Our History
How Rancho 3M Started
Not a likely candidate
Irene Logsdon grew up during the depression in the small town of Alton, Illinois. Her mother was a strong Christian. Irene became an active member of her local church, and eventually the women’s choir director. She loved Jesus and had a strong prayer life. For work, she had her own florist shop and also worked at the YWCA. She taught tennis there and later became the adult program director. And although she had a few offers, she ended up never getting married. She always worked with adults and had no experience with children.
A Major Turn in Life
But at the age of 47, during a time of prayer, the Lord clearly called Irene to minister to children in Mexico. This call was confirmed by other members of her church. Also, her friend Marietta was led by the Lord to help Irene in this work.
The two single ladies moved to Juarez, Mexico where they worked at a pre-existing orphanage to receive training and experience. After 2 years, with the help of a pastor, they purchased a small building on government land in Guadalupe, located in an arid and sparse town outside of Juárez. The horse-shoe shaped building (now the visitors’ dorm), became the dormitory of the new orphanage. For the first few years of operation there was no electricity or running water.
Publicity from an Unexpected Source
Irene and Marietta made preparations and prayed, asking the Lord to send the children who wanted there. Not long after, a plane filled with illegal drugs crashed close to the building they just purchased. A newspaper reporter from Juárez soon arrived, eager to get a good story. Seeing the Ranch, he decided to stay there and wait. The reporter received warm hospitality from Irene, however, the owner of the plane never returned for his illegal cargo. So after asking Irene many questions, he decided to do his story on the Ranch instead. Because of this, the word spread quickly about this new orphanage, and on March 17, 1969, it opened and Irene accepted her first 7 children who were brought by the Mexican authorities.
How Dean became the Director of Rancho 3M
Not likely candidates
Dean & Denise met in a bar in New Orleans in 1991—not exactly the kind of people you’d want running an orphanage. But God used a book called More than a Carpenter (by Josh McDowell), given to Dean by a college professor, to open their eyes for their need to read the Bible, and more specifically their need to repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus Christ. Years later, they repented and put their trust in Jesus, and upon doing so they began to be dramatically changed by Him. They later got married in 1995.
A Major Turn in Life
Dean & Denise had been praying for two years asking God for direction when in 1996, through God’s provision, they went on a week long missions trip to the interior of Mexico with their New Orleans, LA, home church, Lakeview Christian Center (LCC). It was on that mission trip that God put it firmly on their hearts to live and serve there. After 2 years of preparation and the birth of their first son, they packed up and moved to Central Mexico where they supported missions work going on in the region and spent time in language school.
Specific Direction
During a time of prayer and fasting Dean felt God reveal to them His desire that they work in an orphanage and disciple children in the ways of Jesus Christ.
They began to search around for an orphanage that they could join themselves to. The Lord closed all the doors that they inquired into except one: Rancho 3M in Guadalupe D.B., México. So a year later, Dean & Denise loaded their belongings into their ‘86 Ford pickup again, and started the 36 hour trek north. At the time, Denise was 6 months pregnant with their 3rd son.
When they arrived at the orphanage, they soon realized that the Director and co-founder, Irene Logsdon, who founded the orphanage in 1969, was in poor health. One day that summer, Irene called Dean into the office and told him that she had been praying and felt that the Lord wanted him to take over the orphanage. Dean spoke with his pastors at LCC, and after seeking the Lord, they agreed that Dean should take over the Ranch and the Lord’s work there.
Transition of Leadership
In 2001, Dean accepted the position as Director of the Rancho 3M Orphanage. God’s timing was perfect, for Irene died unexpectedly 5 weeks later (right before she turned 80).
Over the past 40 years, the Lord has used Rancho 3M to house, care for, and minister to thousands of children, many of whom have responded to the Gospel and have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
