God's Great Outdoors

Would you like to have your family hooked for life? Trevor Ruble the founder of a ministry to children and families on teaching them how to fish called "Hooked for Life" is being adopted by churches across North America. Trevor shares how he struggled as a kid without a dad and how fishing was his escape from that loss and the ministry was something God laid on his heart to help kids to learn to fish and come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

The founder of the World Wide Christian Scuba Divers Organization, Jim Mustoe shares with Gerry about his early years in life, love of the outdoors, and walk with the Lord. Jim also tells how the Lord impressed on him the idea to write a pamphlet called "Jesus is the Regulator of Our Life." Also, God led him to start a ministry to scuba divers.

Walking into a restaurant after a day at the Archery Trade Association Show, in Nashville, Tennessee, Gerry had what he calls a divine encounter. He went through the door to eat and at the same time, that today's guest Jason Koger was going in as well. Gerry handed him a tract because he had a camouflage shirt on and invited him to join him for dinner. Jason lost both of his hands in an accident where he was electrocuted with high voltage while riding an ATV. It was clear after a few moments Jason had a relationship with Jesus Christ, and also emitted the joy of the Lord. He shares about his accident, the loss of his hands, his wife having to deal with a baby, a small child and him, even having to feed all threat dinner time which caused a decision that Jason had to make that will certainly challenge every listener. Jason also tells how he got back into the outdoors and hunting turkey and deer and where God took him after the accident.

Jim McNamara, a taxidermist from Lima, Ohio shares about the business and how over the years taxidermy has changed, allowing people in his trade to create such life-like mounts of birds, fish and mammals. Jim also tells the story of how he almost died on a duck hunt and at one point he realized or accepted the fact that he wasn't going to make it. Jim had no fears because he realized that despite leaving his loved ones behind that God would take care of them and he was at peace at being with the Lord, but obviously he survived the situation.

Paul Meeks who for many years owned the treestand company called API Outdoors, is the guest on this week's Trail to Adventure! Paul shares how he got started in the treestand industry with API being the first aluminum stand to appear on the market and by the time he sold the business it was the number one manufacturer of treestands. Gerry and Paul spend the majority of this interview talking treestand safety to help the listeners understand the importance of the topic and seriously consider their need to wear safety harnesses while doing their hunting adventures.

Gerry travels to the northeast corner of Ohio to take part in a ministry of the likes he had never seen before. The event was a multi-species fishing tournament where a small fish like a blue gill that was caught at the event could actually be the winner over a larger species fish, such as a muskie. It all worked on percentages, and the technique in judging is explained by this week's guest Roy Hendrickson. The lake the church was using was public access and was actually in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, but you will discover that this ministry outreach is designed also to share Christ and can even be done on a small farm pond that has several species of fish.

Pheasant City Lodge in Wessington, South Dakota, is the home of Kevin and Kristie Tevedal. The two share how they use this pheasant hunting facility in what is considered the top state for these game birds as a way to minister to others. Men's ministry , father/son, father/daughter ministries, women's retreats, church groups,and more all have used this facility for outreach. Both Kevin and Kristie share personal stories of events, actions, and testimonies of ministry they have seen take place at the lodge.

Renowned wildlife photographer and outdoor writer, Charlie Alsheimer, is this week's guest. Gerry drops in on Charlie at his farm in New York and the two discuss how Charlie got involved in the outdoors. Charlie also shares that it was during his tour in Vietnam, and because of his boss, an avid photographer, that he purchased photography equipment while there and got started. Interestingly enough, he cannot remember even taking one photo before this time. Charlie shares how he started wildlife photography and then began writing an article for a local paper. With time he started speaking in churches and now has seen many come to Christ at game dinner events and such.

Photographing mountains, fields, streams, seashores, and much more is the topic with this week's guest Dr. Charles Stanley. Dr. Stanley shares how he got involved in photography to include even developing all of his own photographs which are featured on just about all of the In Touch Ministry's items available to the public. He tells how awestruck he is by God's creation and by the memories surrounding the photos. Dr. Stanley also tells of his early years of fishing, hunting, and shooting, but how the absence of a father in his life to do these things with were clearly remembered in later years when he was a man. He offers to the audience that they may not think that taking a youngster fishing that has no father figure is a big deal, but he assures them that it is and how it can leave a lasting impact for eternity.

With the startling fact that one out of every three hunters who climb into a treestand in order to pursue big game will have an accident, GGO always has a program each year at this time to address the subject of safety. This program is a rendezvous with Keith Jones from Seat of the Pants Safety Harnesses, owned by the Summit Treestand Corporation. Keith shares with Gerry about not only the evolution of the treestand that goes back to just nailing boards in a tree, but also the safety harnesses and how dangerous these items and designs were in the early days. Today's treestand sand safety harness systems are policed by the Treestand Manufacturer's Association and are the top of the line, if people follow the recommended instructions that come with each product.