Dear Friends and Family of Sky Ranch,

It is with mixed emotions that I share the news that Cole Hemmah is leaving Sky Ranch Lutheran camp, this fall. While we are sad because it is hard for us to imagine life around here without Cole on our team, we are excited for the new opportunities he has, and we know his gifts will be a blessing to others. Cole’s fiancé, Katie Jo (former Sky Ranch counselor), has accepted a position as the Farm to School Program Director for a county in New York. Consequently, they will be moving over the next couple of months. We share Cole’s excitement and support for Katie Jo. Our staff have witnessed how hard she has worked towards achieving a job in the vocation she is passionate about. Congratulations to Katie Jo!   

Cole worked multiple summers for Sky Ranch as a Counselor, Offsite Guide and Offsite Coordinator.  In March of 2020, Cole joined the year-round team as our High School Program Director. Cole has a fun-loving, playful, calming, and gentle spirit. He is well-respected by those who know him. Cole’s outdoor recreation, environmental education, training, and management skills have been incredible assets to the success of this ministry. However, I believe his greatest asset has been the many relationships he has cultivated over the years. After all, as I often say, camp ministry is one where the power of community is strengthened by the relationships that are formed.

As Cole prepares to say goodbye as an employee of Sky Ranch, he shares the following reflection:

“Working at Sky Ranch as a seasonal and year-round staff has been the most formative experience of my life.  I have met the closest people to me personally, established a solid foundation in my faith, and overall, I have grown immensely in my professional and personal life.  Sky Ranch was supposed to be a small piece of my summers during college and has turned into a center point for so many things in the last 9 years of my life.  Thank you to all the summer staff I got to work with from 2015 to 2023, thank you for the support I have received from organizational partners, supporters of camp, my coworkers, friends, and family.  I have high hopes for the future of Sky Ranch and the awesome staff who join us on the mountains each year and I already am looking forward to when I can visit camp again in whatever way comes next.”

I know I am not alone in my appreciation for everything Cole has done for Sky Ranch. He has touched the lives of many. Cole, Katie Jo, and their two dogs, Starla and Oliver, will be missed immensely. However, Cole knows that he will forever be a part of our Sky Ranch family. May God continue to bless Cole and Katie Jo. Please join me in prayer…

Loving creator,

As we say farewell to Cole, we entrust him to your care. We pray for happiness and joy to be ahead of him, for wisdom and guidance to be beside him, and for grace and truth to be behind him, pushing him onwards into your goodness. We know that you will always love and protect him and continue to use his gifts for your service.

Amen

Lori B. Bode (she, her, hers)

Sky Ranch Executive Director