AZ, Here We Come!

Laurie & I are about to board our flight to AZ. The Grand Canyon Trip starts tomorrow!! We are looking forward to what God has in store :)

New Grand Canyon T-Shirts!!

Special thanks to J & L Shirt Designs for this year's GTD Grand Canyon T-Shirt design. We love the way they look!! This year's participants (as well as past participants) will be able to reserve one (or more) of these shirts as soon as the trip ends. Shirts will cost $12 each =)

Grand Canyon 2013 - PLAN B

PLAN B! Despite the government shutdown and the great lengths they've gone to in order to block access to the Grand Canyon, GTD is set to deliver on our 3rd annual trip to this amazing natural wonder of the world. Over the past 7 days I've put about 100 hours of work into re-planning an event that took one year to build. With the exception of a few hours of sleep each night I've been spending every second on creating "Plan B" so I sincerely apologize to those I haven't had a chance to call back, text back, message back, email back, etc... I've been on a mission to overcome the literal barriers that have been placed before us. And I'm so excited to announce that Plan B is ready to go, and may even be better than our original "Plan A". We have 23 people eager & ready to embark this Thursday on a "grand" adventure!! I can't tell you how blessed I've been to see the Godly and encouraging reactions from those who are signed-up to go on this event. They have invested time, money, energy, training and altered their lives in small and big ways in order to go on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure only to come face-to-face with an obstacle last week that threaten to block this event. For a few days it looked like this was going to be called "The Grand Canyon-LESS Trip". They all responded with a great level of maturity, understanding, and support. I love working with Christians, especially when they are living out what they say they believe. In the midst of disappointment and potential loss they were ready to roll with the punches and laugh about it the entire way. I've been so impressed and encouraged by their response!! Thankfully the government shutdown doesn't affect Indian Reservations located in the Grand Canyon. They were the first place I started looking for hiking access, but they were already booked up. But I kept calling back, and praise God, some permits became available and we were able to get 23 of them!! We also found some other amazing locations (mostly on Indian Reservations) that we will be visiting as well. In many ways this trip is becoming a trip to all the other places we've wanted to go visit in and near the Grand Canyon, but haven't had a chance to. And our group of 23 couldn't be more excited. I've actually heard several people say they are so excited about Plan B that they now want it to become Plan A even if the government shutdown ends. Our journey begins this Thursday and I invite all of you to venture with us through our Facebook Page & blog on this 6-day Christ-centered God-awesome once-in-a-lifetime adventure to the Grand Canyon. Thank you for all of your prayers & support!! I also want to thank Jason Lazzaro for his immense help in finding some of these new destinations!! In addition, I want to express a special thanks to Dr Aaron Walp who had already put hundreds of hours into preparing to teach on this trip and who has gone out of his way to adjust his lessons based on some of our new destinations. He is an amazing man who has volunteered his time to teach us more about God's incredible creation. We can't wait!! God bless! -DUG <><

Bike Accident Sidelines XFL Participant

Praying for Natalie Evans... who crashed on her bike this morning in Jensen Beach while training for GTD's XFL Cross Florida Bike Ride.

She sustained 2 broken ribs & a broken thumb, but avoided potentially worse injuries. I know she is very disappointed. She was the reason we put the XFL on the schedule this year because she wanted to celebrate turning 50 by biking across the Florida. Here is her post from the hospital:

"Well, bike ride started off so well but ended badly... Going over the bridge on bike lane/shoulder, when it ended abruptly (sun had not risen yet) and I lost control & crashed. 2 broken ribs & broken thumb. I feel VERY fortunate though. My Bike Across Fl is cancelled or postponed for now. Staff at MM south were amazing. Deeply disappointed but also thankful, as it could have been much worse."


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FCD Staff Day Trip = Wonderful Time

GTD loved hosting a Staff Day Trip for the Family Center on Deafness (FCD) yesterday. It was a perfect day for paddling to a nearby island for a picnic lunch and team building games!!

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We Are Here To Pump You Up!

The GTD gym is now fully functional!! (all equipment was personally funded... no gtd monies ...or laboratory testing of animals... went into the creation of our gym.) :)

9 Miles of Training

Just finished 9 miles on the elliptical in an hour & a half.
I love this machine!! I signed up for an iFit membership which allows you download hiking & running locations form all over the world then watch a slide show of pictures from that location on your tablet or laptop.  The elliptical automatically adjusts the resistance & incline to match the terrain. It's awesome!

