GTD Bullhorn

THE DIFFERENCE A VERSE CAN MAKE

2012-03-02T13:48:00.005-05:00

This is a short encouraging note from one of our former Costa Rica Mission Trip participants - Gina Scarpetta Watkins. It's about the difference God's Word can make in our life's direction.

"Doug! I have the best short version of a story for you! It goes all the way back to Costa Rica. That trip is where I first learned to be still and listen for God. You always gave us verses/passages to read and you sent us to go sit for a while and pray and reflect and at the time, having just become a believer, I was still figuring out what all that meant. Anyway, that trip, Matt chapter 6:24-33 became very important to me and 6:33 became my life verse. It is what I clung to in grad school. I took a picture of it when I saw it hanging on the wall at this church when I went to go lead a retreat one weekend. (it's in my facebook photos). It was their student ministry verse! I was floored! Mainly b/c I was so torn about whether or not I should go. I was glad I did. Fast forward to current life, about a year ago. I was working at grace 17.20 and been praying for a new job for a while and Ravi Zacharias would eat in my restaurant and I had recently met him at a friend's wedding. Well, he left me his book, "The Grand Weaver" and signed it for me, and also added Matt 6:33. I almost fell over! A few months later I landed here at RZIM and I have this amazing story that begins with me stepping out in very new faith to go to Costa Rica! Just wanted you to know b/c GTD was very much a part of that story. Thanks!!!"

Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Thank you for this note Gina. It's a quick, yet profound reminder of how one verse can change the course of our entire lives. To our GTD followers: What's your life verse(s)???

My life verses are John 15:1-17!!!

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$1000 DONATION TO GTD!!

2012-03-01T16:41:00.003-05:00

$1000 DONATION TO GTD!!

THANK YOU "CELEBRATE PINELLAS PARK, INC"!!!

Our profound thanks and gratitude to Celebrate Pinellas Park, Inc for their generous donation to GTD!! May God bless them for their support!!

You can check out & LIKE their Facebook Page here: http://www.facebook.com/celebratepinellaspark

Check out their website here: http://www.celebratepinellaspark.com/

What a great way to kick off March Madness!!

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Happy LEAP Day!!

2012-02-29T12:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Leap Day from GTD!!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him."
- Psalm 28:7

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THANK YOU 2011 DONORS!!

2012-02-27T11:56:00.002-05:00

Dear Donors,

Thank you so much for generously supporting GTD in 2011. We are blown away by your thoughtfulness and kindness!

I am happy to report that we just completed our 2nd straight year of finishing in the black during a very harsh economy! Thank You Jesus! This is especially significant after the financial struggle we encountered in 2008/9 when the U.S. economy tanked.

I am also happy to report that we have made several adjustments based on the wisdom of God’s Word to “weatherproof” our ministry against our nation’s current economic climate as well as any future economic instabilities.

I could talk for hours about all that God has been teaching me about financial stability in ministry. Each lesson has transformed into an action point that has already been applied to GTD. This has caused a branch that began to wither in 2008/9 to be revived and begin to bear fruit again. I will be writing more about this topic in an upcoming post on the GTD Blog.

Our goal for many years has been to become a ministry that is not donation dependent. We desire to be 100% program supported and allow all donations to go towards the growth, development & expansion of GTD rather than going towards paying the monthly bills to keep GTD in business. I’m so excited to tell you that we are almost there. In 2011, 78% of our budget expenses were paid by the programs we run. That means that we were donation dependent for only 22% of our budget. That’s amazing!! Our goal for 2012 is to be only 12% donation dependent! And our prayer is to be 100% program funded by this time next year (Jan 2013)!!!

Of course, as a non-profit we will always receive donations, but our God-inspired ambition has always been to one day grow to a point where we are self sustaining through the programs we offer. I believe this is how many non-profits should operate so that donors help to start-up and support ministries until those ministries reach the maturity phase of being self sustaining. This will unleash donors to adopt other new great ministries & causes every few years.

But we’re not quite there yet so we ask that you continue to partner with us as we strive to hit this great goal. We thank God for you and the vital role that you play in this ministry!

And we are very excited about all the events God has blessed us with already in 2012. We already have 9 mission trips to Costa Rica, 5 adventure trips, and several retreats & day trips planned for this year. We have all kinds of God-awesome events that are open to the public - The Grand Canyon Trip, 17th Annual Slammed Adventure Trip, CR2012 Costa Rica Mission Trip, Grunge Caving Day Trip, Liquid Canoeing Day Trip, and so much more!

God has filled us with an expectant spirit that 2012 is going to be “Our Greatest Year Ever!” We look forward to all the lives that will be eternally impacted through our unique programs as we share the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ in the great outdoors. Thank you for supporting GTD! May God richly bless you for your generosity!

PS: Check out all the amazing updates & upcoming events on our website: www.goingthedistance.org

Sincerely,
Doug Garner
CEO / Founder / Grunt

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Excellent Finish!!

2012-02-25T19:19:00.001-05:00

Our adult leadership retreat with the Middle School Youth Group from Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater was excellent. Today we awoke at 6.30am and started the day with individual devotions. Laurie made some kickin' pancakes to fuel our participants for a full day of activity. While I was setting up 8 checkpoints for our adventure race, Pastor Ron was playing a game called "Mafia" with the group while enjoying the campfire. A great discussion about accusing, lying, and judging (all of which are elements of playing Mafia) resulted. It was powerful! Afterwards the group covered several leadership lessons with Ron. We then broke the group into 3 equal teams and started the adventure race. Each group had to find all 8 chckpoints scattered throughout the forest and accommplish a different team task at each checkpoint. The group had a great time & made it back to the base camp just in time for an awesome pizzadilla lunch. The pizzadillas were a huge hit! Ron finished the retreat with one last leadership objective around the campfire. Afterward the group helped break down camp... they were so helpful!! Around 4pm we shared some hugs and waved goodbye. It was an excellent retreat with a wonderful group of Godly people!! Thank You Jesus for a great event!! =)

Florida Beauty

2012-02-25T12:37:00.001-05:00

OFF 2 A GR8 START!!

2012-02-24T23:38:00.001-05:00

Our leadership retreat w/ Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater's Middle School Youth Dept is off to a great start! This is a wonderful group of Christians who dedicate their time to helping young people grow in their walk with God. They are so much fun to be around =)

After setting up their tents we did an hour of team building followed by a delicious taco dinner. Pastor Ron spent an hour during the campfire concentrating on the continued growth & development of the youth group. We finished the night with some smores, a lot of laughing, and some great fellowship. We are getting up at 6:30am... so we are off to bed.

Nite, nite... God bless =)

Preparing For Tonight's Retreat

2012-02-24T13:44:00.001-05:00

We are in Land O'Lakes setting up the campsite for a retreat with Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater. The adult leaders from the Middle School Youth Group along with Youth Pastor Ron Cooney are participating in a 24 hour leadership retreat. We are looking forward to all that God does this weekend =)

The Doodles

2012-02-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

Faith and Courage are all packed up and ready for their first retreat of the year!

