A letter from our founder
Dear Friend,
It is my honor to partner with God and our community in developing an equine therapy ranch to provide healing, safety, and connection for survivors of sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. Welcome and thank you for taking the time to stop by and learn a little more about us!
It is no secret that developing a mustang horse ranch for therapy from the ground up is an audacious goal. But that is part of what's great about The Wild Hope Equine Center for Healing! You see, we live in a world where we're constantly told we're not good enough. And our dreams suffer because of it. The Wild Hope has a unique opportunity to make dreams a reality! And we invite you to join us!!
I used to believe the lies I was told about who I was; not smart
enough, not good enough, not qualified, too thin, too fat, too sick, not Godly enough, I'm a leach and a burden, I don't deserve good things, etc.
Ironically, the very trauma I experienced in my own life is what's led me to believe WE CAN DO ANYTHING if we just never give up. I know this because I came from a very dark, desperate, and hopeless place to a life of wonder and thriving in all God intended for me to be. It didn't happen overnight. But IT HAPPENED. Now I'm able to share with others real hope that is not fake or void. That doesn't mean life is perfect. But is sure is full of meaning and purpose!
It takes a wild, fearless, and persistent hope to overcome the horrors of our world. But we were made to be overcomers and RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE, no matter what you've been through.
I can say this with confidence because God and a few close friends held onto hope for me for a very long time. I believed hope was a trick; a sick joke God was playing on me. I would long for something better just to be let down and crushed with disappointment. But I was viewing hope through the lens of my trauma and pain, not it's true source. We all have access to this same wild hope for ourselves and for others if we are humbly willing to accept and receive it and the responsibility it carries. Having hope for the hopeless is no easy task. But it is more rewarding than anything else in this life. I'm now thriving with an unspeakable joy and peace. It wasn't always that way, however.
But No More
!
The Wild Hope was created to hold onto hope for others until they are able to grab ahold of hope for themselves
.
Others had wild hope for me
... when my ravished body was dying from battling eating disorders for more than 2 decades.
... when I would dissociate and forget where I was or how I got places.
... when I tried to kill myself, over and over and over again.
... through multiple psychiatric hospital stays.
... when I was homeless.
... when I pushed them all away and so desperately wanted to be alone and die.
... through major depression, anxiety attacks, self-harm behaviors, fits of rage, nightmares, and flashbacks.
... through gallons and gallons of tears and heartbreak.
And then, somehow, one day, I began grabbing ahold of hope for myself.
I cannot honestly say I remember that moment. I think it was kind of like a hot potato. I'd grab ahold of it just to toss it back because I was too frightened of being burned. But slowly I recognized that the potato was there to nourish me, not hurt me. Now I have my own garden full of potatoes that I get to share with you! (I hadn't intended to talk about potatoes when I sat down to write, but, here we are!)
I carry this same wild hope that we will persevere and fund our Pilot Program, then one day have a thriving ranch of hope, healing and freedom! This is your personal invitation to join us in this fight for healing! Will you carry wild hope for a survivor of complex trauma? We cannot do this in a bubble. It'll take our community uniting to make a lasting change in other's lives.
With Wild Hope,
Vanessa Schmidt
