Linda Collins, now Linda Faber, grew up in Rolla, Mo., along with her 11 brothers and sisters and moved to Australia, on her own at age 17. “We were a yours, mine and ours sort of family,” she laughed. “I always liked horses but it simply wasn’t something we could afford in such a big family. It wasn’t until I was at the Discipleship Center during my two years in Australia that I got to ride. I quickly figured out, oh, this could be addicting. Back in America, in the years that followed, I worked at a lady’s ranch and at another stable in St. James, Mo., as a volunteer. I wanted to be sure I had what it took to do the work involved with horses every day. I listened to everyone. I also worked at a family camp in Arkansas and then later, while going to college in Moberly, Mo., at Central Christian College getting a degree in Christian education, I worked at an AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) barns with one of their top trainers and judges. Three months turned into three years as I also went to shows with them.
“Then I went to a huge camp called Spring Hill in Michigan where they had 90 horses and worked with 1,000 kids a week and yet had no serious accidents. Their safety procedures were amazing and that’s when I began to feel confident as in, I can do this.”
Since 2009, Linda has ran the horse program at Camp David of the Ozarks, in rural Phelps County, just south of Rolla. Camp David is a Christian summer camp designed specifically for the children of Missouri’s prisoners.
Linda explained, “In 2010, we began the mentoring program and we also began offering beginning riding lessons in the fall and spring. We are looking to continue the development of a mentoring program, a multi-faceted program that extends throughout the whole year, not just the summer camp season.”
A couple of years ago at a missions conference in Atlanta, Ga., she met husband, Josiah Faber for the first time. He worked at the Muscatatuck Christian Ranch in Indiana, managing their horses.
Today, Josiah also works at Camp David as their retreats and facility manager which includes maintenance and scheduling of retreats throughout the year.
Currently, Camp David owns five horses and we run 9-12 horses in the summer camp season, by begging and borrowing other horses. We are actively running an after-school program of riding lessons in the spring and fall and our mentoring program is growing. This year with 200 campers we didn’t have any kids hurt or even any to fall off, so that makes for a really good year.”
In the 21st century, finding a way to make a living with horses is no easy thing, but Linda and Josiah Faber have found a unique and exciting way to do that, which also gives back to their community. As fall approaches, a new little Faber is on the way, someone else who will also undoubtedly help them spread the message of giving back and sharing their love of God and horses with others.