NEW TENTS!!

2012-02-23T13:23:00.001-05:00

Praise the Lord, we have new tents!! These 12' x 12' mini-mansions sleep up to 8 people, but since we supply cots for each participant we can get up to 4 peeps per tent.

Coleman makes a decent quality tent. It's not top-of-the-line, but when you're housing hundreds of teenagers each year you want an affordable durable tent (with a good waranty). Our goal is to get 2 years of use from each tent. We were able to stretch the last set of tents to 3 years... but just barely.

We purchased 8 tents this month & hope to purchase another 8 before summer. We have enough cots & gear to accommodate around 70 people.

We praise God for this awesome blessing!! =)

ADMIN MANIA!!

2012-02-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

We have a lot of administration work going on over here at GTD Central. Laurie is working on several upcoming mission trips as well as the internships. I've got a pile of work on my desk that stacked up while we were in Costa Rica. Praise The Lord for the blessing of purposeful work!! =)

PS:

The GRUNGE Caving Day Trip pics have been uploaded to our SmugMug Photo Album!! Enjoy =)

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GRUNGE 2012

2012-02-18T19:27:00.001-05:00

Caving in Ocala with an awesome group of peeps!!

Over The Edge

2012-02-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

White Water Rafting in Costa Rica!! Going over a 12' waterfall on the Tenorio River... ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!

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SOLD OUT!!

2012-02-17T12:15:00.003-05:00

SOLD OUT!!!

Our annual GRUNGE CAVING TRIP scheduled for Saturday Feb 18th is officially sold out!!

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Jesus Has Impacted These Men In Costa Rica!!

2012-02-16T20:59:00.000-05:00

We are partnering with a Christian rehab program in Costa Rica!! I love this video!! These are men in Costa Rica that are recovering from various addictions through a Christ-centered rehab program. This video was taken right after they completed several hours of hard manual labor for a housing project. They weren't required to work; they want to work! They are basically singing that whatever you do, do it with joy and for the glory of Jesus. =)

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TOP 10

2012-02-15T17:19:00.001-05:00

It's impossible to go to another country and experience their culture without comparing & contrasting it to my own culture in my own country.

Here is a list of the Top 5 things I love about Costa Rica that are less apparent (or becoming less apparent) in the US followed by a list of the Top 5 things I really appreciate when I get back to the US.

PS: Costa Rica has been named, The Happiest Place In The World... "Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world and have the second-highest average life expectancy of the new world." according to the New Economics Foundation in Britain

TOP 5 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT COSTA RICA

5) Much safer place to live and raise a family

(with the exception of a few areas where secularism prevails which has given birth to higher drug use, theft, & increasing rates of violent crimes)

4) Less secularism, less atheism, & more freedom to worship God openly in public places
3) High levels of individual honesty & integrity
2) Simplicity & Frugality
1) The People!!!

(Awesome attitudes, very loving & caring people, no "drama", they lack anger & hostility, not overly critical & sarcastic, respectful kids, ALWAYS HAVE TIME FOR family-friends-neighbors)

TOP 5 THINGS I REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN I GET BACK TO THE U.S.

5) Multi-lane Highways, Emergency Lanes, Street Signs & Addresses
4) Mail
3) American Ambition & Drive
2) Hot Water
1) We Can Flush Our Toilet Paper!!

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Thank U!!

2012-02-15T16:11:00.003-05:00

Special thanks to Traci Vescovi, Jen Morrison, & Sarah Dawson for joyfully taking care of the GTD zoo & office while we were away!! You women are rock stars!!

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Back N The USA!!

2012-02-14T19:42:00.001-05:00

We're baaaaaaaack =)

Thank U Jesus for all the awesome things you're doing all over the world!!

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Heading Home

2012-02-14T13:57:00.001-05:00

About to board our flight home. Incredible trip - PTL!!

Sunset At The Windmills of Guayabo

2012-02-14T10:12:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful time with our dear friends Luis & Marietta (and Yikson) as we watched the sunset behind the windmills in the Guayabo countryside.

Finishing Strong

2012-02-13T23:49:00.001-05:00

Our time in Costa Rica is coming to an end on Tuesday. The last 2 days have been very special. Many pictures & stories coming soon... we are so tired tonight, but so happy to see all that God is doing =)

FANTASTIC 2 Days In Costa Rica!!

2012-02-11T23:05:00.001-05:00

I will try to keep this short... so here are the bullet points:

- After painting yesterday we were invited to have lunch in the home of our amiga "Jadida"... Yummy, yummy in my tummy tummy ;)

- We then had a 2 hour meeting with Pastor Danilo & "Jami" (I don't know how to spell most Costa Rican's names - LOL!!) to plan out the next 8 mission trips as well as some long term planning.

- Then our new amigo Victor invited us to his house for his 4 year old daughter's birthday party. It was an honor to celebrate with her & her family!!

- We were then off to have dinner at the home of our "adopted son" (pretend adoption) "Jixon" along with his mom & step-dad. His mom made a great dinner of chicken, rice & beans, and pasta salad... delicious!!

- SLEEP!!

- Laurie was up at 6am to go with Pastor Danilo, his wife, & our amiga "Jenni" to a youth camp discipleship leadership training.

- Toly & I (Doug) stayed in Fortuna and went to a work day at the government housing area named "Margarita". We worked along with church members & the rehab men to prepare Margarita's "community center" for a restoration project that will be overseen by Samaritan's Purse in a few weeks. Afterwards the rehab men cleaned up the kid's playground which has been run-down for years. I was so impressed with the rehab men!! They are my new friends... and new heroes =)

- My amigo Alfredo took Toly & I on an awesome adventure to see how coffee is made, how sugar is made, & to dump off about 30 bags of debris from the work project. He asked me to drive his truck... and I loved it (and every part of this adventure).

- Laurie & I went horseback riding with "Jixon" to a few waterfalls near the volcano to check it out for future groups!! I did this trek back in 2006, but Laurie never has. Loved it!- We then rushed to have dinner at the home of our cook & amiga - Lila!! Another wonderful meal by a wonderful woman!!

I wish I had time to share about each interaction and the many special moments God has blessed us with. We are blown away & humbled by all the doors that God is opening!! Until the next post, enjoy the following pics... Goodnight & God bless!! =)

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A Few Photos From The Day

2012-02-10T23:47:00.001-05:00

After

2012-02-10T14:57:00.001-05:00

We were able to finish the front of the school today. Another crew is finishing up the rest this afternoon.

During

2012-02-10T14:52:00.001-05:00

The painting crew =)

Before

2012-02-10T14:49:00.001-05:00

Before pictures of the school =)

A Painting Project

2012-02-10T12:19:00.001-05:00

We are helping to paint the elementary school today to Fortuna! Stay tuned for the after photos! Pura Vida!!!

Thursday

2012-02-09T22:00:00.001-05:00

Our Rental Car

2012-02-09T13:20:00.001-05:00

All the Ticos love our rental car. They keep looking at it & asking about it. I never thought a Hyundai would turn so many heads.

