Monday, November 26, 2012

Christian Journal Article


Tree of Life Experiences Renewed Growth
 
Tree of Life Christian Wilderness Expeditions, based out of Klamath Falls, Oregon, is growing.  The young ministry underwent some serious changes involving staff, areas of operation, and publicity recently. Founded by Jim Yahne in 1996, Tree of Life delivers the eternal hope of Christ to anyone strugging through life.

Tree of Life is a discipleship program that offers conventional therapy mixed with outdoor adventure blanketed by the core teachings of Christianity. The program is directed at adolescents ages 13 - 17, but also welcomes anyone who needs help being lead out of bondage. Likened to the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, a typical trek entails a 21-day hike through high desert forest. Participants are exposed to God’s promises and healing powers of reconciliation.  “Thank you for being a part of my life and helping me understand who I can be. I’m going to miss you guys…” says one participant. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest.” Tree of Life hopes to be a pathway there.

There is a fresh generation of young faces working at Tree of Life to bring their God-given talents to the Tree of Life family. Guide Brett Hansen says, “We’re excited to see this thing grow! It seems as if God is setting us up for huge success.” 

One of the challenges Tree of Life faces is gaining land use permits in this modern age of ever-shrinking wilderness. Tree of Life has worked closely with the Forest Service and BLM to line out permit areas in the surrounding Klamath Falls area. With new land use areas Tree of Life is faced with the task of scouting and creating new routes, yet it gives them the opportunity of calling a place their own.

This fall Tree of Life has branched out by updating its public image. It began with a simple Facebook profile. Then came Twitter, a blog, and remodeling the website to gain more attention. There is also a nation-wide radio advertisement offering therapy services.

All of these changes are proof that Tree of Life is continuing to put its roots down and solidify a sturdy base. Guide David Key summarizes by saying, “In this economy it’s important to put faith in something. The Lord certainly delivers and the choice to support this ministry was obvious. We have grown and will continue to grow.”

For further information call Jim Yahne at 541-281-2956 or visit tlcwe.org.
 
 

From the October 2012 Love & Respect edition: www.thechristianjournal.org

Friday, November 9, 2012

Getting Ready for Winter

The process of raising awareness and funds for a nonprofit is no simple task. It can take weeks, months, and years to build relationships in the community, let alone throughout the nation. And so it is that the few members of Tree of Life staff find ourselves as we enter into the winter months. One can also think that it may only be those who are in dire straits that would send their child, or be willing, to go on a trek in these chilly and freezing fall and winter nights.

So we press on as a team; feeling the calling of the Lord on our lives to serve in this ministry. Equally, we feel the pinch of the elusive paycheck, the discouragement from the lack of potential clients, and the overwhelming breadth of work to be done for this mission to succeed. There is no way we can do this… not alone at least. And there lies the true test of faith; unable to see the outcome of the current circumstances. The resounding answer: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26) So, we press on, we fight the good fight.
It may be common sense for us who believe in the Power of God that we must trust Him completely in this process. And most of the time, in our day and age, Christ works through His body to accomplish His plan. So, we need your help, and here’s how:
1)      Please partner with us in prayer:
a.       That God provides the means for this organization to continue, grow, and thrive
b.      That the clients that will benefit from our program have a way to come; both by being aware of our program and having the means to afford it
c.       That we continue to build partnerships that will refer potential clients to us
d.      That we form relationships with partners that can fund scholarships for clients

2)      Spread the word about our program! We are here to help anyone that wants to grow closer to the Lord, clear any obstacles that are blocking them from living a God-abundant life, and walk with them through their wilderness to help them be restored to their community.

