The mission of Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly is vibrant and growing because of generous supporters like Les and Brenda Staples who are passionate about sharing the blessing of Mo-Ranch with future generations to come—particularly with youth and creating future “Mo lifers.”
The Staples have been dedicated Mo-Ranch supporters and have given gifts to monumental projects for the ranch, especially those that will help grow youth programs and camps.
“Youth is what the future of Mo-Ranch and our denomination is all about, and we feel strongly about placing an emphasis in our ministry to children and youth,” said Les.
Youth programs have been at the heart of Mo-Ranch’s ministry since its inception and have drawn tens of thousands of youth to attend the ranch’s youth programming. In fact, it was a youth conference that first brought Les to come visit the ranch himself.
“I have been traveling to visit Mo-Ranch since 1956 when I first attended a Senior High Conference,” said Les. “For a boy from a hot and sticky East Texas town, it was heaven!”
Since attending that first youth conference, Les has continued his journey to Mo and has returned year after year, becoming a true “Mo lifer.” He and his brother, George, have been attending the Mo-Ranch Men’s Conference faithfully since the late 1960s, and they are two of the conference’s longest-running attendees.
Les continues to find ways to give to the ranch, financially and through volunteering his time. He served on the Mo-Ranch board of trustees’ finance and operations committee for 12 years and is happy to do his part to continue improvements at the ranch.
“Mo-Ranch serves so many worthwhile purposes,” said Les. “I am happy to serve on the board to do my part in seeing that this ministry continue to do so.”
When Les isn’t busy supporting the ranch, he can be found attending the First Presbyterian Church in Granbury where he and Brenda are members and where Brenda currently serves on session. The Staples are both pilots and enjoy flying around Texas to visit their friends and relatives. But it’s the Hill Country Region that will always be their favorite place to travel to.
“The peace, the scenery and the memories we make here are what have kept my wife and I coming back,” said Les. “Over the years, we’ve had so many reunions with old friends and attended so many events along the crystal-clear waters of the North Fork of the Guadalupe River.”