A 501c3 non-profit corporation

Scatter Joy Acres

In 2005 Scatter Joy Acres (SJA) was founded by Joy Bartling as Soby Ranch

Ministries in 2005 near Fort Calhoun, Nebraska to provide a new home, new life,

and new meaning by rescuing abused or neglected animals.

Bartling’s first loves were the animals who became her closest childhood friends

and confidants when she felt she had no one else to turn to during a painful part

of her journey to adulthood. Understanding that there are often deep pains in life

and the many times that human beings were not able to touch them, she realized

she was not alone in that aspect.

At the ranch, the animals serve as an integral part of the on-going mission of

providing therapeutic interaction for developmentally disabled and autistic

children, seniors, veterans, and at-risk children.

Many of us, like Joy, have found comfort, solace, peace and even joy in the

company of animals. Joy embraced her passionate gift in life which also would be

a significant way to ‘give back’ to the community. Thus, “Scatter Joy Acres” was

created to scatter God’s joy across all of his acres.

On the ranch, each animal has a name, a story and a significance, which is

demonstrated in warmth and love they share with every person they encounter.

The interactions animals share as they meet with people are simply amazing.

More Than Just A Village Academy Inc.

In 2012, after seven years in healthcare, Antonio Moore sought to develop and implement a forward thinking curriculum for adolescents giving them a voice in their future, More Than Just A Village Academy Inc. (MTJAVA) was born. Today, MTJAVA is one of the fastest growing and most impactful high school program providers in the Omaha Public School system.

The MTJAVA service learning curriculum focuses on the critical components of developing intellectually strong and courageous leaders of the future by creating and encouraging “Youth Voice” development through:

Civic Responsibility,

Academic Achievements, and

Personal Accountability.

Promoting “Youth Voice” development is preparing youth for the future, validating their ideas, allowing them to be heard, respected, and nurtured through hands-on activities that give back to those communities in which students live. Today, the positive economic impacts of this unique service learning approach are realized throughout Nebraska, Iowa, New Orleans and Colorado.

The after school program is student led and facilitated by mentors in four high schools and one area middle school. It continues to have a tremendous impact on and in the lives of those it serves while preparing at-risk youth for post-high school success.

MT JAVA – Scatter Joy Acres

In 2013, SJA relocated to a sprawling, lush, 26 acre site within Omaha at 49th &

Newport. Here it provides a surprisingly quiet inner city sanctuary for both

humans and animals.

In addition to the therapy and rescue, the ranch is available for birthday parties,

corporate outings and other events. There is an ample parking, picnic areas, a

playground, hayrack rides, bonfires, and plenty of room for fun and games.

Shortly thereafter, Moore and Bartling developed a working relationship to serve

the combined community they work to benefit.

In the winter of 2016, Scatter Joy Acres and More Than Just A Village Academy Incorporated announced a merger. Together the two charitable entities form one stronger organization, MTJAVA-Scatter Joy Acres, Inc., to continue their mission of enhancing the lives of youth, developmentally disabled, seniors, and the Omaha community at large.

Our ranch on Omaha’s north side serves as headquarters for the ever expanding MTJAVA-Scatter Joy Acres organization. The ranch is presently home to more than 100 animals like alpacas, sheep, rabbits, goats, horses, cows, a camel, a variety of fowl, pigs, and peacocks. SJA provides animal therapy for the

developmentally disabled, seniors and veterans both at the ranch at on-site at many other facilities in and around the metro Omaha area.

Additionally, SJA is one of the region’s only authorized education sites for the widely acclaimed “Cowboy Ethics” curriculum, teaching young people to be responsible adults using the “Code of the West”.

Together MTJAVA-Scatter Joy Acres provides an experience unlike any other for

those it serves. Animal rescue and therapy, an urban ranch, real life - hands on

STEM education, college planning and animal interaction make MTJAVA-Scatter

Joy Acres an incredible organization and place to visit.

