God's Great Outdoors

Dean Hulce: There are many places in the Bible that talk about how we are called to service for the Lord. Most of us will never be called to the mountains of Asia or to the deserts of North Africa or the jungles of South America or Central Africa. However, when Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, he told each of us that we are called. Jesus said that all of us that know him have had the call to share the gospel throughout the world.

On today's show, we'll again visit with Don Shire, the man that has traveled around the country sharing Jesus Christ and caring for widows and orphans. He's played his trumpet around the world in 37 countries, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to so many that might never have heard about Jesus.

We have visited with Don a couple times in the past, and today we're replaying one program to let you know that coming up on August 21st and 22nd in Hilbert, Wisconsin, there's an event that you might have interest in. You can find all the information for this year's Gospel Fest at VoicesOfPeaceMusic.net. That's VoicesOfPeaceMusic.net.

Come hear Don play his trumpet and dozens of others that will share some amazing music. Now let's join Dean and his very special guest as they share stories of the jungles of South America. We'll hear of hunting, fishing, real witchcraft, and redemption. And now here's your host, Dean Hulce.

Dean Hulce: Welcome to God's Great Outdoors on the trail to adventure. We are in home studio today and again we have an old friend, becoming an old friend now, Don Shire.

Don Shire: A new old friend. Yes.

Dean Hulce: It's been a couple years and when this airs, it'll be more it'll be two and a half, three, probably two and a half years or three years by then, so time flies by, doesn't it?

Don Shire: Yes, it does. And you know what, I you say old friend, I feel like an old friend now, especially now that we've we've spent some time at the camp here and and done some hunting and swapping stories. It's just been a wonderful week.

Dean Hulce: Yeah, it has. And we're we're pulling coming to an end of a hunt and we've just been sitting telling telling stories and I thought I have a lot of hunting stories. And I do. God has blessed me and you and I have talked about you had said you you're impressed and I don't take it as I'm not I don't feel like I'm worthy of it, but that I'm able to come up with a devotional every day.

Don Shire: A devotion and a new program. Yeah.

Dean Hulce: Yeah, and as we a gift.

Don Shire: Yeah.

Dean Hulce: Well, it is a gift. I I can't take any credit for it. No, I take I can the only credit I can take is that God allows me to use it.

Don Shire: Sure.

Dean Hulce: And I'm available when he needs me, but and we've we've been talking and every time we say, hey, there's a new devotional, there's a new devotional. So I decided I I think you had told me a while back, you know, you've spent a lot of time in Venezuela.

Don Shire: Mm-hm.

Dean Hulce: I don't know how many trips. You know?

Don Shire: Probably around 30.

Dean Hulce: Really?

Don Shire: Yeah. Yeah. Uh helping a missionary friend out in the jungle.

Dean Hulce: Yeah, give a shout out to Mike here, so.

Don Shire: Yeah, hey Mike Dawson, if you're listening today, uh right now you're probably about 300 miles into the uh Amazonus territory in Venezuela. And uh hope you're doing well today.

Dean Hulce: Well, we got on the phone with him yesterday, introduced me to him.

Don Shire: Yeah.

Dean Hulce: And had a good talk and actually this morning we emailed back and forth. He's in the middle of the jungle with until Elon Musk put up Starlink. Is that what it is? Starlink.

Don Shire: Starlink. Yeah.

Dean Hulce: Starlink. He didn't he didn't have access to outside world on a regular basis.

Don Shire: Well, when I first started going down there, it would take three months for me to write a letter, get it to him, and then get it out of the jungle and then uh and then get it back to me. When I went down the first time, I didn't know if there would be someone at the airport to pick me up because I hadn't received his reply yet.

Dean Hulce: And you weren't necessarily in a friendly country, in a friendly area.

Don Shire: Well, yeah. And it was one of my first foreign trips, you know, so it was uh just a little bit more scary.

Dean Hulce: Yeah. It's you know, it kind of reminds me when you hear stories of like World War I where children or spouses went off, and it was two, three, four months between, you know, you didn't know if your child was alive or your husband was alive at that time.

Don Shire: Yeah, it's amazing that we could call Mike yesterday and just speak to him live right there.