3)      Donate! We are in need of funds for the following:
a.       A mandatory behavior intervention training - $2,000
b.      Snowshoes for clients and staff  – $800 (can be donated items)
c.       A wall tent for winter trekking - $2,000 (can be a donated item)
d.      Donations to build a scholarship fund for clients
e.      Living expenses for staff who are currently not being paid
For more information on how to support us or make a donation, please visit: http://tlcwe.org/support.php Thank you so much for your support, encouragement, and prayers. This would not be possible without all the help from family, friends, and community like you. To God be the glory!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

17 year old finds God on a Tree of Life trek

We were running whitewater on the mighty Deschutes for five days. Awake at 6:30 and in bed at 11:00. It was tough work, but of course somebody had to do it. Tree of Life had five guides going through training along with a 17 year old participant on a trek who agreed to experience an intensified version of the young adult guide-in-training. The young man was raised by a very religious family and had wandered from the faith so to speak. He was at a tender point in his adolescence when identity comes into question. He had been challenged at home to share his true self. He replied, ‘pothead.’ Thus he came to visit us in Oregon.

Day one, day two, and day three had passed without getting anything serious out of him. He almost seemed in denial of why he was here. He enjoyed the rafting and he was good at it. Also a funny addition to the boat. We were there to disciple, though, and he didn’t seem to want any of it. He listened quietly to lessons and then wrote in his journal regarding personal matters.

One night during our training we were having a serious worship time outside. The guitarist played ‘Here I Am to Worship’ and everyone sang along. Our new friend was thinking about other things. Parents, school, friends, drugs, girls. He wondered, ‘Why can’t I just live how I want and still believe in God and have Him in my life?’ Finally, he was inspired to pray, ‘God if you really want me to change then show yourself.’ As his attention wandered from our worship he found himself looking up at the partly cloudy sky. Immediately, the clouds began to blow away and expose the nearly full moon. He couldn’t believe it. He looked around, but nobody else noticed. They were focused on worship. He told us about this later, of course, and our reaction was to begin a lesson of Holy Spirit power directly from Acts. His response was very typical of the rest of the trip. Back to square one it seemed.

We finished our time on the river and began traveling toward the Pacific. Before parting ways, two of our staff prayed together for our current participant. Their desire was for God to be directly present in his life; for Him, His glory, and His power to be revealed to him. Day six of our trek proposed to run only 12 days. Everyone had gone to bed around the campfire, snuggled into sleeping bags protecting against spring chill. The teen awoke during the night and couldn’t seem to pass out again. The fire had died out leaving only faint embers. Adding a log to the coals, he found a Bible sitting nearby. This wasn’t something that had interested him in the past, but something was stirring him to do this. After reading for a few minutes, the fire burst back to life. No flames immediately turned into large flames engulfing the recently added log. He was stunned. Recalling this later he said, ‘I couldn’t do anything except stare at the fire and pray.’ We again referred to Acts and continued our study of the Holy Spirit. The newly willing student took notes and completed a journal assignment.

The rest of the trip was a great experience for all of us. Often, the downside is the degree to which young people are willing to submit to God. It’s hard to give up control when the world appears to satisfy so well. In the near future, the young man found himself in trouble a few more times. He remembered his experiences with Tree of Life and referred back to them. Our hope is that he can always look back and remember his initial encounter with God on a trek when he was 17. As always, God and God alone, deserves the praise for a life turned around.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Christian Adventure Association Conference

The weekend came to a close on Sunday morning as the group that had attended 2012’s Christian Adventure Association’s Conference reflected on the weekend. Many shared from their heart about their joys and their struggles, only in the way that one can share after sharing a weekend of workshops, intense discussions and stories, and exciting skills and thrills. With full hearts, spirits, and bellies, we parted ways to continue to carry out the work needed to be done in our respective organizations.


Mount Shasta
Our team made a decision over two months ago to invest the time and funds (mostly from our own personal finances) into this conference, even though any income looked grim during the time. I don’t think a minute of the weekend was wasted – as it works in the spiritual realm. The drive to and from Santa Cruz ensured beautiful sites, including an up close view of the ever looming Mount Shasta, and the overwhelming vastness of the city of San Francisco.

