Simeon and Megan Wallace

Megan Wallace joined on staff spring of 2019. She has previously served as summer staff in the camp season for multiple years, as well as volunteering during some of the retreats. As resident staff Megan is now serving in the Programming department. Her responsibilities are focused primarily with our summer camp program year round. She works directly with the summer staff, helps host our events and retreats, develops new summer camp resources, and implements changes to the Summer camp program.

Wallace Family Update

November 2022

Dear Friends and family,

We hope you are all well and enjoying the start of the holiday season. It has been far too long since you have heard updates on what is happening with the new Wallace family and new operations at the ranch. Brace yourself for a fire hose of information.

Simeon and I were married this past April, hence the need for a title change for the newsletter. We have both been overwhelmed and blessed by the letters of celebration and encouragement, as well as the fellowship with many wonderful friends who joined us in person for the wedding. We have enjoyed the ability of setting up a home together and working alongside each other.

Summer Camp

Summer camp preparations and staff training were underway quickly after. Spring keeps me busy with paperwork in hiring our summer staff and Simeon got busy helping operations with welding projects to finish maintenance jobs needed before the kids started coming in.

This summer was wonderful. I worked primarily to train our summer programming staff and mentor them as well as counselors. Simeon jumped in to help run paintball activities for summer camp. This year I also enjoyed getting to organize our girl’s wilderness camp again. The team of ladies that came out to minister to these girls were all so amazing! I was blessed by their graciousness and desire to love these kids and share the gospel whenever they had the chance.

God built an incredible team for us this year. I was encouraged by all the hard work the students and summer staff put in to bless all the kids that attend. A few short weeks after summer camp concludes is the School of Discipleship graduation. Getting to advise our three girls with my family was a joy and I’m so proud of all they accomplished. Melissa, a first year student, stayed on after grad to join resident staff in our housekeeping department. Lydia, our other first year, is staying a second year in the barn; and Madison graduated from her second year and is off to new adventures.

Fall
The fall was packed full for our retreat season, but just before it began we enjoyed getting to take a trip to a dear friend’s wedding as well. However, this wedding was in California so we decided to enjoy the journey thoroughly on the road, exploring states we had never been to before. My husband and I along with my two sisters Emily and Lydia all stuffed in a car and made the drive to California and back. It was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had.

Getting back I began working to organize multiple retreats: Horse Lover’s Retreat, an Alumni group of SOD students that graduated from 10 years ago, and the Ladies Retreat. A pretty busy season, made even more interesting by our most exciting news.

Personal Updates
The Wallace family will be growing to a squad of three, coming in 2023! We are expecting our little baby in April and appreciate your prayers as we eagerly wait for their arrival. Health with the pregnancy has been good, but as you may know or guess, the feelings of excitement also gets mixed with the worries pretty fast. We have a constant necessity to lift our needs and fears before the Lord and rely on His desires for us in all things.

Most recent opportunity we had to exercise finding refuge in God was certainly scary. October 27th I drove Simeon to the ER in Erie because he was experiencing extreme pain, nausea, and dehydration. He had been unable to keep any food or water down for 48 hours. Simeon’s Crohn’s disease is always something we think about, knowing it can be a very dangerous situation rather quickly. After a 5-day stay in the hospital we found out the issue had to do with some tight scar tissue around where Simeon had previous surgery 5 years ago. His body is responding to meds given to bring down inflammation for now, so we are home and he is recovering. However, we still ask for many prayers of healing. If the meds are not sufficient in bringing swelling down for him to continue on a diet to monitor his Crohn’s symptoms, then surgery may still need to take place. Throughout our time waiting for answers in a hospital room, God continued to show His grace throughout. Whether that be for the gradual healing we saw, the kindness of the staff, or the peace of mind he brought with us getting to walk into the trial together.

We are blessed to know that God has given us a powerful source of encouragement through our families, friends and even the long distance support like you. Thank you for being a part of our lives and we will keep you filled in on any events or changes that come our way in these coming months.

Prayer Requests:

We pray that God blesses you and your loved ones throughout this holiday season. May we all be reminded of the joy that only comes from the hope given in Christ and cling to our Lord in gratefulness of the gift of Salvation.

Sincerely the Wallace Family,
Simeon and Megan Wallace