IT'S BAAAAAAAAACK!! ...FALL RETREAT Oct 20-22, 2023 ...ONLY $55/person!!!

 

We had about 100 people join us last October for a fUntastic camping retreat at an AMAZING group campground in Ocala, FL. I'm thrilled to announce that the Fall Retreat is coming back again this year!!

 

This is a fun adventure for people of all ages with an emphasis on young families with young kids! Check out some of the highlights:

<> LOCATED ON A 71 ACRE SPRING-FED LAKE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

<> PRIVATE BEACH AREA

<> INDOOR KITCHEN SPACE FOR MEAL PREP

<> HISTORICALLY RESTORED BEAUTIFUL 1930s DINING HALL

<> MODERN RESTROOMS W/ FLUSH TOILETS & WARM SHOWERS

<> PADDLEBOARDS & KAYAKS PROVIDED

<> 100 FT GIGANTI-SLIDE (GIGANTIC SLIP'N SLIDE)

<> INFLATBLE BOUNCE HOUSE & WATERSLIDE FOR KIDS

<> OUTDOOR MOVIE / TEAM SPORTS / CAMP GAMES PROVIDED

<> NIGHTLY CAMPFIRES WITH PRAISE & WORSHIP

<> DAILY DEVOTIONS... GROWING CLOSER TO GOD!

<> CHRIST-CENTERED FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT

<> TENT CAMPING PROVIDED BY GTD -or- BRING YOUR OWN TENT

<> COTS PROVIDED BY GTD FOR FIRST 100 REGISTERED

<> SLEEPING PADS PROVIDED BY GTD FOR 101st+ REGISTERED

<> RVs & TOWABLE CAMPERS WELCOME (No Electrical or Sewer Hook-Ups)

<> GREAT SPOT FOR HAMMOCK & CAR CAMPING

<> BRING YOUR OWN FISHING BOAT (25hp Max)

<> BRING YOUR OWN FISHING GEAR & LICENSE

<> BRING YOUR OWN HORSE (34 mile equestrian trail)

<> 5 MILES AWAY FROM JEEP, ATV, OHV, & DIRT BIKE TRAILS

<> 35 MINUTES AWAY FROM GREAT MT BIKING TRAILS

<> NEARBY HIKING TRAILS

<> SO MUCH MORE!!!

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ONLY $55/PERSON!!

YOU CAN'T STAY HOME WITH THE FAMILY FOR LESS THAN THIS PRICE!

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FALL RETREAT website

(For more details & registration)

 

 

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For the first time in many years...

 

For the first time in many years we are all packed up, trucks prepped, trailer connected, and ready to hit the road A FEW DAYS BEFORE we actually have to leave!! This may be one of the final signs before the rapture happens LOL
 
Special thanks to the AWESOME Yates family who set aside their day last Saturday to volunteer and help us prepare for our summer Adventure Trips!! You guys are an amazing blessing and a huge answer to prayer!
 
And another special thanks to Carson and his girlfriend Lauren who tirelessly help me ALL THE TIME with their great zeal and fun-loving attitudes!
 
GTD is kicking off its 27th summer of outdoor ministry in a few days in NC, and we couldn't do it without big-hearted volunteers and selfless donors!! Volunteers helped us prepare, volunteers are helping us run the camps, and volunteers / Ministry Partners are helping & housing us in SC, NC, GA, & TN... it's a total team effort by some of the best people I've ever been blessed to know! As one of my friends said, "There is no greater power for good in this world than the Body of Christ." We get to experience that truth every year! Thank You Jesus!
 
Keep us in your prayers as we undertake a lot of hard work, primitive living, & healthy risk taking in the months ahead.
 
The other dynamic that I covet your prayers for is that I will be traveling back and forth from camps to home in FL to help with my Dad, keep working on his living space in my house, and try to chip away at a very loooong list of responsibilities that I'm years behind on. Please pray for my Sister and Laurie who are helping with Dad as well as family friends who help with Dad a lot too. And, of course, pray for Dad who is making great improvements.
 
Thank you so much!!

 

 

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CARSON IS VERY "TIRED" TODAY! ...GTD GETS 25+ NEW TRAILER TIRES!!

 
Carson is literally changing about 25 tires today and tomorrow on all the GTD trailers so I would have to say he is going to be very "tired" LOL! This is waaaaay overdue on a few trailers and perfect timing for the rest of the trailers. As a mobile ministry our trailers are one of our top 3 most important pieces of equipment so getting some new treads will set us up for about the next 4 years on the bigger trailers and maybe 8 or more years on the smaller trailers. This is a big deal for our ministry and is made possible by the VERY GENEROUS $10,000 local grant we received to address our trailer needs. GTD currently has 7 trailers (3 enclosed trailers, 2 utility trailers, 1 kayak trailer, & 1 boat trailer) plus 1 golf cart. Thank you awesome grant donors for enabling our ministry to address our trailer needs and keep on trucking for Jesus with God-awesome events in the Tampa Bay area, central Florida, and all over the Southeastern United States!! Aaaaaaaaaand special thanks to my right hand man, Carson, for all his hard work as part of the GTD NASCAR crew!!

 

 

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I'M YEARS BEHIND ON EVERYTHING, BUT I JUST GOT A YEAR+ AHEAD ON OUR PUBLIC EVENTS!

