June 2026 Reflections From Dave's Corner Of The World

Buffalo Trail Land Purchase

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.

It is a beautifully treed, gently sloping piece of land. We are laying out the road, power, and cabin sites, and we hope to get the road and power in this year. If you only knew how many hours over the course of five years Wayne Appl and I (with far more hours on Wayne’s part) spent looking on the internet or walking properties to find the right piece of land! We searched all over northwest Montana, but came to realize that we needed to be closer to home. We found this piece on the internet five months before we walked it, and we didn’t take it seriously because we figured it would be too steep, only to find out it was a gently sloped tract of land with power along the road.

As I was walking the property with one of our staff members, I shared how I was blessed thinking how the Lord had preserved this parcel of land from the beginning of time for His use and purpose at A Ray of Hope. Think about that: God knows and has His divine plans, from the beginning to the end of time. Over all the years I have lived in this valley, I obviously have never given a thought to this land and God’s divine purpose for it. Yet He knew, and has always known!

This whole process has reminded me of a time when, back in 1997, during my quiet time, the Lord asked me to shut down my high-end construction company in Flagstaff, Arizona. I was mortified at first, as I didn’t realize how unprepared I was to walk in faith.  As with A Ray of Hope, we sold our home and looked for a property to use serving those in need. I became distracted while searching for the type of property I wanted, only to realize later that the Lord had a different plan than my own. I’m sure you can relate! God ultimately led our family to a property with four small, aged homes on half of a city block in a neighborhood that was ripe with opportunity to serve and share. We moved in and built relationships with the neighbors as the Lord introduced us to a continuous stream of people He wanted to reach. God is amazing. As we give our hearts to Him, He will send hearts to us.

After we lived on this property for over a year, two friends shared with me at different times that they were going to buy this property when it was on the market, but the Holy Spirit had made it clear to them that they were not to buy it. They didn’t understand why the Lord did that until our family started serving the neighborhood in ministry from that property. I marveled at the work of the Lord in preserving and obtaining the property where He wanted us to minister. He’s done the same thing for us with this property for A Ray of Hope. Our Lord controls the smallest details in our expansive universe at every moment in time.

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 Lord’s ways as a living practice in our own lives and a witness to our guests and others. In doing so, we experience the Lord’s 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 Peggy’s House, Joe’s Garage, and the apartment, and I’m 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. It’s like watching flowers bloom before your very eyes.

We will manage Buffalo Trail similarly to Joe’s Garage. The goal is to bring in enough rental income to pay the bills, which should provide extremely affordable housing. Joe’s Garage is an example of that, as we use a sliding price scale and the garage breaks even for income/expense. Yet, I believe we are giving away over $100,000 in repair work on a yearly basis. You would not believe the number of people we help keep on the road. In addition, our guests help Joe manage the office and help with mechanical work!

I tell people that A Ray of Hope is a resort, but we’re a last resort. People don’t come to A Ray of Hope as their first choice. But they have landed at a ministry that is alive in Christ, flowing in His Spirit and power. That’s not just a hand up; that’s an amazing gift of God. So often, I hear from our guests that they feel the Lord divinely guided them to A Ray of Hope. To see guests go from lacking hope to growing in hope is a rewarding thing to experience. It’s beautiful to see the multitude of ways the Lord moves His hand in a multitude of hearts, and to see the relationships develop along the way. It is a glimpse and taste of the way things are supposed to be.

Do know that all is not perfect here, but seeing people recognizing their errors and turning to Him brings glory and joy to the Father as well. There is no greater joy, for us or Him! Our goal is to begin site development this year by putting in the road, power, and clearing some trees, with construction beginning next year. Pray for us! There are a lot of moving people and parts to A Ray of Hope, and my hope is that we are in-sync with the Father. There is an excitement in the camp for staff and guests alike. I find that this vision and purpose not only serve our housing needs, but they also provide energy, motivation, teaching, and training as we, the A Ray of Hope “family” of staff, supporters, and guests, serve the Lord, the community, and each other together.         Amen?  Amen!  Dave.