One of the primary purposes of the weekend is to gather together people throughout the United States that are working to bring God into individual’s adventure experiences. It was great to meet other people working in common circumstances and toward the same goal. Tree of Life differentiated from many of the other organizations in that our service’s focal point is to provide Biblical counseling to our participants and help them to remove any obstacles blocking them from the abundant life Christ wants to give them.
In addition to networking and fellowship, the weekend consisted of a structured schedule of workshops. There were always two different topics available at the same time which made decisions for attendance difficult. Topics ranged from backpacking food menus to communicating with the public to theory on the future of outdoor ministry. In addition, we got to experience “skills and thrills” courses where we got to experience the ocean and Redwoods while developing skills.
We all walked away grateful for the weekend and the opportunity to meet people in the same industry, learn more about new topics, and experience some exciting adventures. Thank you Christian Adventure Association for organizing this annual conference to bring us together and equip us to better bring Christ into our outdoor expeditions. The most important question we will continue to ask ourselves is “are we doing the best we can to really change lives and grown character while we guide people in an outdoor adventure?”
For more info on the Christian Adventure Association visit caainfo.org

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

David's Testimony

I grew up the youngest of seven children in a small town in Point Clear, AL. I was an adventurous kid that spent most of his time climbing trees, building forts and weapons, roaming the beaches of Mobile Bay, and battling one of my four older brothers. We all went to church on Sundays and then Sunday school, but I can’t say I ever had the slightest care for what the preacher was talking about.

It wasn’t until middle school that someone first sat down with me and wanted to talk to me about Jesus. I had won a short story contest and went up to a Young Writers conference with my English teacher. During the trip he asked me about my faith, told me about Christ, and asked me if he could pray for me, which I was open to. He prayed and I said “Yea God, if you’re real, show me. Just reach out to me at some time.” I was serious. Nothing happened for a couple of years. I kept on being a wild child and getting into whatever mischief I could find.
Here I will edit out the meat of the story, but suffice it to say that in addition to being a stuntman, I also had a strange introverted, highly imaginative, mystic streak to me from childhood. Looking back I had a fairly murky grasp on reality, all of which led me into some dabbling in the occult. After one experience in particular, I was cast into a realm of very disturbing spiritual warfare which seemed to have no end. At this point the powers of darkness were very real to me but I still had no notion of the benevolent God of the universe. I look back on this period as a turning point that I’m very great full for. The curtains were drawn back and I got to see that the spiritual world is every bit as real as the one I daily walk in. God has put many people in my path that have had similar spiritual battles and needed someone to talk to that didn’t think they were crazy; so, God can certainly use all things for his purposes.
Saved by grace! I was about to enter High school and the Young Life leader there invited me to a Christian retreat. I made fun of him, but my Mom saw to it that I went. Over a few days I listened to a man speak from the word on the basic gospel message. It wasn't a message that God was going to fix all of my problems or make my life wonderful or easy, but that I was a separated from the one true living God by my sin. This couldn't be made right by my own works, but only by accepting Christ who paid the price of my sins on the cross. The Holy Spirit moved in me and revealed to me that this was truth. I can only see it as a supernatural experience that allowed me to break outside of my own limited reason and humbly receive grace from the Creator of all things. I've always looked back on this moment with great wonder as to how this transformation could happen to me of all people. The only answer that I can come up with is that way back when I first prayed for God to reveal himself to me, I meant it. “Knock and the door shall be opened.” I believe that this is the most powerful thing that we can do on this brief earthly journey, just reach out to God. He knew that I needed this experience to open my eyes. No one could have explained it to me and no amount of studying world religions and philosophy could be sufficient to what was freely given. It’s fair to say that God has been at the center of my life ever since.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

