Micheline received her salvation when she was a child but did not pursue a relationship to know God. She experienced a life full of adversities starting with her birth in a war torn, third world country.  This was followed by the abandonment of her father and her family's struggle to survive to make it to America.  As her knowledge and love for the Lord grew in her mid thirties, God made her aware of His purpose for all the adversities and so she found her calling.....to start a ministry for children using unwanted and abused horses.  The goal for this ministry is to help children understand that there is hope found in faith in Jesus Christ. Micheline has been happily married to Matthew Barkley since 1992 and blessed with four children whom they have raised here in southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Matthew was raised in a loving Christian home in Portersville, PA where he shared his life with committed parents andthree brothers.  In Portersville is where he acquired his love for the country life, farming and horses. At nineteen, he began his career in the U.S. Army stationed in Korea and at the Pentagon followed by an honorable discharge as a Sergeant.  From there, he became a part of the family Bookbindery, Plastikoil of PA, Inc.  As his knowledge and skills grew, he became the visionary for the company and stepped into his father's position when Don Barkley passed away in 2008. In 2010, Matthew and Micheline experienced the life altering journey in search of how God wanted them to serve Him.  Matt's equine experience in conjunction with his love of the Lord combined with Micheline's passion for helping children led them to start Ready Yourselves Youth Ranch.

Don and Zoe Peffer are missionaries with Crossworld mission. They have been serving for 29 years first in Zaire, Africa, and then Brazil, SA. Don grew up on a farm in Portersville, and Zoe is from Baden Economy; so when they are back in their home area, they like to help at the Ranch.  Presently they are serving in Campo Verde, Brazil, but finished a 6 month sabbatical where Don worked on the barn and many other projects through the summer.  Don considers this as part of his mission maintenance ministry and enjoys the physical work. Zoe loves kids and horses so mentors, teaches Bible lessons for day camps, and fills in whereever she can. They currently spend 5 months of the year at RYYR and 7 months in Brazil.

Becca grew up in western Pennsylvania owning horses and learning from and about them. She began volunteering at a therapeutic riding program in high school, which led to becoming a special education teacher. Becca spent college summers as a counselor at Shekinah Western Ranch Camp, where she was given opportunities to learn from various trainers, and see faith in connection with horsemanship. After becoming certified as a PATH Intl. Registered Instructor, God prepared her through teaching in various schools and barns with skills He knew she’d need at the ranch! The environment of RYYR enables her to use both her horsemanship and educational background to serve others for the glory of God.

As the operations manager, I feel very privileged to be serving in this position. I am the youngest of Micheline & Matthew's four children. I first found my love for equine friends in 2009 when my close friend was an avid equestrian with horses in her backyard. I participated in 4H until I aged out and showed horses for a handful of years, soaking up as much information as I could. Growing up around horses has taught me a lot of good knowledge that I have been able to implement at the ranch. My husband and I have been married since 2020. I love to spend time in my garden in the summer and ride my horses when I can squeeze that in my busy schedule. I have two wonderful dogs that are my buddies and spend most days with me at the ranch when the weather is nice. The best benefit of serving at the Ranch is knowing this is part of God's kingdom and I am blessed to be able to be a part of it. Being involved in the Ranch has changed my life in so many phenomenal ways, I look forward to the growth I will continue to achieve.

Steve is a lifelong resident of Beaver County, growing up in Raccoon Township along with his three sisters and attending Geneva College in Beaver Falls.  He is married to his wife, Libby, and they are blessed to have four children who always keep them busy.  Steve began his career as a chemical engineer and a decade later moved into leadership of an online education organization.  Steve is passionate about providing people with access to education so that they can reach their potential and each seek out their calling.  This desire to provide opportunities to people who are experiencing challenges drew Steve to the work of Ready Yourselves Youth Ranch.  He is honored to serve the ranch and the youth mentoring program that shares God’s love, provides support and offers guidance to children in the area who are dealing with difficulties. 

I am the proud mom of my daughter, Jordan & son Jake. I have worked in ministry for over 26 years and am currently one of the founders and directors of The Center in Midland. I am a soccer coach, have worked as an advocate with CASA, and equine therapy at George Junior. Growing up with horses helped develop my love for riding. This coupled with my passion for youth and Jesus makes RYYR a perfect organization to invest my time, treasure and talent. I am beyond grateful to get to be a part of this incredible team!

Cory lives in New Brighton, PA with his wife, Abigail, and their 4 children, whom they homeschool. They own 28 Subway franchises on the East Coast and are members of North Way Christian Community, Beaver Valley. Cory has been involved at the ranch since 2020, when his daughter began taking riding lessons there and their passion for the ranch grew. They currently own Liberty, who they lease back to the ranch to use for program purposes. In his free time, he likes to hike, kayak, ski, and read. They are also heavily engaged in ministry in the country of Panama.