Jim and Jo Ann Currie summarize the feeling of visiting Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly for the first time into one word — freedom.
“I loved the freedom of walking anywhere I needed to go for five days without depending on a car,” Jo Ann Currie said.
Jo Ann Currie got hooked on Mo when she came to the ranch as a co-director and small group leader for the Family Conference in 1990.
“The beauty and open space drew me in. I felt a deep connection to the Spirit through the balance of solitude and community,” she said.
Her husband, Jim Currie, has a long history with Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly.
From working as a pool lifeguard during the summer of 1967 and baptizing their son at the chapel in 1989, his memories of Mo go back for decades.
“The several Currie family reunions have been there in the past 30 years have provided very special memories,” he said.
Jim Currie started coming to the ranch in the 1950s when he was about three-years-old with his dad, who was on the original board of trustees.
To this day, he remembers the unbridled joy he felt as exploring Mo for the first time.
“I loved the sense of freedom and openness of the ranch, the river and the pool (and) jumping from the high-dive into my father’s arms,” he said.
The couple, who live in Lake Travis, have attended a myriad of Mo-Ranch programs over the years, including Men’s and Women’s Conferences, the Guadalupe Gathering, Renovare Prayer Retreat and Women’s Book Group.
“My memories include slowing down, allowing time to breathe deeply, playing in the water, star-gaze, take leisurely walks alone or with groups and worship with family and friends,” Jo Ann Currie said.
They say the memories they have made together will last forever and say the land and connection they get with nature, God and fellow Mo-Ranch visitors is what keeps bringing them back.
“It feeds my soul,” Jim Currie said.
Jo Ann Currie agreed.
“It feeds my soul,” she said.
Together, the couple has four children and four grandchildren. Jo Ann Currie is an elder in the Presbyterian Church and has a passion for exploring everyday spirituality. Jim Currie serves as the executive secretary of the Presbyterian Historical Society of the Southwest.
They say they continue to support Mo so that the hard work of those who came before them is persevered.
“We wish to continue the legacy of those who have gone before us,” the couple said. “It’s a privilege and a responsibility. Mo-Ranch is a unique place and provides a vital ministry to and for the church.”