Friday, September 28, 2012

Kristine's Testimony

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

In the summer of 2005, while in a program that exposed me to the wilderness and played a key role in changing my life, I was exposed to a youth program that challenged and helped ­to build character in youth by teaching them wilderness skills and taking them out on treks. It occurred to me that I would love to operate an organization that did something similar, but interwove faith as a key component to growth and recovery.
In the years that followed, I grew in my career as a team leader for a large financial institution as well as a part-time waitress at a family restaurant while attending college to complete my undergrad degree in Business Management. The dream seemed to get further away, though it was still tucked in the back of my heart. I left the bank and joined a non-profit that funded a Christian adult rehabilitation center. This position brought me closer to recovery, client-oriented work; but also taught me a lot about the essentials and difficulties in operating a non-profit.
Even though my career and educational path were always progressing and I was continually successful in my roles and responsibilities, I was not satisfied – my heart cried out for more. Through all this time I continued to build on my recovery, strengthen my relationship with Christ, and serve others. My life continued to improve and my circle continued to widen. But even though I loved my life, besides its temporary difficulties, I still longed for something different.
After months of praying about my future path, talking with others, and continually taking action, I found Tree of Life through Google search. I called to find out if they needed any female guides – and they did! But not only did they need a female guide, they needed someone that could help with the business portion of the organization and their marketing. I felt that my skills, experience, and education would be used for good to further God’s kingdom at Tree of Life.
In the months between that initial conversation and arriving at Tree of Life, I had so many experiences that I felt the Holy Spirit convicting me to contribute my time and talents here, as well as several “Godincidences”. I felt like if I did not come out here and turn my life over for this mission, I would be disobedient to God’s will in my life. I am so grateful for all the friends and family that have supported me, encouraged me, prayed for me, and loved me into being the person I am today. And, I am so excited to see how God will show up in our team work with Tree of Life Christian Wilderness Expeditions.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Brett's Testimony


I was raised Lutheran in northern Michigan. Dad was a drug using trucker/biker. My brothers dreamed of being rock stars and lived accordingly. Mom always took us to church. One of my earliest memories is of my mother sobbing after a family fight. Even at that age I could recognize the source of her distress. I promised that I would never hurt her the way the rest of my family did.

I performed for everyone in order to separate myself from my brothers. Being the best kid in Sunday school became unfulfilling around age 13. My heart wasn’t in it. I was more interested in freedom and thought that I had found it in another lifestyle. Keeping my childhood promise, I always stayed sober. What I didn’t realize at the time was that women could inadvertently become my drug. It began innocently. I didn’t think my mother had ever been hurt by my brother’s girlfriends, just their substance abuse. It didn’t matter if my mother wasn’t hurt because I ended up being the one who was hurt. Years later I realized that I was revolving through cycles of heartbreak. The problem was that none of my relationships were ever centered on anything. They were just a way for two lost and blind people to improve an empty definition of love.

When I was 19 I was going through a tough break up. Late one night I found myself thinking back to the foundation my mother had built for me. Out of desperation, I prayed. I agreed to remain single for the rest of my life if that were the price I had to pay to be free of these heartbreaks. Soon after making my one-ended business deal with God I was driving at night and saw a brilliant meteor directly above the road. I instinctually started to make a wish and realized that in the past I had always made very selfish wishes in regards to a girlfriend. When this thought dawned on me it all became clear. God loved me more than any woman ever could and He was trying to tell me! When I got home I dusted off my Bible and began to read. It was the first time I had ever read it straight through. It changed my life. But, for some reason, I wasn’t yet convinced to change my lifestyle. I had read the whole Bible so I just figured I had earned the title ‘Christian’. For a few years I was living the same lifestyle as before, but I had this mentality of, ‘I’m a Christian now.’ Besides, living in a work town in Wyoming is a hard place for a new Christian.

Thankfully, when I was 22, I was invited back to my home church to chaperone a youth group mission trip. It was at that mission’s gathering that I first witnessed the Holy Spirit move. A second mission trip spurred me to pursue a career in ministry. I was living in Colorado and had worked many odd jobs which had seriously frustrated me. I was ready to put my faith into action and work for something real. Soon after making that decision I visited home and there was a magazine with a summer camp article. That gave direction, so I started searching online and sending applications. I was offered a camp job in Idaho.

I loved the job and they loved me. I lived and worked with believers who were close to my age. Fulfilling the book of Acts. Iron sharpening iron. Most importantly, I was exposed to real Biblical truths that had never been revealed to me in my traditional, old church. I realized that Jesus had paid the price for me in order to cleanse me of my sins. This revelation set me on fire for God and I was in the prime location for growth.