We are now preparing for the 8 teams that are coming down over the next 6 months. Today we are checking out white water rafting locations, more activity destinations, additional pharmacies, and additional clinics & hospitals within an hour drive.

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Time Flies, The Gash, & Home Bound

2012-02-08T17:51:00.001-05:00

Time flies by faster than we can blog!! The last 2 days have been packed full. Our morning devotions have been wonderful. Yesterday we read thru the first part of Galatians chapter 6 and discussed it. We love kicking off the day in The Word and seeking God. Tuesday was a day of exploring Fortuna & Guayabo. We took Heather & Adalyn to get souvenirs from an extremely talented artist in Guayabo. Lela made our favorite Challupa meal for lunch. Alfredo took us on a hiking tour to see monkeys, horses, cows & bulls as we trekked through the open range of Fortuna. Heather, Adalyn, & Laurie went to the town square area to pick up 3 bags of trash (Heather has been wanting to do this all week). We went Thermal Mania to enjoy the hot springs swimming pools (the water is heated by a nearby volcano), a small waterslide, & dinner. BUT, Heather had other plans... on the last slide of the night she slipped and hit the back of her head on the slide and received a pretty nasty gash. She was incredible tough! Adalyn witnessed the whole thing and follwed her mom down the slide to make sure she was alright. Heather said the knock to the head nearly knocked her out. She had a pretty good knot on her head. We called the local doctor and he said he would stay late to stitch her up so we took off for Guayabo to let the doctor look at her. He was a FANTASTIC young man... AND HILARIOUS!! We all wanted to get a gash and have him sew us up!! Heather did great and never even complained throughout the whole ordeal. We eventually got our dinners to go from Thermal Mania and went back to the church to have one last dinner together. There are so many untold stories that happen each day, but it's so amazing how many opportunities we have throughout the day to talk about Jesus with others. We woke up at 6am this morning and drove 3 and a half hours to the San Jose airport. It was tough to say goodbye. God bonded us together over the past 7 days. Heather is a fun-loving, engaging, woman of God. And Adalyn is one of the most amazing young people I've ever met. We already miss them! We found a brand new Walmart in Costa Rica so we spent a couple of hours checking it out. We are about to drive back to the church. Sorry for all the random thoughts!! I'm typing this on my phone while eating lunch - LOL!! Thanks for all the prayers, thoughts & love!! God bless =)

PS: More pictures to come soon =)

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Days Gone By

2012-02-08T17:32:00.001-05:00

More Than Words Can Say

2012-02-06T21:18:00.001-05:00

Very Touched

2012-02-06T21:17:00.001-05:00

Monday Night In Costa Rica: We just finished spending time with several men going through a Christian based rehab program for various addictions. I can't express the impact it had on all of us. Heather & I (Doug) were both honored to share a testimony of how God has impacted our lives. It was such an honor to be a part of their meeting. We are speechless.

Domingo in Costa Rica

2012-02-05T17:57:00.001-05:00

Domingo in Spanish means Sunday, and Sunday in Fortuna means an incredible time at church!

I only have a couple of minutes to leave an update. Church was awesome this morning. I will upload a video clip of the passionate prase & worship from this morning's service.

After church we enjoyed the canopy tour (ziplining) in the rain forest. As usual, it was a BLAST! Heather & Adalyn loved it.

Now we are in town picking up popcorn and snacks because we are hosting a last minute movie night at the church. We are using a projector to show "Courageous". Please pray God uses it in a powerful way.

Everyone is doing great. More pics, videos & blog posts are on the way!!

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What an AMAZING Time!!

2012-02-04T22:44:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's hard to put into words how incredible the last 24 hours has been.
Last night our Costa Rican cook, Lela, made our favorite dinner - chalupas!!! Absolutely delicious!!! Out of this world!!!

We were invited to be a part of a small group Bible study last night in the poorest part of town. We were expecting to just be observors, but I (Doug) was asked to speak right before it started. I've learned through the years that when I don't have any time to prepare, the best thing to speak about is what God is currently teaching me. It's fresh & something that I'm usually most passionate about because I love learning from my heavenly Father.

There were about 25 men, women, and children there. I shared about the journey God has had me on over the past 4 years in ministry. Since I'm typing this on my cell phone I will have to keep it to that brief description, but I look forward to blogging about the specifics in a few weeks. It was an honor to be a part of their small group. Like most people in Costa Rica (and especially in this small town) the people are so warm, friendly, and welcoming. Everywhere we go it's like a big group hug from the family of God.

It was such a blessing to see the leaders of the small group Bible study reaching out to their community with the love of Jesus. There were several people in need of the power of Christ in their life as the world has sucked the life out of them and left them empty.

Heather and her 12 year old daughter Adalyn have already fallen in love with this community... and vice versa. As the Bible study ended last night all the kids played together outside for about 2 hours. Adalyn was a big hit with the local kids and had a blast playing games together. While the kids played, Heather, Laurie and I went on a search-and-find mission. Laurie brought down a lot of pictures of the community kids from last summer's carnival day. Our new friend, Julio, took us door-to-door to find the kids and hand deliver the pictures to them. They were so happy to get the pictures. It was a big hit!
This morning we started the day with an excellent breakfast made by Lela. Afterwards we studied Matthew 17 for our morning devotions. There's no better way to start the day than in God's presence!

The weather is PERFECT as we are right in the middle of Costa Rica's summer. Temps are around 75*F with clear skies and pleasant breezes.

After devos we painted the bottom of 22 trees on the church property with a special fluid to prevent insects from damaging them. It was a good project and a great way to serve our brothers in Christ as they serve the Lord.

We enjoyed a lot of fresh fruit during our work break.
After finishing our project we went to visit our bus driver Luis and his lovely wife Marieta. They are such incredible people. Before we even sat down Marieta began making us an incredible lunch of steak, rice & beans, salad and plantains... Followed with ice cream bars!! Wow, can she cook!

Luis is such a wonderful man-of-God. We loved listening to everything that God is doing in his family's life. We were also saddened to hear that he will no longer be our bus driver. God has him on a new journey that includes 3 businesses. He now owns his own dairy cow farm, is starting a guided tour in a national park (he and his business partner just finished preparing their tour wagon that holds 25 people), and has a third business starting up in San Jose. Because of this he & his wife will be moving about 30 minutes away at the end of this month. We were so happy for them and so sad that we won't see them as much as we want to. Luis was the absolute best bus driver we could have ever dreamed of. He has been an answer to prayer for our ministry. He will be greatly missed!

There is a youth service at church tonight. It's such a blessing to watch & hear these young people worship God! Adalyn & Heather are loving it!

There are so many other things I could share, but I'm out of time! We have laughed so much on this trip. Praise God for laughter!!

