God's Great Outdoors

Pastor Dan Williams from Manitoba, Canada visits with Gerry at the June couple’s retreats that take place each summer at the Rushing Wind Retreat Center in Ontario, an hour above International Falls, Minnesota. The two share how the location is remote to the point that those who attend are brought in by float planes. This is a fishing trip that many folks dream of, and so opens the door for bringing along unsaved friends and relatives who need Jesus. Dan tells the story of his desire to catch a big lake trout and despite the bad weather conditions decided to go way up lake and try for one. On heading back, the storm had really blown in and the wind wouldn’t allow the boat through a narrow, shallow area. Dan tried gunning the motor and broke the shear pin, which was only the beginning of the adventure!

This week’s broadcast is on Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Gerry visits with Billy Parker and his wife Laura during the annual Archery Trade Assn. Show that was held in Indianapolis, Indiana in February of 2015. Both of these outdoor recreationalists share stories of the adventures and the battle that is encountered because of a tiny insect at least eight months of the year. Ticks! Laura has been infected with both Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, but early detection helped in her treatment being a quick ordeal. Billy however, went a number of years before his Lyme Disease was discovered causing extended and daily treatments that lasted many months. Their hope is as they tell this story, is it will help keep others from having to go through the same mess they experienced!

The listeners may remember the famous escape artist, Harry Houdini. (1874–1926) He was an American illusionist, stunt performer and it was said he could get out of anything! This week’s guest on the radio broadcast is from Realtree Outdoors TV Show, David Blanton. While hunting whitetails in Kansas he was told of a monster buck that had been seen for several summers, but disappeared in the fall when buck’s antlers harden, reappearing again the next summer. Where was he going? Thus “Houdini” became the whitetail’s moniker. David became obsessed with hunting this incredible animal to a point where the Holy Spirit revealed his heart wasn’t right with God, needing turned 180 degrees; it’s quite a true story!

This week, the Trail To Adventure radio broadcast will have you riding high in the saddle! Gerry visits with Toni Mattson of the Trinity Equestrian Center located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Toni shares how the Trinity Equestrian Center use horses with people that are disabled, mentally challenged, criminally incarcerated, wounded veterans and all others, to make a difference in their lives and help them find the creator God, Jesus Christ. Gerry and Toni visit together in Green Bay, Wisconsin at a Trail To Adventure! Pastor and laymen teaching conference that helps people learn how to do evangelistic outdoor out reaches.

As he was traveling to speak at a Game Dinner in western Wisconsin, Gerry rendezvoused with Arnie Wolf, who is the owner of Rushing Wind Retreat Center in Ontario, Canada. The two men are joined by Larry Drossart who shares about his personal struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and many of his fellow veterans as well. Arnie mentioned to Larry of his desire to do some type of wounded warrior (style) event at his fishing camp located a little over an hour above International Falls, Minnesota. That struck Larry hard as that day he’d heard of 4 Wisconsin veterans who’d committed suicide and felt something had to be done to stop this trend. Speaking that summer not only impacted Larry and his relationship with Jesus Christ, but helped another man in camp too! Since then the special week has grown in attendance and in the scope of how it’s helping other Vets with their struggles also.

Gerry is joined on the Trail To Adventure! by the Heislers, at the tail end of the Family Fun Fossil Hunt that God’s Great Outdoors does near the Creation Museum each year. Jon & Deb reflect on the couple’s retreats that takes place in Canada each summer at the Rushing Wind Retreat Center in Ontario, an hour above International Falls, Minnesota. The two share how they are ministered to at the event, even with the special attention required because of Jon’s health issues. This includes full access to time out on the water in God’s beautiful Creation as Jon’s heath has him using a wheeled walker. The couple tell how the owners of Rushing Wind, Arnie and Dee Wolf have even helicopter-ed in a fleet of pontoon boats to this remote fly-in fishing camp, so everyone can be out on the water. Jon also tells of a wounded warrior (style) event there that is helping Vets find Jesus and heal from their past emotional damages!

This week’s Trail To Adventure radio program is a time with a man who has made his living related to God’s great outdoors and it’s natural wonders for many years. Dave Battle lives in Anchorage, Alaska and tells of the way that he was raised to believe in Jesus, the Bible, and creation, as he was immersed in experiencing it with his father. However, in his college years everything he was being taught as he studied to become a wildlife biologist was telling him, not only was evolution a fact but there wasn’t even a God necessary for life to exist. Yet, one day in class, an eye-opening look at how each skull he was required to examine and study from the different animal species revealed that they had to have been both intricately and intelligently designed for that animal to exist at all as the precise location of these many openings was proof positive.

On a trip to the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky to speak to this ministry’s staff during their morning devotions, Gerry connected with this week’s guest. Robert Smith’s story was about being blessed by God on an all-day whitetail deer hunt where only a half hour before dark he shot a monster buck. No ordinary deer, this typical ten pointer harvested on November 11th of 2000 with his rifle in northern Kentucky became a new state record buck. Robert, realizing that the Creator is truly the “Lord of the harvest” was thankful for this animal. Being what he calls “a meat hunter” he certainly had plenty of meals, but said when it came to the antlers value, it wasn’t a big deal. When an antler collector offered to buy the set, Robert knew the money could be used for an upcoming mission’s trip his church youth group was taking to Jamaica. Selling them was giving back to God, resulting in salvations abroad!

Gerry is at the Archery Trade Associations, 2016 Outdoor Trade Show held in Louisville, Kentucky on this week’s Trail To Adventure! In this interview he is visiting the Nature Blind booth connecting with the business founder and owner, Tim Thomason. These ground blinds and animal game feeders are well camouflaged as they look like tree stumps. Tim shares how on his first Texas deer hunt; the outfitter put him in an elevated shooting house and gave him a can of wasp spray. Not liking heights or those flying pests, he did his morning devotions and then, he asked God for a good idea. God answered and the tree stump shaped blind was the result. The biggest surprise is lives are being changed for eternity as the company products have scripture verses incorporated in their bark design and it’s doing a work for God!

This week's Trail To Adventure! program guest is the well known New Yorker, wildlife photographer and outdoor writer Charlie Alsheimer. Gerry drops in on Charlie at his studio/office on his farm in the Empire State 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 there, an avid photographer, he decided to purchase photography equipment while in the Army and got started learning this craft. Interestingly enough, he cannot remember even taking one photo before this time. Charlie reflects on how he started doing wildlife photography and then later began writing an article for a local paper. With time he became a speaker at church outreach events and now has seen many come to Christ at game dinners and such.