MT JAVA- Scatter Joy Acres is located on 26 acres at 4966

Newport Avenue in Omaha.

About 5 blocks north of Sorenson Parkway on North 49th St.

In spite of the surrounding urban area, the location of the ranch in Omaha has a

surprisingly rural feel. It is quite secluded on the north side of town. The rare

airplane headed to Eppley Airport reminds of our surroundings.

Activities Available through MT-JAVA-Scatter Joy Acres

Afterschool Education o Civic Responsibility,

o Academic Achievements,

o Personal Accountability

Animal Therapy (on-site or at the ranch) o At-Risk Youth

o Developmentally Disabled Youth & Adults

o Those suffering from PTSD o Seniors o Veterans

Animal Encounters (100+) o Alpacas

o Camel

o Cats & Dogs

o Cows

o Donkeys (Standard & Mini)

o Fowl Chickens

Ducks

Guinea Fowl

Peacocks

Pigeons o Goats

o Horses (Standard & Mini)

o Pigs

o Rabbits

o Sheep

Animal Rescue & Rehoming o Adoptions

o Caring for abandoned and neglected animals

Birthday Parties

Bonfires

Campouts

Catering

College Planning

Cookouts

Corporate Outings o Parties & Picnics o Team Building

Cowboy Ethics

Dress Up Barn

Easter Egg Hunts

Hay Bale Climbing

Hayrack Rides

Horseback Riding

Horse Shoes

Hula Hoop Toss

Hump Day Events with a camel

Live Animal Encounters (on-site or at the ranch)

Live Nativities

Nature Trails

On-site parking

Petting Zoo

Playground

Photography Settings o Scenic Backgrounds

o Animal Backgrounds

o Baby Animals (subject to availability)

Picnicking

Scavenger Hunts

Service Learning

Service Opportunities

School Outings & Outdoor Education o Cowboy Ethics

o Educational

o Entertaining

o Field Trips

o Hands on

o Ranch Academy

o STEM Education

Scout Camps

Static Steer Head Roping

Summer Camps

Tutoring Assistance

Endless Volunteer Opportunities

How can you help?

Beyond monetary donations, which do make a difference,

here is a short list of

Needs for Scatter Joy Acres

****URGENT NEED***** Brome Grass Hay Square Bales. Or round bales.

****URGENT NEED***** skid loader

4 wheeler Horse Trailer stock trailer Cattle Panel fencing Chain Saw Gas Log Splitter Round wood fence posts Long heavy duty wood screws 3″ Long heavy duty nails 3″ 2×4′s 4×4′s 2×10′s Tin for roofing One ton pickup Lead ropes Curry combs

Brushes Broom dust pans Trash bags for 55 gallon cans Air compressor Picnic tables Rakes pitchforks Scoop shovels Horse treats Dog Treats Meal worms for chickens Timothy Hay for rabbits Saddles Wheel barrows Weed eater

Weed sprayer to pull behind tractor Jeep or Utility vehicle to give tours in Someone to do maintenance on equipment 16 ft or longer bumper pull trailer to haul hay Portable Awning or Pop-up tent Portable livestock sheds Generator 7500 or larger preferred, but smaller will work for small events. Hand tools, such as hammer, screwdriver, drills, wrenches, etc. Gift cards for Tractor Supply, North West Feed, Washco Feed, Menard’s etc for supplies

MT-JAVA-Scatter Joy Acres, Inc. is a 501c3 donations may be considered tax-deductible.

Please contact your tax professional for more information.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us. And thanks for your support.

Notable Residents of the Ranch

Amid the nearly one hundred animals that reside at Scatter Joy Ares, there are a

few notable “superstars” who attract more than their share of attention. We stop

short of referring to them as celebrities, although one is certainly taking off.

Their stories resonate with us, reach us and teach us.