Blog u tomorrow! We are planning to go to church, the ziplines, and hopefully have a town-wide movie night watching "Courageous" =)

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CR2012 Is Off To A Good Start =)

2012-02-03T16:26:00.001-05:00

After a 5 hour drive from the airport we arrived to the church in Fortuna (near Guayabo). We could see that there was a Thursday night church service going on as we pulled up. As soon as we opened the car doors we could hear the people signing worship songs to God as they sang, "Hallelulah, hallelulah, hallelulah". I can't tell you how blessed we were as soon as that beautiful sound touched our ears. The church immediately welcomed us and brought us up in front of the congregation to show us some love. We were so happy to report to them that we are bringing 8 groups back to serve the Lord with them this summer. And they were happy too as they all clapped loudly.

Afterwards we ate a late dinner in the small town and drove our "adopted" son home to save him from a 1 hour walk. It's such a great feeling to embrace our adopted Costa Rican extended "family" each time we see them. The love of Jesus just oozes out of them.

We got a great nights sleep last night... except Adalyn was a little afraid of some lizards she saw crawling in & around her room.

This morning we planned out our meals & grocery list with Lela (one of the best cooks we've ever had!!). Then we had a wonderful devotion time as we read Eph 6:10-18 and spent some personal time with God praying & reading His word. Afterward we spent some time talking about what God is teaching us. It was a special time.

We just had brunch at a small restaurant in Guayabo and the crew is grocery shopping at Super Chavez (the local small grocery store in town).

Tonight we are participating in a Bible study with a group in the poorest part of Fortuna that receives their housing through the government. We love these people & can't wait to be a part of what God is doing there.

Thank you for your prayers & for following our mission trip.

Hola From Costa Rica!!

2012-02-02T15:56:00.001-05:00

We have arrived in Costa Rica!! The flight went great and we enjoyed watching Dolphin Tale at 25,000 feet. We have a very, very, very small team (not a midget joke!): Adalyn, Heather, Toly, Laurie, & me (Doug). Right now we are eating some authentic Costa Rican food at a restaurant near the San Jose airport. Laurie & I just completed our 21 day Daniel Fast this morning so this is our first cooked meal in 3 weeks. We will see ;). We are looking forward to what God has in store for our small team this week =)

CR2012 Begins!!

2012-02-02T09:54:00.001-05:00

Heading to Costa Rica!! About to board JetBlue!! Follow our first mission trip of 2012 on the GTD blog: http://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/

19 Days Till GRUNGE

2012-01-31T17:27:00.002-05:00

GRUNGE 2012 Caving Day Trip (Ocala, FL)

Feb 18 | Special: $16/person (Save $9)

ONLY 25 SPOTS AVAILABLE!!

YOU MUST PRE-PAY ($16) TO LOCK IN YOUR SPOT!!

SEE ALL DETAILS HERE:
http://www.goingthedistance.org/pages.asp?pageid=12267

CONTACT GTD: 727-394-9483

------------- GRUNGE INFO --------------

COST: $16 (includes lunch & all gear)

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SUMMARY:

GRUNGE is GTD's underground caving adventure. It's a whole other world under the ground and GTD wants to take you there. Whether you are walking through limestone caverns, wading through underground rivers, or crawling through bowling ball sized holes you will be blown away by the playground God created beneath the surface of the earth. GRUNGE is the essence of being a kid - exploring holes and passage ways that will both challenge & amaze you. GTD will equip you with all of the safety gear you need as you light up the darkness and discover a whole new world of hidden adventures. GRUNGE is a Christ centered event that is seasoned with prayer and provided in a Godly Christian atmosphere.

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Garage Sale By Ministry Partner Raises $300

2012-01-30T12:32:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to GTD Ministry Partners Paul & Heather Williamson who raised $300 at their Garage Sale this past weekend to send down to our adopted home church in Costa Rica. In addition, they are sending down a bag of very nice outgrown kid's clothes to be distributed to a low income housing area in the small town of Fortuna. Paul & Heather have participated in our Costa Rica Mission Trips and developed a heart for the wonderful people of Fortuna and Guayabo. Thank you to the Williamson family!!

2013... Already???

2012-01-28T12:24:00.001-05:00

The Mayans may not of planned for 2013, but GTD already is!!

MOGUL & XFL are coming back to the GTD schedule in 2013!!

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Tons of Website Updates Completed

2012-01-27T15:14:00.001-05:00

It has taken a few weeks, but I was able to complete 8 of 14 public event links on the GTD website in addition to A LOT of major updates. Check it out and see what you think:

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The Office

2012-01-24T17:55:00.003-05:00

The administration workload here at GTD Headquarters during the month of January can get as wild as an episode of The Office. But hopefully we are a little more productive =). With the end-of-the-year and the start-of-a-new-year comes many requirements, deadlines, and urgent tasks. Even though Laurie & I run an outdoor adventure ministry, we actually spend a lot of time in the office on computers. Like every non-profit organization we have state & federal requirements on top of a stack of daily, weekly & monthly administrative tasks. It's not unusual for me to work 12-16 hours per day just on administrative tasks... but I love it... and I thank God for it!! Here are some things we are currently working on in The GTD Office:

PRAYING!!! Bathing Everything In Prayer!!
W2's
W3's
Quarterly Reports
Donor Receipts
New Budget
Finalize 2012 Event Calendar
Planning Out 14 Public Events
Planning Out 12 Smiley's SAC Events
Planning Out 9 Costa Rica Mission Trips
Planning Out 5 Adventure Trips
Planning Out 6 Retreats & Day Trips
Updating & Constructing New Website Links For Each Public Event
Creating New Specials & Sales for 2012
Emails, Facebook, Twitter, & Blog
Preparing For Internships & Volunteers
Marketing GTD Events
Preparing Contracts & Invoices
Filing Receipts
Paying Bills
Office Clean-Up & Organizing
Reserving Camps, Cabins, Airline Tickets, etc
Assessing 305 Current Tasks And Prioritizing
Monthly Newsletters
Uploading Pics & Videos (Editing)
And On & On....

So that's a little snapshot of what's going on in the GTD office right now. Don't forget to regularly lift us up in prayer... "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." (Psalm 127.1). "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty." (Zech 4.6). "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Col 1.29). Thank you! God bless <><

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FPCDC Mission Trip Training

2012-01-23T09:02:00.000-05:00

Part of the FPCDC Mission Team Heading To Costa Rica In June 2012

Last night Laurie led up a great night of missions training with a wonderful youth group from First Presbyterian Church of Dade City. This group is energized and focused on their 9 day outreach in Costa Rica which is planned for this June.

We enjoyed some great fellowship with some great teenagers & their parents. We reviewed the history of GTD and how the Costa Rica Project developed then we covered topics such as The Great Commission, Phil 2:1-5, teamwork, what to expect in Costa Rica, how to prepare for this mission trip, air travel, currency, passports, vaccinations, language barriers, mission projects, adventures, daily agenda, spiritual emphasis, spiritual warfare, personal lessons learned, and so much more.

The entire training took about 3 hours and went very smoothly. Our special thanks to Nikki, Cathy, Kurt, Reverend Kevin D. Morris and his lovely wife Kim for the great honor of allowing GTD to put together a God-awesome mission trip for their youth. We look forward to what God has in store!

