WHAT A WAY TO END 2012!!

Wow, what a way to end 2012!! GTD just received a $2000 donation check from a donor who would like to remain anonymous.

We are blown away by our donor's generosity to this ministry and we praise God for this great gift as we close off an incredible year of ministry. Saying "Thank You" falls very short of the depth of gratitude we feel within our hearts towards our anonymous contributor. God bless you!

We would also like to take a moment to thank all of our 2012 donors for their kindness to our ministry this past year. God did some great things in & through GTD this year and each donor played a vital role in each changed life that occurred. From the bottom of our hearts here at GTD we want to say, "Thank You!" We can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in 2013.


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1st RETREAT OF 2013 THIS WEEKEND!!

Looking forward to kicking off the New Year with our first youth retreat of 2013 this weekend with First United Methodist Church of Oviedo!!! Can't wait!!!


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THANK YOU HARDY HUNTLEY FOUNDATION!

What a wonderful Christmas present we just received!

We want to thank The Hardy Huntley Charitable Foundation for their generous donation of $500 to our ministry this week. This is the second consecutive year that GTD has been the beneficiary of HHCF's greathearted contributions.

Hardy Huntley is the founder of the Wagon Wheel Flea Market in Pinellas Park, FL (one of the premiere flea markets in the country). He established a charitable foundation to help support good causes throughout the community.

We would also like to thank City of Pinellas Park Councilman Jerry Mullins and City Ambassador Jerry Garner for recommending GTD to Mr Huntley.

We praise God for this great gift and pray God's continued blessing upon HHCF & the Jerry's.


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Post Christmas Deflation???

Experiencing "Buyer's Remorse" or "Post Christmas Deflation"??? It sometimes happens when our emphasis is more on the gift than on The Giver. Just a quick encouragement to those experiencing an emptiness similar to the empty box your gifts came out of... it's easy to fix, just spend a few minutes with God... spend a few minutes praising & worshiping The Giver, our amazing God. When our affections are in line with how we were designed to live then thankfulness quickly replaces sorrow =)

"The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it." - Prov 10:22


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HAPPINESS vs JOY

J = Jesus First (Matt 6:33)
O = Others Second (Philippians 2:3-4)
Y = Yourself Last (Matt 20:25-28)

Happiness is way overrated. Many people's life goal is "to be happy", but happiness is based on our circumstances... on what's "happening". If things are going good then we are happy, if things are going bad then we are unhappy.

Jesus offers something way better than happiness. He offers JOY. Joy isn't a "fair weather friend" like happiness. Joy can still rejoice on the inside even when things fall apart on the outside. Joy rejoices whether you get everything you want for CHRISTmas or if you don't. To be happy will cost you a lot of money and it won't last long, but JOY is free and available 24/7... JOY is so much better than happiness.

As we approach CHRISTmas I wonder, have you received the greatest gift ever given - the gift that is the meaning of CHRISTmas - the joyous gift of Jesus Christ coming into your heart and saving your soul? That is the true meaning of CHRISTmas... As Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" It may not be the gift you were asking for this CHRISTmas, but it can be the greatest gift you will ever receive.

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LOST & FOUND

LOST & FOUND: If you are missing a God-shaped part of your soul we have Good News... Jesus found it and says He will deliver it directly to you free of charge. All you have to do is ask Him and He will fill the hole in your soul =).

My soul was lost too, but I asked Jesus into my heart several years ago and I went from having a hole to being made whole. It continues to be the BEST decision I've ever made!!

In fact, that's the whole meaning of CHRISTmas:
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)


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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"To fall in love with God is the greatest of romances, to seek Him the greatest adventure, to find Him the greatest human achievement."   - St. Augustine


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Merry CHRISTmas from GTD!!

It's ALL about JESUS!!

