Last night I had a wonderful surprise. Mid-Atlantic Teen Challenge is a powerfully effective program that treats substance abuse in teenage boys. I was invited to their annual banquet and when Beth and I sat down at our table I noticed that the center piece included two photos of Teen Challenge participants with our horses. I looked around at the other tables and noticed that most of the center pieces included such pictures.
It took a while but eventually I noticed large poster sized photos of the boys with the horses or walking through the new land. During the wonderful meal some of the young men in the program came up and talked about their lives and the new life that they have received while living at Teen Challenge. It was a powerful presentation. It was uplifting and inspiring. Most of all it served as a reminder of what is possible and that hands are wasted when only used for wringing or throwing them up over one's head.
It was not just a reminder of what can be done, it was a call reminding us what must be done.
As it appeared that the program was wrapping up the boys were called up front. They stood there in a long line in front of the banquet tables. The executive director of Mid Atlantic Teen Challenge then began to talk about the boys' experiences coming out to the horse lot over the years. Most of all he talked about them learning about trust with the horses. Beth and I were then called up to the front where, to my surprise, our program was honored for its impact on the boys in the program.
I was more than pleased.
What good are these little horses? Why is all of this worth the hard work to preserve them? How much money are they worth? Is there a good market for them?
Our horses help give abundant life. It's hard to convert that to money.
I hope that in future years we will develop a stronger programing partnership with teen challenge. It is often more important to find that one missing sheep than it is to be complacent about the ninety nine that one already has.
It is becoming more evident to me just how valuable these horses are to many who are dealing with very difficult situations. Thank you, Steve, for the vision and hard work that has gone into your horses and the farm.
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