MOVIE NITE IN COSTA RICA!

  

Last night the awesome local church and our ZSOM mission team rented the community center and partnered up to provide a free movie night for the hometown community including snacks & refreshments. To our pleasant surprise we had to keep adding more seats! The pastor estimates that over 300 people attended and they gave out 450 bags of popcorn. The gospel message was presented during intermission. The whole night was a great success - PTL!

 

 

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2 CULTURES, 3 MINISTRIES, 1 MISSION!

 

The ZEAL School Of Ministry mission team is in full swing this week as they and the Iglesia Buen Pastor team canvas several neighborhoods in the area inviting children to daily VBS events in each community. 

If you saw my live video the other day, you saw a small glimpse into what these events look like. We are always so grateful for the IBBP church staff and volunteers who help to organize these days and work together with our teams. It’s beautiful to see the global church come together. 

We are two cultures, 3 ministries, with one mission…to share the good news…the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. 💕💕💕

The top right hand photo is a photo of the team of people who went out on day one to invite children to the first VBS of the week. Together we walked the communities and handed out invitations. For both teams it was a wonderful way to get to know the area and people better, and for  Going the Distance Adventure Ministry and ZSOM team it was an opportunity to practice our Spanish and build relationships with the church community. The people are so gracious and encouraging to us as we stumble over our words.  

I personally want to thank all the IBBP volunteers who are taking time out of their scheduled and school break to come help us and to be a part of these events with us and their church. It’s so special to us to work together with you all. THANK YOU!!!  We love you! 💕💕💕 (- Laurie)

 

 

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READY FOR TAKE-OFF! COSTA RICA HERE I COME!!

   

Leaving for an event is bittersweet. The sweet part is obvious. The bitter part is that while I'm away my work keeps piling up. I worked hard to successfully eliminate doing all-nighters a few years ago, but unfortunately last night was my 5th all-nighter this year and probably my 15th in the past 2 years just trying to not fall further behind. I was opening mail from 2021 yesterday - ahhhhhh!! It takes a few days to fully recover from an all-nighter, but I'm praying for a supernatural strength to sustain me... or at least a good pot of coffee haha! Here's to joining up with the team that God is already working through in Costa Rica!! Pura Vida!

 

 

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JUST "HANGING AROUND" BEFORE OUR RAFTING TRIP!

 

Another instant classic picture from SLAMMED! I love fun people!!

 

 

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GTD HAS A NEW ADMINISTRATOR!! WELCOME TO TEAM GTD JAN!

 

About 6 weeks ago the Yates family was volunteering for a family work day for GTD. During lunch they asked me what my biggest need was. Without hesitation I told them how the past few years of intense caregiving had put me years behind on everything in my life, work, health, finances, etc and my biggest need was an admin person who could walk into the mess and help start reorganizing everything like (or better than) it used to be... someone who could have the same kind of mindset and heart as a mission team that showed up to someone's previously organized house that had just been hit by an F5 tornado that sent everything in every direction... someone who could patiently gather all the scattered paperwork, building materials, and structural supports and start sorting, categorizing, and rebuilding everything from scratch. I'm beyond thankful for the years and time I've been able to participate in (and am still participating in) the caregiving of my parents along with my Sister, Laurie, friends, & family. And at the same time, all those years of caregiving has nearly wiped out any & every healthy thing in my life (and my Sister's life too). It's not a complaint - it's an honest status report. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to be here for my parents like they've always been there for me & Traci. And at the same time, we have barely survived the nonstop demands of prolonged caregiving. Last year GTD hired an admin person, but unfortunately about a month later she had to move out-of-state to help take care of her parents. Now, a year after losing that admin person, the Yates family asked a caring and thoughtful question, "What is your biggest need?" I said we need an admin person. The next day God placed Jan on Stacey's heart and the ball was rolling... a couple weeks later we officially hired Jan as our new part-time Administrator. For the past month Jan has compassionately walked among the rubble scattered throughout my life and work and has eagerly jumped in to start piecing it all back together - without any knowledge of anything GTD (she is starting from scratch with our ministry). GTD is right in the middle of our busy summer season and she has been steady & understanding as we navigate running multiple events out-of-state while learning more about how GTD functions. One of her first questions was, "What's the most important priority I can start with?" Without hesitation my answer was that we need to love-on and pour-out our sincere appreciation for our Ministry Partners & supporters. They have stuck with us through the thick and the thin and we couldn't do what we are doing without God working through these generous souls... and all my heart wants to do is say, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! GOD IS USING YOU TO SUSTAIN THIS MINISTRY AND ETERNALLY IMPACT A LOT OF LIVES!!!" Sooooooo we are thrilled to introduce you to GTD's new Administrator - Jan!! As I said last year when we announced the hiring of Kari, I say again - In the notorious words of John McClane in Die Hard, "Welcome to the party, Pal!" Our hope is that over the next 12 months GTD will be back thriving in all things administratively and organizationally... which will lead to healthy things in all things GTD! Welcome to the party Jan!
 