After three seasons of ministering to youth, I was offered by a co-worker to join her in a new ministry called Tree of Life. I didn’t believe that I qualified for the job position, but I asked God about it and He revealed an answer in Revelation 22:2. The passage exactly matched the description of this new ministry. So at age 24 I moved to Oregon to further fulfill God’s call for me. That brings us to today. Throughout my life the circumstances were often times not in my favor. I can’t help but feel like God has had a literal sway on situations big and small. And in case anyone is curious, God is evidently holding true to His end of the deal I proposed at age 19.

The most important thing I have learned in my closer walk with Thee is that God desires to be in union with us. How can you die to your current self in order to fully live in union with God?

"On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22:2

Monday, September 24, 2012

Kelsey's Testimony


I have been extremely blessed to grow up in a Christian home. I grew up going to church and Sunday school. The first time I remember asking Jesus into my heart was during nap time in kindergarten. Knowing Christ loves the innocent faith of a child, I am thankful for his incredible protection that allowed me to grow up as an innocent child of God. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, or the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14. At some point there is a transition though from being a child to taking ownership over your relationship with Christ. This is where the connection was lost for while.

            I knew the stories, believed that Jesus was the Son of God, went to church, and followed the “rules.” I may have looked the part, but my life did not reflect that I was living it for Christ. I followed the rules because I was a people pleaser and I feared getting in trouble. That may be a lot of parents dreams, but He created us for so much more than that. I believed Satan’s lies of working for people’s affection. I lived my life for them instead of for the one who created me.

            Entering high school I was open to drinking and drugs, but only by the grace and protection of God was I not exposed to that scene. Unfortunately though, I placed my value in guys. I allowed them to treat me poorly and speak to me however they pleased. I developed this attitude of doing whatever I could to be “good enough” for them. And guess what? I never was. When I was 16 I went on a retreat with my youth group. It was there that I experienced this unconditional love from people that didn’t even know me! I wanted whatever they had. Discovering that their love for me didn’t even compare to the love Christ had for me made me dive into the stories I “knew,” but never experienced. “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” John 4:9-11 This is when my faith really became my own and not just what my parents believed.

            Throughout the rest of high school and college I was very much immersed in the secular world, but my relationship with Jesus continued to grow. I was learning more about who God was and the characteristics of Jesus and what it looks like to surrender my life to Him. He allowed me to see how He sees people and gave me a heart for loving people and showing them that Jesus is not a judgmental and condemning God. “For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:17. I was blessed with working at a Christian wilderness camp where people invested in me and gave me examples of what heaven on earth and what Godly relationships look like, along with how to serve others.

            This past season of my life has been the hardest, but the most rewarding. I was trying to find my value in other things like education and success when ultimately my value is found completely in Christ. God used someone else to show me that I need intimacy and how He wants to fulfill that need. I have become a woman after God’s own heart.  He has been teaching me that the Holy Spirit is alive and working, what my true authentic identity is, how He is pursuing me, the power of being a woman, and that His plans for me are greater than I can imagine. My desire is to be joyfully obedient to God’s command to go and make disciples of all nations and to love Jesus and others. He has led me out here and I’m excited to continue this journey with Him while he transforms me into a greater likeness of Himself. "But whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

Friday, September 21, 2012

Week 2 in Recap

  "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today”
          Elbert Hubbard

          As we started our second week together as a new team, we were gifted a scholarship to Klamath County’s Chamber of Commerce’s 3 day Academy for Business Excellence. It’s this author’s assumption that we would all much rather have clients out in the field which would help fulfill our mission: to help people remove barriers to spiritual progress in their life, to help free them from destructive and captive ways of thinking, and to help them be restored to an abundant and God honoring life. Clients would also help pay the bills.
          But, the Academy couldn’t have happened at a more appropriate time as our team is sitting down and figuring out the details of what exactly our mission and vision is and where we see ourselves going as an organization in the future. In one of the courses on business planning, the instructor said that without goals our ship could sail in any direction and get lost in the winds. We believe that God will guide our ship, but we are responsible for manning the sails and being good stewards of the boat He’s given us.

