All right, your Father God, we come up for you, so thank you for this time.
My name is Jackie Grafton. I was the first female student here. I was able to come to
the ranch when I was six years old, and I can look at the chaos and dysfunction that
I came from and just see the stark contrast of what the ranch represented, and I got to
see just the amazing examples of what a family should look like at the ranch, and so I could
see that and realize that that's how I wanted to model my life.
Now, having graduated college, I'm able to come back and play that role myself, be in
that mentor role, and be a role model for kids who, like myself, were hurt and neglected,
and my hope is that in being here, I can teach them the lesson that I learned, and that in
looking back, it's easy to get caught up in the, if only my family was this way, if only
this didn't happen, or the million other, if onlys, but realize that through all those
bad things, God brought about the most amazing changes in my life, one that I was able to
know my Lord Jesus Christ, and then I was able to find a home at Words Valley Ranch.
The ranch made an exception by admitting me when I was 19 years old. The woods knew me
from their church in Atlanta, and they knew that below the surface, my family had some
serious problems, and that I, in many ways, had fallen through the crack. Academically,
I was way behind. Emotionally, I was confused, angry, and shut down. Virtually, I knew the
gospel, but I was not following Jesus. When Mrs. Wood did the testing that every child
receives as part of their placement at the ranch, she said, Jordan, you're smart. I
didn't know who was more surprised, me or her. It took me until I was 20 to finish high
school, but I ended up graduating with honors from college and seminary. I'm now pursuing
my doctorate in biblical counseling and serving on the pastoral staff of Open Nor Baptist
Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. My wife, Jessica, and I have two beautiful children,
and by the grace of God, I am passionate about serving my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
