The Potter’s Ranch

from seedling beginnings

It’s been over 30 years ago that the Lord first planted the vision in our hearts. A vision of one day having a ranch where hurting children can find restoration and love. In 2008, the Lord made a way for the purchase of 108 acres of beautiful ranch land, located about midway between the towns of Arriaga and Cintalapa. Since then we have built two homes for what will be a 20-home village for orphans and their caregivers.

The vision to build a children’s village is underway as construction continues at Rancho del Alfarero (“the Potter’s Ranch”). The 188 acre self-sustaining facility will provide food, medical care, education, refuge, and family for at least 200 orphaned and abandoned children. Twenty small homes will be built, each to be home for a family unit of up to ten children with loving house parents.

growth and progress

We are pushing towards the goal of making the ranch self sustaining. We currently have over 30 milk cows, 200 laying hens, sheep, milk goats, rabbits, and over 1,000 fruit trees. So very exciting. We just recently sealed a deal to add 33 hectares more to the ranch, that would give us a total of 188 acres.

The family continues to grow.

Short term teams have been a great blessing in many ways. Folks who are willing to sacrifice precious free time and finances to come and help us advance the Kingdom of God in Chiapas. Heavy lifting and landscaping teams have made a tremendous impact towards progress. Learn more about short term missions.

the ranch vision

Our aim is to have a fully functioning ranch and children’s village established for up to 200 orphaned and abandoned children. Engineers from EMI (Engineering Missions International) spent two weeks surveying, and making architectural plans for the village. The aim is to have twenty small homes, housing up to ten children in each home with house parents. A school and vocational training facilities are in the plans as well.

the miracle of the base

As the Ranch construction continued and the substance of our faith became a tangible reality, our family also continued to grow. We’ve made great leaps of accomplishment in infrastructure, establishing livestock and orchards, and constructing the bunk house and a couple of the children’s homes. However the finances were not there to complete enough construction for our large family to move to the ranch. With practical issues like schooling and providing separate living quarters for the boys and girls, the family move to the Ranch seemed to be years away.

When suddenly, God.

What looked like would take years to accomplish happened within weeks.

By the favor of the Lord and the generosity of His Kingdom-minded children, we were given a twelve acre property that provided the facilities our family needed. This property, what we now call “the Base,” is located just ten miles from the Ranch! The Base is equipped with five houses, a church, two sets of dormitories (sleeps 100), and a two story clinic building with dental facilities.

We encountered some trials in the process, but remained victorious, and soon the children’s school was moved to the Base, along with the girls, little boys, and our handicapped children. The older boys were able to move to the ranch and are driven daily to the Base for school. In the afternoons, they are returned to the Ranch to help Bill with the animals and projects.

As construction continues at the Ranch, we are now closer to the fulfillment of the vision than ever before. It is amazing to see God accomplish the impossible that He planted in our hearts years ago. Through Him we can truly do all things.