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GTD Has Gone MAD!!!

2012-01-20T17:03:00.004-05:00

GTD's March Madness!!! Private Retreats for ONLY $59/person!!!

That's right, our 2 day/ 2 night retreats are usually $99/person, but we are knocking 40% OFF for groups that sign-up to do a camping retreat during the month of March. Why are we doing this? Because we are MAD (Madly IN LOVE with Jesus who MAD [Made A Difference] in us so that He can MAD [Make A Difference] through us in people's lives!!). So be a part of all the MADNESS this March as GTD begins our GREATEST YEAR EVER!! Go to our website for contact information.

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HERE IT IS!!

2012-01-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

HERE IT IS!! The updated 2012 GTD Public Event Calendar:
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Feb 2-8: CR2012 (Spring Edition) - Costa Rica Mission Trip
Feb 18: GRUNGE Caving Day Trip
Apr 7: LIQUID Canoeing Day Trip
May 5-6: PADDLE PROWL Canoe Camping Weekender
May 12: THE DRIFTERS Inner Tubing Day Trip
May 25-28 GO VERTICAL Rock Climbing & Rappelling Trip
May 25-28: HYDRO White Water Excursion
July 7-14: CR2012 (Summer Edition) - Costa Rica Mission Trip
Aug 8-12: SLAMMED-17 (17th Annual Adventure Trip) to NC
Aug 30 - Sep 3: NOMAD Backpacking Trip
Sep 20-25: GRAND CANYON Trip
Oct 19-21 IGNITE Camping Retreat
Nov 13: ANNUAL BANQUET
Dec14-16: SWAMP THING Backpacking Trip In The Everglades
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Hope to see you on a GTD event this year!! God bless <><

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Skycrest Signs Up For A Day Trip!!

2012-01-20T14:48:00.000-05:00

God keeps blowing us away as He continues to fill up our calendar with ministry opportunities. We are happy to welcome the women's group from Skycrest Baptist Church of Clearwater to our Day Trip Program. We look forward to a wonderful day of canoeing and fellowship with these great ladies!!

The Refuge Church Is Costa Rica Bound!!

2012-01-17T17:11:00.000-05:00

PTL!!! Our 9th and only remaining mission trip slot has been filled!! We are excited to welcome The Refuge Church from Hilton Head, SC to our 2012 Costa Rica Mission Trip schedule. We look forward to the impact God is going to make in & through The Refuge Church!!

We are also blown away at the doors God has busted open for us already in 2012 in our Mission's Program and can't wait to see all that God does this year!! All glory to God <><

Paintball Was A Blast =)

2012-01-16T11:11:00.001-05:00

Our first SAC event for 2012 was paintball and we had a blast. 17 men from Smiley's young adult ministry played paintball for 3 hours for our January SAC (Sunday After Church) event. I love playing paintball, but this was the longest time and the most fun I've ever had playing. And the best part was that we had the KISS look-alike rock band out playing with us. Great guys, great times!!

Next SAC Event is our Super Bowl Party on Feb 5th!!

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SAC Is BAC(K)!!

2012-01-16T11:02:00.000-05:00

Last year GTD started supplying regular monthly outdoor activities to our home church's young adult ministry that I (Doug) have been a part of since 1988. The idea is to put together activities that promote relationship building and encourage regular attenders to invite unchurched friends to church followed with a fun activity... all while enjoying God's amazing creation. We call it SAC which is stands for Sunday After Church.

It's been a big hit, and now SAC is BAC(K) for 2012. Check out the activity line-up below for the 2012 SAC calendar. If you are a young adult and never married between the ages of 17-25 and looking for a thriving church and young adult ministry to be a part of then we encourage you to check out First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks Church and Smiley's Coffeehouse (the young adult ministry of FBCIR). Come pray with us then come play with us!

2012 SAC Calendar

Jan 15: Paintball
Feb 5: Super Bowl Party
Mar 18: High Ropes Course
Apr 15: Ultimate
May 20: Fun-N-The-Sun Beach Day
Jun 3: Wakeboarding Day
Jul 22: Softball
Aug 26: Canoeing
Sep 16: Flag Football
Oct 28: Indoor Rock Climbing
Nov 25: Cookout at the Park
Dec 16: Geocaching

Hope to see you there =)

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And Another GTD Retreat Scheduled =)

2012-01-13T16:11:00.001-05:00

God continues to bless GTD with more ministry opportunities. Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater & Skycrest Baptist Church of Clearwater are teaming-up to do a GTD youth retreat over spring break. This event will be for the 8th graders. We love working with Skycrest Youth Pastor - Mitch Kuhn and CBCC Youth Pastor - Ron Cooney and we look forward to all that God is going to do on this event!! We can't wait!!

We Got A Mac!!!

2012-01-12T18:01:00.002-05:00

It's been nearly impossible to do any quality video & photo editing on our outdated computers. Other than the occassionl virus, our used PC's have been doing well for our basic needs, but they continually crash when it comes to anything that has to do with graphics. So we were able to purchase GTD's first Mac!! A Mac Mini. And we can't wait to put together awesome brochures & videos that help market our events to more churches, groups, & individuals so they can experience one of GTD's God-awesome adventures!! Thank you Father for this great blessing =)

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Raise The Risk

2012-01-11T19:22:00.000-05:00

Last month I was asked to write an article about taking risks for Raise The Risk blog. I compared rappelling to obeying God. Here's the link to the blog if you're interested.
http://networkedblogs.com/rxR8R

Another Retreat Scheduled =)

2012-01-11T15:58:00.001-05:00

Yay!! We have another group signed up for a GTD Retreat. This time it's the adult leaders retreat from the middle school youth group of Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater (CBCC). This is another amazing church in the Pinellas County area. Laurie & I have been attending there regularly for a few months now. The middle school youth program is lead up by a great friend (and a great man of God) - Youth Pastor Ron Cooney and his awesome wife Brooke. If you are looking for a great church to attend then add CBCC to your list of places to check out.

GTD welcomes CBCC's middle school youth group leaders to our spring retreat program!

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Back-to-Back In The BLACK!!!!!!

2012-01-10T17:18:00.000-05:00

I'm ecstatic to report that GTD just completed 2 back-to-back years of finishing in the black (with slight profits) during a very harsh economic climate. That's huge news and we give God all the glory!!

Look Who's Going On A GTD Retreat!!

2012-01-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

2012 is off to an amazing start! Praise The Lord, we have groups lining up to do GTD events. We want to welcome Calvary Chapel of St Petersburg's middle school youth group to our spring retreat line-up!! CCSP has been doing summer adventure trips with GTD since the early 2000's and now they are ready to dip their toe into one of our God-awesome weekend retreats. We love working with CCSP!! They have a solid ministry that unashamedly teaches the truths of God's Word while having a blast. We are always blown away by the depth of Godly character and fun-loving attitudes we see in their youth. That depth reflects the quality and commitment to Jesus that oozes out of their adult leaders, especially their Youth Pastor - Josh Harris. If you are looking for a GREAT youth group & church to be a part of then we highly recommend checking out this church (see website here). It's with great JOY that we welcome CCSP to GTD's Retreat Program!!