 
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ZSOM's 11 DAY COSTA RICA MISSION TRIP HAS BEGUN!

 

Our 2nd annual Costa Rica Mission Trip with the young adults from ZEAL School of Ministry (ZSOM) of Calvary Chapel Fellowship St Petersburg kicked off on Friday!!

 

Laurie & Stacy went down a couple days early to prep for the trip. I switch out with Laurie on Tuesday and she will come back to Florida to help take care of Dad while I'm finishing up the Mission Trip.

 

Huge thanks to Stacy for all the maneuvering, arrangements, and sacrifices he has to make in order to help lead up this Mission Trip for the 2nd year in a row! And the same for Laurie... I know she would love to be down there a lot longer with her Costa Rican family!

 

Things have gotten off to a great start and we pray for another amazing impact by the ZSOM crew in the community. Stay tuned for more updates!

 

 

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IN THE GREAT WORDS OF 80'S THEOLOGIANS - VAN HALEN... "GO AHEAD AND JUMP!"

(click video above to watch everyone JUMP!)

  

With over a quarter of a century of experience with over 20,000 people in the great outdoors I can tell you that there is nothing quite as thrilling as jumping off of something! Here's a 60-second clip from our annual SLAMMED event where participants (kids, young adults, parents, moms, aunts, & more) JUMPED!! Most JUMPED off of a 20 ft bridge into a river and a few brave souls JUMPED off of a 40 ft cliff into that same river. And everyone loved the thrill of living in the moment, taking a measured risk, and jumping off of their fears and landing into a pool of exhilaration! Many times throughout life in order to go to the next level you have to stop debating, hesitating, & deliberating and you simply have to take a leap of faith and "GO AHEAD AND JUMP!"
 
On a personal note it is always deeply meaningful to me to watch family members share an experience like this. On this trip we got to watch mother & daughter, mother & son, aunt & niece, and siblings bond more deeply together through a thrilling shared adventure of bridge jumping & cliff jumping. Many things bond people closer together, but few do it as quickly and as deeply than a shared adventure!
 
Going The Distance Adventure Ministry
God-Awesome Adventures Since 1996!
 
(PS: Thank you Andrew Pieper for making this video!)

 

 

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BOLO #2... BE ON THE LOOK-OUT for...

 

 

On June 13th a BOLO went out for 4 suspicious looking people disguised as suspicious looking people. At that time they were driving a white Ford F250 in North Carolina. We've recently received a new picture from an anonymous tipster of some of those same suspicious looking people (plus 2 new additional suspicious looking people) in Ducktown, Tennessee. It appears that these suspicious looking people are multiplying, and may have switched their mode of transportation from a white metal truck to a yellow rubber raft. Several witnesses describe these individuals as "suspicious" and "the complete opposite of unsuspicious". We are asking the public for help finding these suspicious looking people before something suspicious happens. If you see any of them please do not approach them, but rather contact your local authorities and hair salons. If possible, discretely take a picture of these suspicious looking people so that we can use our facial recognition software to help determine their identity. We do not know what to make of these suspicious looking people and do not want to cause a mass panic, but we do want the public to be aware and on a very heightened low-level alert. Some experts are theorizing that these "mustached marauders" are abnormally normal, but in a normally abnormal sense, and they may have an extremely rare but very common form of Hirsutism (a condition that causes excess hair growth especially above the mouth). This form of Hirsutism is considered extremely contagious and oftentimes requires a specialized surgery known as a fakemustache-ectomy to restore ones normal less-suspicious but still very-suspicious looking appearance. [END OF BOLO-02.07012023]

HASHBROWNS > Best dollar ever spent! 

HASHBROWNS > Way to go Riley!!

#wronguseofHASHBROWNS!

 

 

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LOOKING TO DO HARD TIME WITHOUT THE CRIME?!... VOLUNTEER FOR GTD >>> IT'S LIKE PRISON, BUT WITH BETTER GRUEL!