          Classes included training on proposal writing, marketing plans, creating contingency and succession plans, discussions on social media, in depth training on using Facebook, a panel on the Affordable Healthcare Act, and much more. In addition, politicians from the state and county were present for lunch-time presentations on how legislation affects local and state-wide business, as well as how the community can get involved in the political process. Needless to say, not all of these forums were necessary or enticing for all of our team…
          In addition to time spent in seminars through the week, we also spent time together outside of classes hammering out our own vision, mission, and marketing strategies. We discussed what our different skills and gifts are and what we think we can contribute to this organization to get Tree of Life operating to a capacity where we can help up to 100 clients a year and hopefully more in the future! We’ve also learned that in addition to the unique gifts and skills that we can contribute, we will all be called outside of our comfort zone to be grown, stretched, and eventually be able to help this ministry grow in the way that God desires.
          Please continue to keep our team and ministry in your prayers – they are the foundation of any success we may accomplish.
        “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Proverbs 16:3

                                                          

Saturday, September 15, 2012


Nothing worth achieving comes easy… This was definitely a challenging, but rewarding week for the new team. The first couple of days were spent sitting in a circle discussing where we envision Tree of Life going, some ideas on how to achieve those goals, and going over the policy and procedure manual. Though these discussions are crucial to the business end of any organization, you could imagine the challenge for a group of people whose hearts on fire for the Lord and crave the outdoor wilderness…
The second two days found the four guides in the Chemult Ranger’s District. Only David and Brett had been exposed to the beauty and the challenges of the territory. Currently, this is the only land that Tree of Life has a permit to run wilderness treks. It is a goal to get permits in at least two other wilderness areas; however, the process can be long, tedious, and expensive.
This region of the Winema National Forest contains mostly Lodge Pole Pine and Ponderosa trees. Because of the high desert location, the ground consists of mostly pumice, which basically becomes a dust that sneaks into every crevice of clothing and existing cracks. This was only one of the challenges… Another challenge of the Chemult is the lack of water supply in the area, as well as the winding roads that can exist and not be on the map, be mislabeled, or be overgrown and difficult to navigate. Also, temperature can vary 40 to 60 degrees from day to night. It’s important to be prepared for all of this – spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Scouting is something that needs to take place in order to plan the 21 day trek so that when clients arrive, the route is set ahead of time. Brett spent the days driving the terrain and marking camps with the GPS while David, Kelsey and Kristine hiked out the day treks to gauge their navigability for difficulty, timeliness, and water sources. The group would gather for lunch and set up camp at night while discussing the day’s challenges and victories. One thing was for sure, they were grateful to have gotten a taste of the Chemult before the clients arrived.
Though it’s Saturday, the work does not stop – even if no one is getting paid during this pioneering time. Our team is setting out to help another local wilderness program to take down their camp for the summer. This opportunity will provide some great networking, help to establish solid partnerships with other organizations, and provide more sources for the questions that are sure to arise as we continue to build the organization. Please be in prayer for us as we continue to build the mission we believe that God is guiding us be a part of. Many blessings to you!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

First day with the new team!


September 11th was a sad day that reminds our nation how terrorism can come and kill, steal, and destroy an unsuspecting people who value liberty and justice. Ironically, the newest team of Tree of Life met for the first time on this 12th anniversary talking about how they can work together to help others break their own bondage that is killing, stealing and destroying, and be set free through a life with Christ.

How exactly is this team to fulfill such a great duty? They won’t… but God will through them. They opened with prayer asking God to guide the mission and direct their work to fulfill His purpose. They thanked God for the opportunity to be part of such an organization. And they asked God to bring clients that would be helped, saved, and healed through their work… but that would also help keep them afloat in the times to come at the start of a dry season.

So, they set to work on covering important topics that can seem minor in the grand scheme of things, but are important to talk about nonetheless. Things like mission, vision, objectives, websites, pamphlets, scouting territory, YouTube, FaceBook, spiritual gifts, and individual goals. The meeting felt productive, though it was a lot of information and discussion. This team of three men and two women have high hopes for what will become of Tree of Life Christian Wilderness Expeditions and the people that will be served through their work.