Donkeys of the Cross

Jack the Blind Horse

Lucky the Guide Horse

Wilbur the Political Pig

Zebediah the Camel

Donkeys of the Cross

Donkeys serve a significant duty throughout the Holy Bible. It is said that a donkey carried Mary to Bethlehem and a donkey carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

To ride on a donkey signified coming in peace, this symbolic event served to reinforce what Jesus had told the people of Israel: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt the foal of a donkey.”(Zachariah 9:9 KJV)

The legend says that the same donkey that carried Jesus into the welcoming crowds of Jerusalem followed him on the Via de la Rosa to Calvary outside of Jerusalem when he was crucified, wishing all along to bear the cross for Jesus as he was the one who should carry such burdens.

Languishing there in sun as Jesus hung on the cross, the donkey turned his back on the sight but, he could not leave Jesus whom he had carried. He wished to stay until all was over because of his love and loyalty.

In reward for the loyal and humble love of the donkey, the Lord caused the shadow of the cross to fall across his back and the donkey has carried the cross ever since as a sign that the love of God carries a reward for all to see.

Each Christian Donkey carries a cross on its back that is unlike all the others. There are no two alike, each is defined by the cross they bear on their back. Many of these donkeys are called Jerusalem Donkeys, Christian Donkeys, and Mediterranean Donkeys because in the Middle East these burros are used in everyday life such as farming or traveling purposes.

The Cross on their back is how the Christian Donkeys are kept for record in their registration papers. The cross on their backs is in honor Jesus.

Jack, the Blind Horse

Jack came to Scatter Joy Acres totally blind.

A 20 year old appaloosa, at ten years of age an illness left

him blind. As a result, he spent half of his life alone in a

stall and it showed.

His previous owners did the best they could to care for

him in this situation, but they didn’t understand his

capacity to see beyond his blindness.

Initially scared and timid, Jack rapidly adapted to his new surroundings. He was elated to be

out of a stall. We walked the fence line and corral with him several times to teach him his new

surroundings. For Jack’s benefit, he started in the corral with the miniature horses.

Like most animals, horses (even minis) maintain a pecking order. A blind horse will fall to the

bottom of that social hierarchy. As in society, the disabled are all too often viewed as a burden

and cast aside. They are shunned and denied many of life’s basic needs. Faced with a herd

bully, Jack had to decide between fight and flight. In his condition, flight was equally as deadly

as fight.

Then came Lucky. Lucky is a miniature horse who has been on the ranch for a several years.

The two became best friends. Lucky became Jack’s eyes. He helped Jack learn how to navigate

the pasture and corral. Jack followed Lucky everywhere he went. Lucky would see to it that

Jack found his way to the feed bunk, water and safely back out to the pasture for more grazing.

Eventually, through Lucky’s patient teaching, Jack was able to wander around by himself. Lucky

gave Jack courage when faced with the miniature herd bully, and Jack protected Lucky with the

standard herd.

The two stood together when faced with adversity. Jack navigates by sound and smell and

teaches us that when one sense fails, we can use other senses and depend on our companions

for help.

With a little help and perseverance,

we can make a difference. Whether

we are disabled or face challenges in

life, life is too short to let a disability

or challenge stop you from having a

good life.

…and we need all use a little Lucky in

our lives.

Lucky the Helping Horse

“For it is in giving that we receive.” —

Saint Francis of Assisi.

In life we all experience an opportunity

to help others. These opportunities can

be as simple as holding a door open or

as dramatic as saving a life. They

happen every day of every week. They

are placed there for our benefit, giving us an opportunity to be a difference in the

lives of everyone involved. The donors benefit in the ability to make a difference,

no matter how small. The recipients benefit by receiving the kindness and/or

generosity the donors give. It is a reciprocal relationship.

This happens in the animal world as well.

When Jack, a blind horse, arrived at our

ranch he felt scared and alone in his new

environment. It was a big change from

the small stall he resided in for the

previous ten years.

Lucky found an opportunity to make a

difference in Jack’s life. He became Jack’s

eyes. When Jack was hungry, Lucky led

him to the feed trough. When Jack was

thirsty, Lucky led him to the water trough.