 

LOOKING TO DO HARD TIME WITHOUT THE CRIME?!... VOLUNTEER FOR GTD >>> IT'S LIKE PRISON, BUT WITH BETTER GRUEL!

 

Sheriff DIG & Deputy CarsO reroute 3 would-be fugitives from serving 5-10 in the Big House to our new hard labor "Volunteer Program" in outdoor ministry!

 

Changing lives one warrant at a time!

 

Testimonial:

"It's awful, but it ain't as awful as I thought it'd be." - Would-Be Fugitive 0048697

 

GTD's NEW & IMPROVED VOLUNTEER PROGRAM... COMING TO A COUNTY JAIL NEAR YOU!

 

 

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THIS YEAR'S SLAMMED WAS RAIN-TASTIC!! ...DESPITE 15 HOURS OF NON-STOP RAIN EVERYONE SHINED!

 

 
Usually unrelenting rain on a camping trip can dampen the spirit of even the most optimistic campers, but not this crew! They were literally playing and singing in the rain! It was as if the weather was perfect for this fun-loving group of 26. Our 28th Annual SLAMMED Adventure Trip was a torrential success! In some of these pictures we are doing a rain hike to a nearby waterfall. One of our volunteers took a picture of the waterfall before our trip started and a picture of that same waterfall after 2 days of heavy rains... the usual trickling waterfall quickly became a flash flood mega waterfall! The 2nd half of the trip was full of sunshine and good times... more pictures to follow =)

 

HUGE props to our amazing volunteers and staff for all their hard work, fun attitudes, and servant's hearts! They poured their heart & soul into our 28th Annual SLAMMED Adventure Trip!! And we are already looking forward to SLAMMED 2024!!!!

 

 

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BE ON THE LOOKOUT for...

 

BE ON THE LOOKOUT for 4 suspicious looking people disguised as suspicious looking people!

Just another day in the life of youth ministry haha! 

One of our volunteers brought fake mustaches!! 

HASHTAG > Best dollar ever spent! 

HASHTAG > Way to go Riley!!

#wronguseofhashtag!

 

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OUR GOAL IS A GOD-AWESOME EVENT! ...WELCOME TO "MINUTIAE MONDAYS"! ...ZAMP 2023! WE LOVE THIS GROUP!!

 

   
Our annual 5-day Adventure Trip with the ZEAL Middle School Youth Group from Calvary Chapel Fellowship of St Petersburg, Florida was a big hit... in fact, it was what we at GTD like to call a "God-Awesome Event!". And that's our goal on every GTD event... we don't nail it every time, but we do nail it 90+% of the time (Glory to God!). It sure doesn't hurt that the accomplishment of this goal is made a little easier by the fact that these ZEAL kids are awesome and their leadership is outstanding!! They call their annual camping adventure with GTD - "ZAMP" (ZEAL + CAMP = "ZAMP") and we can't wait for it every year! We've been soooooo blessed to host events with this youth group for 20 years since 2003!
  
Over the next couple of months (or next few years... these days I've just about given up on estimating how long simple tasks will take LOL) every few Mondays I will be sharing more details about GTD's approach to accomplish our goal of creating a God-awesome experience on our events. I'm calling it "MINUTIAE MONDAYS". A LOT of work goes into each group event and I think our supporters and participants would love to know more of the "behind the scenes" efforts that goes into creating a God-awesome adventure so I'm going to get into the weeds with more details about all things GTD. If you've followed our blog or social media for any amount of time then you already know that I have a hard time being brief or concise... in fact, I love sharing all the minutiae of details... all the nuts & bolts that goes into building something of value. 
  
