Chapter 7 - BENNY LEE (Excerpt from "Feed My Lambs", the Joy Ranch story) By Mary McHenry To the beginnings of Joy Ranch belongs the story of Benny Lee (not his real name), a boy who lived through 161 visiting Sundays at the home with no visitor he could really call...
Exodus Cottage News
After twelve years of serving as houseparents at Joy Ranch, Gene & Bethany Collins are resigning from our Exodus girls' cottage. Bethany is currently dealing with some health challenges which requires them to step away from the Joy Ranch ministry. Please pray for...
Leebrick Cottage – Words from New Houseparents
(Originally posted August 9, 2025 by Ashley Arnold) Today, our cottage doors officially opened! Houseparents… Such a simple word, but one that carries a weight only Heaven truly understands! When you open the door to a cottage like this, you’re not just stepping into...
Oh Boy! News About Our Boys…
We are happy to announce that we have a houseparent family for our boys cottage! Leebrick cottage is re-opening this weekend after months of prayer for the right houseparents to fill the role. Not only are we gaining new houseparents, but they have three sons of their...
Building By Faith
[Photo: Resident Jaxson helps in a building project] By: Erin Austin "I do not know why people call a project undertaken by faith a venture of faith. That is exactly what it is not. Webster defines a venture as an undertaking involving chance, risk, or danger. Faith...
A Small Beginning
by Erin Austin I've often said that Joy Ranch is a unicorn among children's homes. For multiple reasons, Joy Ranch doesn't fit into a mold. One of these is in the area of finances. From the beginning, the McHenrys vowed to trust God for all of their needs. "We were...
A Homeless Boy
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...
Footsteps
I’ve always been fascinated by people’s stories. How did they get to this point in life? What happened in their past? Who helped mold and shape them into the person they are today? What is their story?
The Teacher is the Student
Learning is a beautiful blessing, isn’t it? Even as a 42-year-old homeschooling mom of three boys, there are still so many things to learn in life. Each day, I start my morning reading from the best book that was ever written, the Holy Bible. The Word teaches me so...
Homeschool Fundraising Goal Met!
If you missed the opportunity to give for homeschool, you can still help by purchasing school supplies from our Amazon list! Simply click here to view the list and you can ship the items straight to us! Thank you again for your support of our kids as we transition to...