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CLEARING THE OVERGROWTH

HUGE THANKS to Al Vision & my Dad (Jerry Garner) for all their help & hard work clearing a ton of overgrowth in the GTD trailer storage area. Both of these retirees not only came out during their free time to help me clear the overgrowth, but my Dad came on his birthday - what a guy! I think he's most happy when he is helping others. We are looking forward to taking him out to celebrate his B-Day this Friday =)

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SWAMP THING Videos Uploaded

Check out these 2 videos full of raw footage from our SWAMP THING Backpacking Trip on the Florida National Scenic Trail (FNST) in the Everglades this past weekend.

Since this portion of trail is underwater and not visible, hikers must rely on the orange blazes painted on trees in order to navigate the swamp segments of FNST. The underwater terrain can be slow going and challenging to traverse because it is full of roots, cypress knees, & slippery mud slopes. First time swamp hikers often use the cypress trees to prevent falls. Average hiking speed is slow, usually around 1 MPH - 1.5 MPH.

Journey into the GATOR HOLE with 5 wild & crazy guys =)... This footage was taken within a large gator hole located about half of a mile off of the Florida Trail (near Mile Marker 32). It looks like the movie Jurrasic Park with ferns and various vegetation nearly 10 feet tall. With the threat of alligators, cotton mouths, pythons, and more - this is a pure adventure! We spent about 2 hours exploring this area including wading into chest deep water.

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SWAMP THING PICS UPLOADED =)

148 Pics have just been uploaded to our 2012 Swamp Thing Photo Album on the GTD Facebook Page and the GTD SmugMug Photo Album... enjoy!!

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WE CAME, WE SAW...

WE CAME, WE SAW, WE CONQUERED!

Another great adventure in God's amazing creation with some incredible people =)

Swamp Thing 2012

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WISH YOU WERE HERE!

Feeling "swamped" during the holidays? So are we ;)

SWAMP THING 2012


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GATOR HOLE PANORAMIC PICS

Check out these amazing panoramic pics while we were in the middle of a gator hole in the Everglades during our Swamp Thing hike!!

(click pics to enlarge)

David Vandergraff

Doug Garner

Jason Lazzaro

Aaron Walp

Ron Cooney

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GATOR HOLE

WE SURVIVED or trek through a gator hole on our Swamp Thing backpacking trip. It felt like we were in Jurassic Park... too cool!

Check-in/OK message from GTD (GPS Alert) SPOT Messenger

GTD (GPS Alert)
Latitude:26.14655
Longitude:-81.06417
GPS location Date/Time:12/15/2012 14:56:47 EST

Message:Here is our current map location & GPS coordinates in the SWAMPS of the Everglades. Doing good! PTL!

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/AfRwN/26.14655N/81.06417W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=26.14655,-81.06417&ll=26.14655,-81.06417&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

GTD (GPS Alert)

You have received this message because GTD (GPS Alert) has added you to their SPOT contact list.

Every day is an Adventure. Share Yours.
http://www.findmespot.com

STARTING PICTURE

This was our starting picture from yesterday. 13 people signed up, but 5 took on The Swamp Thing this year. These are some great, great guys =)

SWAMP THING UPDATE

SWAMP THING: All's good in the middle of the swamp, but our thoughts & prayers go out to the families in CT devastated by the horrific shooting yesterday.

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WE MADE IT TO THE ISLAND!

We made it 3.5 miles thru the swamp to the island. Setting up camp now. Having a blast with these crazy guys =)

Check-in/OK message from GTD (GPS Alert) SPOT Messenger

GTD (GPS Alert)
Latitude:26.12687
Longitude:-81.05889
GPS location Date/Time:12/14/2012 15:09:58 EST

Message:Here is our current map location & GPS coordinates in the SWAMPS of the Everglades. Doing good! PTL!

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/Aezcl/26.12687N/81.05889W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=26.12687,-81.05889&ll=26.12687,-81.05889&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

GTD (GPS Alert)

You have received this message because GTD (GPS Alert) has added you to their SPOT contact list.

