The HSP Ranch in Canada is the place I envision many people from around the world gathering together to celebrate, grow, heal and foster peace. I’d like to share with you my story of how I found it.
I had searched for the perfect site for the global village I have envisioned for a long time. Finally I decided that Canada would be an ideal country because of its vast expanses of beautiful land and friendly government. Even though I looked at many places in Canada, none of them were quite right.
Then one day a passing tip from a knowledgeable Canadian came my way that caught my attention. It seemed worth investigating since the area was large, but relatively unknown and therefore unusually inexpensive. Since I always act quickly to take advantage of opportunities, I immediately packed my bags and headed to Canada.
I didn’t have any detailed information or directions to the site, so finding it was a challenge. I only knew that the land was approximately a two-hour drive from a small village named Vanderhoof near Prince George. So I went to Prince George, arriving on a Sunday, when all of the stores and real estate agencies were closed. Searching for further information, I followed a road sign with a picture of an airplane on it, guessing that it led to a small airport where I could find someone to talk to.
When I reached the airport, I met a blond Canadian man who I will call “Michael”. He was tall, had blue eyes and appeared to be in his forties. Michael was at the airport having his plane checked before his flight.
I was never so happy before to meet a stranger in a strange place. I approached with a smile, put out my hand, and introduced myself. I explained my predicament and showed him a map of the area. Michael’s face suddenly brightened when he saw the map.
“Yes, I know that area,” he said. “I really like that place so I occasionally fly over for the view. It is a beautiful area.”
“Is that so?” I asked. “If you have an airplane, could you take me on a tour of it?”
At first Michael stared at me, suddenly taken aback at my request. I knew it was an unusual request, but I didn’t want to miss this chance. But then Michael broke into a smile and said he would take me in his plane.
When Michael returned with his plane, I suddenly had misgivings about my plan. The airplane was so old and dilapidated that when I opened the door to get in, the handle broke off! And the inside was worse! The radio box had fallen off the panel and was rolling around the floor. The leather on the chair was so old that it was falling apart. Even the wings were bent and covered with rust. I wondered whether the plane would be able to take off at all.
Although I was reluctant to ride in that plane, I really wanted to get to the property, and I could not refuse a person who trusted me enough to agree to what might have been an unreasonable request. So I treated the situation as an opportunity. My approach has always been to search for opportunities and paths. When there wasn’t one, I made one.
Despite its looks, the plane made the trip without incident. Michael even trusted me to fly it for a little while.
As I looked at the future site of the HSP Ranch from the air for the first time, I deeply felt how beautiful and special this land was. And as Michael shared some of the history of the site with me, I started to form a picture in my mind of what it would become in the future—a site where many people would gather for peace.