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Another Group Heading To Costa Rica!!

2012-01-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to announce that The Family Worship Center of St Augustine, FL has signed up to do a GTD summer mission trip to Costa Rica!! This is a wonderful church full of fantastic people making an impact for the Kingdom of God. Check out their website here.

THIS IS OUR 8th MISSION TRIP SCHEDULED FOR 2012... FAR SURPASSING OUR GOAL OF 6... AND ONLY LEAVING ROOM FOR 1 MORE SUMMER TRIP!!

Thank YOU Jesus!!

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$500 Grant Received!!

2012-01-05T11:19:00.000-05:00

Our profound thanks to the Hardy Huntley Charitable Foundation for their generation donation of $500 to GTD!! God bless you guys!!

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-03T10:55:00.002-05:00

As we say goodbye to 2011 we pray that 2012 is already off to an excellent start for you!

GTD is ~~preparing~~ ... or more accurately "preprayering" for our greatest year ever! We are excited as God takes us on into our Promise Land this year!

We can't wait to share with you the faith journey we've been on for the past 4 years... "captive & enslaved in Egypt", "rescued by God", "crossing the Red Sea", "plodding through the wilderness", "crossing the Jordon River", and now "entering the Promise Land"... it has been and continues to be EPIC! You will be able to read all the details on our blog in the weeks to come.

As for now, we are making several adjustments to our 2012 event calendar as our Mission Program is exploding and we are making room for more groups to participate. Our goal is to have all the changes made and the website completely updated over the next 2 weeks. We will post it on this blog when everything is complete.

Thank you for being a part of GTD! We look forward to what God has in store for 2012 and we hope to see you on one of our God-awesome events this year.

God Bless & Happy New Year!!
- The GTD Staff

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Merry CHRISTmas!!!

2011-12-25T09:24:00.002-05:00

We have so much to celebrate in Christ! He is the gift that just keeps on giving. Wishing you the very best this CHRISTmas season!
From The GTD Staff - Doug & Laurie

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All Nighter

2011-12-09T04:26:00.001-05:00

Laurie & I are first in line to reserve the Ft DeSoto youth campsite for a March retreat with an awesome youth group from Canada. We've been here since 2am. We are pulling an all nighter parked in front of the camp office to make sure we get the camp. They have a strict policy of only allowing reservations to be made up to 90 days in advance and first-come first-served.

New Action Camcorder Donated!!

2011-11-29T10:24:00.000-05:00

Thank you Paul & Susan Salce (Laurie's parents) for your generous donation of the Drift HD170 Action Camcorder to GTD!!! We can't wait to use it!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-24T10:35:00.002-05:00

"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
- 1 Thes 5:18

The reality as Christians is that we have so much to be thankful for... whether our circumstances are great or our circumstances are brutal. Whether rich or poor, healthy or sick, happy or sad we were designed with a capacity for an unconquerable attitude of gratitude because of who Jesus is in us, who Jesus is to us, and who Jesus is through us. God has not made us to be fair-weather appreciators, but rather all-weather thankers. Our faith rises above our circumstances. Our wings soar not only above the storm, but more importantly, right through the storm. And that's the point. In a dark world that is upside down we don't have to wait until everything is made right before we glow with thanksgiving. We don't have to feel great to be thankful. On this wonderful day called Thanksgiving God reminds us that the best day of the year to give thanks is everyday of the year.

I thank You Father for all good things that come from above.

And I thank You in all things for how You work for my good and for Your glory.

Thank You Jesus!!

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Bonding Times!

2011-11-19T11:26:00.001-05:00

Fathers & sons adventuring together!!

BREAKFAST for Body & Soul

2011-11-19T09:48:00.001-05:00

After a nice breakfast of eggs, sausage gravy & biscuits the fathers & sons had morning devotions together =)

Father / Son Retreat Has Begun

2011-11-18T23:52:00.001-05:00

38 dads & sons from Tampa Covenant Church arrived safe & sound to camp tonight. The camp set-up went smooth and everyone was a huge help :). We had chili for dinner and smores & hot cocoa for dessert around a kickin' campfire! Our Impact Point centered around the Transfiguration events recorded in Matt 17. In the story God the Father declares loudly & publicly that Jesus is His Son whom he loves and in whom He is well pleased. Likewise we had all the dads publicly declare their love for their sons and share with the rest of us what they are most pleased with. It was a very touching display of love & affirmation =)

Great Videos From The Banquet

2011-11-18T10:03:00.000-05:00

These are the videos that were shown at our Annual Banquet... all produced by Laurie Finger!! They include our 2011 Highlight Video, our Costa Rica Experience Video, and 3 introduction videos for 3 different speakers - Pastor Aaron Walp, Laurie Finger, & Doug Garner. Enjoy!!

Mission Accomplished!!

2011-11-16T19:08:00.001-05:00

$20,231 RAISED!!!!

Thank you to all the table sponsors, donors, monthly partners, attendees, supporter, hard working volunteers, staff, workers, and businesses that played a vital role in making our 10th Annual Banquet a great success!!

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And a very special thanks to all the speakers that shared on stage last night... great job!!
Leigh Anne Presley (mother)
CR Intern: Savannah Jenkins (daughter)
Fred Byda (Liquid, Slammed & Grand Canyon partcipant)
Pastor Aaron Walp (Pastor of Family Ministries at Calvary Baptist of Clearwater)
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And, of course, thank you to our Lord who enabled us to surpass our goal last night!! GLORY TO GOD!!

Thank U Set Up Crew

2011-11-16T09:27:00.001-05:00

I ran out of time to post these, but here are a few pics from our banquet set-up yesterday. Our many thanks to the set-up crew & volunteers that poured their hearts into the banquet. The results of the night will be posted soon =)

GTD Banquet Tmw Night!!

2011-11-14T11:45:00.000-05:00

We have our 10th Annual Banquet for GTD tmw night at Ruth Eckerd Hall... catered by Carrabba's!! Can't wait!! Celebrating 15 years of ministry!! Thank U Jesus!!

And THANK YOU to all of our Table Sponsors:

Real Estate Closing Solutions (Dana & Martha Ward)
Mullins Enterprises (Jerry Mullins)
JAG (Jerry & Ann Garner) 1
JAG (Jerry & Ann Garner) 2
Family Center on Deafness
Kiwanis Club of Pinellas Park
Taylor Family Funeral Home
Paul & Heather Williamson
Jesse & Amber Altamarino
People Helping People of Pinellas Park 1
People Helping People of Pinellas Park 2
Peter Ward
Chris & Melissa Atkins

Preparing For Our Annual Banquet

2011-11-12T10:53:00.000-05:00

We are four days away from our biggest event of the year, our Annual Fundraising Banquet. It will be held at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Tues Nov 15th from 6:30pm - 9pm and catered by Carrabba's. This is our 10th Annual Banquet and we are celebrating 15 years of ministry (praise the Lord!!!). Our goal is to raise $20,000 as well as share highlights from the past year of successes, cast next year's vision, and celebrate our 15 year milestone with our audience.

