God's Great Outdoors

On this Trail To Adventure! traveling to speak at a Game Dinner in Wisconsin, he hooked up with Daryl Christensen. Daryl is a past God’s Great Outdoors Board of Directors member and spent most of his life in the professional walleye fishing arena. He shares how when the economic crash of 2008 took place, it hit the fishing industry hard. This caused Daryl to move to an early retirement from his profession, going in a different direction. Having been one of Wisconsin’s leading members of the state’s bird watchers, he began doing studies for the Department of Natural Recourses. So, besides getting to speak at Game Dinners, this has opened doors to present the Creator, Jesus Christ to those who enjoy ornithology.

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! Gerry is visiting with Dr. Richard Swenson in Wisconsin and the two are talking about Intelligent Design on this week’s radio interview. The truth is there is more chance mathematically that your car happened by accident over hundreds of millions of years, then just your eyeballs having evolved and how they works with your entire body? This is just one of the things that Dr. Richard Swenson shares in the interview with Gerry as they discuss this topic and Dr. Swenson’s book, “More Than Meets the Eye”. Having taught surgery at the University of Madison, Wisconsin, and his minor was in physics, this interacting is loaded with information declaring that we have a Creator God.

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! we’ll discover how you can have your family and area kids hooked for life. That’s hooked, with their own personal relationship with the Creator God, Jesus Christ. Gerry’s guest is Trevor Ruble the President and Founder of a ministry to children and families molded on teaching them how to fish called "Hooked for Life." This is an interest or activity based outdoor outreach and evangelistic fishing themed program that is being adopted by many churches across North America. Trevor shares how he had struggled as a kid without a dad and how fishing was his escape from that loss. As an adult the ministry idea was something God laid on his heart, as a way to help kids to learn to fish and also could be used to help youth come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior.

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! Gerry is at Game Dinner in Pennsylvania with an old friend, Dick Hribar. Through the years as a fishing and hunting guide, Dick Hribar has put a lot of miles on his body. At the time of this interview he was about to undergo his fourth knee transplant on both legs; he is quite an outdoorsmen, always on the go. Dick shares how as a Special Education teacher in Pennsylvania for 30 years he was able to connect with his students by way of the bow and arrow, connecting with them using archery and hunting, turning many of their lives around as they lacked fathers at home. Dick also talks of his guiding elk hunters who draw the limited and coveted tags in Pennsylvania each fall to pursue the monsters that roam the mountains near his home.

We hope that you never get hooked the way one of the guests on this Trail To Adventure! did, listen to see what took place. On this week’s program Gerry’s with Todd and Joni Lakes as they tell about their first trip to Rushing Wind Retreat Center in Ontario, Canada. For Todd this was a once in a life time adventure of getting to both fish Canada and it was a fly-in as well, “A Bucket List” experience! This Ohio couple had been invited by some friends to a event that you can take someone to where they’ll have the Creator God speak to them by way of the outdoors, speakers and fellowship of others! This fly-in adventure fishing camp is a place where men can invite friends and relatives to join them for the five days. But, Todd and Joni had come to a marriage retreat, which has helped restore marriages and seen changed lives for eternity, time and again. Hear what happened to them and check out what a Rushing Wind trip could do for your loved ones!

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! Gerry is visiting with Jim Butler in Pennsylvania’s scenic Appalachian mountains. Jim and his wife Barbra own and operate Strath an De Farm, which in Celtic means “God’s Valley.” The beautiful forest setting is the location for annual summer father and son retreats that are designed to make lasting memories in the lives of those who attend each year and draw them to the Creator. Jim shares about the numerous activities that the men and boys join together in with the goal of deepening the family bond and one’s personal relationship with the our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, Jim relates to Gerry how in the summer of 2017 the ministry expanded as they started having a father and daughter camp that was a hit as well, so it’s become a planned part of the future!

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! we’re exploring how two guys, David Hale who was a farmer, and Harold Knight a barber, got together to design, develop plus, market turkey calls. Gerry visits with these two legends in the outdoor world to discover that the only reason they started to sell their calls was because there weren’t many turkeys in Kentucky and they hoped to be able to make enough to buy a non-resident hunting license in Missouri. Giving one of these calls to an outdoor writer way back when there weren’t many turkeys to start with, created quite a stir. His article in an outdoor magazine drove in hundreds of phone calls to get one of their “turkey tubes” and it just went on from there. Both these men give all the glory to God for what has happened in their lives and they continue to praise Him as the years roll by. The two are able to present their story at game dinners, telling of God’s blessing on them!

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! Program, Gerry is with professional outdoors writer, photographer and “Big Whitetail” legend, R.G. Bernier. Gerry met R.G. at his home in Standish, Maine. Known for his ability in tracking down big bucks in the snow, Dick Bernier has authored a tract called “A Deer Tracker’s Journey!” In this radio interview, the story of R.G.’s twice coming close to death is laid out for the listeners. In 1968 at the age of 9, he had open heart surgery to repair a defect there from birth. Also, in his college years, Dick worked with a touring evangelistic ministry team from Liberty University in Virginia. One March night the van hit ice and was t-boned by an 18 wheeler, causing Dick some very serious and life threatening injuries. But, God’s plan was to use these two close calls and R.G. Bernier’s deer hunt success over the years as a speaker at Game Dinner and outdoorsmen’s outreaches. So, in his printed tract and in front of groups of sportsmen Dick is sharing about the love of Jesus, the cross of Christ and blood that was shed to cover and forgive our sins, for an eternity with our Creator God!

The interview on this Trail To Adventure! is with Toni Mattson of the Trinity Equestrian Center located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 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. 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. Can’t make one of these conferences? Well the material’s used and handed out at one, is available through GGO’s website too!

On this week’s Trail To Adventure! Professional fishing legend and television host, Hank Parker joins Gerry and shares with the listeners his fishing career, his television show on fishing, and his co-hosting with his two sons on the TV show for hunters titled “Flesh and Blood.” Hank also tells of his dad’s alcoholism, conversion to Christ, horrific death in a car accident, and how he left a note in his Bible requesting that the pastor preach a salvation message at his funeral if he died because both of his boys were on their way to Hell. Because of that note covered in his dad’s blood, Hank and his brother both prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Savior. It is a powerful true story you’ll want to share with others!