Jake Sawyer was a seventh grader at Rutledge Middle School in Grainger County when YOKE launched its first club there. He said it helped him through some of the toughest times in his life. “YOKE gave me something to look forward to every week,” he recalled. “It was an escape from all the bad things happening in my world and I loved knowing that YOKE Folk cared about me during those tough times.”
Lara wasn’t introduced to YOKE until she was a senior in high school. When her friend, Amy Cabbage invited her to serve as a leader, she thought it sounded like a lot of fun. “Then I met John and Helen Coatney and fell in love with YOKE and the passion they had to serve middle school students,” she explained.
While Jake and Lara don’t have a specific memory of how they first met, they bonded while serving together at YOKE from 2011-2016. “It was while serving together we realized that we had many of the same goals and priorities in our lives, and that brought us closer together,” remembered Lara. “In fact, one of our earliest dates was kayaking at John and Helen Coatney’s house.”
Jake and Lara have so many happy memories from their time with YOKE. Among them are taking kids rafting on the Hiawassee River, building relationships with other YOKE Folk over cookouts at the Coatney’s, and tubing in the cold water of the Holston River there. Naturally, camp was always a highlight because it gave them a chance to get to know kids on a deeper level.
One of Lara’s favorite YOKE memories involves a time during summer camp when she was asked to lead a devotional time on a specific topic with a group of students. “I called John and told him that I needed help,” she recalled. “He and Helen invited me to come right over.” She continued:
I thought John would have a devotion ready to go by the time I arrived—sharing what he knew about the topic and what scripture I should use. Instead, he had a stack of Bibles and commentaries sitting on the table overlooking the river. He pointed me in the right direction and told me we’d talk about it after I was done studying. I learned an important lesson that day about reading, reflecting, and praying over scripture.
“YOKE helped me grow so much as a person,” explained Lara. “It helped me understand that our mission field doesn’t have to be miles away, but that it is wherever we are. YOKE also helped me realize that I wanted to influence students, which led me to a career in education.” Lara served as a high school teacher for eight years before leaving to spend more time with the family and the family business.
Jake and Lara still live in Rutledge and have a daughter, Kylie, who is two. Together they own and operate Red Barn Produce. Make sure to stop by when you’re in town. It’s a great place to get the produce – or plants – that you need. And if you’re hungry for lunch, there is a great Mexican restaurant right inside the store.
