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A Merry "Git Back" Holiday!
Git Back Day happens time and time again in scripture. At Wilderness Trail our Git Back Day is a Property homecoming from wilderness journey – a long-anticipated return to that land flowing with indoor plumbing and hot showers. After four days and four nights enduring the hardships of wilderness travel in small groups, passing through those Property gates is worthy cause for honking the horns and pumping the fists. Rocking chairs rest our weary legs. Friends from other hiking groups emerge to line the porches with welcoming shouts. Wilderness Trail Git Back Day is a mighty fine homecoming.
Jesus tells the tax collectors, sinners, and religious folk who form the crowds traveling with him a Git Back Day story in Luke 15. The younger son struck out on a rough trail. After breaking from his family, losing all his belongings, and finding himself very hungry he turns around and heads back home. He expects to beg as hired help but receives a gracious welcome of radical hospitality. What once was lost now is found. What was scattered abroad is now returned to hearth and home. The Kingdom of God is a homecoming celebration – a scripturally informed Git Back Day.
The holidays make travelers out of many of us. We plan, pack, and prepare, then we pray that trailheads yield to destinations without the tribulations of traffic. Porch lights bright in the night set the scene for the embrace of family and familiar feelings of home. What kind of Git Back Day do you celebrate these holidays? A return to the place of memories of childhood? A return to the community and relationships of family?
What kind of homecoming did you experience at Thanksgiving? What scripturally informed Git Back Day will occur upon the Christ child’s birth for you and yours?
From our porch to yours we wish you a Merry Christmas and a holiday season filled with joyous homecomings!
Greeting Cards for the Holidays
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God”
- Romans 8:19
Celebrate the natural beauty of the Wilderness Trail Property and nearby hiking trails with these greeting cards. Each photo was taken by a hiker during their week (or weekend) at Wilderness Trail and represents a different season. The back of each card includes a short description of the ministry while the insides are left blank for your creative freedom.
Send these cards to friends and loved ones this holiday season, or give the set as a gift.
Each set of 8 costs $10, and are available for purchase online here or by sending a check to PO Box 742, Waynesville NC 28786 with "greeting cards" in the memo line.
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Your prayers for fun, challenging, God-centered journeys for all hikers!
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2 Extra Long Coolers for food storage at off-site events
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Gently used sleeping pads of the foam (or fancy) variety
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A folding card table to serve as a registration table at off-site events
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Cash gifts for all of those expenses, expected and unexpected at our Property, like sealing porches and fixing vehicles
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An old but reliable pick-up truck for carrying all those backpacks to the trail heads
Winter 2012
Planning is underway for 3 weekend events in Ocala National Forest and 1 March weekend in Blackwater State Forest. At the conclusion of fall events, the big red trailer (Clifford) will be packed and hitched to the Jolly Green Giant (WT’s forest service green F350) and turn their headlights south for the winter. From the WT Office in the first week of November will emanate phone calls and emails inviting the hiking participants, the faithful Base Camp Participants, Junior Staff, Staff, kitchen coordinators, support chiefs, and innocent bystanders to be a part of WT Winter 2012. Please contact Dan Baker if you have particular interests or hopes for a winter event or would like to learn more about ways to get involved.
Check the dates on our website and keep an eye towards the Winter Events webpage for updates coming soon.
"This is Too Good To Keep To Ourselves!"
These are the words of WT founder L.B. Izzi that spur us to widen the rope circle and welcome more would-be backpackers, volunteers, and friends into the Wilderness Trail fold.
(Read the context of L.B.’s comment here!)
The following opportunities are available for YOU to be a part of widening our circle of hands:
• Become a Wilderness Trail Ranger. Learn about it here!
• Host a WT youth rally at your church, inviting other local churches for an evening of worship, fellowship, and food in the style and spirit of Wilderness Trail
• Help us find a host church for an interest dinner in Atlanta, GA in January 2012.
• Contribute through tithing, and encourage those around you to do the same!
• Volunteer! At events, in the WT Office, from your own homeplace with your gifts and graces. Learn more here!
• Host a gathering of friends at your house to learn about Trail and raise funds (with support and guidance from Alisa!)
New Volunteer Webpage
WT is proud to announce a new addition to our website to help you, your youth, your church Sunday school class or fellowship group, your boy scout/girl scout, or other philanthropic interest groups connect with Wilderness Trail. In the past year, Wilderness Trail volunteers have pulled off fine feasts of smoked pork and all the fixings in Ocala’s forest, sewn and hung new curtains in the cabins and Lodge, cleaned and furnished the new bath houses, tended the Property’s flower beds, made minor plumbing/electrical repairs, picked up and dropped off hiking groups, helped address post cards and envelopes, handled spring cleaning at the Lodge and Property, and so much more.
The plain and simple truth is as follows: Wilderness Trail could not exist without the loving kindness and faithful activity of volunteers. So, THANK YOU!
First and foremost to all who have given their time and energy and gifts in 2011, and YES PLEASE! to anyone considering giving to God thru WT in the coming days.
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