Dean Hulce: Yeah, that is. And it sounded like he was just down the street.

Don Shire: Yeah.

Dean Hulce: Uh so God's, you know, in the Bible talks about at the end times how information, you know, it doesn't say that, but it has that learning and knowledge is going to expand rapidly.

Don Shire: We know that's why I think Jesus could be coming soon.

Dean Hulce: Yeah.

Don Shire: Uh because he says that there'll be wars and rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, kingdom against uh kingdom. Uh there'll be famine, uh there'll be pestilence, great outbreaks of disease is what that means and and earthquakes. And uh I believe that we are living in an age where the whole world is seeing those things happen. And Jesus said, when you see those things happening, that means I'm coming soon.

Dean Hulce: That's right. And you know, since since uh from the from the time of his uh crucifixion and resurrection, people have been saying, you know, he said he's coming back, watch for him. And we need to be watching and it doesn't it says we won't know the date or the the day or the time, but we will know the season. And most everything that the Bible says has to take place, has taken place.

Don Shire: Yeah. I'm every day it's a day of grace. If you don't know Jesus today and you're listening, I sure hope you uh I I sure hope you take this to heart because I do believe that uh that second coming is coming pretty soon.

Dean Hulce: Yeah, as as you say that I get tears in my eyes. We got a friend sitting here, he can hear us, but you know, he he's a relatively new Christian in in just in the last couple years and and several people, I think I told you that this week only one that I know of that's been here that doesn't know Christ. And and God has put held this camp together, this hunting camp together. I believe just to bring those that are here to Christ.

Dean Hulce: Well, we're going to we're going to talk today some um because you had mentioned, you wish that Chief Shoofoot was still alive to to do a show with me.

Don Shire: Yeah.

Dean Hulce: And he's not. But you've been telling stories and I said, we got to share these stories because it amazing testimonies. And so you were talking and telling, I think got into your second story and I said, we need to jump on the on the mics here.

Don Shire: Yeah. Well, you know, if if you want to know more about Chief Shoofoot, there's a book written about him called Spirit of the Rainforest. And if you just Google that, uh you'll be able to find that book and it'll pretty much tell his life story. And it is fascinating. Uh here's this guy that uh that grew up was trained by by shaman, by by witch doctors on how to how to meet his spirits and his demons and and um then he the missionaries came and and he learned. He already knew about heaven because of his spirits. He could he but the spirits always said, yes, he is more powerful. This enemy enemy spirit is more powerful than us, but you need us to protect you from him.

Dean Hulce: Wow.

Don Shire: Because he hates your people. And that's what he believed his his whole life until the missionaries came and said, wait a minute. And that it was Mike's dad who who said, wait a minute, I know who you're talking about and your spirits have been lying to you and and um well, it's just a fascinating story how Shoofoot comes to know the Lord. I I think you'll enjoy it. Also, there I did a video on uh with him sharing his testimony uh called I'll Never Go Back. And if you just Google Chief Shoofoot, I'll Never Go Back, it'll bring up that video on YouTube and uh it's pretty fascinating.

Dean Hulce: Yeah, I I'm looking forward to it. Why don't before we before we take our first break here, why don't you tell us also about the ministry that that Mike Dawson is doing and his books. So people can look up those and and pick them up and read them.

Don Shire: Yeah. Well, Mike, uh he Mike was born and raised in the jungle of Venezuela. And the reason he's there today is because he his birthright is the same as the Yanamamo. If you're able to live where you were born.

Dean Hulce: Okay.

Don Shire: And uh the government would love him to leave. And he's I think his family is the only family left in Venezuela um in the jungle.

Dean Hulce: Really?

Don Shire: Uh serving, yeah. And um Mike when I first met him, he was trying to uh disciple Yanamamo to go and uh share the gospel. And he he's successfully discipled several of them that are going up and down the river today.

Dean Hulce: No kidding.

Don Shire: Uh sharing the love of Christ.

Dean Hulce: We we live in such a a sheltered world. You know, it's funny I was I was emailing with Mike Dawson this morning. And I told them, I said, you know, you live in a sheltered world. We live in a much more sheltered world because we don't know of these things that are going on and and there are things that are changing that God is being glorified in these places and we take them for granted here.