We have currently raised $9792 ($2700 received & 7092 pledged for 2012). So far we have 11 of 24 monthly partners signed up for 2012 and 13 of 20 tables sponsored. Click here to see the daily updates and details of the event.

Team Building at FCC

2011-11-12T10:34:00.001-05:00

One of GTD's Programs is Team Synergy in which we put together team building events for groups. On Tuesday we put together a day of team building with the Lady Suns volleyball team from Florida Christian College (FCC). FCC's head coach for women's volleyball is Jim Butski - a close friend and one of our former Mission Directors in GTD.

If you think about it, we are all members of teams throughout our entire life: school, sports, work, volunteer organizations, church, ministry, friendships, family, and on and on. You can't escape it; life is a team sport. Any team is only as strong as its ability to cooperatively work together towards a common goal and with a strong level of skill & excellence. Good teams can become ineffective through dysfunctional behaviors and attitudes. And poor teams can become great when those same behaviors and attitudes become highly functional.

On Tuesday we put together a mini adventure race with 8 checkpoints. At each checkpoint the FCC team would tackle a different team building intiative (intiatives are basically games or challenges that teach team building principles). The group worked well to accomplish each intiative, learn the principle, and then apply it to their team effort.

The following principles were emphasized at the checkpoints: Checkpoint # (1) = Good Communication, (2) = Imagination & Creativity to Solve Problems, (3) = Find/Invite Jesus Into Everything, (4) = Leadership, (5) = Synergize, (6) = Never Give Up & The Power of Encouragement, (7) = Be Coachable & Be Offendable Because Growth Comes Through Healthy Conflict & Confrontation, (8) Trust

It was a good day =)

Laurie, Jim & Doug

Congratulation Coach Butski - Region Coach Of The Year!!

In Route To FCC

2011-11-08T08:12:00.001-05:00

Laurie & I are on our way to Florida Christian College (FCC) in Kissimmee to do a team building event with the ladies' volleyball team. We are teaming up with our former Mission Director, Jim Butski, who is now the head coach for FCC's Lady Sun's volleyball team. We are praying for an impacting event that helps to further synergize the team.

BUT, before the FCC event Laurie & I are using one of my Groupons to go off-roading in a 2 passenger dune buggy through Revolution Off Road... it's going to be a fun day!!

LAST WEEK OF OCT SALES

2011-10-26T11:35:00.000-04:00

This is the last week of our Oct "Fall Sale"...

- 20% OFF Costa Rica Mission Trip (Feb 2-8, 2012) Reg: $750 SALE: $600/person
- 33% OFF Swamp Thing (Oct 6-11, 2011) Reg: $75 SALE: $49
- 40% OFF PRIVATE Fall Group Retreat Reg: $99/person SALE: $59/person
- more specials at http://www.goingthedistance.org/pages.asp?pageid=108905

IGNITE 2012 (Yes, I said 2012!!)

2011-10-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

IGNITE 2011 just completed and I'm excited to inform you that we've already locked in the ultimate location for IGNITE 2012!! It's going to be awesome! We have reserved Doe Lake Group Campsite in Ocala National Forest... one of the hardest sites to reserve because of its popularity and many amenities. Our goal is to have a worhip theme for this retreat. In fact, it's going to be called "IGNITE 2012 - Worship Fest". The camp holds up to 250 people and allows for live bands to play.

Here's a list of some of the amenities at this location (in alphabetical order): Bands/DJs are allowed, Beach, Covered Group Structure, Drinking Water, Dumpster, Fishing, Flush Toilet, Group Cooking Facilities, Group Grill, Ice Machine, Lake, Lake Front Sites, Multi Purpose Building, Photography Opportunities, Picnic Area, Picnic Shelter, Restrooms, Showers, Special Event Area, Water Faucets.

Some of the activities that we are planning are: Caving, Adventure Races, Canoeing, Outdoor Movies, and more!!

Lord willing, it's going to be the BIGGEST & MOST GOD-AWESOME IGNITE ever!!

A Few Camp Pics

2011-10-24T10:16:00.001-04:00

Here's a few pics from our campsite =)

IGNITE "Breakdown"

2011-10-24T09:59:00.001-04:00

Ignite finished strong. We spent the early afternoon breaking down camp. "Many hands make for light work" and everyone helped make packing up a very smooth & easy task (Thank You Igniters!!) =). It was great spending time with my awesome cousins as well as several repeat participants and a few newbees!! We were excited to have 4 families involved this year in addition to several individuals that attended. The campsite, the participants, the weather, and the presence of God made this a very special weekend. We're already planning next year's Ignite!!

On a side note, we had some GTD vehicle issues on the way back to Largo. If you know the 15 year history of GTD then you know getting to & from the destination is smetimes more of an adventure than some of our activities - LOL!! After 2 days of charging cell phones & camera the F250 had to be jump started before we could leave. Then in Tampa the maroon F150's transmission started having problems. It took about 2 extra hours to make it home, but the fun-loving attitudes made it another GTD highlight indeed. Special thanks to Brandon Hanes for all his help during the trek home... what a great Godly guy!!

Last Day at IGNITE

2011-10-23T11:59:00.001-04:00

Time flies by too fast. We've had another great time with another great group of people!! Today is our last day together. After another cold night (but not as cold as the night before) we woke up & gathered around the warm campfire. We had pancakes for breakfast and studied Ephesians chapter 4 for our morning devos. It was very good!! Now people are squeezing in their last few hours of activities (or relaxation) before it's time to break camp. It's a gorgious day!!!

IGNITE Night 2

2011-10-23T00:49:00.001-04:00

We had a great 2nd night on the IGNITE Retreat. Yummy tacos for dinner followed by some sweet praise & worship by Spencer around the campfire. Then we had our Bible study around the fire ring followed by smores & a great outdoor move (The Count of Monty Cristo) Our Impact Point revolved around being "On Fire For Christ". We talked about how Jesus calls us to be like a fire on top of a hill to reach the world for God's glory (Matt 5). A fire provides light, warmth, protection, preservation, purging, & comfort. It takes fuel, oxygen, and a spark to start a fire and continued fuel & oxygen and a lot of hard work to sustain a fire. To put out a fire it has to be sufficated or the fuel must be seperated & expended. What spiritual lessons does God want us to learn through fire??? We talked about many lessons we see... what lessons do you see?

Canoeing, Ultimate, & More...

