article by Morgan Williams | photo courtesy of Hope Ranch

If you search for directions to Hope Ranch, Apple Maps will drop a pin just outside of Luther, Montana. Nestled beneath the Beartooth Mountains and just a few miles from the famed Beaten Path trailhead, Hope Ranch offers breathtaking scenery and a glimpse of heaven for youth and families.

Matt & Amanda Desarro founded Hope Ranch in 2002 after serving in international missions across Brazil, China, & Nepal. They had felt for many years that God had been placing it on their hearts to begin their own ministry to help at-risk children. Yet with need virtually everywhere, the task felt too overwhelming - until their own adoption journey brought clarity. Through adopting children from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Montana, they became familiar with the unique challenges in each of these regions. It was then that they felt a deep conviction to serve in the very places where God had built their family. Together, with their seven children, the DeSarros have been serving locally and internationally ever since.

THE ORIGIN STORY

Although care for vulnerable children had always been on Matt & Amanda’s hearts, a turning point came during their time at Hope Orphanage in Nepal’s Chitwan Jungle. Despite the children's trauma and loss, Amanda was struck by the overwhelming sense of peace that filled the home. When she asked about it, she learned that Mr. Lee, the head of the orphanage, went to bed each night at 9 pm and then rose at midnight to walk the grounds and pray for every child. Amanda said it was at that moment that she committed to living a life of prayer. The DeSarros vowed that whatever resources came their way, they would return them to God in service and humility.

Back in Montana, the couple managed a ranch for several years, writing down broad dreams to serve orphaned children abroad and help those trapped in poverty find a way forward. In 2001, Matt’s parents, former outfitters, gifted them a collection of horses and tack. The DeSarros met with a lawyer and said, “Help us give this all back to God.”

And with that, Hope Ranch was born.

Hope Ranch gives children the chance to experience the beauty of God’s creation, often for the first time, through horseback riding. Amanda shares, “We’ve seen horses do a work that we never could.” Being on horseback helps children build confidence, face fears, and find peace. “I tell the kids, ‘You can tell horses anything; they’re good secret keepers,’” she adds. Counselors have brought children who wouldn’t speak a word, only for those same children to say after a ride, “I’m ready to talk.”

In the midst of managing a ranch, the DeSarros were also building their family, and their heart for the nations beat strongly. Two of their seven kids are biological, and five are adopted. Although needs exist everywhere in the world, the DeSarros decided to focus their efforts on the areas where their three children are from: Colombia, Ethiopia, and Montana. Amanda said, “That’s where God has given us our family and our inheritance, and it’s how we’ve connected our children back to their roots.”

Hope Ranch’s mission varies by location but remains rooted in one core purpose: to care for, serve, and protect at-risk youth and impoverished families in a way that promotes sustainability, dignity, and long-term empowerment.

INTERNATIONAL REACH

While continuing to partner with local organizations in Montana, such as the Boys & Girls Club, Youth Works (CLDI), and Friendship House, Hope Ranch has also expanded internationally.

In 2007, the work in Ethiopia began. Through God’s provision, two schools have been built, with a third now serving nearly 500 students. Hope Ranch has supported over 500 families by helping launch small businesses, including a shoe shop, wood shop, and print shop. They’ve funded beauty school training for women, purchased sewing machines, livestock, and even helped furnish a local hospital.

In 2010, the DeSarros extended their mission to Colombia. Today, Hope Ranch runs a Safe House in northwest Colombia for 30 children, as well as a day school for 120 students living in poverty - many of whom are at high risk of kidnapping, trafficking, or getting caught in drug cartel violence. Training programs are also provided for parents to learn new, income-generating skills to support their families.

A MINISTRY OF HOSPITALITY AND HOPE

The heart of Hope Ranch is not just in programs - it’s in people. The DeSarros have made hospitality a cornerstone of their ministry. Amanda teaches her children that the first act of love is a smile, and the next is hospitality. “People don’t know how much you love them until you nurture them—and we can nurture them through food,” she says. From May through September, it’s rare to find just the DeSarro family at the dinner table. Their open-door policy is so central to their mission that their board gifted them a commercial-size dishwasher to keep up with the flow of guests.

Each child who visits Hope Ranch receives a Bible, with the names and phone numbers of Matt and Amanda handwritten inside. Many of these children reach out years later, as adults, asking if they can visit when they’re back in the Red Lodge area.

LASTING IMPACT

Non-profit impact can be hard to quantify. But Amanda believes that when someone catches even a glimpse of their own worth and purpose, it can break chains of exploitation, poverty, and loneliness. And that’s what Hope Ranch seeks to offer: one child, one family, one life at a time.

As Amanda puts it, “The big undertakings have always been accomplished by God.”

Learn More: 

You can support Hope Ranch through prayer, volunteering, or giving. Tangible donations, such as Bibles, birthday gifts, cowboy boots, horses, or tack, are also welcome. https://www.hoperanchinternational.org/

Originally printed in the December 2025 issue of Simply Local Magazine

Check this article out in the digital issue of Simply Local here!

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