I had a particularly hard conversation with a child who was sharing her story say that I must be used to it. My response was, “That’s not possible, and if I ever get used to it, then it’s time to step away.” Evil is very real, and while it touches everyone, I believe Satan’s biggest target is children, because if he can hurt them when they’re young, they’re more likely to never be of use to God’s kingdom.

The McHenrys saw this long before they ever opened the doors of Joy Ranch. The couple ran a children’s summer Bible camp and were asked if they would be willing to allow a boy who was homeless, undisciplined, and hard to manage come to the camp. Their immediate response was, “Why not? What a glorious privilege!”

From this encounter with a homeless child, Joy Ranch was born. But it wasn’t without its struggles. Mary McHenry writes in her book Feed My Lambs that “few Bible Christians understood the opportunities that existed in work among needy children.” Many saw what the McHenrys were doing as social work and not worth their time, effort, or money. “True, there was the social aspect involved: Basic physical needs must be supplied. Many more areas would cost money other than the saving of their souls. But as Amy Carmichael said, in discussing the same problem in India, ‘Unfortunately, each soul is very permanently attached to a body.’ And we loved the whole child – body, soul, and spirit.”

Richard and Mary McHenry, founders of Joy Ranch, at their retirement.

Unfortunately, this attitude among believers is still very prevalent today. While many now recognize the need and their heartstrings are tugged, very few see the need to do anything to help because that’s social work and the government’s job. Somewhere down the line, the Church forgot that Jesus called us to be His hands and feet to a lost and dying world.

I recently had a conversation with a social worker who was explaining to me just how little they’re allowed to help abused children anymore and how the foster system is dying. I asked her, “Where do we go from here?” and her answer stayed with me months later.

A young resident admiring a beloved pet.

The American church, for the most part, has become lazy. We relied on the government to do what God has called us to do. We let them take care of the orphans, widows, lost, and hurting, and somewhere along the way we forgot that Jesus called us to be His hands and feet. The answer isn’t for new government programs. It’s that the Church starts doing what the Church is supposed to do….to minister, love, speak truth, give grace, and be the hands and feet of Christ to a lost and dying world.

People are hurting and they’re desperate for hope. Richard and Mary McHenry understood this truth 70 years ago. They chose to get out of their comfort zones and lived intentionally. Joy Ranch has continued their legacy by loving the hurting, abused, and often, unwanted children who have been failed along the way. Does every child heal and choose a different path? Unfortunately, no. God gives each person a choice and so must we. But there are so many children who grow, heal, and start to move past the horrors that were thrown at them. What an honor it is to walk alongside these precious children and show them that they are worthy of love, and even better, there is a God who hasn’t forgotten or abandoned them. Why not, indeed!

Click here to download and read Chapter Two of “Feed My Lambs” referenced in this blog.

Read the whole series of blogs here.