Last month, two of my daughters and I had the incredibly special opportunity to visit Rainbow Acres and serve over an extended weekend. What a sweet time it was. As I have listened to my girls recap their experience with family and friends, we are all in agreement that this will by far be the highlight of our summer.    Some people like to say Disneyland is their “happiest place on earth;” but for the Allen girls, Rainbow Acres is our happy place. As my daughter Hannah says, “Rainbow Acres is refreshing.” As she talks about a part of her heart that is now at the ranch and the refreshing experience it is for her, she describes it as the “one place anyone can go and just be the person God created you to be.”And its true! You can leave your guarded self at home and come just as you are. You might first enter Rainbow Acres as a newbie that feels like a stranger in a foreign land, but you will leave with new friends who will remember you by name, remember where you came from, and who will love you just as you are. You will leave with hugs and your hands being held. You will leave with your heart being touched and changed forever. In my daughter Katie-Janes words, “Rainbow Acres is so enjoyable, you will find yourself laughing with your new Rancher friends, and you will build a bond with the Ranchers that will change your heart. You will meet people that will claim you as their ‘best friend,’ and you will realize they are just the person that was needed to call you out of your comfort zone. You will realize this is how God wants us all to be as friends.” For our family, Rainbow Acres is our happy place – it’s where some of our BEST friends live. We look forward to going back again and doing more life with them, and learning a little more on how to see the world our amazing God intentionally created.

By Melissa Allen