MOST MISERABLY AWESOME TRIP IN 17 YEARS!!

MISERABLY AWESOME! We just completed our most miserable trip in 17 years of ministry, and it was absolutely awesome.

Earlier in the year Todd Barton of Clearwater Christian College contracted GTD to outfit him, his RD's (Resident Directors), and his student RA's (Resident Advisors) with an event that would be full of adversity, trials, and difficulties in order to build stronger relational bonds, assess critical decision making, elicit leadership skills, gauge reactions to adversity, test character, and most importantly, grow closer to God. ...Mission accomplished!

The decision was to do an out-of-season canoe camping trip in the Ten Thousand Island region of southern Florida. Timing is everything. If you want challenging circumstances then go canoe camping in south Florida during the heart of summer.

Over 3 days and 2 nights we paddled 20 miles and camped on islands during a season ripe with an inhospitable environment. Some of our challenges included 90+ degree heat, nightly infestation of mosquitoes & no-see-ums, severe thunderstorms, inability to sleep, water rationing, getting lost in an endless maze of islands. It was 3 days of brutal conditions. It was also a 3 day incubator of family building.

I can't tell you how impressed I am with each person from Clearwater Christian College. They faced each moment of misery with laughter, optimism, and resilience. I'm not saying that they had fun or they didn't hate their circumstances. I am saying that they overcame their circumstances through their strong faith in God and depth of character. Todd led them back to Christ in each trial and helped connect the dots between their current experience and their leadership role at CCC.

I'm honored to have met such incredible people. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to adventure with an outstanding group of overcomers. I'm encouraged to see that their depth & strength comes from their close relationship with Jesus and the Christian values they uphold.

Way to go CCC! You came, you paddled, you conquered!!

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Check out the pics on our Facebook Page here and on our online SmugMug Photo Album here.

Scroll down on this blog to see GPS coordinates from some of our canoeing locations during this adventure in the Ten Thousand Islands.


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

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Latitude:25.92169
Longitude:-81.65222
GPS location Date/Time:08/16/2013 11:49:32 EDT

Message:Quick update from GTD: All's good! Everyone is safe & sound. Click on links to see our location. God bless =)

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Latitude:25.89633
Longitude:-81.62454
GPS location Date/Time:08/16/2013 09:34:56 EDT

Message:Quick update from GTD: All's good! Everyone is safe & sound. Click on links to see our location. God bless =)

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Latitude:25.89668
Longitude:-81.62445
GPS location Date/Time:08/15/2013 19:15:35 EDT

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Latitude:25.86187
Longitude:-81.55750
GPS location Date/Time:08/15/2013 07:49:35 EDT

Message:Quick update from GTD: All's good! Everyone is safe & sound. Click on links to see our location. God bless =)

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Latitude:25.86231
Longitude:-81.55746
GPS location Date/Time:08/14/2013 16:51:52 EDT

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Departing For Ten Thousand Islands In 2 Days!!

Can't wait for our next adventure... We have a leadership canoe camping trip this Wed thru Fri with Clearwater Christian College in the Ten Thousand Islands region of south Florida. We will be paddling 21 miles over 3 days and camping out on a couple islands. Looking forward to another God-awesome trip with a great group in another one of God's amazing playgrounds... I'm stoked!!

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A heartfelt & profound thank you goes out to Fred & Crystal Daus, Joe, Steve, & Wilda from Fredrick James Accounting for generously donating their time each year to file GTD's corporate taxes. They filed our taxes today just like they have for the past 7 years - with happy hearts & professional skill. I can't tell you how much time, money, & frustration they save us each year. God has blessed us so much through them. Thank you FJA!! God bless you!

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"Jet-Setter"

GTD is now in the JetBoil club. Thrilled to break-in the Helios High Capacity Cooking System with Clearwater Christian College on this week's canoe camping adventure in the Ten Thousand Islands region of south Florida!!

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Mt Receipts

The highest mountain I climb is the mountain of receipts after a full summer of events. I've been chipping away at this for several days... I'm near the summit!! PTL =)

The Ultimate Super Hero

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." - Colossians 1:13-14

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Anonymous Donation Helps To Feed Famlies

It's so amazing when God moves the hearts of people to take action!  This past year in a random encounter I had the opportunity to share with someone the experience we had with a very poor community here in Costa Rica last summer.  After hearing about how these people lived in very impoverished conditions and how we brought them food this person ended up handing me a check by the end of our conversation and asked me to use the money to help families in that community.  Thanks to a generous donation and willingness to act we were able to bring food to 5 different families that included rice, beans, pasta, sauce, milk, coffee, masa, toilet paper, toothpaste, bread, tuna, feminine products, baby food, cookies for the kiddos, crackers, canned vegetables and a few other things.  One woman told us she was so thankful because she had no food in the house and didn't know what they were going to eat next!  Thank you to our anonymous donor for your heart to want to help us in our efforts here.  Our team was grateful for the opportunity to help and pray with these families.

SLAMMED WASN'T JUST AWESOME, IT WAS GOD-AWESOME!!

Human Avalanche!! Sliding Rock waterfall located 1000 feet down inside of Tallulah Gorge.

Going Vertical!! Rock Climbing 7 stories!

Living On The Edge!! Rappelling down 7 stories!!

Matt-O-Ramic Picture in Tallulah Gorge.

"PEAK" Performance!! An amazing view during our hike to our rock climbing destination.

FLIP'N OUT!! 5 rafters join the white water swim team as their raft flips over on Section 4 of the Chattooga River!! 

Group of "GOATS" (at Goats On The Roof)

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RELIVE THE MEMORIES!!

Nearly 1000 pics have been uploaded to GTD's Online Photo Album. Click here to see them all.

Special thanks to Matt Russell for purchasing all the rafting pics!!! U da man!!

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Chattooga River - Section 4

They Came, They Saw, They Conquered the Chattooga Section 4 white water rapids!! Incredible day on the water!!! SLAMMED 2013 <><

GOING VERTICAL!

Yesterday we were blessed with another God-awesome day on SLAMMED!! We spent the day rock climbing & rappelling on a 7 story slab of granite as well as enjoying God's presence during our mountain side devotions as we read Galatians. It was an incredible day of adventure & spiritual growth. It's now 5am and we are preparing to depart to go white water rafting down the infamous Chattooga River - Section 4... Exciting!!! =)

AMAZING DAY IN THE GORGE (SLAMMED 2013)

After an early wake-up at 6am we drove to Tallulah Gorge to to get our hiking permits down to the gorge floor. Before the intense hike we made pancakes at a park with a beautiful overlook. We also did our morning devotions while at the park. We spent time with God in prayer and in His Word reading John 15. It was a "fruitful" time. Afterward we hiked down a strenuous trail until we got to the bottom. We spent several hours sliding down Sliding Rock into an emrald green pool surrounded by 600' cliffs. It was a blast!! Thank you God for making such an amazing playground!! /// The group is now swimming in a lake near camp. Good times =)

SLAMMED 2013 UPDATE

We made it to camp safe & sound... and in record time!! No flat tires, no breakdowns - absolutely perfect ride up!! The group knocked out the camp set-up quickly and like a well oiled machine. We seem to have a group with great chemistry. We just completed our campfire time & Bible study. Can't wait for our hiking & waterfall sliding adventure tomorrow. Praising God for all the blessings already enjoyed!!

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