Don Shire: Yeah, you can uh By the way, you can if you Google Mike Dawson uh Growing Up Yanamamo.

Dean Hulce: Okay.

Don Shire: Uh it'll pull up his book.

Dean Hulce: Yeah, or even if you just probably even if you just put Mike Dawson missionary or.

Don Shire: Yeah, Amazon.

Dean Hulce: Right. And he's got three coming to me, so I'm anxious to. By the time this airs, hopefully I've got them read. We're going to take a break. Well, before we do that, why don't you tell us quickly because you've got a history on on Christian radio.

Don Shire: Well, you know, I I it wasn't something I sought out to do, but uh yes, about uh 25 years ago, a friend of mine, uh Dave Wager from Silverberg Ranch, said, I'd like to I'd like to do a a program where we just talk and we'll call it conversations. And for uh for for over 20 years, uh we were on a a station here in the northern.

Dean Hulce: You can mention it.

Don Shire: WRBM.

Dean Hulce: Mike would appreciate it.

Don Shire: Here in uh Wisconsin and uh Upper Michigan and actually it go all over the place now.

Dean Hulce: Right, they do.

Don Shire: And yeah, we we had that on on every Sunday afternoon. It was a blessing. It really was because I loved spending the time with Dave. He's a man of God. He he really digs into God's word and I I learned so much from that guy.

Dean Hulce: And we've got a um a husband and wife coming tonight for dinner. That's actually our state senator for our area and I mentioned that you were here and asked if he'd like to come and he said, I used to listen to Don on the radio. I said, I'd love to meet him. So so we're looking forward to that. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and Adam's going to uh just uh share how people can come alongside us. And we hope that uh that our listeners know that we are listener supported. We don't uh have big dollars coming in, uh but individually that makes more difference to us, to be honest with you. No matter if it's a small gift or a large gift, any gift is appreciated and it does make a difference not only in our lives here, but in the lives of of people all over the world that this is reaching out to on podcast and radio. So for now, we're going to take a quick break, we'll be right back.

Adam Erickson: For the last 26 years, God's Great Outdoors, Trail to Adventure, has been broadcast out to win men and women, boys and girls to Jesus Christ. This is only possible by the generosity of our listeners. Thank you to all who have supported us in the past. God has blessed us because of you, and we pray that you feel his blessings as well. Additional underwriting support has been provided by Matthew's Archery, the leader in the archery industry. Mission Archery, with revolutionary crossbow technology. Three Rivers Archery, supplying everything you need to make your own traditional archery equipment. Hunters Safety Systems, saving lives is what we do. And Conviction Game Calls. At Conviction, we don't separate work from our faith. We believe that our faith should be evident in every aspect of our lives, and the outdoors is one of the best places to share that. God's Great Outdoors has produced many ministry tools, including tracts, DVDs, and books to help you reach others for Jesus Christ. You can access these items, other God's Great Outdoors items, and so much more at our website, God'sGreatOutdoors.org. That's God'sGreatOutdoors.org.

Dean Hulce: Welcome back to God's Great Outdoors, the trail to adventure. We are again in Michigan at our home studio and we've got Don Shire with us. Don has got missions um all over the world, really.

Don Shire: Yeah, 37 different countries we've been able to minister in.

Dean Hulce: Yeah. And and besides that, you go from church church, church to church year round, playing your trumpet and sharing the gospel message.

Don Shire: Well, you know, for me, the way it started is first of all, I said, God, I'm sorry. Um I had been I grew up in a Christian home and yet as an adult, really kind of wandered into a Monday through Saturday, not so much.

Dean Hulce: Yeah.

Don Shire: Uh but Sunday I I was doing everything I was raised to do in the church. And God loved me so much that when I said, I'm sorry, he heard me. And I said, Lord, if you can still use me, just show me where. And uh so that's why I go from church to church or country to country. I go where the Lord opens the doors.

Dean Hulce: And and he gave you a gift to be able to play not only.

Don Shire: Play the trumpet.

