Pure
Rancher’s decision to share
her land
changes lives By Julie B. Sevig
I Joy
f you’ve got a major decision to make, consider a pilgrimage to a pile of rocks in eastern South Dakota. The locals call it Deci- sion Rock Hill. It’s on this hill that Kyle and Betsy Debertin decided to accept the co-director positions of Joy Ranch, the ELCA’s newest outdoor ministry site (www.losd. org/joy).
But more importantly, it’s where Joy Nelson decided to share her ranch with others.
Nelson is a realtor and rancher in Watertown, S.D. “It was a picture perfect Sunday and I was watching the sun go down,” Nelson said, describing the moment i=n 1999 when she made a decision that changed her life and the lives of others. “The thought occurred to me that this needed to be shared.”
She visited with her pastor at the time, Gary West- gard, and decided to will her 92-acre ranch, seven miles northwest of Watertown, to Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota. But then she had a second epiphany: she would give it now, rather than later. After years of inviting church and civic groups out to her ranch, she’d seen what minis- try her horses could do with kids at risk and with physical disabilities.
“Even though I wasn’t very old (44), the decision began a 13-year journey [of preparation]. Why don’t we do this now, and we can all be there together now, not later?” she recalled asking herself.
After 10 years of planning, three years of construc- tion and a $4.7-million capital campaign, Joy Ranch opened this summer—the first ELCA camp built from the ground up to host people with physical disabilities. It is barrier-free and completely accessible. Its mantra? All are welcome.
Nelson continues to live and ranch there and has been a key player in bringing the Joy Ranch dream to reality. Kyle Debertin uses the phrase “concept to reality” when he shows guests the ranch. On June 2, the summer staff of nine expected 800 people to attend the ranch’s open house, but 3,000 came to wander the Old West town, pet the horses, churn butter, pose in the photo booth and listen to live music.
Sevig is a section editor of The Lutheran.
It’s the Old West because …
Nelson said she was born about 100 years too late. Her fascina- tion with the Old West is apparent in the design and decor of the ranch.
Just take a mosey
(“Yeah, we use that word a lot around here,” Debertin admitted) down Main Street: a “canteen” at another camp is “The Thirsty Boot” here (root beer and ice cream are served from the huge black
Joy Ranch, the ELCA’s newest out- door ministry site near Watertown, S.D., has a summer staff of nine and 27 horses, including seven Norwe- gian Fjords. Enjoying one of those horses is Sharon Miller (above) and her daughter, Carrigan. Both of Miller’s daughters use ventilators, and although the oldest had been on a horse, Carrigan never had, said Kyle Debertin, co-director, who called the experience “God-ful and emotional.” Children (inset) from the local Lake Area Technical Institute pet the horses.
bar that came from the Bristol, S.D., Mercantile); guest rooms have Old West themes—on one side of the street are bunkhouses for kids, on the other is a conference and retreat center featuring comfortable rooms for adults and families; and the eating hall, which boasts its own “chef” (not camp cook), is “The Longhorn Café.” During the building of Joy Ranch, Debertin said Monday mornings would bring a curious assortment of antiques and collectibles primarily from Nelson and her friends, who had scoured auction sales over the week- end. With both gratefulness and good humor, Debertin said they have plenty, so if you’re tempted to drop off “your great-aunt’s ‘kinda old’ salt and pepper shakers she bought at a store in the Black Hills in 1978,” think again. A schoolhouse and Clara Lutheran Church, moved from Erwin, S.D.—both built in the 1880s—are also located on the ranch. And Lyle Lake provides a chance to boat and fish. But it’s the horses that are crucial to Joy Ranch—“kids caring for them, kids riding them,” Debertin said, noting the change in facial expression, posture and confidence when kids work with and ride horses. Their “Yes, we can do this” attitude changes lives, he added.
Not just for kids or camp ... The décor may say Old West, but the camp is built for a new day—both in its structure and programming.
30 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
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