Every day is an Adventure. Share Yours.
http://www.findmespot.com

Check-in/OK message from GTD (GPS Alert) SPOT Messenger

GTD (GPS Alert)
Latitude:26.16772
Longitude:-81.07758
GPS location Date/Time:12/14/2012 12:19:05 EST

Message:Here is our current map location & GPS coordinates in the SWAMPS of the Everglades. Doing good! PTL!

Click the link below to see where I am located.
http://fms.ws/AeuCm/26.16772N/81.07758W

If the above link does not work, try this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=26.16772,-81.07758&ll=26.16772,-81.07758&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

GTD (GPS Alert)

You have received this message because GTD (GPS Alert) has added you to their SPOT contact list.

Every day is an Adventure. Share Yours.
http://www.findmespot.com

SWAMP THING STARTS TODAY!!

SWAMP THING starts in 6 hours!! Packed & ready to go!

Follow our 3 day trek into the swamp on facebook & our blog =)

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OFFICE CLEAN-UP

Laurie & I are cleaning the office... so much GTD stuff has piled up since last May that this is the first time I've seen the floor around my desk in 7 months. It feels so good to make major progress!! Good job Laurie Finger yesterday tackling the office =)

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CR2013 Coming In May 2013

LOOKING FOR 10 PEOPLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

CR2013

Costa Rica Mission Trip

May 25 - June 1, 2013

Details HERE

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Old-Timer's Reunion Lunch!!

The years fly by so fast... but today I had a great "reunion" lunch with some amazing Godly guys that God brought into my life more than 20 years ago.

The last 3 years have been so busy that I've fallen behind with all of my friends, but it's so great to get reconnected and see that Jesus continues to be at the center of each of our lives.

These are true men-of-God who battle each day to honor God, love their wives more deeply and pour into their kids. The joy of the Lord oozes out of them. I thank God for their friendship =)

These are also guys who helped establish GTD and often supported  the ministry through encouragement, donations, and volunteering. The ministry & my life are blessed because of them =)


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MAP OF OUR SWAMP HIKE

Here's the map of the swamp trail we will be hiking on!! Our SWAMP THING Backpacking Trip in the Everglades is filling up. 

If you are ever driving on Alligator Ally (I-75) towards Miami and you look around and all you see is endless swamps... and then you pull over, get out of your car, and just start walking into the swamp for 3 miles... yeah, that's pretty much what we will be doing!!

ONE of the purest ADVENTURES offered in FL... in one of the rarest terrains in the world... can't wait!!

Details HERE.

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YESTERDAY AT SMILEY'S

Laurie & I were honored to speak at Smiley's young adult church service yesterday morning! Laurie shared her testimony and spoke about the mission project in Costa Rica. I spoke about the importance of preventing temptations from escalating into bad decisions that may leave a person feeling disqualified from pursuing God's call on their life.

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THANK YOU FRANK & JAN!!

LOVED our lunch today with  Frank & Jan Solava. We were so happy to present them with a JAG Award (GTD's highest award) for 10 straight years of ministry partnership. Wonderful people!! God bless them!


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2 WEEKS TILL SWAMP THING!

2 WEEKS UNTIL ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE HIKING DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLD... SWAMP THING - THE EVERGLADES BACKPACKING TRIP!!

Dec 14-16, 2012... sign-up today!!

Check out the details here.

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I AM A REFUGEE!!

We LOVE our new "I am a Refugee" shirts that we received in the mail from The Refuge Church in Hilton Head, SC!! The Refuge went on a Costa Rica Mission Trip with GTD last July. Thanx P's!! =)

GTD INTERNS NEEDED

GTD is looking for people interested in spending their summer on the Costa Rica mission field to serve as interns. We have opportunities available during the months of May, June and July. Please contact GTD (Laurie) for more information!