Dean Hulce: Play the trumpet, which opens a lot of doors for you and that's really what it is. It's that reminded me I shared with you, but Adam Erickson that does our intros and our outros and helps me a lot with the program and is a big part of what we're doing. He uh as I shared with you that God gave him a gift. He's got an amazing ability on the radio. He can take something that's written and make it sound as if it's his own words and never, you know, he's not reading. And he can do a lot of other things that um with the equipment and God gave him and he was praying, Lord, give me a way to utilize this and use it for you and it and it happens. So we're going to we're going to be running it short if we don't hurry here and uh but as you said, it'd be great if if Chief Shoofoot was here, but he's not. But I'd like you to share some of his testimony, some of his stories, the anacondas, the hunting, anything you've got.

Don Shire: Well, yeah, uh I know we were talking earlier, uh just across the couches there about a a story that I brought him to the to the United States several times. And uh we would go to churches and he would share his testimony and and uh maybe many of you listening today, you've heard seen him live when he was coming. Um but one one time someone asked him uh about, well, you think you'd ever go back to your former way of life? And uh he said, well, let me tell you a story. He he talked about some friends that went out hunting in the jungle and and you know, that's their Walmart. They they have to go out almost every day and and try to find food and.

Don Shire: So the three guys went out, uh dug out canoe and they got up to this bank and they split up. And one of the guys was walking through the jungle and he didn't realize it, but I guess one of the tricks of the anaconda is they hang from trees and and they look like a tree. And then they wait for something to walk underneath them and they and they fall and that's how they get their prey. And so, uh this guy was walking. He didn't see it, and the next thing he knew this big, big anaconda. I've seen him 30 feet long down there. Uh just fell on him and wrapped around him and was squeezing the life out of him and he was screaming, uh for his friends to come and help, but they were they kind of far away and by the time they got there, the the snake had uh squeezed the life out of him. And they started hacking at it with machetes and and finally got it to release its grip and they were just distraught. And they took their friend and they laid him up against the tree and they were just it's accustomed there. They they just wail, you know, when when something like that happens and they're trying to figure out what to do and and all of a sudden they heard.

Don Shire: And he heard this this guy gasp for air. And then he he took another gasp and pretty soon he was breathing fairly normally and and color began to come back into his face and he came back to life. You know, of course, everyone's thrilled and they they got back to the village and he he told his story and he became like a folk legend all up and down the river. People would whenever they would come to the village, they uh they wanted to sit around and and hear him tell his story. And uh so one day someone said, you know, you've become very, very famous because of your anaconda experience. Uh do you think you would ever want to do that again? He looked. He said, what? Are you crazy? Of course not. I would never never want to go do that again. And then Chief Shoofoot said, you just asked me if I ever wanted to go back to my former way of life. And he said, uh that you know, that's how Satan had me. He had me wrapped up and he was squeezing the life out of me and I was miserable. He said, God saved me. I cried out to God and he saved me from that. And he said, I would never go back. I never want that experience again. And you know, I've shared that story through the years because so often we we get into the same kind of grip in life. You know, Satan seems to have us so wrapped up. We don't we don't know where to turn. We feel like we're spiritually completely dead. And yet God and his grace hears us when we call. And uh just like me when I said, Lord, please forgive me. You know, that's what he wants to hear from us. He doesn't want to hear, Lord, if you do this, I'll do that. What he wants to hear is, Lord, I'm sorry.

Dean Hulce: Yeah.

Don Shire: Please forgive me.

Dean Hulce: And he will. And it's easy, it's as easy as that.

Don Shire: Yeah, and he will.

Dean Hulce: So people believe they have to do something.

Don Shire: And for me, I said, Lord, if you can use me, show me where and he he's opened up doors all over the world. And for Shoofoot, uh this guy in the village, uneducated, who taught himself how to read by helping the missionaries to uh translate the scriptures. Uh and then he he's taken that word up and down the river, uh to to neighboring villages, uh people that used to be his enemies and he's seen many come to Christ through his testimony. He's with the Lord now. Yeah. And uh I can't wait to see that man again.

Dean Hulce: Yeah. Sometimes we make salvation a something that's unavailable to us because we can never be good enough. And that's we can't.

Don Shire: We can't.

Dean Hulce: You know. The Bible says our righteousness is filthy rags. I mean, if we could be the most righteous person on Earth, except for Christ.