When the weather got bad, Lucky led him to shelter. When other’s sought to

push Jack from the herd, Lucky came to his defense.

Lucky benefits from the relationship, as well. Jack helps care for and protect

Lucky from the standard horses that push him away from the troughs.

Wilbur

In July of 2016, the Midland Humane Society received a call about little white pig that alone on the

interstate. When he was taken back to the Humane Society he was full of fleas and stickers. After a

few days of some TLC this little white pig found his way to Scatter Joy Acres. (July 15th, 2016)

He was about one month old when he arrived at the ranch. He was

christened Wilbur and has found his way into the hearts of many in

the community. Wilbur has made many visits to assisted living homes

to give pig kisses. Wilbur and his friend Charlotte who always hanging

out in the barn with him have had lots of visitors at Scatter Joy Acres.

Wilbur was adopted by a supporter of Congressman Don Bacon,

shortly after his arrival. He got to spend his summer our in the public supporting nominee Don

Bacon for Congress. He was in several parades and public events, and stole the hearts of many.

When he’s not politicking, he enjoys his time on the ranch with his friends and teaching others.

Be Somebody

Wilbur gets to assist some of the youth that come to the ranch in our “Be

Somebody” program where we work on the Code of West and teaching

about Character Education. Wilbur has assisted us in teaching about

Fairness, which sometimes is a challenge for Wilbur as well.

Courage: it is a little overwhelming coming into a pig pen with 8 of us.

Honor was fun as youth they are bombarded everyday by academic

cheating, cheating in sports, and cutting in line, “borrowing” from each

other and numerous other actions that are shrugged off on the basis that “everyone does it or it’s

not a big deal.” Wilbur could teach that honor matches their integrity and was added to the other

character attributes of optimism, respect, and courage, which makes our young people

unstoppable.

Authenticity: Wilbur sure has shown us what it means to discover your true self. How do you live

your life in a way that it displays it? Wilbur has done that for all of us that have been touched by

Wilbur.

Wilbur has been on an amazing journey his first few months of life. From

orphan to adoptee and teacher, he has made people smile, laugh and cry.

He has rolled in the mud and showed us how you can dig with your nose

and find all kinds of fun things in the pen.

Some Pig: What a neat story for a pig who was on his way to become bacon

and now serves as mascot for Congressman Don Bacon as he fights to

battle Pork Barrel Spending in Washington.

Zebediah

Born on a dairy farm near Wray, Colorado, Zebediah came to Scatter Joy Acres in December of

2016. Coming from a long line of Colorado camels, he has adapted readily to Nebraska

weather.

Like all camels, Zebediah was born without much of a hump. He has grown, and so has his

hump.

He is a dromedary camel, which means he has one hump and not two. He is quite social and

loving. He loves mugging for the cameras. On occasion getting too close for the photographer,

which resulted in a nice gooey kiss for the camera.

Zebediah fills an important need

for our annual live nativities. On his

arrival, he went right to work

bringing joy to countless numbers

of Omahans celebrating the

Christmas season in 2016.

His arrival was covered by local

media and his Hump Day

Walkabouts attract a plethora of

attention, from media coverage to

selfies on social media.

He seems to enjoy looking in the

large windows of restaurants to

watch people eat, much to the

surprise of the patrons.

As an unusual animal to metro Omaha, he has become a mascot, of sorts, helping us raise

awareness of MT JAVA-Scatter Joy Acres. Hundreds of locals have already snapped selfies and

photos of Zebediah, as he has taken walkabouts on Omaha streets.

He now has his own Facebook and Twitter accounts @ZebediahTCamel.

His birthday is February 15, 2016

That being said, at one time thousands of years ago, camels were native to Nebraska. They

roamed the plains in abundance before becoming extinct.