(In photo, 2012 GTD interns: Madison Noelle Strickland, Kayleigh Farris, (Laurie Finger), Jenna Nicole Arnal, Connor Hawkins and Tiffany Weaver)

WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR

GTD wants to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

We know that everyday is a day to give thanks to the Lord, but it's wonderful to have a holiday that serves as a reminder to emphasize a thankful spirit. In fact, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says that giving thanks is God's will for our lives... no matter what our circumstances may be.

Sometimes thankfulness naturally erupts from a heart overwhelmed by the goodness of God, and sometimes thankfulness is an act of faith when our hearts are overwhelmed by difficult circumstances. In either case, we are pleasing God and living right in the center of His will for our lives when we give thanks.

Do you know that Webster's Dictionary defines thankfulness as "the consciousness of benefits received"? I know that sounds a little boring, but don't miss the impact of that definition. It's saying that it's possible to have already received benefits (blessings, favor, good things from God) and not be conscious of it. In other words, if you struggle with being thankful, it's probably not because you don't have something to be thankful for, but rather you are not noticing it... you are not conscious of it. For this reason we want to encourage you today to write down 10 things that you are thankful for. Hey, unless you are a turkey today then you have a lot to be thankful for =). As you become aware of all the benefits you have already received thanksgiving will naturally begin to flow from your heart and mind. Many times our emotions follow our thought patterns. Once you are conscious of the blessings in your life your heart just wants to say, "Thank You Jesus!"

And one more thing. Don't forget to convert those blessings into expressions of thanksgiving. It's easy to forget to say, "Thanks!". In Luke 17:11-19 Jesus heals 10 men of Leprosy, a dreaded disease that causes skin lesions, muscle weakness, numbness and often led to bodily disfigurements. Can you imagine the benefit received by those 10 men?!?! They were healed from Leprosy! It is easy to picture these men falling at Jesus' feet while expressing joy, praise and thanksgiving. But, do you know how many men actually returned to give thanks? Only one. And Jesus noticed. He said, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" Jesus notices not only those who return to give thanks, but also those who don't.

Make time today and everyday to take an inventory of the benefits you have received. Then take a moment to go before the Lord and give thanks.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM GTD!


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THANK U!!!!

Finishing up our thank you notes from last week's banquet... so thankful for so many people to thank!!

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POWER VERSES

"And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them," - Deut 28:13

"For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." - 1 Chronicles 16:9

"And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God." - Deut 28.2


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SWAMP THING (Dec 14-16)

R U Ready For Adventure!?!?

Check this out...

SWAMP THING Everglades Backpacking Trip

Dec 14-16

Swamp Thing is a 3 day Christ-centered journey into one of North America's unsung wild places - the Everglades of south Florida. The Big Cypress Swamp is a spectacular, rugged, rare, subtropical landscape experienced by very few adventurous souls each year. It is hauntingly beautiful. And it is enormous, covering 2400 square miles.

GTD's Swamp Thing is a 3 mile out-and-back (6 miles total) hike through the fresh water swamp that flows into the Everglades. We will trek in 3 miles and camp for 2 nights on a small pineland island which is surrounded by an endless river of grass, cypress trees, and marsh swamps. Each day we will explore some of the rarest terrain in the world. About 75% of our hiking trail is through swamp water anywhere from ankle to knee deep.

This is an adventurous and challenging hike that will cause a sense of wonder and praise deep within your soul as you see the creative genius of an Almighty God. Each day we will start the morning with personal devotions and each night we will spend some time focusing on a Biblical topic. Only through God's amazing power can the grunge of a swamp be used to refresh your soul. Come and see why adventurers haven't experienced anything until they've experienced The Swamp Thing.

Details: http://www.goingthedistance.org/pages.asp?pageid=103603

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Still Savoring...

Still savoring & celebrating God's blessing from Tues night!! Laurie Finger & I had breakfast with Trevor Hersey & Philip Cochran yesterday morning before they returned to St Augustine. We were exhausted so we took the rest of the day off to recover. Now, it's back to work!! So many things we are looking fwd to =)

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BANQUET RESULTS...