Don Shire: Well, that's why that's why that song amazing grace keeps sticking around.

Dean Hulce: Oh, yeah.

Don Shire: Because that's that's what it's all about is God's grace. He he looks beyond our fault. He he just he he just wants fellowship with us. He wants us to say, God, here I am. I'm putting all of my trust in you. I'm I'm going to not trust anywhere else. My I'm putting all my eggs in one basket.

Dean Hulce: Right.

Don Shire: Putting it all on you, Lord. And uh and Lord, if you can use me, show me where. And just like Moses had a staff, I have a trumpet. You uh have your hunting abilities. Uh God uses all of these things for for being able to further his word around the world.

Dean Hulce: Yeah. And and he he's given everyone that is willing to use it a gift to to use it for.

Don Shire: That's why I would ask anyone at home today, what's in your hand?

Dean Hulce: Right.

Don Shire: You know? Do you have a staff? What what do you have that you could use to the glory of God? And if you don't know, well then talk to God.

Dean Hulce: That's right. Talk to God. As people ask me, Dean, how do you come up with something to write every day? And you've and you and I've talked about it.

Don Shire: Yeah, I've asked you that.

Dean Hulce: And and literally it's and I bet there's been 20 times in the last couple days that there's another devotional as we're talking. And it's easy and I when people ask me about how, you know, I'd love to write, how do I write? I said, write your heart. Because I believe God if you want that gift, now different I can't, I'm not much much of a singer. So there's some things that we don't in heaven I'm going to have a great voice so I can guarantee that. So but there's but there's gifts that, you know, that may may not be realistic. But but also I I believe that God can move mountains, you know, and and I think that that whatever it is that you feel God has that you have that God can use, ask him and put you.

Don Shire: I went to a friend introduced me for a concert and he said, uh, I'd like to introduce Don Shire. He's been a friend of mine for many years and Don has been a great example to me that if God can use him, he can use anyone.

Dean Hulce: You said something else about that earlier. We were talking about something that was if you, you know, it was something that liked.

Don Shire: Oh, I'm talking about the shofar.

Dean Hulce: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Go ahead, let's talk about that because on past shows and I can replay that, but.

Don Shire: Yeah. Well, basically the shofar is nothing but a smelly animal horn. Uh, off of a kudu. And um, you know, it's it's a horn, so it it had marrow in it. They hollow it out, they get rid of the marrow and it has a beautiful sound when it's used as a musical instrument, but it only plays three notes. And it still smells like an old dead kudu. And um, and yet that instrument, what it's called the shofar, is used all over the world to call people together to worship God. And so what I say in my concerts, I I play the shofar and uh what I say is, listen, um on my worst day, I think I have more to offer than an old smelly kudu horn. And if God can use this horn, he can use me. And if God can use me, he can use anyone.

Dean Hulce: Yeah. And that's a it's a good example of when I talk about writing how God gives us things to make us understand our value to him and our value to his use because God leaves us here. If if we didn't if God didn't have a purpose for us when we come to Christ. And for our listeners that haven't, um I I would I would encourage you to look into it, um talk to somebody. But once we've come to Christ, if God didn't want to use us, he'd take us home. If he's left us here, we've got a purpose.

Don Shire: Every day is a day of grace.

Dean Hulce: That's right. That's right. And and I think I think of that often because I I think, Lord, come today. And then I then someone will say, yeah, but I got family that doesn't know him yet. And I've got friends and family that don't know him yet. And with that, that's the grace that God is providing.

Don Shire: Early, I was talking about all the things Jesus said to look for. Well, you know, the whole world has media now.

Dean Hulce: Yeah.

Don Shire: Where they they're hearing what's going on around the rest of the world. Jesus said, when you when you see these things, it means I'm coming soon. The whole world is going to be without excuse. And I hope if you're listening today, that you uh you're thinking about that and that you could uh you could maybe have a little conversation with God today and say, Lord, I don't understand all of what they're talking about, but I know I need you and I know I've never really put my trust in you. And today, I want you to know that I'm putting my trust in you. And uh just see what the Holy Spirit does when he comes into your life.

