The Washington family has been coming to Presbyterian Mo-Ranch Assembly for decades.
It all started when Stephanie and Lorenzo Washington took their two children, Sami and Alexis, to the ranch when they were four and eight respectively.
They are now 21 and 25.
“The best part of Mo-Ranch is the life-long friends (we call family) that have been memory-lasting from the trips we have shared with them at Mo-Ranch,” Sami said.
The family, who resides in San Antonio and attends St. Rose of Lima Church, was introduced to the 500-acre ranch soon after they moved to Texas.
“We were hooked from the very first trip. From there we began our Annual Youth Group Faith Formation Retreats,” Stephanie said. “Our first retreat was with 20 youth and we grew to over 40 our last trip.”
Lorenzo still remembers being awed by what he saw when he visited Mo for the first time.
“It’s peaceful and beautiful,” Lorenzo said. “From the first visit, to what our family calls their ‘inspiration point’ we knew God was present at Mo-Ranch and we just knew it was a place where we wanted to spend our time together.”
That inaugural visit sparked a tradition that still runs deep in the family.
“The inspiring cross and the views are totally amazing,” Alexis said. “Mo-Ranch is for every member of the family. There is nothing better than laying in the sun watching everyone have fun and ending the day having BBQ with family and friends.”
They now ramp up the fun by bringing in their very own water gear.
“Dad has purchased a paddle boat for our family to enjoy the river even more,” Alexis said. “Really great memories have been made.”
Every time they visit, they look forward to the summer barbecue on the banks of the Guadalupe River, Lorenzo added.
His advice for people who are thinking about volunteering their time at the ranch is simple.
“Don’t hesitate to become a part of the Mo-Ranch Family,” he said. “You will get all you give back in return. Mo-Ranch is about faith and family, so bring your family out and start building memories.”
Stephanie agreed.
“In all the years we have been coming to Mo-Ranch you can see that your support goes right into their development and improvement,” she said. “You come for a visit and you see the programs in full swing and you see just how Mo-Ranch is always evolving for the better of all the families coming through!”
When they aren’t at Mo-Ranch, Stephanie and Lorenzo like to hike, cook and watch Hallmark movies together. They also enjoy going on long walks with their two dogs, Bo and Raven, and their two “grandpups,” Hunter and Johnny.
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