So I just hiked 9 miles down the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River. Intense!! Sweat machine! Hanging out with Mr Shiatsu right now (massage chair) ;)

New Exercise Equipment

So thankful for my new elliptical machine & stationary bike. Getting some great training in for our upcoming events.

I'm coming off one of the healthiest summers I've had in years. I was able to maintain clean eating & regular fitness for a majority of the summer. But once we started increasing the travels & running non-stop camping trips it was nearly impossible to sustain consistency. It wasn't perfect, but it was great progress! I will have to make a few more adjustments to stay consistent during the summer months (our heaviest travel schedule of the year). - DUG =)


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New Grand Canyon Hiking Map

Just finished creating a new elevation & mileage map for our Grand Canyon hike. Only 3 weeks to go!!!

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Banyan Resources Banquet

Last night Doug and I joined the owners of Banyan Resources (Rancho Arbol De Vida Costa Rica) at their very first fundraiser in Stuart, FL!  It was a great night for people to learn more about the ministry and to get involved!  We also got to spend time with one of the original founders Lou Ritchie and their Vice President of Operations Stephen Swain, who did a great job speaking!  Thanks Phil and Durley Hogan for the invitation to join you!  We are so excited to see what God has in store for the future!

PRODUCTIVITY

I've been putting in some major hours in the GTD office for the past few weeks... usually starting at 7am and going till 2am the next morning. I've been able to get some social time in for lunches with friends each day as well as church on Sat night / Sundays and sporadic dinners with family & friends. So excited to see the major work getting accomplished over here. So thankful for a lifelong mission to wake up to everyday... and so thankful for the drive to get caught up on piled up work from the past few years as I strive to not only get caught up, but also get ahead of the game. It has been a long time coming, but it is starting to happen... still got a long way to go, but not as long as it used to be =).   - duG


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Dr Walp Says...

Some pastors step on your toes, but Dr Aaron Walp goes straight for your head!

One month until our Grand Canyon Trip... 24 people signed-up and only a few spots left!!

Here's what Dr Walp has to say, "Lest someone think this trip is based on circular reasoning and thereby unscientific and lacking empirical data. I do not teach, nor do I claim, that the evidence suggests that the flood caused the canyon. Instead, a global flood, as recorded in nearly every ancient historical culture, could have set the stage, via stored kinetic energy caused by earthen dams, to create a catastrophic event carving the canyon (similar to the Channeled Scablands of Washington state caused by a ice dam break leading to the Missoula Flood). This trip studies flood geology and how viewable geological features of the canyon and surrounding regions support the audacious claims found in the Bible. It is fact based, not conjecture and will not disintegrate into circular reasoning."

Click HERE for the Grand Canyon link.


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Let The Training Begin!

A few days ago I started training for this year's Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim hike (25-miles-in-1-day). I hiked up & down 3 flights of stairs 30 times... which equals 90 flights uphill and 90 flights downhill. It wasn't even close to Jason Lazzaro's 52 times or Heather Lazzaro's 47 times. Team Lazzaro killed it! But still it was a decent first day back and a good gauge of where I'm at right now. Let the training begin!! - Doug


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SAY YES TO THE SOBER-LICIOUS LIFE!!

Hey youth, don't be drawn into all the glamorous pictures your friends post while holding a beer. That picture doesn't tell the whole story. You don't need alcohol to have a great time. In fact, more lives are destroyed by alcohol than ever blessed by it. There is a lot of pressure on you to conform, but I want to encourage you to dare to live a sober-licious life!! Check out some of these stats from the NCADD and see the other side of alcohol...

<> 2.5 Million Alcohol-Related Deaths Worldwide - EVERY YEAR!!

<> 320,000 young people aged 15-29 years die annually, from alcohol-related causes.

<> Alcohol is associated with many serious social and developmental issues, including violence, child neglect and abuse, and absenteeism in the workplace.

But here's the encouraging news young people, the NCADD reports that 50% of men & 66% of women don't consume alcohol... so don't feel like you are the only one taking the sober road. I've been fortunate to travel that road my whole life & I've never felt like I've missed out on anything. A lot of times people drink to try to fill up empty spots in their life or because they need a crutch to feel confident in social situations. Don't feel like you're the only one without a beer in your hand... there are millions more... Save your money and save your life for bigger & better things. =)


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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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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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