Dean Hulce: And that's why we're here. If we were here for just and it is entertainment. The story, the stories that you've shared are are entertaining. They're fun. But if we're just sharing that, it's we're wasting it.

Don Shire: You want one more Chief Shoofoot story? We have time for that?

Dean Hulce: Actually, you know what? Let's take a quick break. Okay. We're going to bring out the end of the radio here and then then we'll we'll spend a few more minutes and uh and share some more. But I wanted to get that message out. And for right now, we're going to take a break and then we'll be back with the podcast portion of the of the show and we can go as long as we want then. So um but thanks Don and for our listeners, thank you for joining us again. If you have any questions, if you don't know for sure where you're going, if you die today, get a hold of me, get a hold of get on get online, find somebody at a local church, uh at a sound church and uh and and talk to somebody. But it's as easy as saying, Lord, I don't know what it is, but I know I need you. In the meantime, uh join us again next week as we head down the trail to adventure in God's Great Outdoors.

Adam Erickson: For the last 26 years, God's Great Outdoors, Trail to Adventure, has been broadcast out to win men and women, boys and girls to Jesus Christ. This is only possible by the generosity of our listeners. Thank you to all who have supported us in the past. God has blessed us because of you, and we pray that you feel his blessings as well. Additional underwriting support has been provided by Matthew's Archery, the leader in the archery industry. Mission Archery, with revolutionary crossbow technology. Three Rivers Archery, supplying everything you need to make your own traditional archery equipment. Hunters Safety Systems, saving lives is what we do. And Conviction Game Calls. At Conviction, we don't separate work from our faith. We believe that our faith should be evident in every aspect of our lives, and the outdoors is one of the best places to share that. God's Great Outdoors has produced many ministry tools, including tracts, DVDs, and books to help you reach others for Jesus Christ. You can access these items, other God's Great Outdoors items, and so much more at our website, God'sGreatOutdoors.org. That's God'sGreatOutdoors.org.

Dean Hulce: Welcome back to the Trail to Adventure in God's Great Outdoors and the Trail to Adventure podcast. Again, as listener supported, if you want to help out, especially as uh as we're recording, we're coming up on Christmas season. Actually, this week is going to be this next week is Thanksgiving, and we are very thankful for everything God does. But if anybody wants to come alongside us, we certainly would uh appreciate the support. God's going to supply one way or the other, and uh if you want to be blessed by by blessing God's work, that'd be great. We're with Don Shire. We've been talking about Chief Shoofoot in the Yama.

Don Shire: Yanamamo.

Dean Hulce: Yanamamo.

Don Shire: He's in the village of Koshala Watelli.

Dean Hulce: Or mission.

Don Shire: Mission Padamo.

Dean Hulce: On the Padamo River in in Venezuela.

Don Shire: Yes.

Dean Hulce: Yes. And I'd love to hear another story about Chief Shoofoot because it's not only entertaining, but but what a testimony he had.

Don Shire: Well, you know, it's amazing to me how God God uses people like you and and and other friends to teach me so much. And uh, you know, you would think this, well, I'll tell you a couple stories. I remember one time I asked not Chief Shoofoot, but another Chief, uh his his brother was a witch doctor. And uh I heard I heard the witch doctor taking his drugs and calling his spirits and and I asked the Chief uh in that village, I said, aren't you afraid? Cause he was a believer. I said, aren't you afraid that you're going to be become under attack, he's going to really cast a spell towards you or something. And he looked at me and he said, I thought you were the smart one.

Dean Hulce: Yeah.

Don Shire: And I said, what do you mean? He said, don't you even know what the Bible says? Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. And you know, so there's a a lesson learned there. I learned to walk a whole lot more boldly, um into every situation. But I uh I came home from we we have orphanages in Haiti. And I came home from Haiti and uh my my wife was traveling. I was home by myself and I I caught Zika while I was there, which basically it's like a really, really bad flu where you're it feels like malaria, um and your your temperature goes up and down. One minute you're sweating, the next minute you're you're freezing to death and I was feeling pretty miserable. And my wife wasn't there for me to complain to or to nurse me, you know, and and so I put it on Facebook, you know, pray for me. I I have Zika and of course, you know, there's a lot of lot of friends that were praying for me. And then um we've talked about Mike Dawson, our friend in Venezuela. I I received an email from Mike. And uh he said, Don, um Chief Shoofoot just came into my house and uh he said, I've just been talking to the Lord and I've been praying for my friend uh Don. And he said, I I I sense he needs some encouragement. He said, would you put your words on your box and send them to him?