2011-10-22T15:37:00.001-04:00

We had a fun time canoeing Mill Dam Lake. Afterwards we played a big game of Ultimate on our personal beach... lots of fun =). When we finished Ultimate it was time for lunch which meant it was make your own pizza quesadillas!! Now the group is relaxing - some on hammocks :). Very nice day so far =)

IGNITE Morning Devo

2011-10-22T10:50:00.001-04:00

After an awesome breakfast of eggs, biscuits & gravy it was time for our morning devos. This morning we had a great devotional time as we split up and read Philippians chapter 2 & had personal quiet times then met back around the campfire to share what God is teaching us. It's so neat to hear all the different ways God is working in each person's life. It was a good morning :) ... now it's time to go canoeing!

Safe & Sound

2011-10-22T01:07:00.001-04:00

Everyone made it to camp safe & sound. The group helped set-up tents, cots & the rest of camp. Laurie made some delicious chili & hot chocolate. We had our orientation around the campfire followed by a mini Impact Point. Our theme this weekend is being "On Fire For Christ". It takes 3 elements (oxygen, fuel & a spark) to ignite a physical fire, but what are the elements God uses to start a spiritual fire? That's what we are exploring this wkend. We finished the night with some God-awesome praise & worship around the fire performed by my cousin Spencer Maddox... wow, that boy is talented!! Heading to bed late... nite, nite =)

Beautiful Wkend 4 IGNITE!

2011-10-21T16:52:00.001-04:00

Laurie & I (and the dogz) have made it to our weekend campsite... we have an awesome beach & spring fed lake all for our group!! We are setting up camp now and the dogz are playing in the lake (watch out for the gators!!). The rest of the group should start arriving around 7pm. It's going to be a GR8 wkend!!

The Plateau Point - Grand Canyon

2011-10-19T21:52:00.000-04:00

Still savoring our trip to the Grand Canyon... can't find big enough adjectives to describe how much I LOVED it!! Already planning next year's trip =). This is the raw footage as I approached the most majestic view I've ever seen... The Plateau Point on Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon. I was speechless... Glory to God for His creation!!

Where R U?

2011-10-19T21:46:00.000-04:00

We are called TO the Promise Land, but we are directed THRU the wilderness to get there. The wilderness is God's temporary classroom that prepares us for the Promise Land... the problem is that too many people decide to reside in the wilderness... to settle for daily rations instead of overcoming the giants that occupy God's promise to you... to suffer in a desert instead of rejoicing in the rivers. Don't blame God for many unnecessary years in the wilderness when He only wanted you there for a few weeks.

Saying Goodbye!!

2011-10-11T15:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we had a fun time together as we toured through Sedona on our way to Phoenix. We had a victory pizza dinner & shared our highlights of the week. Without a doubt, this has been an amazing week with some amazing people as we worshiped an AMAZING GOD together!!

We stayed at the Ramada in Phoenix last night and today we are shuttling everyone to the airport. Saying goodbye is never fun, but when you know Jesus as your Saviour, it's really just saying "See you later!". The bonds we built on this trip were pretty awesome and we look forward to what the Lord has ahead of us.... and we certainly can't wait for the 2012 Grand Canyon Trip!!!

Laurie & I fly back to FL tomorrow afternoon/night and we can't wait to post all of the majestic pictures & videos we captured this week. But for now... enjoy this 1 minute clip of our 12.2 mile roundtrip hike into the Grand Canyon... more to come =)

Slide Rock Park

2011-10-10T16:14:00.001-04:00

Enjoying a few hours at Slide Rock Park... so enjoyable :)

Speachless Again

2011-10-10T14:25:00.001-04:00

I can't help but want to share my excitement in the hike we all accomplished yesterday! It was a hike that took us on a 3,200 foot descent into the Canyon to complete a 12 miles round trip journey! For all of us it was one of the most incredible hikes we had ever been on. We traveled switchback after swithcback, step by step into the Canyon until we were completely submerged into it's beauty. The views left us speachless, jaw dropped and in awe over God's beauty and creativity. I think it's safe to say I'm becoming a Grand Canyon junkie...I can't get enough and I'm already day dreaming about my next encounter with one of God's most majestic places in the world. There is so much more to see and do....and we've only begun to scratch the surface!

We Made It In!!

2011-10-09T18:19:00.001-04:00

6.1 unbelievable miles on the Bright Angel Trail... capped of with the most breathtaking views of my life!! Now for the hike back up :)

1.5 Miles Into The Canyon

2011-10-09T11:54:00.001-04:00

Amazing!!

Grand Canyon Hike!!

2011-10-09T10:38:00.001-04:00

Going down into the canyon!!!

On our way to a Grand Adventure!

2011-10-09T09:03:00.001-04:00

It feels like Christmas! We are on our way this morning to hike the Grand Canyon! It is going to be a God Awesome day!!!

Dinner In The Cabin

2011-10-09T01:18:00.001-04:00

After spending the day in Williams on the historic Route 66 (walking the main street, checking out the local shops & having lunch at The Singing Pig) we went back to enjoy our cabin & a home cooked meal. Laurie & Fred made a delicious spaghetti dinner with salad & garlic bread!! Yummy!! We are heading to bed early tonight because we have an early morning and full day ahead tomorrow. We are leaving the cabin at 5:30am to go catch the sunrise at the Grand Canyon... then we are hiking down into the canyon. We are very excited!! More to come... good night :)

Dinner In The Cabin

2011-10-09T01:13:00.001-04:00

BEARIZONA

2011-10-09T01:03:00.001-04:00

We visited a local zoo in Williams today called "Bearizona". It was a really cool place. Part of it was a drive-thru zoo & the other section was a walk-thru. We saw bears, wolves, bison, mules, bobcats, lynx, foxes, birds of prey... and so many other animals. It's always a mixed feeling visiting a zoo. On one hand we feel sorry for the animal that was made to be free having to be confined to a fenced off section of land. On the other hand there is an appreciation to be able to see these amazing creatures that God took time to design. All-in-all it was a great experience for us humans. We spent about 3 hours watching these awesome animals.

Day 3

2011-10-08T16:33:00.001-04:00

Today is a day for resting up from our very active day yesterday and for our big hike into the Canyon tomorrow. This morning we shared highlights from our first day at the Canyon with one another. We also read from Philippians 2. Phil 2 is a very meaty chapter full of so many golden nuggets that we could of spent hours on in study. At the moment we are on our way to drive thru Bearizona wildlife park.

More Pics

2011-10-08T13:47:00.001-04:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but how many words is a picture of something that leaves you speechless worth? As Fred Byda keeps saying, "Great job God!"

God's Masterpiece

2011-10-07T22:57:00.001-04:00

We have had a full day of soaking in one of the most incredible places my eyes have ever seen, the Grand Canyon! We walked, took a bus and drove to many different locations along the South Rim today, and with every different view we were awestruck with God's beautiful masterpiece. Collectively, I think it's safe to say between all of us we took thousands of photos and not one is alike. It's kind of how when we read from the bible this morning God spoke to each of us in a different way and showed us each something different. It's been an amazing day and we are so grateful to be so lavishly blessed by God's blessings.

Livin' On The Edge

2011-10-07T16:11:00.001-04:00

Unbelievable God-awesome views everywhere!!!

Speechless!!

2011-10-07T14:38:00.001-04:00