Bridge Called Hope, Stories of Triumph from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams

by Kim Meeder, Multnomah Publishers, 2006, 256 Pages, ISBN: 1590526554, $13.99

In her new release, Kim Meeder, continues the stories of rescued and abused horses she wrote about in Hope Rising. The horses, when reconditioned by love and medical rehabilitation at Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, are then paired with equally abused and neglected children who visit the ranch—one child, one horse and one volunteer leader at a time. The mysterious bond between horse and child gives each the courage to reach for emotional and physical healing, and equips them to cross the bridge of hope.

Meeder, a product of violent loss because of her parent’s murder-suicide, found hope on the day of their funeral in a merciful God, a little horse, and her first riding experience. That understanding taught her that love is a “bridge that can cross any span of grief. Love builds the bridge…it is we who must choose to cross.” Meeder took her first tentative steps on that bridge, not suspecting where God’s direction would lead, or the leader she would become.

Years later, Kim met and married her husband, Troy, and they purchased an abandoned, nine-acre cinder mine. For two years they renovated the broken property with used stall shavings, manure, and old, discarded trees, to become a perfect fit for a place that would heal children’s broken hearts. Today the youth ranch serves four thousand visitors a year.

Since its inception, the ranch has rescued over three hundred abused and dying horses and today is the permanent home for thirty. Youthful visitor’s eyes brighten with miraculous hope after visiting with their chosen horse. Some children are ill, some dying, others, emotionally ravaged. Meeder writes, “all like shattered shards of stained glass are refitted by the Hand of God.”

When Meeder won the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for Hope Rising, it launched an extensive motivational/public speaking demand and brought worldwide recognition and visitors to the ranch. Crystal Peaks’ services are free, funded by individual financial gifts, grants, and fundraising events. Through it all, Meeders’ simple prayer is, “Lord, let your wisdom fall.”

I would nominate this book of the year if I could. Meeders lyrical writing, paired with intensely emotional true experience stories of children and animals will require at least one, if not two full boxes of tissue.

A Thousand Small Sparrows, Not One Is Forgotten, Amazing stories of Kids Helping Kids

by Jeff Leeland, with Marcus Brotherton, Multnomah, 2007, 256 PAGES, ISBN: 9781590529331, $13.99

I’ve often heard one person can make a difference, yet I’ve never met anyone that did. Neither had teacher Jeff Leeland until seventh-grader, Daemon Sharkey enrolled in his special education class for physically and emotionally disabled kids.

Although Daemon didn’t fit the disability description, he was physically overweight and emotionally malnourished and needed a slower pace. Leeland’s class was perfect, but Leeland had difficulty focusing on teaching. After his family’s recent move across the state for this teaching position, they entered a waiting period for medical insurance.

In the spring of 1991, Leeland’s fourth child Michael was born. That same day he had also accepted a new teaching position at Kamiakin Junior High, near Seattle. He hoped that having settled into a new school, his year’s wait for health insurance would pass quickly. It didn’t. At six-months of age, Michael was diagnosed with a rare form of aggressive leukemia that required an immediate bone marrow transplant from their six-year old daughter Amy. But the procedure cost $200,000—an impossible amount for the struggling family. The insurance company refused to lift their waiting period.

Word passed quickly throughout the school and teachers took up a collection, but it wasn’t enough. A month before school let out Daemon came to Leeland’s office and said, “…if your baby’s in trouble, I’m going to help…” He handed Leeland his life savings—twelve $5 dollar bills.

Leeland took the money and the story to the principal. The principal opened a bank account for Michael with Daemon’s seed money. Students learned about it and their compassion was unleashed. Some cashed in savings bonds, the ninth grade donated their year-end dance fund. One kid, known as a trouble maker, knocked on neighborhood doors and brought in $26.

The Seattle media and television news broadcast the touching story and donations poured in. Even insurance company employees of the company that denied Michael coverage sent donations. One unemployed man sent $10 and an eighty-year-old man sent one dollar. Four weeks after Daemon marched into Leeland’s office the Michael Leeland Fund had accumulated more than $227,000, enough to pay for Michael’s bone marrow transplant and subsequent remission.

But it didn’t end there. The Sparrow Clubs—school clubs who adopt families with children in medical crisis—were born. Eight sections of Sparrow stories are in this volume; Sparrows of Courage, Hope, Inspiration, Selflessness, Direction, Purpose, Triumph and Joy. Each section tells four to six true stories of children in medical crisis. Some have happy endings— others don’t, but they all bring tears, smiles and a contagious affirmation of the human spirit, and the knowledge that God notices our hurts and provides healing and hope to the least of these.