Dean Hulce: Oh wow.

Don Shire: Talk about his computer, of course. And so um I received this letter that was just so, so wonderful from an old friend who said, Don, I don't know what you're going through right now, but I just sense that you needed some encouragement. And he said, I I I think of you as a brother and and uh I wish I could come back and travel with you again and go to the churches and and share God's love. He said, but I'm old and um and I don't see very well anymore and I don't I don't hear very well anymore and I don't feel very good. I I live in pain. He said, but he said, whatever you're going through, uh I want to encourage you that don't stay focused on today and what you're going through, but but look at the future. We're going to be with Christ. He said, my days are coming to an end. And he did uh pass away just a couple months after that. He said, our days on on this Earth, um are are going to end, but but our future is eternity with Jesus.

Dean Hulce: Wow.

Don Shire: And he said, I I just want to encourage you about that today. And I you know, I I was so so grateful for his concern and his love. But you know who I was really grateful for? This guy doesn't have Facebook.

Dean Hulce: Yeah.

Don Shire: This guy's in the middle of the jungle of Venezuela, praying for me. And the Lord, the Holy Spirit laid it on his heart to come and give me a word of encouragement. Where did that encouragement ultimately come from?

Dean Hulce: From God himself.

Don Shire: Yeah. The Holy Spirit of God uh was communicating to me. He said, listen, I told you I would never leave you. I told you I'd never forsake you. And here's here's some proof that uh that I'm I'm around. You don't have to use Facebook. You know, I'm I'm not against, you know, if you want to put a prayer request on Facebook, that's fine with me. But um, but this went beyond that. It it was beyond coincidence uh that uh this man was was praying for me.

Dean Hulce: It it amazes me because I'm one that if I think of somebody, a lot of times I'll pick up the phone and give them a call and check on them. And, you know, there's there's others that that think, well, you know, that that's kind of maybe you're bothering somebody sometime. But you know what? If the Holy Spirit lays it on my heart to to think about somebody, pray for somebody, a lot of times I'll just check on them. And I think that's important. I there was a story last night that uh that you and I talked about and it was what what happened last night in in the deer blind and it was interesting because as you talked about greater is he that's in you that's in the world because you had a deer come out right at dark.

Don Shire: Yep.

Dean Hulce: And just it was a heavy clouded night, it was not nice out. And you couldn't tell for sure, but talk talk about that.

Don Shire: Well, I just couldn't tell if it was legal or not. And I had forgotten my watch. So I wasn't sure exactly what time it was, but I knew it was either the where you shouldn't shoot anymore or not and I had that deer in my crosshairs. I had a I had a kill shot right there. And I had my finger on the trigger, but the law and I'm not the law but but God himself is in the way.

Dean Hulce: Right.

Don Shire: Saying, nope, that's not allowed.

Dean Hulce: Yeah.

Don Shire: That that is off limits to you.

Dean Hulce: That's my that's my property.

Don Shire: Yeah, he's mine. And um, and I I thought what what an encouragement that was to me, although I would have liked to have had a legal deer in legal hours, but.

Dean Hulce: I should tell you you've got a single tag in our area legally, by state laws, you could have shot it. By my laws of camp camp rules.

Don Shire: Well, that's right.

Dean Hulce: Camp rules are three up or don't shoot.

Don Shire: Yeah.

Dean Hulce: Yeah. And and and as we found out later on when I looked at the trail camera pictures, it wasn't, you know.

Don Shire: It wasn't, yeah.

Dean Hulce: And it wouldn't, you know, I I wouldn't held it against you, Don.

Don Shire: You wouldn't have invited me back again, but uh.

Dean Hulce: I had already I had already done that. So it's but you know that that happens uh so often. And I think back on the book of Job with that. Because Satan had to go to God to ask for permission to touch Job's life. And and God's God's got the say. You know, when we belong to him, we're protected by him. And God had a purpose in what happened to Job.

