Life on the Ranch
A Living in community with others is one of the most wonderful and challenging experiences we have ever walked through. Barry and I both have spent 1-3 weeks, at different times in our marriage, living in community prior to our YWHAM experience, but never as a family and never for this long. Only a couple of weeks in and we have grown and been stretched in such profound ways.
As you may or may not know, Barry and I chose to quit or jobs and travel for 1-2 years as a family. As we were planning and praying we got the idea to do a YWHAM family DTS. After researching family DTS’s all over the world we came across Rancho Abierto, located in the beautiful Baja pennisula of Mexico. The ranch is situated on roughly 500 acres the hills just outside of Ensenada. The long washed out dirt road provides it’s own sense of adventure as you leave the bustling city behind to find yourself living out the homesteaders dream.
The ranch is almost entirely self sustaining. Solar panels and a back up generator provide our electricity, propane tanks provide a way to cook and water is pumped down from a well on the mountain that is then put through a multi-stage filtration system. The power goes out frequently and along with it, access to our internet via Star Link. We have learned to take quick showers, cook and prepare meals en mass and do without the everyday comforts of home. Four flush toilets were installed prior to the school and it feels like an absolute luxury to not have to use an outhouse all the time. We are given many opportunities to practice gratitude.
The staff have done an incredible job of creating a welcoming atmosphere and from the moment we arrived we felt like we were home. Each family was allotted their own uniquely decorated cabin. From bedding to pictures on the wall, a place had been prepared for each and every one of us. In addition, many of us came with pictures and twinkle lights to decorate the cabin to help give it a more personal touch. The cabins are roughly 12′ x 12′ and boast a loft that can sleep 2-3 people. Our home has a small addition, just enough to fit a bunk bed into. Needless to say, there is no running water or toilet and we have adjusted to “camp living” and making the extra effort to leave the cabin.
Though we do not have running water in our cabins, there are flush toilets and hot showers close by. This was an added surprise for us and we thought we would just be using outhouses the entire time. In one sense it feels like camping or family camp and in another it feels like we have all moved into the same neighborhood with our tiny homes. Our feet are dirty every day and the battle with dust filling every nook and cranny of the cabin rages on. But there is a sweet rhythm and sense of contentment that has been established. I take great joy in sweeping out the cabin every day and mopping my floors has become a luxury. Perspective and gratitude are key in everyday life but even more so in community living on a ranch.
There are over 50 kids here, ages ranging from 10 months to 17 years old. The kids wander in gaggles and sometimes alone seeking to find adventure wherever they go.Every day I see kids of all ages caked with dirt and dust laughing and playing. The words “free range kids” comes to mind and it makes me smile. Isn’t this the optime of childhood. To run free, discover and play in an atmosphere of nature where their creativity and imaginations can come alive!
Many of us are having are kids stay current with some form of learning. Our kids are using curriculum from The Good and the Beautiful and have a math and language arts lesson they complete everyday. Other than that we feel they are constantly learning here on the ranch and don’t feel the need to add anything more to their plate. They are currently getting the best education we could ever hope for.
From Monday to Friday we will all be in classes or activities of various kinds. On some mornings we come together as families from 8-9am and other mornings the adults and the kids gather seperately. From 9-12 everyday the adults sit in lecture while the kids will be in the Foundations School where they are learning similar principles. The topics are broken into weekly segments from The Gospel and Hearing God’s Voice to Identity and Marriage. Each week promises to bring a deeper revelation and opportunity for healing and growth. Something I eagerly await!
Every afternoon has a class on different topics followed by 1.5 hours of work duty. Work duties help to keep the base running and range from cleaning bathrooms and meal prep to maintenance and construction repairs. As only one parent needs to commit to work duty, we have decided that Barry would take that on while I would stay back to homeschool the children.
Dinner happens every day around 5:30, if everything is on time, and the evenings are generally free except for Wednesday which is our base-wide campfire night. Needless to say, the schedule IS full and that is where grace kicks in!
We realize that friendships and rhythms don’t happen overnight and so we surrender to time. It takes time for a community to develop and it will also take us to keep our hearts open while going through the various transitions. It’s a lot to not only quit your job but to uproot your entire family and begin a great adventure where you have no real plan. But it also sounds exciting and it also sounds like God!
With only a couple of weeks behind us, we look forward to all that God has for us, in our marriage, parenting and most importantly, our relationship with Him.
How truly wonderful and delightful it is to see brothers and sisters living together in sweet unity!
Ps 133:1