Donnie & Tonya Rosie
Donnie attended the School of Discipleship program from 2000 to 2002, and works as the Marketing Director for the Ranch. In 2010 he graduated with Bachelors of Science in Business at Edinboro University of PA. Tonya homeschools their four children, George, Cole, Grant, and Karis.
The Rosie Family
Fall 2021
Hello friends,
We hope that you are in the midst of happy fall activities! We have wrapped up our fall events at the Ranch for the year and are settling in for a cozy winter. Here is what has been going on:
Summer Camp
Over 1100 Ranchers attended week-long or day camps between June and August and over 100 staff members worked very hard to proclaim Christ to those children. Our culture is placing a myriad of challenges in front of children these days, but we know that the answer to these challenges is hope in Jesus and many children responded to that message this summer. Summer camp as an institution is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate and we would appreciate your prayers as our staff starts to prepare for next summer. We are always looking for qualified Summer Staff, so if you know a young person who loves kids and loves Jesus and has a heart to serve, send them our way!
Retreats and Events
Our fall retreat schedule was full and fulfilling. We had two great family camps. We love seeing families come together and enjoy all of the fun things at camp. The Ranch also hosted a Horse Lover’s Retreat, a Ladies Retreat, several school groups, our Harvest Party and our first Camp Meeting. Our Community Christmas Party will be back this year! After the new year there will be a Winter Camp, a Quilter’s Retreat, a Photography Summit, and several more retreats followed by our Open House on Memorial Day. We would love to see you at one of our events!
School of Discipleship
The School of Discipleship is a big part of what the Ranch is about and if you haven’t heard about it lately, here is a reminder. College age students spend a year at the Ranch, taking part in Bible classes as well as learning the hands-on aspect of the ministry. They join the full time staff in leading events and outreach. The goal of the program is to model discipleship through intentional relationships so that the students can then go and make disciples in their part of the world.
Our role
We are assigned students for the year and they come to our home once a week, share a meal with our family, talk about their classes and projects, and simply build relationships. We always hope to connect with our students and provide points of encouragement and friendship.
Our girls
In August our 2020-2021 students, Abigail and Rachel graduated. Abigail has gone on to college and Rachel has actual joined us on staff! We enjoyed a great year with them. This year we are joined by Nicole, Vicki, and Keye. These young ladies have jumped into the year and are learning how to navigate their classes, relationships with others, and their role in the ministry. Please pray that these girls would have a great year of learning and growing and that we would know how to be a blessing in their lives.
Family
This summer Donnie had a great media team who captured thousands of pictures and created great videos. He has two media second year students this fall who will help lead the first year students that choose to join. Donnie has been working hard at outreach for the Ranch, raising money for a new bunkhouse and getting ready for the Hunter’s Retreat. He also continues to do a lot of photography and video work as well as preaching at local churches. Tonya is working hard at keeping up with the kids’ school work and hosting our girls and a variety of guests. In April, she has been invited to speak at a Ladies Retreat at a church in Missouri. We will be making it into a family trip out west! The kids had a great summer. The boys went to camp and George also got to help out in the Buckboard Store most days. They are growing so fast!
- George – 10 – builder, WWII historian, board game enthusiast
- Cole – 9 – puzzle maker, runner, Lego builder
- Grant – 7 – farmer above all things, bike rider, fisherman
- Karis – 5 – baby caretaker, ballerina, loves all things girly
As we enter this Thanksgiving season and we reflect on all of the blessings that the Lord has provided, we are especially grateful for the many that support our work at the Ranch through finances and prayers. We know that it is the Lord’s provision through others and that humbles us and fills our hearts with thankfulness. We pray that you have a wonderful holiday season and find much to be grateful for. Thank you for your prayers and support!
Donnie, Tonya, George, Cole, Grant & Karis Rosie
Prayer
- For wisdom in raising our children to God’s glory
- For effective discipleship with our students
- For the ministry of the Ranch as we are faced with a changing culture
Praise
- For a great summer and fall of ministry
- For the Lord’s provision