THANK YOU JESUS!! WE DID IT!!

We exceeded the goal last night!! Our current fundraising total from our 2012 Annual Fundraising Banquet is..... $23,543.... that's $3,543 beyond our $20,000 goal =).

Even though last night was one of our lowest attended Annual Banquets, it was one of the absolute best nights we have ever had during the past 10 years. It was a special night full of substance.

We want to give a special THANK YOU to the following people: Keynote Speaker - Pastor Trevor Hersey - who preached a powerful message that won't soon be forgotten, TEAM USA Chaplin Asif Shaikh who provided a wonderful Invocation & Donation Appeal, great testimonies by Tiffany Weaver - Jenna Arnal - and Pastor Philip Cochran, & Laurie Finger for her great speech about our Costa Rica Program.

In addition, we want to THANK the following people who volunteered to help work at the banquet: Traci, Erin, Jason E, Jason M, Adam, Jerry, Ann, Tessa... I hope I didn't overlook someone!! WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!!

AND, OF COURSE, THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED & DONATED AND SIGNED UP TO BE MONTHLY PARTNERS!!!! YOU MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN OUR MINISTRY THROUGH YOUR AMAZING GENEROSITY!!!!!! GOD BLESS YOU!!

Our official final total for the 2012 Annual Banquet won't be finalized until Dec 31st as we continue to receive funds over the next 7 weeks.

Praise The Lord!!! =)


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The Banquet Set-Up Is Going Great!!

2 hrs till kickoff!! Thank you set-up crew =)

WE ARE WITHIN $2625 OF THE GOAL!!

PTL, we have already raised $17,375 towards our $20,000 goal! That only leaves $2625 left to raise to hit the goal!!

YOU CAN HELP PUT US OVER THE TOP by making a one-time donation to GTD and/or by signing up to be a Monthly Partner for the next 12 months!!

Don't underestimate the difference $10, $20, or $30 per month can make... that's equals $120, $240, or $360 in the course of 1 year and makes a big difference in a non-profit organization like ours which has very little overhead expenses.

Click on this link to donate and/or become a Monthly Partner.

ACHIEVED!!!! $3000 Becomes $6000!!

Great News: As of last night we achieved the Donor Matching-Gift Challenge of raising $3000 so that it could be doubled to $6000!! This is part of the fund raising drive for our Annual Banquet and goes towards hitting our goal of raising $20,000 tomorrow night.

Thank you to our anonymous & generous $3000 donor matching-gift contributor!! And thank you to everyone who donated towards raising the $3000 so that our matching-gift contributor could double it!! And praise the Lord for moving the hearts of all our donors to strongly support this ministry =)


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ANOTHER TABLE SPONSOR ALERT!!

Thank you JC & Janessa Jannarone for sponsoring a table at tomorrow night's banquet. You two have been a great blessing to this ministry for many years!! Thank you for your generosity to GTD! God bless you guys =)

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THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE...

Pastor Philip Cochran & Asst Pastor Trevor Hersey from Family Worship Center in St Augustine, FL will be sharing a dynamic testimony and message at our Annual Banquet this Tues night. We deeply appreciate these men travelling across the state for our special night. We can't wait!! God bless you guys!! (- Doug Garner)

Check out the Family Worship Center website here.

And like their facebook page here.

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DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

FUNDS RAISED SO FAR... $16,450!!!!

ONE TIME DONATIONS RECEIVED: $5,830
MONTHLY PARTNER PLEDGES FOR 2013: $10,620

Praise the Lord, we are closing in on our $20,000 goal before the banquet even starts!! (Thank you awesome generous people!!). We still need to raise $170 to complete the $3000 Donor Gift-Matching Challenge ... and we still need to raise another $4,380 in pledges (which works out to only $365/month or 20 more people pledging $20/month for 2013). It's just within reach... glory to God!! =)