Our first MINUTIAE MONDAY topic is our vision and mission for each event. Every endeavor starts with a vision or goal and as I've already stated, our goal at GTD is to create "God-awesome" group experiences. To do this we have a "formula" or "recipe" that's based on scripture, wisdom, life experience, and a few years of trial & error. We call that recipe, "The 5 F's of GTD". It's sort of like five ingredients for a delicious meal. But what does "God-awesome" even mean?? It's not even in the dictionary. Exactly. I made the phrase up years ago because there wasn't a good enough word or phrase (in my opinion) that captured what we were trying to do (the essence of a fun, amazing, healthy, organic, pure, creation-based, faith-filled, total experience authored by the presence of God). There was however already a phrase in the dictionary for the opposite - an extremely dreadful experience. That phrase is called "God-awful", and I hate that phrase. Nothing God does is awful. Everything He does is BEYOND AWESOME! (Or necessary to address corruption). The "God-awful" phrase for extremely dreadful experiences shouldn't even have God's name associated with it. It should be called "sin-awful" or "devil-awful" or "fallen-world-awful". God doesn't author awful. He authors AWESOME! New words and phrases are created and added to the dictionary every year. Sooooooooo, I simply created a new phrase that attempted to "fix" a messed-up phrase that represented extreme dread and turned it into something that now represented extreme awesomeness. And so the phrase "God-awesome" was born! Will it ever make it into the dictionary? Who knows! But we have a unique phrase that we and our participants seem to like a lot... a phrase that doesn't need an explanation... a phrase by which people immediately catch our drift... and a phrase that conveys an experience that goes beyond a man-made experience. This phrase has become part of our stated goal (which includes the GTD "3-P Pledge"): "GTD Plans, Prepares, & Provides God-awesome Public and Private Group Events".
  
So if God-awesome events are the main meals we are cooking up then what's the recipe? What are the ingredients? Good question. Our recipe is made up of 5 ingredients that we call the 5 F's of GTD: FOCUS (on God first), FREEDOM (in Christ... not the freedom to sin, but rather the freedom from sin), FUN (the joy of the Lord is our strength... abundant life... God "provides us with everything for our enjoyment"), FELLOWSHIP (authentic relationships birthed through daily devotions, team-building, & shared experiences - both fun & difficult/challenging experiences), & FAITH (daily opportunities to engage in acts of faith... healthy risk-taking infused with Biblical relevance). Each of these 5 F's are listed in the order in which we lay them. Focus is the base layer then Freedom is established then Fun is built next then Fellowship naturally occurs, and Faith is interwoven throughout it all. When we have all of these ingredients in place then the result is a God-awesome experience almost 100% of the time. Lost souls are saved. Wandering souls are rededicated. Weary souls are renewed. Tired souls are refreshed. Growing souls are encouraged. Strong souls are reinforced. God uses GTD's God-awesome events to impact souls! GTD doesn't hold exclusive rights to host eternally impacting adventures. On the contrary, God uses thousands upon thousands of Christian-based camps across the world to impact souls for His Kingdom. In fact, Christian camps are referred to as, "The harvesting field for souls."  That's why camps are one of the biggest priorities to pastors & youth pastors across the world. Oftentimes camps / retreats are the biggest event focus for youth pastors each year. God does so much good in a concentrated amount of time that 5 days can often feel like a few hours because the time flies by so fast while at the same time feeling like a few years because so much is accomplished in a short amount of time. It feels surreal many times. You can read more details about the 5 F's of GTD and much more on our website here: https://gtdbullhorn.blogspot.com/p/about.html
  
So there you have it... that's what God-awesome means to GTD, and those are the 5 ingredients we use to cook up a once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable, God-awesome GTD event!
  
Thank you to all of our volunteers, staff, participants, supporters, donors, encouragers, and prayer warriors for what you do to make GTD's God-awesome events an immense blessing to a vast number of people! God will one day reveal the eternal difference that you helped make in many people's lives through your participation in this ministry. God bless you! All our thanks and love! Now back to planning, preparing, and providing more God-awesome GTD events!
 
 
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SEVERAL KIDS SAVED... AND BAPTIZED IN THE RIVER! THANK YOU JESUS!!

 

We got back late last night from our annual Adventure Trip with the ZEAL Middle School Youth Group from Calvary Chapel Fellowship. They call the trip ZAMP (ZEAL + CAMP), and it took place at a wonderful group campsite in Brevard, NC. It was a God-awesome week full of faith & fun that culminated with several youth receiving Jesus as their Saviour and being baptized in a picturesque stream about a mile from camp!! Thank You Jesus!!!! That's what it's all about! This is why we do what we do!! I can't compliment the CCF leadership team enough for how much love, support, and encouragement they pour into their students. I can't thank the GTD staff & volunteers enough for all they did to make this week so special. And I can't thank our amazing supporters enough for all that you do and sacrifice in order for this one moment to take place. This is the fruit of your sewing and watering! You share in the harvest because you participated in the gardening process!! One person plants, another person waters, and God causes the growth... ALL GLORY TO GOD!!! We are so thrilled with all that God did over the past week! I've got a lot more highlights to share this week, but I thought I would kick things off with the best news first!

 

 

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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!