“Feed My Lambs, the Joy Ranch Story” was written by Mary Z. McHenry and published by Joy Ranch in 1986. It’s the story of how Joy Ranch came to be, written by the wife of Richard McHenry, who helped found our Christian Home for Children in 1961. Now, Erin Austin, Case Manager, is writing new stories for each chapter of the book to update what Mary wrote all those years ago – just in time for our 65th anniversary in 2026!
Please enjoy these blogs and share them with family and friends.
Chapter 9 – God Will Supply
by Erin Austin "Caring for 22 children was no small matter to us. The home was not underwritten in any way; no money at all was promised. But we stood solidly upon God's promise: 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be...
Chapter 8 – Faith Bricks
By Erin Austin A great many things that happen at Joy Ranch originate from what I call a God idea - an idea so grand that only God can bring it to fulfillment. Yet this has been a recurring theme at Joy Ranch from the very beginning. Often, projects are done in...
Chapter 7 – Benny Lee
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...
Chapter 6 – The Children’s Prayers
By Erin Austin As a case manager, I'm usually the first person a child has contact with at Joy Ranch. While it is a privilege, there's also a gravity in this that I don't take lightly. Most children who come to Joy Ranch don't know about God, and if they do, it's not...
Chapter 5 – The Children
The Children By Erin Austin This year marks the 15th year I've worked in a children's home. The stories I could tell about what these children have endured would make you shudder. It's unfathomable to me the atrocities these kids have endured, and yet we expect them...
Chapter 4 – 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...
Chapter 3 – 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...
Chapter 2 – 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...
Chapter 1 – 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?