  
Being years behind on everything is an awful way to live so as I fight my way out of this terrible pit I'm tackling one chunk at a time to get caught up and then going the extra mile to actually get ahead of the game with that "chunk". One example of this is our Public Events. At GTD our goal is to provide 1 monthly adventure that's open to the public, either free or very inexpensive, has a website with specific details, has a registration page for sign-ups, and has been fully planned out. A lot of work goes into each event. I've been behind on all of those tasks for our Public Events for the past 4 or 5 years. BUT NOT ANYMORE! I've not only gotten caught up with all of our monthly Public Events for 2023, but I'VE GONE THE EXTRA MILE and planned out all of our 2024 Public Events!! That has never happened in our 27 year history! That may not be a big deal for some or most people, but it's a huge deal for me. It marks a moment in time - the first time in about 5 years - when I'm actually "bailing out water" faster than the water is coming into the boat. That's a big deal to me! Up to this point I had been bailing out water non-stop, but no matter how hard I would work at removing the water it would fill up faster than I bail it out. It felt like I was bailing out the Titanic. I'm exhausted, but happy to share that most of our Public Events are ready to go for the next 19 months!! PTL and thank You Jesus! Click the pic to see our upcoming schedule for GTD's Public Events for 2023 & 2024, and start planning ahead to come out play with us in God's amazing playground!
 
You can also visit each event page (see left side menu) for specific details and to register for some God-awesome events!
 
Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-awesome adventures since 1996!
 
 
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DAD IS MAKING STRONG GAINS! ...I'M WEATHERING SOME DEPRESSION

 
Earlier this month Dad had to go on dialysis which was something we've been trying to prevent for several years because it requires him to go to a Dialysis Center 3 days a week for 3-4 hours each time. Little did we know just how much dialysis would improve his health and strength. Since going on dialysis he has been able to walk with a cane, he started back driving, he has gone grocery shopping, he has cooked a few of his world famous delicious meals, he has slept better, he has to go "potty" less often throughout the night, he and Traci got matching iPhone watches (this is probably the biggest miracle of them all haha), he has been giving away tomatoes & gifts, and he has started back attending City of Pinellas Park functions among other small (but actually HUGE) little steps of progress in his quality of life. Just prior to going on dialysis he was hospitalized for 10 days and had pretty much hit rock bottom (we all had)... he started talking more and more about this probably being his last months of life. But to all of our surprise, he started on dialysis and immediately started feeling better. We want to thank you for your prayers, support, encouragement, and love throughout this very long & difficult journey with our parents. We have learned many times along the way that things can change dramatically overnight, but today we are happy to share that things changed dramatically for the good over the past few weeks. Thank you everyone for your prayers... they mean everything to us!! My Sister and I aren't doing the greatest. To say that we are exhausted and a mere shell of our normal selves would be an understatement. I'm weathering mild to moderate (and sometimes severe) depression about 75% of the time, and feel less like a human being and more like a zombie from longterm exhaustion. But that other 25% of the time I'm very happy and find myself belly laughing for the first time in years. That 25% of good stuff reminds me that the 75% of depression and discouragement will eventually pass. Like backpacking in the middle of a thunderstorm you realize that you just have to outlast the storm and keep putting "one foot in front of the other and soon you'll be walking out that door" like a young animated Kris Kringle used to sing. Thank you again for your love & prayers :)

 

 

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SIDEWINDER WAS AWESOME! ...CHECK OUT THESE GR8 PICS!!

 

A couple of weeks ago we did our annual FREE paddleboarding event called SIDEWINDER. It was a perfect day to be on the water, and we had a blast! We paddled over to a nearby island, swam, had squishy ball & water blaster wars, and just had a great time hanging out and fellowshipping.

 

Special thanks to our fun-loving participants, our amazing volunteers, our wonderful staff, and our incredible donors & supporters for making events like this possible and such a blessing to everyone!

 

Our next big public event is SLAMMED (June 21-25)... a 5-day Adventure Trip in Benton, TN for ONLY $55 per person!! You can't stay home for 5 days for less than that! Read all about it on this link:

 

SLAMMED 2023

 

And you can check out all of our SIDEWINDER pics and videos on this link.

 

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry 

God-awesome adventures since 1996!

 

WE HAVE ABOUT 6 SPOTS LEFT!!

  

Join us on May 6th (this Saturday) for our annual SIDEWINDER Stand-Up Paddleboarding Day Trip to a nearby island in St Petersburg, Florida. 

 

This event is FREE and INCLUDES LUNCH!!

 

Beginners welcome!

  

For event details and to register for SIDEWINDER click on this link.

  

We hope to see you there! 

 

Going The Distance Adventure Ministry

God-awesome adventures since 1996!

 

 

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Newest update on Dad:

  

Dad was discharged from the hospital Saturday night after almost 2 weeks of diagnostic tests and treatments. The doctors still aren't sure if it's his heart or kidneys that are the main culprit, but his kidney function has declined from the already fragile state they were in. He is doing better overall and they were able to remove the 20+ pounds of swelling from his body including fluids from around his heart and lungs. Unfortunately he has to be on dialysis 3 days per week at a dialysis center for about 4 hours each time... after a month of that he should be able to do a certain type of dialysis from home 7 days per week. While in the hospital they did surgery to place dialysis ports inside his stomach and up by his right shoulder. There is a small possibility that the dialysis is short term, but it may be necessary for the rest of his life. He got very little sleep while in the hospital and is exhausted. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for the past 2 weeks. Carson and I are working nonstop (in addition to my GTD work) to create a nice area in my house for Dad to reside in. The progress is slow, but very good. Thank you all for your love and prayers, and thank you to all the medical professionals that study and work so hard to help others, especially the wonderful staff at Morton Plant Hospital who helped The Tomato Man :) . FYI, Dad was distributing gifts to everyone who helped him at the hospital including watermelon cubers, flashlights, salt & pepper shakers, and personalized pens with his phone number and his nickname: "The Tomato Man"... it's amazing how much a pen can make someone's day LOL!

 

 

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