03/22/2026
UPDATE: new items added to Amazon list:
https://a.co/0f8N424y
Limestone County, friends and surrounding neighbors!
Cross Creek Meadows is so excited to update you concerning our mission to bring combat Veterans to retreat at our barn! As you may already know, this amazing community and others blessed the veterans last year at our first retreat with chairs, bibles, food, beds, a firepit, horses to ride, and much more…If you were one of those that gave, we thank you again. They shared how loved they felt and overwhelmed by the outpouring of our community towards them.
At the volunteer leadership of Matt Smith of Teague, Texas and the prayers of many, four men began a relationship with the Lord and the rest spoke of all the healing they encountered.
The very verse imprinted in the barn concrete came to fruition that week when they were here: I would have despaired had I not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living." -Psalm 27:13
We were all just UNDONE by God's great presence that week. We know we are called to do this on a continual basis.
Will you join us again this year, April 9-12 as we partner with Camp Hope in Houston to have our second retreat?
(Without putting this letter out we have already received all the breakfast groceries donated again by Stuart and Sherry Wharton, Bibles with each name imprinted on them again by Michael and Paula Thompson, and Matt Smith volunteering to lead EVERY Veteran retreat we do from here on out! Our community is truly special.)
We prayed and asked the Lord for bathroom facilities to accommodate the men, as one bathroom/shower was all we had last year. Well, of course He provided yet again by placing it on the hearts of donors to fund it and a volunteer builder, Mark Lacey, to help build and lead that project. We now have a brand new bathroom/shower facility with three showers and toilets; it is awesome! Pioneer Steel even gave us a discount for the red metal to match the barn! We do NOT charge for this retreat, so again we are asking for those who can help to do what they are able, and to honor these men who sacrificed for our freedom, with the prayer that all would leave Cross Creek on April 12th as men healed of some heavy burdens.
The men arrive on a Thursday morning and leave on Sunday afternoon. They are provided a horse to bond with and care for the entire time they are here. We have volunteer men who accompany them on trail rides after groundwork and arena riding. We need at least three more horses to borrow for this retreat, horses that an inexperienced rider can enjoy a trail ride on. We ask that the horses are up to date on Coggins.
In addition to horses, we also have several items that need to be purchased for the retreat:
—-AMAZON:
https://a.co/0f8N424y
---WALMART (any extra will be saved for the fall retreat)
Paper towels, toilet paper, dawn dish soap, dishwasher pods, laundry soap.
Suave, 4 bottles of 3 in 1 shampoo, conditioner and body wash
Sunscreen
2 large cans of ground coffee
100 Red Solo Cups and 100 small styrafoam coffee cups, 150 sturdy paper plates, dessert , lunch and dinner size
---DOLLAR TREE
4 white shower curtain liners
---15 cases of bottled water
---SQUARE HAY BALES
With gratitude,
Cross Creek Meadows Therapeutic Riding & Retreat Center
254-900-7715 [email protected]
