Residential Program
Seth and Megan Doran, Christopher House Houseparents
Seth and Megan Doran came to the Ranch in April of 2011 from Illinois. Upon graduation from Olivet Nazarene University, Seth began work at a child welfare agency, while Megan substitute taught. After Seth's hours were cut at the agency, a co-worker and former mentor of WVR told him about Wears Valley Ranch. They contacted the Ranch and about two months later, by God's sovereign hand, they're here! Their zeal for the Lord and committment to seeking His ways are evident. We are so glad God has brought them here.
In our [time] here we have already learned many things we will use if the Lord blesses us with biological children one day. Many churches now water down the Gospel, and there is not a lot of focus on reverence for God. This is something we will make sure our children are aware of. [We will] constantly surround them and fill them with Scripture, God's Holy Word.
Scott and Rebecca Braun, Laurel Ridge Houseparents
The Brauns moved to the Ranch in May 2010 from Tucson, Arizona. They have a deep love for Christ and a warm heart towards others -- and it shows! Scott has worked with people in a variety of contexts - paint contracting, sales, and security. Rebecca has faithfully served the same company for over twenty years in several capacities -- customer service, human resources, and risk management.
Outside of their careers, the Brauns have been involved in local mission work, including outreach in Sonora, Mexico and in a local nursing home. Their genuine warmth and their desire to serve Christ by loving others is evident from the first time someone meets them. Their precious daughter, Chyna, is another evidence of their deep love for children and their calling to serve Christ.
We love sharing God's creation and his endless love for his children (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). Scott's gift of communication and Bible teaching is his passion. Reaching the lost and hurting has always been our desire.
The Brauns were introduced to us by a dear couple who had recently become enthusiastic supporters of the Ranch. We thank God for bringing us together, and we pray His blessing on the Brauns' ministry to the girls at Laurel Ridge.
Corey and Lauren Reeves, Oak Rise Houseparents
Corey and Lauren Reeves
John and Kaylyn Petzel, Pleasant Hill Houseparents
John and Kaylyn Petzel came to the Ranch from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. They first met as teenagers while attending the same local church and have been married now for over 22 years. Before coming to the Ranch, John taught high school history classes at a Christian school, while Kaylyn served at a local hospital. For most of their married life, John and Kaylyn had been traveling to the Smoky Mountains every year to celebrate their anniversary. After such a trip in 2010, God sovereignly led them to "stumble" upon the Ranch via the internet, and they strongly sensed God's call to serve as houseparents. We rejoice that almost a year later, in the Lord's perfect timing, the Petzels are here to lovingly guide and care for the girls of Pleasant Hill.
As houseparents, our passion is caring for the girls and helping them with their academic subjects, as well as the Bible memorization and life skills the Ranch emphasizes. Mostly, we love talking and spending time with the girls in our house and watching them grow in their relationships with Christ and each other.
Mentors
Julie Keyser
Julie first learned of the Ranch while researching child abuse for a high school English project. Two years after reading and writing about the ministry of Wears Valley Ranch, the Lord brought her here as a summer mentor to work with the children first-hand. Now that Julie has completed her college studies, she is thrilled to be back, along with her fiance David, to share the love of Christ in a family setting where the Gospel is made believable.
I'm so excited to be at the Ranch with the kids, and honestly the thing I am most passionate about is showing them everyday life in a family setting which honors God. That is something foreign to many of them, and I'm excited to let them experience life in a Christ-centered way!
Kyndall Blake
Raised in nearby Chattanooga, Kyndall first came to the Ranch as a Camp Arrowwood camper in 2000. She continued as a counselor once her camping years were over and has been serving in this capacity for the past four summers. Kyndall received a degree in English Writing, with minors in Literature and Religion, from Lee University. She is excited about sharing her love of literature, writing, sports, and, above all else, Christ with the students here.
I have a passion for relational ministry. I want to be a part of leading teenagers into a closer walk with Jesus, demonstrating that the Christian life is by no means mundane or static, but abundantly rich and full of hope.
Erica Schiller
Anna Murray
After attending the University of Georgia and receiving her degree in English, Anna traveled north to work at a guest ranch in Colorado. While there, a co-worker, and former Camp Arrowwood staff member, shared with Anna about the ministry of WVR. Anna's desire while here at the Ranch is to point the students in her care towards God and show them what He is capable of doing in their lives.