Cowboy Ethics

MT JAVA - Scatter Joy Acres is a place that provides teens with the tools and guidance to become better versions of themselves. We teach them valuable trade skills, the importance of a good attitude and strong work ethic, all through the power of animals. Our program runs year-round through the four-phase curriculum we have created. The foundation of our programming is based off of Cowboy Ethics and The Code of the West, written by James P. Owen.

Phase I (duration of the entire school year) revolves entirely around Cowboy Ethics activities, and each activity represents a principle of The Code of the West:

Live each day with courage

Always finish what you start

Do what has to be done

Talk less, and say more

When you make a promise keep it

Know where to draw the line

Some things aren’t for sale

Be tough, but fair

Take pride in your work

Ride for the brand

This cowboy creed is simple, timeless, and easy for our young people to understand while on this journey of self-discovery.

During Phases II and III, we put those principles to the test by doing ranch work projects and working with animal. This puts emphasis on work ethic, grit, civic responsibility, and commitment, especially when working with the animals and learning how to care for them.

Today, many of our young people lack a sense of direction, responsibility, and self-worth. This has been replaced with an overactive sense of entitlement. Employers experience difficulty find hard working, trustworthy employees. Many employees do not have a drive to work or have a sense of responsibility. Without these skills there is a lack of development and guidance, which is where we use the animals. In the company of animals, students become the most vulnerable. The walls and the bravado all begin to fall and the pieces of who they really are start coming together.

Think for a moment about the Wild West…the stories and movies you recall.

What comes to mind? Cowboys. Pioneer spirit. Rugged individualism. Tough, hardworking people that did what had to be done in order to survive. They had grit, a mental toughness, firmness of mind and spirit, unyielding courage.

Looking at today’s generation, do you see any of that grit? Do you see determination, perseverance, ambition? Highly unlikely. They walk around with this entitlement mindset, believing that the world owes them something just for being born. How did we get here? How did we get to, “work smarter, not harder.” Why aren’t we doing both?

Everyone has become incredibly lazy and it shows in our economy. People either want to get a substantial paycheck with little skill, work ethic, or just simply choose not work at all. Have we forgotten how this country was founded and grown? People didn’t migrate west just for fun or because it was easy. They wanted more. They had two choices: to strive or die.

At MT JAVA-Scatter Joy Acres, we teach the importance of grit, a good attitude, integrity, and purpose. We use Cowboy Ethics and The Code of the West to squash the entitled mindset in today’s youth. We empower these teens to walk into an interview with the mindset of, “here’s what I can offer you,” instead of, “what can you offer me?” There is no hand holding or pats on the back for bare minimum work ethic.

The horse portion of our program is just a bonus. Believe it or not, horses teach us so much about people. A horse is a mirror and will show you all the good, the bad and the ugly in your soul. This is important when working with our students because this is when they become the most vulnerable. The facades begin to fall and the pieces of who they are rebuilt into productive citizens.

During the four phases of our program, they learn what it means to be a decent human being, why it’s so important and how it turns into a gateway for skills and jobs that college degrees don’t give you. These are YOUR children America! These are the future and have the power to bring this country back to the values it was originally built on.

“If cowboys symbolize anything, it’s fortitude. And fortitude is not sourced by anger or physical strength; it’s sourced by love. Faced with uncertain weather, unruly cattle, and vast rangeland, cowboys-historic and current-are willing to suffer for what they love: their families, the animals they care for, the land they steward, and their way of life. By definition and job description, cowboys show grit in their gut by, well, being cowboys. They must persevere or perish. That’s grit.” -American Cowboy, p. 37

We have a choice to keep turning the other cheek away or work for positive change. They are the future of this nation and we all need to do our part in ensuring their success. At MT-JAVA Scatter Joy Acres, we are firm believers in tough love, and everything worth having is earned

through hard work and determination. We believe in the need for a change in today’s youth. We believe in the need for a better economy and closer communities. We believe in the American Dream and when given the right tools, today’s youth, and generations to come are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.

Will you commit to helping us change the world, one student at a time?