06/17/2026
๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ!!! Last week, A Ray of Hope closed escrow on 12 acres of land on Buffalo Trail, in the hills above Somers, Montana. It is about 25 minutes, door-to-door, from our existing shelter in Kalispell. Our acreage abuts 720 acres of state land, providing our residents with hiking and recreational opportunities. This is the culmination of a five-year search for acreage to replace our Helmville Retreat Center. The Helmville property worked well while Bob and Peggy were living there, but after their passing, it was no longer a feasible location, as it was a three-hour drive from Kalispell. We sold the Helmville property in 2023, used additional funds that we have been saving specifically for this vision, and purchased our land with cash, free and clear of debt.
Our plan is to build one house and five cabins on the property to house staff and guests who do better in an out-of-town living environment. Providing housing for our staff eases the budget pressure for the ministry, and it does the same for those in need. We provide a hand up, not a hand out. Our guests are required to remain drug- and alcohol-free, pursuing work, doing benevolence, and progressing in their recovery. As a ministry, we seek, teach, and follow the Lordโs ways as a living practice in our own lives and a witness to our guests and others. In doing so, we experience the Lordโs blessings and power, and this brings glory to God!
Our vision goes beyond housing those in need. The development, planning, and building will occur over five to ten years, and all of this is an amazing source of training, inspiration, and excitement for our staff and guests as we progress through the process! I have seen this process in the construction of Peggyโs House, Joeโs Garage, and the apartment, and Iโm convinced the process is just as valuable as the finished product. Guests who just months ago were often despondent are seeing and helping with the early stages of a movement of God. When I visit the property to plan and develop our vision, I take guests with me to teach, train, and inspire. Itโs like watching flowers bloom before your very eyes.
A Ray of Hope is dedicated to helping those in our community who need help. Our goal is to make evey effort to help in anyway we can. We seek to minister the love of God in very practical ways to those who need it most.