God is using the experience at the Ranch to help me understand how to lead people towards Him, rest more fully in His strength, work in community, and pray continually.
Kate Thacker
Kate grew up in North Carolina, graduated from Montreat College with a degree in Human Services, and spent several years coaching high school girls' soccer and basketball. She heard of the Ranch indirectly through college friends who met and spoke with founder Jim Wood at a Montreat alumni dinner.
The time I have spent at the Ranch has been overwhelming in a good way. It has shaped the outlook that I have on life and what true ministry is, and it has opened my eyes to some exciting and new desires the Lord has placed upon my heart. I am very excited about the work God is doing here on the Ranch, in the boys' and girls' lives, and in the staff here.
Miriam Bundick
Originally from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Miriam received a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and a Master's in Human Services from Liberty University. During this time, Miriam spent several summers working with a camp in Pennsylvania for children from the inner city of New York. Through her experience there, the Lord placed a passion in Miriam's heart for working with youth from difficult situations.
I am passionate about encouraing students to ask questions, develop their own relationship with God, play and imagine, laugh, and be goofy. [...] I believe that God is using my time at the Ranch to mold me into the person that He wants me to be. I do not think anything teaches responsibility, patience, and maturity better than being an example to five girls that you spend your life with! Working at the Ranch has also provided me with a more realistic view of what full time ministry is like.
David Zimmerman
David was introduced to WVR by his fiance Julie who previously worked at the Ranch as a summer mentor. When Julie decided to return this fall, David prayed about applying, and the Lord responded with an open door. Born in Costa Rica and raised in Bolivia, David has a great love for people of all nations. He hopes to share this love with the students here.
My hope and prayer is that they come to know Christ and see how He is at work here, but also throughout the world.
Chris Recio
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Chris attended Grove City College, where he completed a bachelor's degree in Christian Thought. While in Grove City, his desire to minister to youth in a relational setting led him to work with various youth organizations in the area. The Lord refined this desire over time, leading Chris to seek to minister in an environment that cultivated community not only for the child, but also for himself. From several friends who had previously mentored at Wears Valley Ranch, he knew WVR was that place.
I am excited for the opportunity to mentor the children here and to pursue their well-being spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. My time at the Ranch has been a blessing [...], but I know the Lord is discipling my heart as much as the students that are here.
Matthew Jackson
Matt came to the Ranch from Columbus, Ohio. He was part of the United States Marine Corps, provided care for the mentally and physically disabled, and supervised a security unit before coming to the Ranch. God called Matt to WVR while on a mission trip in South Africa with World Orphans where he met current and former staff of Wears Valley Ranch.
In my short time at WVR God has really given me a new perspective on my life and future. He hasn't made everything clear just yet, but I know as long as I'm willing to listen He will make all things clear.
"What happens after we die is forever. Planning for the next thirty or forty years... good idea. Planning for eternity... ESSENTIAL!" -Jim Wood
Grace Ruegsegger
While pursuing degrees in Psychology and Addictions Counseling at Indiana Wesleyan University, Grace interned with an intensive court-mandated therapy program for those guilty of substance related crimes. Through these experiences, Grace quickly realized that Christ alone can heal and offer true hope for the future. She decided to search for Christian residential programs and found Wears Valley Ranch.
The lessons I am learning here at the Ranch are invaluable. From theology to financial responsibility, I am being challenged to submit to God in all things. In addition, I am able to watch my co-workers and houseparents consistently pour the love of Christ onto the children they serve-- not of their own strength, but through the Holy Spirit. [...] They have shown me that love is more than a feeling. It is a gift from God that is demonstrated through action and accountability to His Word.
Jacqueline Grafton
God originally brought Jackie to Wears Valley Ranch at the age of six as the Ranch's first female student. After graduating in 2006, Jackie attended Maryville College here in east Tennessee, receiving a degree in Secondary Education with a focus in English and Spanish. She is grateful and excited that God has led her back to the Ranch to serve, and so are we!
I am blessed with the unique opportunity to share my experience with the current students. Having grown up at the Ranch, I can appreciate their situation with a perspective of someone having faced the same situation. I am so blessed to have benefited from the ministry of the Ranch that I cannot think of any better reward than getting to serve the place that served me so much.
