Yates Unicorn Ranch
Where Excuses Become Opportunities
A Sergeant's Wisdom
In the heart of military service, a sergeant named Cory Yates developed an unusual response to the daily parade of excuses from his soldiers.
Missing formation? Lost shoes? Sick kid?
“I get it,” he’d say with understanding in his eyes, “You had to walk a unicorn.” The soldiers would laugh, caught off guard by this unexpected response to their excuses. But Sergeant Yates wasn’t just being clever – he was planting the seeds of something much bigger.
“First one’s on me,” he’d tell them, turning what could have been a moment of confrontation into one of connection. When the excuses would inevitably return, he’d offer to take their “unicorn” to his ranch, promising to care for it while they focused on their duties.
It was more than just wordplay – it was a way of acknowledging their struggles while gently guiding them back to responsibility.
From Military Leadership to Ministry
Little did Cory know when he was in the military that God would transform this playful metaphor into a powerful ministry. After leaving the military, he felt called to serve but wasn’t sure exactly how. The answer came through a familiar pattern – people wanting to serve on mission trips but held back by financial constraints.
These weren’t excuses like lost shoes or broken-down cars; these were sincere believers hearing God’s call but lacking the financial means to respond. That’s when Yates Unicorn Ranch Ministries was born – a place where financial obstacles to mission work come to be transformed.
Just as Cory once offered to “care for unicorns” so his soldiers could fulfill their duties, the ministry he founded ministry now helps clear the path for people to answer God’s call to serve.
One of the pieces of scripture Cory believes strongly in helping all who reach out achieve is living out Isaiah 6:8, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.'”
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
Matthew 28:19-20
Empowering The Ability to Go And Make Disciples
The ministry doesn’t just write checks – it partners with aspiring missionaries, teaching them fundraising skills and providing financial support tailored to each situation. Whether it’s installing solar panels on mud huts in Peru or serving communities across the globe, Yates Unicorn Ranch Ministries ensures that “I can’t afford it” never has to be the end of someone’s mission story.
The Forge of Faith
But perhaps most remarkable is how Cory shares this message. As a skilled bladesmith, he forges knives while sharing his testimony, using the metaphor of metalworking to illustrate God’s transformative power. The forge represents our environments, the hammer the decisions that shape us. Through heat and pressure, what enters the forge as raw metal emerges as something purposeful and sharp – just as God can take our past decisions, both good and bad, and forge them into tools for His glory.
Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities
