Where did April go?!

Sometimes technology does funny things!  Here is our missing rocking April post:

Easter Sunday at the Ranch April 5th, 2015
Blessings abound as our Veterans and their families celebrate Easter

The dinner menu was spectacular and everyone brought something delicious too!

Fr. Jon Alexander OP. who heads up our real "Cowboy Churches" in Cerrillos, Galisteo and Golden brought his trademark wit and wisdom.

Chris Chaisson taking some time out on the porch to love on the dogs.

 

Selfies with the kids...

Sharing the love!

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April 6th we were guests on IHM Radio's "Archbishops Hour" with Mary Woods.  This hour long program featured our upcoming Veterans Workshop/Retreat that Rick and Nancy designed and facilitated titled: "The Other Side of PTSD"

We had some great conversation and even better laughs with Mary and Deacon Robert Vigil- Office of Pastoral Outreach who overseas our work with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Veterans Task Force.

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 Neat announcement by Mary-Charlotte of

Santa Fe's Radio Cafe (see entry below of the retreat)

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April 20th, the snow melted and the earth dried out for more sessions.

Cowboy Up! Instructor Chris Chaisson working with Greg (Marine) and T4.

Afterward, the horses get their spring vaccinations...

... and our veterans...

...do the inoculating.

 
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April 23rd, 2015

A new crew of Veterans learning it the right way from our Cowboy Up! Instructor/Veterans

Cowboy Up! Instructors/Veterans Chris Chaisson ( Army) and Eric Yorty ( Army) running a great training evolution in these photos.

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Our April 25th, 2015 Veterans Task Force workshop on
"The Other Side of PTSD" was a success!

Sacred Heart Church~ Albuquerque, NM

Fr. June Ramos and Decon Robert Vigil

The day started with Fr. June Ramos (USMC - 3 tours and wounded 3 times, now Priest at Our Lady of Annunciation in Albuquerque) and his talk

on" How I  Learned Forgiveness From My  Enemy."

Then Horses For Heroes Cowboy Up! shared a short video on "Horse Medicine" to show what we do here at the ranch in working with post 9/11 veterans and active military heal from their soul wounds.
Up next was Rev. Rick Rinde (US Army EOD Afghanistan veteran). Rick spoke on his "soul wound" and why we here at Cowboy Up! have renamed PTSD  "Post Traumatic Spiritual Dissonance™".

Executive Director of Horses For Heroes Cowboy Up! Rick Iannucci 
discusses the many faces of Post Traumatic Spiritual Dissonance™

Lunch Break

Col. Quentin & Mel Collins (USAF Iraq now Head Chaplain NMNG) addressed "A Families Experience of War"

Col. Tim Hale (USAF Spec Ops now Ordaianed Elder at Hoffmantown Church Albuquerque) was our closing speaker and tied all of our talks together masterfully. Tim is the recently retired Cabinet Secretary of Veterans Services for the State of New Mexico. ( Tim and Quentin both serve on Horses For Heroes NM's National Advisory Board.)

The later part of the afternoon we visited the Sacred Heart Chapel where Deacon Robert Vigil shared the incredible story of how the World Trade Center Beams made their journey from Ground Zero to Albuquerque.  

See the Sacred Steel Beams ~ Click the image below to enlarge:

Thank you all for attending!

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