Don Shire: That's goes back to that story I told a little bit ago about that witch doctor and and the chief, you know, don't don't you even know what the Bible says.

Dean Hulce: Hopefully, hopefully he doesn't have that same purpose for me. Yeah.

Don Shire: And the Bible's full of promises that uh that we have power in the name of Jesus. And uh that we don't have to cower and hide hide behind trees because the devil might be coming. Uh he has no authority over us and we need to stand boldly.

Dean Hulce: Yeah. You know, and you've you've we've talked dozens of stories the last couple days and maybe next summer when if we don't get together between now and then, hopefully at uh down at the Gospel Festival. We'll uh with with uh um Voices of Peace. Uh we'll get a chance to to get together again and set up and do something.

Don Shire: That'd be fun.

Dean Hulce: It's it's been a pleasure having you here and Lord willing, we'll do it again when it's convenient for you. I'm always here, so.

Don Shire: No, it's been a pleasure.

Dean Hulce: Well, hopefully we can do it again and I appreciate it. I appreciate the stories because they they're encouraging. Hopefully our listeners are encouraged.

Don Shire: Well, you know, Dean, I I've known you for a few years, but this is really the week where I've really gotten to know you and and your ministry. And um I will I will say as a person in ministry myself that uh I like to make a good investment. And uh I think you're a good investment. And uh I want to thank the the people that that support your ministry. Uh I think you're making a great investment for for eternity. And if if you're looking for a good investment, uh Dean has all the information for you.

Dean Hulce: Well, and and again, it doesn't, you know, the what we draw out of this ministry is very little for Lendon and I. God supplies as as he sees fit. And there's it's always enough. You and I talked about it. There's times where we think, okay, how are we going to do this? And God always supplies it. And the Lendon will look up to heaven, literally, look up to heaven and say, Lord, how do you think of these things? Because we never know how or when it's coming, but it's always enough and it's always on time. It's in his timing. Sometimes we have to wait, but it always works. So, yeah, we would we would love that. But there's so many good ministries. Uh Don Shire ministries. Uh the Mike Dawson's ministries. But you know what? There God's got all the money. I I told you. One of the old uh and I don't think he's a a board member anymore, but Pete Swanson, who was a board member for WVRM and and Pete and I were around each other through Sunday school, grew up in Sunday school together and his grandmother played almost every week and she loves he owns a thousand on a he owns a thousand cattle on a thousand hills, yes. The wealth in every mine. And it's true. Everything that's here is God's. There is no um shortage and it's just I think God lets it just waits for our hearts to align with his and then he's more than happy to provide as needed. So, I I do appreciate that that sentiment and I and I hope our listeners enjoyed the program. And again, we we would love to have you partner with us because you're not just blessing us. Um God's going to take care of us either way, but you're blessing the ministry that goes out and is winning souls and is building others. And that's again, if if it wasn't for our need for doing that, God would take us home the minute we come to him. Thanks again.

Don Shire: It's been a pleasure to be with you.

Dean Hulce: It has been and hopefully we get the chance to do it again.

Don Shire: Look forward to it.

Dean Hulce: And for our listeners, hopefully join us again next week on the Trail to Adventure podcast and also on the God's Great Outdoors radio program. And uh we'll meet up with you at that time and thank you for joining us.

Adam Erickson: Amazing testimonies of both Americans and Venezuelans and the lives that can be changed in miraculous ways when we put our trust in Jesus Christ. So often we know people that we think could never be reached for Jesus. We forget that Jesus met Saul on the road to Damascus and the man that was killing the followers of Jesus became the man that shared the gospel message to the Gentiles. Thank you for joining us today as we heard about how God saved a man that was literally working for Satan in the jungles of South America and how this shaman pointed so many to the true God. If you've enjoyed today's program and would like to hear the extended podcast version, you can find it by looking for Dean Hulce or Trail to Adventure wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. This program is provided by and can be contacted at God's Great Outdoors PO Box 414 Powers, Michigan 49874 or on the website God'sGreatOutdoors.org. Thank you for joining us again this week on the Trail to Adventure in God's Great Outdoors. Please join us next week and we'll travel together down the trail.